IDEAS ABOUT MUSIC
As each member of our group went to two musical performances relating to the SMU classical music culture I along with Lily Kim, Anh Vu, and Ramon Bagadion attended the Meadows Symphony Orchestra concert on March 10, 2011. On this night we journeyed to the Meyerson Symphony Center in downtown Dallas.
In this music culture the music from classical instruments is everything. That is the reason why seats get filled at performances and it is what they listen for. In this music culture all performers are dressed formally and it is taboo to be dressed otherwise. The performers of the Meadows Symphony Orchestra are all SMU students in the Meadows School of Performing Arts. Most performers play daily not as a performance but to prepare themselves for upcoming concerts and recitals they may have throughout the season. This music culture uses a wide variety of instruments ranging from string instruments to percussion and wind instruments. For this performance all of the instruments were out to perform at one time or another though in the first piece they performed called Symphony No. 38 in D Major composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart some notable instruments such as the clarinet, tuba, and trombone were not in action. This music culture is an extension of the classical music culture that originated from Europe. With that being said they are capable of playing many different styles and techniques because of the wide variety of music within the classical music culture.
Andrew Jin
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ACTIVITIES INVOLVING MUSIC
When going to the concert, the venue took a huge factor in how the culture is portrayed as a whole. This was my second SMU performance to go to, and the audience turnout and performance number were both significantly more than those of the previous concert. Instead of performing short showpieces, the Meadows Symphony Orchestra presented two different symphonies, one by Mozart, and one by Bruckner. As it always is the case with all classical music, there is always little physical activity and much mental activity during the course of music. The music can usually be found published, on iTunes, or anywhere, especially since the music being performed has been known to go through many interpretations worldwide and throughout all times. They are not original pieces being premiered. The performers seem to consist of mostly students, with ten or eleven students playing the same type of string instrument (violin, cello, viola) and the rest playing different instruments but in smaller numbers (winds: oboe, clarinet, etc.). Although they are students, the presentation of the performers was so formal that it might have seemed that they were professionals. However, because this is a college campus culture, it is hard to tell whether the performers are playing for a profession or for a hobby (profession meaning that one is performing for the purposes of a future career in music). Race, ethnicity, gender, and religion do not play any type of role in who participates in this music-culture, whether performing or merely watching. I noticed that in the orchestra, there were many Caucasians and Asians, as well as a few other races as well. Not that it matters, I concluded that the music culture seemed to be public to anyone who just wanted to enjoy watching and listening to the music. As for who participates in the music making, the members have to go through a strenuous audition process in order to be in the orchestra, partly because the music department is successful but intense. The performers are seated in a way so that the best performer of the certain instrument is in the front and closest to the conductor and the audience. As for the audience, it seems that everyone may participate, but only with the buying of the $5 ticket. Therefore, the audience may be only those who have the means to afford it. Audiences consisted of more young people in comparison to the piano duet concert, and they were mostly relatives or friends of the performers, rather than random public strangers. This performance seemed to have a more welcoming environment than other concerts, partly because it was held in the Meyerson Symphony Center, not the Caruth Auditorium (hidden in campus). However, there seemed to be a more exclusive feeling no matter what, because of the fact that the concert belonged to the one and only SMU.
Anh Vu
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REPERTORIES OF MUSIC
The music of this culture is fundamentally be classified as Western classical music, which is known for its propriety and elegance as it comes from an aristocratic background. Its roots can be traced to “concerts of classical music in Europe, where the patronage of the courts and the aristocracy, as well as the Church, traditionally supported classical music.” This classical music is supported today in North America by “the government, the wealthy classes, and universities” like SMU.* However, classical music is no longer associated only with the elite, and is something that can be appreciated by anyone.
What the orchestra performed did not include text or lyrics, as the focus of the concert was on the musical aspects, which involved listening primarily. The pieces performed were composed by renowned musicians, Mozart and Bruckner. Orchestras such as the Meadows Symphony Orchestra generally perform similar famous classical pieces of the past which have been preserved and transmitted through written scores and old recordings, but out of the performances that have been observed, only on occasion have more modern compositions of equally brilliant musicians been performed.
*quoted from Titon, Jeff Todd, and William Alves. World Music. Mason, Ohio: Cengage Learning, 2010.
Lily Kim
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MATERIAL CULTURE OF MUSIC
There wasn't much materials to comment on here besides the obvious. As Andrew said, the usual instruments you would find in an orchestra were present, from the violins, to the trombones, to the clarinets. The clothing worn by the performers was also prevalent here, as their clothing reflected the traditional formal wear of tuxedos and black dresses for the women, while the audience members, myself excluded, wore clothing more appropriate for a Sunday morning service. I guess if a particular performance moved you, you could buy roses and throw it at the stage.
Ramon Bagadion
