!My Composition!

I was excited to do this assignment when i first heard about it. although, i did think that the assignment was more of a write your on piece of music on an instrument or garage band or something like that. nevertheless, i still had a good deal of enthusiasm when thinking about this project.

My goal with my composition was to make something simple for everyone to be a part of, interesting to listen to, and still fun all at the same time.

It was a little bit challenging to come up with some sort of notation for this piece, but i think that by using a method similar to Rock Band or guitar hero (despite how silly i think those video games are) was very accessible to just about anyone. Also, i think that letting the people producing the sounds have a freedom to make whatever kind of beat that they want helped in maintaining the simplicity and ease of play.

I tried to find objects around my home that were easily transportable so that it wouldn't be too cumbersome to take to class and also, objects that had interesting, yet specific sounds. The Tupperware, for example, had a dull thud when hit with a plastic spatula or spoon. To me, this replicated a bass drum. The shakers brought in some treble range and interesting textures. The clapping and snapping added a range that felt a bit like the cymbals on the drum set.

If i could have changed something about the composition it may have been having a wider variety of instruments to produce an even more diverse soundscape.

All in all, i really enjoyed this project.

A night at the opera.

I would just like to start out by saying that this was my first opera. my thoughts and critique of it may seem a little shallow because of that. first and foremost i would like to say how much i liked the role of Serse played by joey. I was informed that he used a contra-tenor range which is about as close as it gets to castrati. it was quite amusing to hear such a lovely voice coming from such a big guy. i guess i really like the ideas of traditional gender roles being bent or broken. (usually a larger guy would be expected to sing in a very low voice.) another thing that got to me were the spanish translations. being a spanish major i found it to be a little distracting that there were very evident mistakes. and speaking of translations the italian to english translation of "love trophy" was quite.... funny.... the set was another thing that i caught myself admiring during the performance. it was a really well done set. i loved the mix of very traditional persian architecture and more modern upper-class decor.

Overall the opera was a very new and interesting experience. i will definitely attend some more and see if i can begin to get a better grasp on the finer things in the opera that surely flew right above my head.

Fuchs and Friends Faculty Recital

To start things off, I would like to say that I thoroughly enjoyed the recital.

HERE'S WHY:

Overall something that I really enjoyed watching were the body movements of the players and the ever-so-helpful sheet music page turner. The movements of the pianist were very much in sync with the energy of the music. His movements were smooth and graceful at times and then powerful and percussive at other times. The movement of the violin player was sharp and precise and the movements of the cellist were sharp also but somehow had a little bit softer feel than the violinist. It was evident to see the emotion put into each and every note.

Piano Trio in B Major, Op. 8

The first portion started out very gracefully. (well, the 2nd try at least hehe) As I sat back and listened to the piece I noticed many ridges and valleys in the feel and energy of the song. I was reminded of some electronic techno or trance music as both of these genres draw heavily on the play between high and low energy. The play between all 3 instruments with their own parts and matching parts (sometimes purposefully a beat off) weaved and intricate web, making the piece very interesting to listen to.

The second portion of the show was also quite enjoyable. i found the music this round to be a little more up-tempo and had a bit more of a "poppy-feel" to it. I believe this may have been produced from the thick layering of parts and the added viola. Some works seemed happy and bouncing at times, while at other times the mood was quite soft and even a bit sad and melancholy.

The recital was very fun to watch and listen too.

AA sponsor and Alcoholic @ a Restaurant.

Leanne and I improved a lil skit between and alcoholic working in a restaurant kitchen and her sponsor slash co-worker who end up getting very drunk and leaving work to go celebrate drinking at a bar. it turns out that it is kind of difficult to act drunk so Leanne took the reins in that department. She was pro. my character also became drunk in the scene. hopefully my acting was OK. we both just kinda winged it. one part that really worked out well was when i used a bottle of cleaner as a liquor bottle and two little lids as shot glasses.

P.S. i really like the "Freeze Game."

