Water has been on my mind a lot lately... in some ways, it's pretty visible. Naming my studio The ARK was a way to put my name on my studio without saddling it with my unpronounceable name! As such, water is part of my logo, and is a huge part of my studio mural. I've been keeping my eyes on Standing Rock, and praying often for our water protectors- I am so grateful for them doing what I cannot and taking the time out of their lives to keep the rivers as clean as possible. A few years ago, a friend of mine posted on Facebook that he was listening to the rain and asked what was everyone's favorite rain music. The answers were interesting and diverse, and some of them stuck with me! World Water Day was proposed in 1992 by the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, and March 22, 1993 was the first World Water Day as designated by the UN General Assembly. World Water Day is observed internationally and is meant to inspire people world-wide to learn more about water related issues and take action. According to the UN website, there are currently 663 million people on earth living without access to clean water. I encourage you to read more about what the United Nations have to say about water: http://www.un.org/en/events/waterday/ Water is SO IMPORTANT! Water is a necessity for life- for health. According to Dr. Jeffrey Utz at Alleghenies University, the human body is 55%-78% water. According to the United State Geological Survey, 71% of the earth's surface area is covered in water. This does not include the water in the sky that exists as clouds, or underground aquifers. Without water, life as we know it would not exist. Water is so essential to life, that it even transcends mere survival and is part of our spiritual nature as well. Water is more than just a fluid- it is a journey, it's adversity, it's time, it's an escape, it's knowledge. Today, in honor of World Water Day, I am listening to music inspired by water and sharing my own exploration of water. Consider it my mixed tape/love song to water. Because I am old enough to have made mix tapes. :). These are 24 of my favorite songs about water- 1 piece for every hour of the day. I hope you can listen and enjoy! Water is Flexible and FluidWater is unique in that it can flow freely, but will fit within whatever container it is placed in. The spirit of water is adaptable, but strong. Water can be held within a paper cup, but over time can wear away rock. Singing in the Rain- it doesn't matter what sort of adversity you face- adapt, and change your outlook. Although it might be raining, find your voice and sing. I love this quote from Maurice Ravel about his piece Jeux d'eau- and at it's heart, it celebrates water, while showcasing the flexibility of form. "Jeux d'eau, appearing in 1901, is at the origin of the pianistic novelties which one would notice in my work. This piece, inspired by the noise of water and by the musical sounds which make one hear the sprays water, the cascades, and the brooks, is based on two motives in the manner of the movement of a sonata—without, however, subjecting itself to the classical tonal plan." The Beatles, Rain. "Rain, I don't mind, Shine, the weather's fine". Same message as Singing in the Rain- adapt. Whatever the weather, your outlook is your reality- it doesn't matter if the rain comes, or the sun shines- the weather is fine if you decide it is. Maria Joao Pires is my FAVORITE classical pianist. One of the things I love most about her is her flexibility with tempo. While many pianists push speed to create musical tension, Maria pulls back, making the listener CRAVE resolution. Her interpretations are fantastic! Water Is Effected By It's SurroundingsThe French philosopher Gastonia Bachelard defined different types of water: clear, running, stagnant, dead, fresh, salt, reflecting, purifying, deep, and stormy. These variations depend on outside stimulus: is the water clean, or is salt in it? Is it a running stream, or a still pond? Does it reflect, or is it covered with algae? Water can represent unity and peace, or struggle and adversity. "When you're down and out When you're on the street When evening falls so hard I will comfort you (ooo) I'll take your part, oh, when darkness comes And pain is all around Like a bridge over troubled water I will lay me down Like a bridge over troubled water I will lay me down" Life isn't always calm- neither is the water. Life will throw a lot of different obstacles at you, there will be many different rivers to cross. "Many rivers to cross But I can't seem to find my way over Wandering I am lost As I travel along the white cliffs of Dover" Water is Escape, a Journey, and the Passage of TimeI love Otis Redding's original version as well, but Sara Bareilles is fantastic in this live cover. Just ask Barry Manilow... the ocean, the bay, the sea is a great place to escape to. You can sit back and waste time. This is a little backwards, because the mermaid is trying to ESCAPE the sea, instead of fleeing TO the sea, but still under the sea sounds like a great place to be! So, I had to follow up the Little Mermaid with Octopus's Garden... because again, who wouldn't want to be under the sea? "River in the rain sometimes at night you look like a long white train Winding your way away somewhere..." Sometimes the river