Fourth Week

Professor Helen Reese believes "Ancient Naxi Music" is not as "ancient" or "authentic" as it is professed to be because it is performed in a completely different context. She describes "authenticity" as involving a "'complete and immaculate simulation,' one which would convince the 'traditional' musician as well as the 1990s visitor of its reality." If judged solely by this definition, the "Ancient Naxi Music" now heard could not be mistaken as "authentic" since it is produced solely as entertainment for foreign tourists while it was originally used to perform liturgical rituals. The musico-ritual organizations known as Dongjing associations met several times a year in solemn ceremonies to perform scriptures honoring Confucian, Taoist, and Buddhist dieties. Thus, how could the music played now, which is clearly catering to foreign tourists as demonstrated by the introduction given in fluent english, be considered an exact replica of the music that was once so important to the Naxi people's lives and religion? While only native instruments and devices are used and the mainly elder musicians are dressed in old-fashioned gowns, the performances that are currently being carried out are ultimately just copies of the original music and are therefore not "authentic" according to Reese's definition of it. Western scholars view this differently however since they greatly enjoy these performances and consider them to be "traditional." Thus, these scholars are greatly repelled by the modern Chinese orchestra since it does not resemble their idea of what traditional Chinese music ought to sound like. They claim that it just sounds like lightweight Western music and consider it to be trite. While Western scholars prefer the old "traditional" Chinese music, many Chinese teachers and students accuse the foreign students of wanting to arrest the development of Chinese music and insist on the need for it to change. In light of these opposing views, I believe that authenticity exists on a continuum because this idea means different things to different people.

Third Week

This assignment was extremely interesting because it made me realize that even though the sound of the music doesn't necessarily change in different contexts, the performance and how other people regard the music does. Both of these gamelan groups were Balinese and therefore had the same instruments and general harmonies, yet I can not help but feel overwhelmed by the differences between the two performances. The setting was the most obvious difference between the two. The "Ratna Ayu" piece was performed on a formal stage with the sole purpose of entertaining an audience, while the "Gamelan Bali Nyepi" piece was performed on the beach for the performers' own enjoyment. This affected everything about the performances, from the actual rhythm of the pieces to the clothes the performers wore. While the "Ratna Ayu" piece is clearly strictly structured since it is routinely performed for an audience, the "Gamelan Bali Nyepi" seemed to be more free since the people were not performing for anybody but themselves. The individuals that performed the latter piece were wearing a simple white outfit as they sat on the ground joyously playing their instruments, while the performance of the "Ratna Ayu" piece was anything but simple as all the performers wore elaborate costumes and even employed eloquent dancers that ultimately demanded all of the attention. The music seemed secondary to the dancing in this performance, while the "Gamelan Bali Nyepi" piece was performed with no dancing at all. Even the instruments used in the two performances were notably different from each other, rendering those used to create the "Ratna Ayu" piece more elegant and appealing. Even though I enjoyed both performances, it is not surprising that I found the "Ratna Ayu" piece to be more interesting since it was essentially performed to attract and engage an audience.

Second Week

I am actually well acquainted with the idea of being both an insider and an outsider in a particular setting or situation. While my parents' origins and the fact that I was raised speaking spanish and practicing Mexican traditions enables me to consider myself an insider to the Mexican culture, I am also aware of the fact that since I have never lived in Mexico I can not consider myself a true insider. I have never had to deal with the currency, educational system, and uniform views about religion present in Mexico. I can not say that I understand Mexican culture simply because I have heard Mexican music. Mexican culture, like any culture, can not be analyzed and understood simply by listening to its music. Without any previous knowledge about a society, an outsider will not recognize the meanings and histories that these individuals attempt to convey about themselves and their beliefs through their music, and will thus remain an outsider to its culture. Since I have not taken the time to explore my family background, it is clear that although I am Mexican I am nonetheless still an outsider to the Mexican culture.
Not surprisingly, I accentuate different parts of my identity at different times and in different settings. When I am with my family I participate in more cultural and religious events than when I am here at school or with my friends. Even though I continue to be Mexican and Catholic while here at UCLA, these characteristics are not as apparent here as they are at home where I am compelled to demonstrate them by attending mass and cultural performances. Music has actually played a very large role in these contexts, yet it remains only a part of a whole meaningful event. The music in a cultural perfomance, for example, is made up of the sound, movements, and dress of the performers. Sound is not synonymous with music, and in many cases some of the sounds are actually created by the movements of the performers and their garments. The cultural shows I have attended could not have been carried out solely by making music with instruments, for the dance and costumes completed the performance by helping to demonstrate the meaning and symbolism that accompanies that particular song or musical performance. Because music can serve different purposes, there are also different types of music for different types of events. Music at a rock concert, for example, is notably different from the music heard at a religious service. While the sole purpose of the music played at concerts is to entertain, the music heard in religious settings is more purposive, striving to evoke blissful emotions.

Introduction

Hey everyone,
My name is Andrea Parada and I love music. Even though I don't play any instruments myself, I am constantly listening to music and have seen several of my favorite bands in concert. Yes, I sing in the car and the shower. I pretty much enjoy all types of music and perceive it as a great form of expression. I have traveled to various locations in Mexico and have actually seen several cultural performances. I really enjoyed these performances because they seemed to say so much about the performers and their cultures and history. Their dress was astounding and I really enjoyed observing a performance so different from those concerts which I attend at home. These performances were especially interesting to me because much of my family is Mexican and I therefore feel that they say something about who I am. I also participated in a greek festival last year and found that for them, music inevitably calls for dancing. This was not what I had hoped for and the steps to the dances were so complicated that I was looking at other people's feet the entire time. In the end though I had a good time and that is why I am taking this class. I want to learn about different cultures and their music. I feel that by studying the music of other cultures I will be better able to understand and appreciate the world we're living in.