Hold me close, tiny dancer,

“But while music easily evokes in me a dance reaction, it is the development of the dance that a great divergence often occurs.” This part of “Composition in Pure Movement” really drew my focus. At first I thought of how this may relate to the theme of the saying, “it's the journey that counts, and not the destination.” but at a second glance it seems to demand more understanding. This “great divergence” Mary Wigman mentions must have a much deeper meaning. In her context of dance it appears as though she views her dance as more than just a visual representation of the sounds to which she is dancing. It is as if her movements are themselves instruments which accompany the already present music. A dance piece to an orchestra demands more than just expression of what is being heard. It demands the movement to be akin to the movement of the fingers and hands of the instrumentalists. She creates her own piece to a musical arrangement. I really like this idea. I feel like her ideas sort of transcend what it means to really dance to music.

Picture: Response. Pictures that create some kind of response.

After reading “Making Pictures,” by D.H. Lawrence, I was reminded of the initial question we were asked to think about in class, “what is art?” D. H. Lawrence makes a good case for filtering through what he feels makes art good or not. I feel, however, that art is still such a subjective craft. What makes a painting or a picture good or true has too much to do with that scientific approach that D. H. Lawrence was condemning. Science is very quantitative and art is not, therefore when one attempts to quantify how much emotion, thought, passion, or feeling one puts in a line of paint or a pallet of color, one leaves the realm of the very basic fundamental of art. The basic fundamental of art is still up in the air as to the definition. I say let art be art. Don't worry so much about the defining qualities of it or if it's good art or if it's not good art. If it speaks to you or stirs you in some way, great! If not, you may need to keep looking for something that tickles your fancy. Change where you're looking or write an essay about what you like, if that makes you feel better. In the words of the Beatles, “Let it be.”

MUSIC IS NEAT

Last night i attended the orchestra concert at the U triple C. it had been ages since that last time i had been to an orchestra so i was very excited to be there. my roommate serena was gracious enough to attend with me. I enjoyed the performance thoroughly. from the first graceful lines of Mozart to the wasp-like buzzing of the strings, to the crash and boom of the cymbals and drum. i am always taken back by how powerful that classical music can be. Not only in a dynamic sense but also an internal emotional sense. for example, i really enjoyed the tension in Ralph Vaughn William's The Wasps. at times there was a very happy and energetic feeling, almost as if one would put music to the path that the insect might fly. naturally, the music became very intense as if describing a swarm of them, or even perhaps just evading a predator. My favorite thing about the show was definitely how accessible it was to really put yourself into the music and enjoy the ride.

there was one thing that stuck out to me that i really didn't enjoy that much. the snare drum. it seemed to me to be to demanding of attention, a little to harsh, or too "sore thumb." maybe it was the level of volume or maybe it was just me being picky that the beautiful strings and horns had to compete with an instrument so brash.

overall i thoroughly enjoyed my time and am very happy to have gone. thank you.

This is the old sound.

... a little bit about this piece: this was something that started out being a collage that was going to say something about me. as i continued to work on it i just found pictures that had something to say and adhered them to a piece of paper. i really like the idea that one image can mean a multitude of things. the process was really as simple as finding something interesting and react to it. i guess that is how i made this still speak about me. it is a little snippet into the way my mind thinks about things even though most of the images really do not have much significance to me.

this is the new sound.


above is the "adjusted" representation of my original work. it was difficult to get the piece to such an obscure point as there was a lot of negative space in the original work. however, with some cropping, playing around with buttons and knobs that had names i don't know the meaning of, and heavy abuse of the "retouch" tool, i was able to produce something only vaguely recognizable to the original.

Like the Sandal, Only spelled Different

Tevah is a rare last name. If you were to search Tevah on Facebook, only 56 results would be returned. If you were to search it on Google the results would balloon to about 56,000. Compare that with Smith. Facebook will return about 2.7 million results while Google will return about 366 million results. Most have trouble pronouncing Tevah. The American bastardization of Tevah is pronounced TEE-VUH. However, pronounced with a Hebrew inflection it comes out like tay-VAH.

