Music Structure
Structure is necessary within music to give both the
musicians and the audience a sense of direction and purpose within a song.
Within music, there are several different ways a song may be structured. It may
be programmatic, strophic, sonata, instrumental, cadential at the ends, and may
require interaction between the musicians and the audience. In some cases the
audience members become a central part of the performance, either determining sections
that may be replayed, length of the song, or becoming actual performers
themselves.
The youtube video is by the Mwamba Children’s Choir singing
Siyahamba. To start the caller sings Siyahamba-each time she sings, the
children follow by doing a motion. After three times, she sings the whole
chorus, and the children sing it back. The second time through the chorus, the
instruments join in. Later in the song, the children add movement to their singing.
Finally the caller joins back in singing the chorus and then adlibbing throughout
the rest of the song as the children continue singing the chorus with
movements. The song ends by stops with the chorus and instruments and finally a
held chord.
Hi Karla.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great example of what Wade refers to as "intra-ensemble interaction" (Wade, 2013, p. 152). The example that you chose clearly shows how each member of the ensemble has a clear role and how they work together. In reference to the ending where the caller begins ad-libbing, this is also a nice example of improvising. Do you think that the caller is being completely spontaneous with the improvisation, or could it be, as Wade suggests, that the improvisation was carried out with a preconceived notion of what was going to be done (Wade, 2013)? Thank you for the informative post.
Resource
Wade, B.C. (2013). Thinking musically: Experiencing music, expressing culture. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Hi Josh,
DeleteThanks for your response! In regards to the improvisation used, I think it is a little bit of both. I think that the improvisation section was planned and primarily a preconceived idea, but later it almost feels like she is free improvising briefly right towards the end.
Karla,
ReplyDeleteYou mentioned cadential points as an element of structure. This example is a great example of the expectation that harmonic progression and cadences bring to the listener. At the beginning, the free performance of the lead singer is not backed up by the rest of the ensemble. When the children's choir joins, the instruments join, but with a deliberate pedal point throughout the ensuing A sections. However, once they reach the B section of the melody, the bass and the piano start to move through the harmonic progression, suggesting the full entrance of all of the parts that happens a few seconds later. The tension built up by the pedal points is released by this change. Great video - I'll have to remember it next time one of my bands performs this tune.
Karla,
ReplyDeleteGreat example of musical structure in your example. The call-and-response nature of the song is indicative of the culture of the singers/dancers. As pointed out by Josh, the ad-libbing in the end is a good example of improv. I find it interesting that this same format is often found in popular music.