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...