Saturday, February 28, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
How can I forget about the drumming that I love so much?
As I was looking at clips of the jamming of the electric guitars, I was thinking about my drumming.
In my opinion, the contrast and harmonizing of the rhythms in drumming portrays a conversation more than a self-expression. Drumming in different tones shows two or more people talking: they are not fighting, but just trying to be peace with each other.
When one drum is loud, the others try to be softer. They never try to outshine one another. No matter how different their tones sound, together they are harmonizing and conveying the drummer’s emotion. No drum can be outstanding without the help from the other drums. One
tone does not produce music; Music needs multiple tones.
As I watched people of different races and background come together for the Woodstock concert, I was imagining the harmonious rhythm produced by the different sets of drum. They are adapting to each other tones, always looking out at the other players before deciding when is their turn to join. Rhythms are added to attract but not distract, inspire but not interrupt.
When it s your turn to play, everybody else will remain silent. In jamming, all drummers are equal: they take care of each other and make sure everybody is heard.
In my opinion, the contrast and harmonizing of the rhythms in drumming portrays a conversation more than a self-expression. Drumming in different tones shows two or more people talking: they are not fighting, but just trying to be peace with each other.
When one drum is loud, the others try to be softer. They never try to outshine one another. No matter how different their tones sound, together they are harmonizing and conveying the drummer’s emotion. No drum can be outstanding without the help from the other drums. One
tone does not produce music; Music needs multiple tones.
As I watched people of different races and background come together for the Woodstock concert, I was imagining the harmonious rhythm produced by the different sets of drum. They are adapting to each other tones, always looking out at the other players before deciding when is their turn to join. Rhythms are added to attract but not distract, inspire but not interrupt.
When it s your turn to play, everybody else will remain silent. In jamming, all drummers are equal: they take care of each other and make sure everybody is heard.
Rock n’Roll vs Chinese Love Song
My creative response to my Writing class about Rock and Roll: ( I love Elvis, he's so cute!)whispered the whole class of female:P
Despite his ‘vulgar’ movements, Elvis Presley gets attention. People are drawn to his true self. Is the revelation of ‘self’ the same as revelation of body? Not everybody wants to see a bare self, stripped off. The older generation reacts as if he is nude in public. Nudity symbolizes both beauty and vulnerability. If young people see beauty in nudity, I would argue that the older generations see Elvis ‘nudity’ as a revelation of their own vulnerability.
Similarly, vulnerability is in Rock n’ Roll. Rock n’ Roll is about a generation of young people expressing their vulnerable selves: they have no control of their own destiny, for they are ordered to go to war. In other words, they have no freedom and are powerless.
America, as God’s country, fails to give freedom to the people because they stand by the notion of being responsible for the world. Even if one argues that Dostoevsky’s idea of being guilty for each other is what drives America to war, America is wrong to use their power in the process. The war and the peoples’ reluctance have shown that equality has been removed from Christianity’s notion of Love and responsibility for each other, leaving people powerless.
However, Rock n’ Roll manages to change the powerless to the powerful. Through the electric guitars, expressive musicians like Jimmy Hendrix and Santana provide an imaginary space of freedom and power. Their anger in their rhythms conveysa young generation who do not submit themselves to America’s power.
The other side of the world experiences a different phenomenon. None of the music resembles the expressiveness of Rock n’ Roll. Most Asian music is about the Love song, in which the singer is willing to sacrifice for an impossible love. The submissiveness to love portrays a society that is submissive to the authority. People are willing to ignore the flaws of reality (in both love and power) and only sing about the utopia of their dreams. Unlike Rock n Roll, through which people find the mysterious space of freedom in the musicians’ single note, the space of idealism is revealed through the lyrics in the Chinese love songs.
Therefore Rock n’ Roll and Chinese Love Songs portray the submissiveness of people towards power. If Americans escape to Rock n’ Roll to express their anger for their country, Chinese escape into the songs of utopia that they have yet to get from their country.
