Chapter 4 Arranged Folk and Art Musics and New Musical Instruments Text: Eliot Bates Instructor’s Manual: Christopher Roberts
All activities are keyed as follows: AA = All ages E = Elementary (particularly grades 3-6) S = Secondary (middle school and high school, grades 7-12) C/U = College and university
1. Arrangements (4.1) (S, C/U). Bates notes that “artful and tasteful performance or recording of a traditional music work is considered by many to have a greater value than the composition of something entirely new” (p. 73). Discuss this statement within the context of the music(s) with which your students are familiar. When is it more true, and when is it more false?
2. Classical music, arranged (4.1) (AA). Both classical and folk music from Turkey have been arranged in new ways. Assign your students to find recordings of classical music that has been arranged in new ways (e.g., the Swingle Singers performing Organ Fugue from Fantasia and Fugue, BWV 542, by Bach; Walter Murphy’s A Fifth of Beethoven, from the soundtrack to the movie Saturday Night Fever; or Mekong Delta’s version of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition). Then, have them fill out Resource 4.1, identifying the differences between the re-contextualization and a more traditional version.
As a possible extension, high school and college/university students can share their findings with the class. For elementary students, simplify the assignment by choosing the recordings to play for them, then ask them to identify the differences.
3. Folk music, arranged (4.1) (AA). This is similar to extension activity 4.2. Find an original recording of an old folk song from your country. Then, look for other recordings of that song performed in different styles. Compare the recordings, using the accompanying worksheet in Resource 4.2 as a guide. For example, The Fox (also called The Fox Went Out on a Chilly Night) has been performed in numerous contexts on the following albums: a. America’s Favorite Ballads, Vol. 2, by Pete Seeger b. Nickel Creek, by Nickel Creek c. Street and Gangland Rhythms: Beats and Improvisations of Six Boys in Trouble (FW Record 5589); edited by Richard Sorenson d. Harry Belafonte—The Best of (Gold Edition), by Harry Belafonte e. The Daemon Lover, by Custer LaRue 4. Bu Dünya Bir Pencere (4.2) (AA). After learning the tune of Bu Dünya Bir Pencere, from Figure 4.3 on p. 82, listen to the two recordings of the song, tracks 23 and 24. Compare them. Which do you prefer, and why do you think that is?
5. Arrange! (4.1, 4.2) (AA) Assign students to groups of four to six students. Ask them to choose a short tune that is familiar to all of them. Using the grids of the two recordings of Bu Dünya Bir Pencere as an example, encourage students to create their own arrangement of the tune. Students can use found sounds (table tapping, paper crumpling, etc.) for timbral contrast, as well as whatever instruments are available. Once they decide on a form, have them write it down in the same fashion as Figures 4.5 and 4.6 (pp. 83 and 84), then perform their compositions for the class.
6. Soru-Cevap identification (4.3) (AA). Listen to the recording of Zamani Gelir, track 5, using Figure 4.7 (p. 86) to track the soru and cevap sections. After listening once, distribute one copy of Resource 4.3 to each student. Have them tear the paper down the middle, holding the word “soru” in one hand and “cevap” in the other. Play the recording again. Without looking at Figure 4.7, have students raise the appropriate paper as each section occurs. Repeat the exercise, while looking at the figure, for the students to determine how successful they were at identifying the sections.
7. Soru-Cevap characteristics in a modern context (4.3) (S, C/U). Refer back to the information on the soru-cevap form in Section 3.5. Using the checklist in Resource 4.4, check off the presence of various characteristics of the traditional soru-cevap form in Zamani Gelir, track 5, a more modern performance. How much has the performer altered the traditional form?
8. Perform a Soru-Cevap (4.3) (C/U). Dividing students into groups of five to eight classmates, use whatever instruments are available (and that students can play) to have students recreate the notation found in Figure 4.8, on p. 87. Don’t worry about recreating the exact sound of the recording, but try to reflect the soru-cevap structure as much as possible, using the checklist from Resource 4.4 as a guide. The tempo can be slowed, and other alterations can be made as necessary.