I have always been proud of my last name on many levels. Proud of carrying the same last name as my grandfather who fought in WWII for Greece against Germany as a guerilla soldier. I am proud of how rare it is. I am proud of the fact that I have a seemingly direct connection with history. I also enjoy the fact that it makes me appear vaguely ethnic, that I have some faint dissonance with the privilege provided by much more common names. It gives me pride to bear the name and I appreciate the background history and sense of family it has given me.

I am first generation American for the Tevah family. My father and his family moved to the States when he was only 5 due to severe health problems. They were foreigners in a land somewhat hostile to foreigners as it was the 50's and communism was preying on the fears of just about everyone in the country. Skip ahead a few decades and my brother and I were born. As we were raised it was made clear to us our family culture. Greek food, greek remedies, greek language, and greek culture. From as early as I can remember, my (excuse the spelling) Papou and my Manamou called my Matyemou or Kersomou. I learned songs like Coopepe, and I learned words that my family would describe my behavior by. I was caught lying, I would be called a “sefty.” If I was complaining too much, “nyowreezee” would be my name. If I was just simply making trouble I would be called a “kartomboula.”

Another interesting aspect of my name is that is Hebrew. Now, it might sound strange that I bear a hebrew last name while being of greek descent, that however, is where it gets interesting. To trace back the roots of my last name would take you back to Spain pre-Inquisition, where Tevahs lived as far back as anyone could remember. In case anyone isn't familiar with the Spanish Inquisition, anyone in Spain that wasn't Catholic was, to put it lightly, frowned upon. In fact, Catholics frowned upon the non-catholics so much that the decided to offer them the option to either convert to Catholicism or be brutally murdered. Being the keen ancestors that they were, they decided not to compromise or die, and they fled the country and made their way down to Greece. There they lived and prospered for a couple of hundred years until they emigrated.

I find some strange sense of pride in my last name. It may not really reflect on me as a person but I still like it and that's all that matters to me. To have something that stands out in this day and age is becoming harder and harder. There are certain things that one should hang on to and mine is a sense of pride in my name.

"On The Uses of A Liberal Education" strikes me as an interesting piece. Few people stick their neck out so much as to publish an article that criticizes, with such fervor, the institution they work for and the consumers, or in this case the students who make their job possible. I find it interesting, however, that the author opens the article up by admitting to the reader that he is guilty of teaching in a manner that doesn't engage the students as much as he would like. In fact, he says he is embarrassed to see how his students evaluate him for fear of reading things like, "he presented the material in a funny way" or, "he is nice and relates well with the students." He points the finger of disappointment at himself and says that he teaches in such a kind a lukewarm way because he is obligated to. He can't ask the tough questions to his students or grade in a tough way for fear of offending the students and ending up with few to no students in his class next semester.

The author has a point, however. There are many students in the college institutions that are cop-outs. There are many people who are "lukewarm" about their education. There are many who are just gliding by in order to get that degree 4 years down the road. As sad as that is, I find it to be equally as depressing that there are instructors in the very same institutions that are perpetuating this pathetic cycle. The article came off as "whiny" after some time as it seemed like that author had a complete grasp of what was wrong with the system, but seemed to admit to the reader that he was helpless to do anything about it, or paralyzed by his very own students and unable to engage them in such a manner that might actually start some critical thinking, or (gasp!) offend someone. Is it not ironic that the person that the author teaches on (Freud) stuck his neck way out there with radical ideas yet, ended up offending many, and the author lacks the courage to do the same?

To Us, It's Beautiful.

When I see her, my heart flutters.

Dark hair, hazel eyes, bright smile.

In a blurry world, she clears a path.

I just can't explain all these things.

Dark hair, hazel eyes, bright smile.

Time changes a lot of things, but not my love.

I just can't explain all these things.

One thing builds on another.

Time changes a lot of things, but not my love.

If love is strength, ours only grows stronger.

One thing builds on another.

Some things are out of reach.

If love is strength, ours only grows stronger.

Everything we have is a blessing.

Some things are out of reach.

Eight names between us, just one word binds us.

Everything we have is a blessing.

Heart's beat like music. We dance.

Eight names between us, just one word binds us.

To some, it's background noise, to us it's beautiful.

