Journal Entry #1

My understanding of new ideas and creations in twentieth-century music has been greatly limited due to my exposure to a music that does not offer any structural challenges. I typically listen to music that I am attracted to; music that I can hum along to while letting my mind drift. It is rare that I am faced with listening to music that I cannot make sense of- music that stirs confusion when listening to it. Music is often used as a release and that is how I have always treated it. Because of my relationship with music in this way I do not naturally let myself question what I am listening to which prohibits me from learning about new conventions in music. To learn about new conventions in music is to know about why music is where it is now because these new conventions in music show us how music is continually developing.
When looking for a composer to listen to for my journal, I quickly skimmed through the different albums, sampling different pieces here and there. I listened to about three composers, all of which made me feel slightly uncomfortable because of their unfamiliar style, before I settled on one. I chose to listen to Ben Johnston’s String Quartets Nos. 2, 3, 4, & 9. I originally chose to listen to this disc because I thought there would be a limited amount of off-the-wall ideas and innovations. I was trying to be safe. However, I was faced with trying to understand new musical techniques and the reason behind using them. Johnston is known for his usage of just intonation in microtonality, which is creating intervals with less space between them than what is present in the semitone. The sounds he creates through his unique combination of harmonies and rhythms is extraordinary.
The piece that registered with me the most was “The Ascent, String Quartet No. 4, ‘Amazing Grace.’” It begins with the original melody of “Amazing Grace” and is surrounded by the same harmonies, only inverted differently. These harmonies are tonal and help create a fresh, modernized version of the song. As the piece continues on, the music becomes thicker and before we know it the piece evolves into a cacophony of plucking while each instrument takes its turn at playing the melody. Eventually, the piece shifts into what sounds like a whole new piece of music. Even though the piece still stays within the same chords, any hint of “Amazing Grace” is now gone. It sounds like each instrument is improvising with one another, searching for a new tune. What happens next is amazing. Microtones are significantly heard and the music takes on a completely different mood. Eerie harmonies mixed with dance-like rhythms create a feeling of insecurity and uncertainty. The music builds on this for awhile until it has nowhere to go. The music then stops and focuses on different instruments playing their own melodies in the minor key. All other instruments are accompanying this melody but sound as if they are off in the distance. The sound they are creating does not even sound like that which comes from an instrument. It sounds like squeaking hinges on the door of an old abandoned house. The piece takes on different variations of this idea for awhile until it is led back into a beautiful harmonious reunion of what was happening in the beginning. The original melody heroically sweeps back in as if to save the music from its frenzied self. The piece then ends. This piece made me feel a couple of different emotions. At the opening of the piece, I felt gladness as I identified with the familiar music. As the piece developed into a spiderweb of sounds, I felt much apprehensive and trapped with nowhere to run.
Another piece of Johnston’s that impacted me was the third movement from “String Quartet No. 9.” This piece resembles “The Ascent” in how it shifts moods through the usage of microtonality. It begins very calm and simply It reminds me of Mozart in its serenity. However, as the harmonic texture thickens the instruments each begin to take their own thing. Two stringed instruments progress the main idea in the piece as the other two instruments are heard in the background ascending and descending chromatically. I am amazed by Johnston’s own version of microtonality. In “The Ascent” and “String Quartet No. 9” Johnston uses just intonation strictly to recreate a new sound from an old sound. Much of his music resembles stylistic features of the 18th and 19th centuries’ classical style. Johnston just adapts to his own style and system of playing.
I think Ben Johnston’s collection of string quartets should be included in the canon because of their significance in challenging listeners of music to think about what they are hearing. This is not the type of music that can be played and quickly put away. Even if I wanted to mindlessly listen to his music it would not be possible because of how much thought it provokes through the different moods and textures that are presented.