9. Visit a recording studio (4.3) (AA). In Section 4.3, Bates describes the way in which music is mixed and edited in modern Istanbul’s music studios. Find a music studio near you, and arrange a visit. Discuss with the recording engineers the common process of creating a musical recording. If possible, observe the process with a musician in the studio.
10. Crossover (4.4) (S, C/U). Many arabesk performers “cross over” to other genres, having the ability to perform different styles of music effectively. Can styles of music? For example, do performers in the Western classical tradition also perform in rock or bluegrass bands? Ask students to find recordings of artists who cross over, and play short excerpts for the class. Also, do any of the students themselves perform music in two or more genres?
11. Musical origins (4.4) (S, C/U). In Turkey, the arabesk genre has mythical origins in Southeast Anatolia, near Syria. Today, however, many arabesk recordings are produced in Istanbul, far from Southeast Anatolia. Think of a musical genre that is associated with a particular region or groups of people. Research the origin of that music to see if this conception is true or not. Then, look to some of the major performers of the genre today: Are they from the region or ethnic/cultural group with which the genre is most closely associated?
12. Banned music (4.5) (S, C/U). Bates informs us that the government banned the Kurdish song Keçe Kurdan, recorded by Aynur Dogan, due to fears that it would encourage girls to leave their husbands and join terrorist organizations. Research the history of the Kurds in Turkey to see the potential reasons behind the government’s concern. Then, look to the text of the song on p. 95. Which parts of the text might lead to the government’s concern? Do you think their perspective is valid or not?
As an extension, research other musics banned by those in power, such as The Sex Pistols’ God Save the Queen (banned by the BBC in 1977), Peter, Paul, and Mary’s Puff the Magic Dragon (banned by the Singapore government in 1963), Cole Porter’s You Never Know (banned by the German government in 1939), and Wagner’s music (banned in Israel). Why has this music been banned? Are there some circumstances where it is appropriate to ban music?
13. Arabesk, revisited (4.4, 4.5) (S, C/U). Listen to the beginning of the song Keçe Kurdan, track 25, while following along with the transcription on p. 93. Refer back to Section 4.4 in the text, identifying the different aspects of the recording that make the section of the piece an arabesk.
14. The power of women (4.5) (S, C/U). The text of Keçe Kurdan can be seen as a feminist statement, exhorting women to take control of their lives. Brainstorm with the class a list of other songs from popular culture that celebrate the power of women or encourage them to stand up for themselves, such as Madonna’s Express Yourself, the Dixie Chicks’ Hello Earl, Helen Reddy’s I Am Woman, Aretha Franklin’s Respect, and Madison Avenue’s Don’t Call Me Baby. Are there similar songs for the men’s movement? Why or why not?
Name______
Resource 4.1: Classical music, arranged
Directions: Find an “alternative” version of a piece of music from the Western classical conditions. Compare the new rendition to a more traditional recording, using the following criteria.
Instrumentation
Form
Melody
Rhythm
Tempo
Dynamics
Other
Which performance do you prefer, and why?
Name______
Resource 4.2: Folk music, arranged
Directions: Compare different versions of a traditional folk song, using the following criteria.
Recording 1 Recording 2 Recording 3 Performer name
Date of performance
Performance genre
Instrumentation
Melody
Rhythm
Tempo
Dynamics
Which do you like best, and why?
Name______
Resource 4.3: Soru-Cevap
Directions: Listen to the recording of Zamani Gelir, track 5. After tearing this paper down the middle, play the track again, holding up the correct word to identify the section of the piece that is occurring at each time. Listen again, checking your answers to Figure 4.7 on p. 86 in the text.
Soru Cevap
Name______
Resource 4.4: Soru-Cevap characteristics in a modern context
Directions: The following lists common characteristics of the soru-cevap form. Listen to track 5, Zamani Gelir, checking for the presence of each quality in the more modern recording.
Yes No Are the playing styles of the soru and cevap different?
Is the ending note of the cevap phrase often the same note as the beginning note of the soru? Does the cevap usually play different musical material than the soru? Does the instrumentation of the soru and cevap differ? Is the cevap usually louder than the soru?
Does the cevap contain a greater density and variety of musical ornaments?