Heart's beat like music. We dance.

In a blurry world, she clears a path.

To some, it's background noise, to us it's beautiful.

When I see her, my heart flutters.

I enjoyed the short story "Covered Bridges" by Barbara Kingsolver. What i found most interesting was the role nature. Both main characters in the story were greatly affected by nature. I like how the husband revered and studied nature. I found it to be of some sort of significance that when he tried to interfere with nature by adding some sort of pesticide to his plants, he got some in his eye and had to call poison control, thus meeting his wife. later on in the story Lena gets stung by a bee and nearly dies. Both instances cause the two to grow close together. I think this story had something to say about how life has a natural order to things. they just happen and we ought to accept them.

The short story "The Woman Who Lost Her Names" by Nessa Rapoport was enjoyed a little less. I guess I didn't enjoy the because of the mediocre baseline to it. It seemed too much like ugly duckling gets to be more pretty, finds a husband and bears him children. It also seemed a little to anti-climatic for my liking. I didn't like how her dispute over naming the daughter ends with the husband saying "no" and then she submits and follows tradition hoping for something different.

Gallery Piece

CUPS A MILLION!

The art display at Crabe Hall was interesting. i went into the oak room and took a look around before signing in and reading the artist's statement. i think that this was a good idea because as i found out, the artist wanted us to take with us our own meaning from the piece. The exhibit really put into perspective for me quantity. 1000 things is actually a LOT of things and 1000000 things is a crazy amount to think about.

Healthy Glow

The piece on the Rocky Flats catacombs was very interesting! It felt like a huge spread for a National Geographic issue. The information aspect of it was definitely my favorite aspect of the show. The photos were nice. Most of them had good symmetry, contrast, and absolutely did a good job with leaving my with a sense of how "dead" and most of Rocky Flats is. Some of the photos seemed a little bland however. It kind of bothered me that the little info card was sometimes more interesting than the photo.

In response to Albert Einstein: A Letter to Jacques Hadamard:

What the heck is Einstein talking about? He's too darn smart. I had to read this a couple of times! Golly! ...kidding! Well, not about rereading it. The first thing that really stuck out to me was how Einstein stated that the connection between psychical entities and relevant logical concepts are, to him, a desire to reach relevant logical concepts is emotional. I believe it really strikes me because even a historical figure like Einstein functioned on a somewhat common level with most other people. Take for example, someone who paints pictures not as a profession or academic pursuit. That person attempts to make sense of his or her ideas (or reach a relevant, logical concept) with thoughtful strokes of a brush. A writer does the same thing except the medium is different. Einstein seems to take the same approach with his ideas.

In response to Christian Zervos: Conversation with Picasso:

"Art is not the application of a canon of beauty, but what instinct and intellect can conceive independently of the canon."

That one sums it all up for me. I think beauty is worried about too much. By that I mean, what beauty is, and if something fits into the definition of what is beautiful and what is not. I appreciate the subjective view that Picasso takes and implores others to take. Art is expression and people do it because that have to and they have to because it is something natural to them. It is natural like breathing is natural. Respect.

Imagination is something more valuable than a platinum plated platypus. It is only limited by the confines of closed-mindedness. Imagination a powerful tool we carry with us all of the time. Sometimes we ignore it. Sometimes we let it flourish. It is like a flower in the darkness and the moment light is showered upon it, it blooms into something unique, complex, delicate, and often times very beautiful.

Creativity is the noun which imagination manifests. Create is the verb which imagination generates. It is a byproduct. Creativity is sometimes something very tangible like a piece of music of a painting on the wall. Other times it the processing of an idea in our heads. The spectrum of creativity offers a wide array of possibilities. It's truest characteristic is simply the lack of idleness.

Culture is an easily accessible byproduct of the prior two. Culture, however, is still just a grouping of ideas that a group of people follow. Culture can be both beautiful and ugly at the same time. To one person it may make perfect sense and completely confuse or infuriate the person standing two feet away from the first.

Artsy

this came to mind on my walk home from my Perceiving the Arts class today.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yIyLXALChY