Once in a while, I replay some cheesy love songs. Perhaps, I too, crave the ideal Prince-charming that only exists through songs but not real life, because we can only dream about someone with ‘”5 Cs” (Singaporean dream: Cars, Condo, Credit Cards, Cash and Career)!
Despite his ‘vulgar’ movements, Elvis Presley gets attention. People are drawn to his true self. Is the revelation of ‘self’ the same as revelation of body? Not everybody wants to see a bare self, stripped off. The older generation reacts as if he is nude in public. Nudity symbolizes both beauty and vulnerability. If young people see beauty in nudity, I would argue that the older generations see Elvis ‘nudity’ as a revelation of their own vulnerability.
Similarly, vulnerability is in Rock n’ Roll. Rock n’ Roll is about a generation of young people expressing their vulnerable selves: they have no control of their own destiny, for they are ordered to go to war. In other words, they have no freedom and are powerless.
America, as God’s country, fails to give freedom to the people because they stand by the notion of being responsible for the world. Even if one argues that Dostoevsky’s idea of being guilty for each other is what drives America to war, America is wrong to use their power in the process. The war and the peoples’ reluctance have shown that equality has been removed from Christianity’s notion of Love and responsibility for each other, leaving people powerless.
However, Rock n’ Roll manages to change the powerless to the powerful. Through the electric guitars, expressive musicians like Jimmy Hendrix and Santana provide an imaginary space of freedom and power. Their anger in their rhythms conveysa young generation who do not submit themselves to America’s power.
The other side of the world experiences a different phenomenon. None of the music resembles the expressiveness of Rock n’ Roll. Most Asian music is about the Love song, in which the singer is willing to sacrifice for an impossible love. The submissiveness to love portrays a society that is submissive to the authority. People are willing to ignore the flaws of reality (in both love and power) and only sing about the utopia of their dreams. Unlike Rock n Roll, through which people find the mysterious space of freedom in the musicians’ single note, the space of idealism is revealed through the lyrics in the Chinese love songs.
Therefore Rock n’ Roll and Chinese Love Songs portray the submissiveness of people towards power. If Americans escape to Rock n’ Roll to express their anger for their country, Chinese escape into the songs of utopia that they have yet to get from their country.
Once in a while, I replay some cheesy love songs. Perhaps, I too, crave the ideal Prince-charming that only exists through songs but not real life, because we can only dream about someone with ‘”5 Cs” (Singaporean dream: Cars, Condo, Credit Cards, Cash and Career)!
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Winter Carnival
snow sculpture (behind me ) that was supposed to be a house collapsed because of the sudden warm weather!
but obviously people will still continue to celebrate winter carnival, a week of drinking, snow sports and parties. Keggie the Keg (the metal thing) is Dartmouth's unofficial symbol ( beer bottle) . yes apparently we are known for drinking.
but my time is spent wisely, such as having dinner with our beloved Prof - Karen(left) . She teaches in our Writing International course , and she's also Zeng zi mo's teacher.
what a coincidence, winter carnival during valentines day. So we have campaign against women violence by holding a "Vagina Monologue". This lady here portray different "mournes" ( yes sex mournes) in the play that cracked up the audience completely.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
International Ball and Sons of Lwala(Press)
Once in a year, we have all international students playing dress up and go to a ball in the nearest ( only) Inn .
Not too bad an experience at all, considering there is nice food and nice music to dance to. I start dancing from 10- 2:30 am. Totally exhausted.
The not so related to the ball pictures are from my International Writing Class. We got together to listen to our guests, the Ochieng Brothers from Kenya, who also attended our Professor's class about 7 or 8 years ago to speak about them building up a clinic in their rural hometown in Kenya from scratch. Their own experience is very related to our theme of the Course : From Suffering comes Love. Without suffering ( their parents died from AIDS), they will not be able to push themselves to do good for their community and bring Love and Healthcare to their own people.
Milton and Fred Ochieng both rewarded the Martin Luther King Jr. Social Justice Award and selected by the ABC news as the people of the week.
That same night, they also joined the dance party and danced the night off!
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