Origin: New Zealand
Performers: Hayley Westenra
Instrumentation: Vocals and Synthetic Orchestra
Pokarekare Ana is a traditional love song from New Zealand that was originally written in Maori. The original piece dates back to 1914, and is considered to be a New Zealand folk tune describing the love that two people share for one another. Hayley Westenra, in this recording, is able to create a more modern and up to date version of this song. Her vocal control and ability are stunning for someone who is so young, and her ability to maintain pitch is very moving. In terms of Campbell, I find this rendition a recreation and extension of a already familiar tune. Westenra is able to modify the tune slightly in order to provide her vocal range a few more challenges and performance practices much like I would with a Karl King march for concert festival. She maintains the melodies, harmonies and keeps her vocal inflections in line with string instruments which is indicative of music of New Zealand. Her instrumentation choice is a synthetic orchestra which is not "original world music" however it keeps with the tone and overall message of the piece. Do you feel that technology is something that hinders the "originality" of a piece of music? Does the use of technology deplete the authenticity of the world music? Does technology hinder our ability to educate students on world music? Listen as she controls her voice with not only pitch but also dynamics. This is not common in "cultures that do not provide classical training." Does this mean that this is an invalid example of "world music" to use in my class?
Wow, what a beautiful voice! I love that this song was created based on an existing song and simply made more modern. I think when this happens it brings new life to the piece and even draws attention to both the existing piece as well as the new one. I love that the string instruments seem to move with her and her voice is so smooth it almost imitates the string's sound. I do not think that the technology hinders the originality of the piece but rather helps to bring it into the current world of music. I think the technology helps us to educate students on world music because they are more drawn into the more modern sound. I think it is still certainly important for them to hear music in its original state however I think they are able to appreciate it more and make a better connection with the newer versions. I certainly do not think this is an invalid example of world music to use with your class just something to add to their learning.
ReplyDeleteI love this woman's voice. She sings this song with passion and precision. I think we can get too rigid about what is original music and how it is created. There a number of times that new instruments like the saxophone was created but not deemed worthy of the western orchestra. However, we all know that the saxophone is played across the world and is one of the most popular Western instruments. Computer music is new to most musicians and we think that it is a phony methods of composing and playing music. However, most commercials, radio programs and full-feature movies rely heavily on synthesized or computer music. If the music, however it is conceived, can create an aesthetic experience for the listener then we need to accept the technology that created it as a valid method of composition and expression. I can applause an authentic performance of music and what my students to experience it. But the reality is that most remade music we hear will lose some of it authenticity Nevertheless, it may express another authentic experience for a current generation.
ReplyDeleteWith regards to your question about technology being something that hinders the "originality" of a piece of music, I think it could go either way. When thinking about creating music individually I feel more so that it needs to be produced by oneself through an acoustical instrument, but on the other hand technology allows for people to create music for themselves digitally. A great example of this is Hyperscore and here is the link to a video about it, it's creator and a demonstration by a person with cerebral palsy: http://www.ted.com/talks/tod_machover_and_dan_ellsey_play_new_music . If you haven't heard of it, it's a way for people with special needs to create their own music which in technology's case, provides an opportunity for someone who never had the chance to create music before. It's about 20-21 minutes. I'm not sure you can claim dynamics are only learned by classically trained musicians because I bet other cultures use dynamics just as classically trained musicians do. It's all of the inflections and special musical traits that make that music a cultures music.
ReplyDeletePreston, This was a beautiful video. Thanks for sharing -I hope more of the class got a chance to check it out.
DeleteWow, what a pure sound. I would have to agree with the others that have posted so far in that electronic music does not necessarily make a piece of world music less authentic. Especially when done by those immersed within the culture/style that is being referenced. Also, innovation does not mean less authentic, it has been done for countless generations in music. As for your statement about dynamics, I think that is a pretty broad assumption and I do not concur. From all the listening we have done, it would seem many cultures use dynamic changes and control, though maybe not always in the same way as "classical trained."
ReplyDeleteIs she credited as the writer of the piece? She has an absolutely lovely voice. I wonder how old she actually is. I don't think the music is particularly creative, but I do not think it is uncreative either. I say it isn't particularly creative because it sounds like pretty much every semi-classical crossover vocal piece (like a girl version of Josh Groban) that I've heard. What it really reminds me of is Charlotte Church, the young singer who sang opera music in opera style when she was 14. I don't think this music is uncreative, though. I think there is an element of creativity in any music that is produced, because it requires its own arrangement of instruments for accompaniment and its own format. Any modern singer is going to add these kinds of elements in addition to slight melodic changes and vocal embellishments to their performances because no one is interested in listening to something that sounds exactly like it would have sounded in 1914 (or at least the mass majority of music consumers isn't interested in the sounds of 1914, anyway). If anything has been made clear to me in this course, it is that the connection of different cultures around the world because of our global environment has made it so that pop styles are pretty similar everywhere, but this doesn't make the pop music of other cultures less of world music or less authentic.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a beautiful song. Her voice is breath taking! Even though this is a remake of the original song, I still feel that it maintains culture originality. Of course the new music technology accompaniments have assisted in the remake of the song. But I do not feel that the technology in the music takes away from the authenticity of the music. This is a great way to use creativity in music. Taking a great original song like this and adding a bit more contemporary contrast to the work.
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