is a journey to a new land- both real and metaphorical. Water carried Ulysses to an adventure in the Odyssey, but took him back home in the Iliad. Big River is Roger Miller's musical version of Huckleberry Finn- and the river certainly carried him on a life-changing adventure Water is wisdom, knowledge, and growthWe've all heard the term "a fountain of knowledge". Being the Doors fan that I've always been, I had to include this song. Ray Manzarek is one of my favorite pianists! His use of the keyboard bass is also really fun to try to do on the organ! As I listen to this song now, I find it interesting to think about the idea of drowning in knowledge- which is my interpretation of this song. In the age of the internet and smart phones and google, when all information is available to all people, is it possible to possess too much knowledge? Water is ReflectiveBoth literally and metaphorically- water reflects the world back to us. We can approach it to pray, meditate, or ponder, and maybe the water will show you the answer- or reveal our inner demons. And as you're looking at what the water shows you, don't forget about Narcissus and lean too close. "As I went down in the river to pray Studying about that good old way And who shall wear the starry crown Good Lord, show me the way!" "We'll come again next Thursday afternoon The in-laws hope they'll see you very soon But is it in your conscience that you're after Another glimpse of a madman across the water" I LOVE Elton John so much! He was the first pianist I was hyper aware of as a child- he is so amazing on so many levels! Water is Purifying and RegeneratingI did NOT get to watch enough Soul Train as a kid! This is FANTASTIC!!! From the blue plaid suit to him passing out roses to all the ladies, this is a great performance! And I am being completely sincere- when I went to copy the link, I accidentally hit the wrong button because I couldn't stop dancing! "Take me to the river And wash me down Won't you cleanse my soul Put my feet on the ground" It's not particularly spiritual- in this case he's trying to cleanse himself of a bad woman who took advantage of him, but still the water is cleansing. "You call me out upon the waters The great unknown where feet may fail And there I find You in the mystery In oceans deep My faith will stand And I will call upon Your name And keep my eyes above the waves When oceans rise, my soul will rest in Your embrace For I am Yours and You are mine" I love this song! It's one of the few that I can do halfway decently on the ukulele- which is always fun! Water is DestructiveI found this interesting... nearly every civilization on earth has some version of the Great Flood myth! Noah and the Ark are well known to Christians, but Noah is also an Islamic prophet- and the flood exists in the Koran. Atlantis? Flood. Samaria, Mesopotamia, Greece, Ireland, Wales, China, India, Korea... there is a Wikipedia page dedicated to the Flood Myths in every culture- it is worth exploring. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_flood_myths "So say my name and don’t forget Water still ain’t got me yet Nothing but I’m bound to roam Waterbound and I can’t get home" Water is Death and the SupernaturalIn Greek mythology, once you die, your spirit crosses the river Styx into the Underworld. Sometimes water is the transition. "Deep River, my home is over Jordan Deep RIver, Lord. I want to cross over into campground." I have taught this to many kids over the years. I really love the accompaniment- it's one I should go ahead and create a practice recording for. "I am wading deep waters, trying to get home" The sound isn't great in this live version, but I really enjoy watching them play. It's a beautiful song. Water is life and the life cycleScience has shown that the first life on earth came from our oceans. As fetuses, we are surrounded by water. We see water flow as blood through our veins, as sap in trees, as nectar in flowers. Water is the beginning of life, and sustains life. And it is cyclical. Water comes from the sky as rain, is absorbed by the earth and trickles to our streams, which connect to rivers, which connect to oceans. Then water evaporates, becomes clouds, which in turn become rain. "I will be rocks, I will be water, I will leave these to my daughter" "Two drifters, off to see the world There's such a lot of world to see" "Bright before me the signs implore me: Help the needy and show them the way. Human kindness is overflowing, And I think it's gonna rain today." Nina Simone is my typical go-to for this song, but here's Randy Newman live. For me, this song shows the cycle- people need help, you help, and kindness flows. Of course I had to include this classical favorite. Legend has it that Handel wrote it to curry favor with the future king George. The cycle of life- the cycle of rulers. "Now I taught the weeping willow how to cry, cry, cry And I showed the clouds how to cover up a clear blue sky. And the tears that I cried for that woman are gonna flood you Big River. Then I'm gonna sit right here until I die." "But you know I could stay here All night And watch the clouds fall from the sky Because this river is wild Godspeed ya, boy This river is wild" Watching the cycle happen... and yes, life is wild! Thank you so much for reading! Now go practice!