Journal Entry #2

Being challenged by a piece of music is a good thing. Typically, the listener finds themselves trying to figure out the message the composer is trying to convey through their work. Sometimes the listener is challenged simply by trying to recognize stylistic devices or the form of a piece. Often times I find myself being challenged with how I relate to a specific piece of music. While listening to Meredith Monk’s Dolmen Music, I was faced with getting over my initial dislike for the music in order to listen to it for what it is worth. This is a valid challenge that all musicians must often take on.
Dolmen Music is composed of five pieces for voice, accompanied by various instruments. Some pieces are written for one voice while others are written for a small ensemble of singers. Before listening to Monk’s album, I read the introduction in the CD case about why she writes the way she does. After reading that she was not only a classical musician but a rock and folk singer, I was quite excited to take a listen to her newly innovative music. As I played the first piece “Gotham Lullaby,” I was struck by the beautiful arpeggiated chords being played by the piano. I became even more anxious to hear the rest of her music. As the singer came in, I realized that it was not quite my style. The abrupt, shout-like vocal lines do not register with me. However, I was still willing to give it a shot. As the piece got deeper into itself, I realized that the singer was not singing actual words but syllables and consonants as if it were a made-up language. Right as I started to become discouraged by this piece, the singer began to sing in a call-like manner mimicking the sound a bird makes. My first reaction was to find another composer to listen to but it made me laugh and even intrigued me a bit. So, I hurriedly listened to other pieces on the album. Not to my surprise, each piece is quite similar to one another with constant, repetitive accompaniments and odd vocal experimentations. The funny thing about these pieces is that they all start out with beautiful accompaniments that lead me to desire even more beauty throughout the rest of the piece. Instead, each piece fulfills its expectations of peculiar sounds and noises. In reading about Monk’s interesting innovations, I found out that what she is doing with the voice actually has a name. It is called “extended technique” and it refers to any technique that is inappropriate or out of line.
The third piece, “The Tale,” starts off with a light, blocked, repetitive, triadic piano accompaniment as a cello is heard scratchily bowing every few beats. The singer comes in singing high-pitched “haha’s,” “hoho’s,” and “nana’s.” Then she chimes in with an interesting and confusing text that states, “I still have my hands. I still have my mind. I still have my money. I still have my telephone. Hello. Hello. Hello.” The whole piece continues on like this except with different words. This piece challenged me with understanding the reasoning behind this style of music. I had to disregard my emotions towards it and try to understand what it possibly means to someone else. I finally decided that for me to make sense of this music I must think of it as a form or expression of art.Despite the fact that all music is an expression of art, I usually do not have to bring that into consideration or think about. It is a given that music is always an expression of art. However, with these pieces that I struggle relating to, I have to remind myself that it is one’s expression of art. There are plenty of paintings that I do not understand or even greatly dislike. However, those pieces mean something to the artist and to whoever it may touch. After I changed my perspective towards this music I actually started to become moved to liking it. I also started to listen for more stylistic devices and take it bit more seriously.
After listening to all of Monk’s pieces, I realized that she truly expresses deep longing through her music. At first listen, one would think that the singer is haphazardly improvising over a simple piano accompaniment. However, I think Monk put deep thought and perfection into these vocal lines. In the fourth piece, “Biography,” the singer begins with a light hum over the piano. She escalates to a place in which she is literally crying. To me, it sounds like someone is in mourning. After I started to take the piece more seriously, I was actually somewhat moved to a place of feeling that sorrow.
The main thing that Meredith Monk’s music has taught me is the importance of experimentation. She is clearly an experienced musician with many influences, such as folk, rock and classical. She has taken a bold step to experiment with what the voice can do outside of those genres. Despite the fact that there are very disturbing parts, there is still beauty in this music because she is expressing her thoughts and ideas. Despite the fact that music does not have to present beauty, it is something I naturally yearn for. Even though I appreciate what Monk has to offer, I do not think it should be included in the canon. It just does not seem significant enough in the whole spectrum of music. The only thing her music truly promotes is experimentation which people already do naturally. Any new piece of music is an experiment. Even though I thought I was only going to get a good laugh out of this music, I actually was inspired to have a more positive outlook on innovations and new conventions in music even if they end up sounding weird.