Ryleigh's Musical Oasis

      Hey guys! This week, I am going to look into different types of instruments around Asia. First, I want to start with a Japanese chordophone known as a samisen. This instrument resembles an American guitar and many other chordophones we have studied in class. The samisen however has a small square body with only three strings made from twisted silk. The strings are plucked with large plectrums. There are several different styles in order to achieve different music styles. The tune is within normal tones, but there is a buzzing characteristic that is known as sawari.  Source: https://www.britannica.com/art/samisen          The next instrument I'm going to talk about is an idiophone from Nepal called the  Bansuri. The bansuri is like a flute or recorder. It is made from bamboo and has finger holes to change notes. They are made in different thicknesses and lengths in order to change the pitch and sound. The instrument i...

     This week, we were supposed to interview a family member. I chose my grandmother because a lot of my music appreciation was influenced by her. Here is how it went. I apologize for the length. I tried to shorten it a bit, but I loved it all. I couldn't get rid of much. Ryleigh: What was your first experience with music? Tina (My Grandmother): Mama used to play the radio/sing in the house. She used to sing  a lot of gospel. Or “she’ll be coming around the mountain” in the kitchen while cooking. She used to lead the singing at church.  And everyone used to watch “Hee-Haw.” Daddy always watched it.  ** I find this funny, because her mom always sang “she’ll be coming around the mountain” to me as a kid too.** Ryleigh: How did music impact your childhood? Tina: It wasn’t a huge part of my life as a child. I do remember the music at the skating rink was always my favorite.  I also remember getting a record player for Christmas one year. I got an Alice Co...

The topic for this week is American Roots in music! I picked Grunge rock, because it isn’t a well known genre in my generation. I enjoy the music itself but it also has a lot of different meanings for different people. Grunge music is a subgroup of American Rock that started in the mid-1980's. It originated in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Starting from punk rock and heavy metal grunge, it transformed. While the genre kept several of the traditional rock themes,  it also  formed into an apathy, depression, and heartache based genre. Grunge is for you if you like to express yourself through music. I know that is a cliche thing to say, but it's true. Music is a way to connect with yourself, others, and the world around you. Grunge may not be for everyone and that’s valid.  It’s vital to be respectful of all music and all artists. Generally I understand that many people my age do not listen to Grunge; however I feel that it should be respected and experienced ...

Music of Indigenous Americans  Spiritual Healers      In class, we  discussed many reasons/types of music within Indigenous culture. However, the performers were almost always men. I wanted to see if I could find out more about the female role in their musical traditions. It turns out that the women play a huge role, but in a more private setting. The women are the spiritual healers, ceremony holders, and the life givers. These events are normally kept within a family, so in return, the women's importance in their musical culture is often overlooked. Here is an example of an Indigenous healing song. Notice the calamity of it compared to some of the other Indigenous songs we've heard (like the powwow music).  Source: https://folkways.si.edu/in-our-own-voice-songs-american-indian-women/music/article/smithsonian Flutes      In class, we learned that the two main instruments used by Indigenous Americans are drums and shakers because the...

      Growing up in Today's society, women are given much more opportunities and freedom than in the past. However, even still, there are stereotypical "roles" that women play. Specifically in the music industry, women are expected to be the pop and/or soul artists. They are either the powerhouse vocalists or the peppy songs on the radio. Another aspect, their lyrics, are almost always about men.     I relate this to the Bechdel Movie Test. It's a standard created to depict the role of women in entertainment. In order for a movie to "pass" the test, there must be at least two women that have a conversation about something other than a man. In a song, the requirements are...  Have at least one female-identifying lead performer, performing as themselves or a female-identifying likeness Involve the female self, another woman, other women or otherwise an implied female audience in the song’s lyrics Have a central lyrical topic or t...

       Hi There! My name is Ryleigh Henderson, and I am a sophomore. I was born and raised in Spartanburg county.  I am a  Biology and Mathematics double major here at Converse.  Though I am not pursuing it as a career, music is a major part of my life. Most of my weekends, whether I am back at home, or on campus, revolve around blasting music and dancing. Fun Fact, I am always on aux. My apple music playlist ranges from rap, to R&B, to country, to grunge, to classic rock, to pop. There really isn't a genre that I won't give a chance.  When writing this blog post, I realized that I do not take pictures of myself, so here is a picture of me (In the Cheetah Sweater) and my family! :)      Currently, my go to artists are YMW Melly, Cardi B, Kevin Gates, and Lil Wayne. I know this  doesn't sound as eclectic as I claimed my playlist to be, but recently, they are the only people i'm in the mood to listen to. My favorite time to l...