My first cool thing this week is a website. The website is called Free Music Archive (FMA) and the link above will take you to their Middle Eastern page. On this website you can listen to free music from thousands of places and genres. On the Middle Eastern page the first band or group listed is called Sound the Encounter (pictured above). Sound the Encounter is a group from Iran and Syria playing their take on traditional Middle Eastern music. And the guy on the right is holding an Iranian bagpipe--which I didn't even know existed.
The video I chose for my second cool thing this blog is from a project called ETHNO JORDAN (Euro-Arab music lab). This project was organized by The National Music Conservatory/King Hussein Foundation and in Cooperation with Jeunesses Musicales International, Arab Academy of Music (Arab League) and Cultural Movement-Limassol-Epilogi. Their job is to promote and protect Arab music culture. *Ethno is a project where 40 young folk/traditional Arab and European musicians share, teach, and learn traditional folk music in order to discover the cultural identity of different nations through music and to ensure that these cultures are preserved and enjoyed generation after generation. It is an opportunity for musicians to discover and connect with their and other cultural heritages in a relevant way. Ethno promotes youth empowerment, equality and democracy, and cultural exchange. Ethno is an established "best practice" for fostering intercultural dialogue, social inclusion and cohesion through music.* This is a street performance of the group. I thought this was particularly cool because I represented Jordan this past November on the Converse Model Debate Team. Being able to relate back what we are doing in the classroom to other outside activities, I think is what makes learning easier.
*blurb from YouTube description
My third cool stuff for today is the band NOVA. NOVA is a bossa nova band and jazz quartet based in Los Angeles. Bossa nova is Brazilian style of music popularized in the 1950s and 60s. I think this is cool because this group is modern day. These are young artists combining what are two seemingly old styles to create a new sound. I really like the sound of this video and I think this is a group that it wouldn't be weird if they popped up on your iTunes after this class has ended. Hope you enjoy.
*blurb from YouTube description
Well, the cultures are a bit out of sync, since I had to rework the class schedule, but that's ok. Specifically, I had to rework the class schedule to accomodate my friend who's going to speak to us about being a musician in Jordan. He's also our trombone teacher, and, if you like, I could introduce you to him when you get back so that you could get some first-hand info on life in Jordan. And we performed at the National Conservatory a few years ago when we went to visit him!
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