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Happy Pi Day! My normal blogging schedule has me posting on Sundays, but in honor of Pi Day, and the importance of math in music, I am posting on a Tuesday. One of the interesting things I discovered recently about Pi is that, just like music, every culture has figured out Pi. It's expressed by the 14th Greek letter Pi, Chinese mathematicians calculated it to the 7th digit using geometrical measurements, Indian mathemeticians calculated it to the 5th digit by around 5 A.D. The earliest approximations were discovered in Babylon (1900-1600 BC- 25/8 = 3.125) and Egypt (1650 BC- (16/9)2 = 3.1605). I just found that to be extremely interesting as I see music as being a universal constant as well- all cultures throughout history have had some form of music. Even though I have to admit to not being the best at math, it is hard to deny that math is part of every part of music- from the different lengths of sound waves which are adjusted to create the "correct" sound when tuning, to the speed of the beat that we tap our feet to (calculated in beats per minute). For this primer level post, we're looking at rhythm and fractions. FractionsFirst off... quick definition time for fractions. The numerator is the top number, the denominator is the bottom number. Time Signature and MeterAt the beginning of most music, there are two numbers stacked on top of either other- looking very much like a fraction. This is your time signature. I have a tendency to use the terms "time signature" and "meter" interchangeably, but they are separate terms. The time signature is the term for both numbers at the beginning: Meter refers to the rhythmic, recurring pulse. In simple terms, the meter is usually the top number in your time signature, however there is such a thing as "compound" meter- for example, feeling 6/8 time in a large two: 1,2,3, 4,5,6, stressing beats 1 and 4. Interestingly enough, you can also have compound fractions, but that is not for me to discuss. The concept of compound meter goes beyond primer level... I'm just throwing interesting tidbits out there. Anyway, meter is how the music FEELS, and the time signature helps dictate that. Back to time signature... the top number tells you how many beats are in a measure, and the bottom number tells you which note gets one beat. You can have however many beats you want in a measure (or a bar). Typically, the higher the number, the more you will want to subdivide and feel the larger beat. This gives the musician the ability to create movement within the beat without changing tempo. The bottom number tells you which note gets one beat. The typical denominators are 4 (quarter note), 2 (half note), or 8 (eighth note). Again, the note names are reflective of the denominator- a quarter is one fourth, represented by a 4, a half is one second, represented by a 2, and an eighth is one eighth, represented by an 8. One of the myths we tell our students is that the quarter note gets one beat. ONLY IF THE DENOMINATOR IS 4! The note that gets one beat changes depending on the time signature! What doesn't change is the relationship of the notes to each other. Rhythmic RelationshipsRhythm is also based in fraction relationships. The whole note takes up a whole measure in 4/4 time- also called common time. So, it starts with 1 note for an entire measure. The half note gets half of that value, so again in 4/4 time, it would get 2 beats (2 is half of 4). One quarter of 4 is 1, and the quarter note receives 1 beat in 4/4 time. One eighth of 4 is 1/2 of 1, so eighth notes receive 1/2 of one beat, etc. The relationship never changes, even though the beat value might. 6/8 Time If you're in 6/8 time, the eighth note receives 1 beat. One quarter is twice as much as one eighth, so in 6/8 time, the quarter note receives two beats. 1/2 is twice as big as 1/4, so the half note gets twice as many beats as the quarter note, so in 6/8 time, it gets 4 beats. The whole note is where we began, and it gets twice as many as 1/2, which is too large for 6/8 time- it gets 8 beats, and 6/8 only allows 6 beats per measure. The note that fills an entire measure in 6/8 is the dotted half note. Dotted rhythms don't fit into our relationship tree particularly well, but it is still built on a fraction- the dot adds half the beat value back to the note. So... in 6/8 time, if the half note receives 4 beats, the dotted half note receives 6 beats (4+2 (1/2 of 4)= 6). Cut TimeAlso called 2/2 time, cut time divides everything in half. The half note gets 1 beat. 1/4 is half of 1/2, so the quarter note receives a half beat. 1/2 is half of the whole, so the whole note receives 2 beats in cut time. Thank you so much for reading! Now go practice! |
Amy Riffle-Kouyeasis a professional pianist, teacher, singer, and Music Director currently residing in Snohomish, Washington. She is the Director of Music at Peace Lutheran Church in Monroe, WA, and also teaches private piano, voice and ukulele lessons at The ARK in Snohomish, WA. |