LAZAROS HARISIADIS GREEK CLARINET
Lazaros Harisiadis – Clarinet
Scott Wilson – oud
Sabah Nissan – dumbek
Greece
Clarinet, oud and dumbek
This history of Greece and its music has had a profound influence on the musical structure that we use today. In the piece Lazaros Harisiadis Greek Clarinet it blends modern instruments with older ideas. Even though the clarinet was not around during ancient Greece we can see its influence on sounds of modern Geek music using modern instruments. The tones used on the clarinet are not produced like the ones when the clarinet is used classically or in other styles. The group also shares structure with Jazz or other music that improvised where the musicians do not have to use music. This also adds to the tradition of passing music down through the culture.
I think this would be an excellent example to use in a music class covering multicultural music. One of the most important musical elements we cover is timbre and while the clarinet we use today is quite different, it is clear that the timbres are very similar.
ReplyDeleteIn my own instrumental classrooms I have struggled to persuade my students to study and practice improvisation. We spend so much time teaching students to play what is on the page that I personally feel that they shy away from creating their own improvisations as if they are breaking some sort of rule. By studying multicultural music, the traditions behind it, and the structural elements such as improvisation I think students will come to see that improvisation is an important part of musical structure. Not only do we improvisation in the structure of various multicultural musical examples, but by exposing our students to these examples they may be able to make connections with music in our own culture such as jazz. In short, I believe that by exposing students to multicultural music making use of improvisation, students may develop an appreciation for it and thus develop an interest in learning how to improvise.
From my work in this course and in my own teaching, I have found that many cultures rely on a basis for their traditional musical ensembles, but many of the main melodies are improvised. I use improvisation when teaching Chinese music through alto recorder and Orff instruments.
ReplyDeleteThis is also a great example of mixed or irregular meter. Most Greek music is in 7/8 or another varied meter. Many of my students immediately feel that difference.