Metal music - still in the thought stage

[marct]

Hi Steve,

Music is an interesting method of human expression. I participated in music programs in elementary, jr. high, and high school.

Pretty much the same for me, although I started doing semi-pro classical singing when I was 9 (hey, weddings paid much better than paper routes !).

Coming through rotc we were often inundated with country songs while eating. In central america, well away from the cities I have stumbled across disco's that make the jungle shake. As i mentioned previously iraq has an interesting fusion of (for want of better description) classical mideastern melodies and pop although I enjoyed the call to prayer as well. Commercial german music was for the longest time pretty bad, italian, and spanish on the other was quite good. In short I am all over the board when it comes to music; mozart, coldplay, country, world, and of course rock. Like most it just depends upon my mood and geographical location.

Sounds like you've definitely heard a lot . That fusion in Iraq sounds interesting - pop and classical ME? Are we talking about the quarter tone scale ME stuff? I'm definitely going to have to try and track some of that down!

Are you working on a paper referencing music? I have noted that the US music industry has shifted from cd to mpeg (I started out with transistors and 45's). A reflection of the Nomad lifestyle?

It's still in the thought / concept stage. I'm putting the last touches on a paper tying singing Bach and taking a pilgrimage to the Thomaskirche in Leipzig looking at the interplay of performance, place, emotion and ritual (I've sung there twice now and we've been invited back for next year - it's a mind blowing experience!).

The Nomad lifestyle is an interesting one and, when it's combined with pervasive networks, it can produce some really interesting forms of music. Last month, I reviewed a book called Cybersounds for RCCS that looked at a lot of the changes happening in the music scene. One of the things that I thought, but didn't toss in the review, was that there is a real difference between a live performance, a recorded performance that is used as "background mood music" and a recording that is, for want of a better term, used as "mood shifting" music (I don't like that term, but I haven't come across a better one - suggestions welcome !).

I think there's a major difference, at the neurological and emotional levels, if we "sing" (perform even if it's in the car or shower) vs. just "listening". I think I need to take a trip up to Montreal and see if I can buy Dan Levitin a couple of beers and pick his brains .