Our Green Turtle Shells semester students are getting in the cowboy groove with composer Aaron Copland.
Aaron Copland
Copland distinguished himself in the world of music for being American and living in the 20th century. He was passionate about shaping a uniquely American style of classical music, which was a challenge, given the predominance of European classical music in the U.S.A. during his formative years and still in the Let's Play Music program today.
In a television interview (WATCH HERE), Copland was asked, "Why can't you write (music) in the (same styles from the) past?" He answered,
"It wouldn't be natural! Why should we limit ourselves? We have rhythms that Chopin never thought of. We have a wider range; a more complex, more dissonant language...the language of music has really advanced with the times."
An American Style
Raised in New York during the jazz era, Copland saw jazz as authentically American. He believed Americans could embrace classical music as they did jazz, so he infused jazz and folk elements into his compositions to create a uniquely American classical style. His piece "Hoedown" from the ballet Rodeo exemplifies this, blending sophisticated classical music with cowboy folk tunes to captivate American audiences.
Ballet, Radio, Movies, and More
Copland lived during a time when photographs, radio, and movies were invented and became common. He saw that it was important to write music that people wanted to use in new formats.
In a 1935 radio interview, he was asked, "How would you describe your music today?" and Copland answered,
"I wouldn't want to describe it, because I might limit it. I think of it as different kinds of music for different reasons and purposes and media, and I hope it sounds like me despite its variety."
Indeed, he did compose for different media: ballets (i.e., Billy the Kid, Rodeo, Appalachian Spring) movies (Of Mice and Men, Our Town, Heiress), as well as classical concerts (like Third Symphony, Clarinet Concerto). He wrote music to be incorporated into popular venues, and in doing so reached a wide audience. You can even see Aaron Copland himself, conducting in this 1958 television series (Watch here).
I encourage my Let's Play Music students to observe how music is utilized across modern society. Perhaps one day, they'll follow Copland's versatility, composing for concert halls, ballets, movies, television, commercials, cartoons, video games, and apps. Next time you play a game on your phone or tablet, pay attention to the music: Does it fit the mood? Would you be interested in creating music like this?
Hoedown Ballet
A hoedown is a musical dancing party, featuring square dancing or country dances. In class, our cowboy and cowgirl puppets come together for a barn dance. Copland wrote the music for his ballet, Rodeo. Although this clip is a little fuzzy and old, it's my favorite because I love the Baltimore Ballet choreography. They perform it live with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.
Hoedown Animation
Check out Eleanor Stewart's charming animation set to "Hoedown." Just like our cowboy puppets, her characters follow each musical theme, repeating with the sections of the music. The animation also displays the written musical score—those pages of notes musicians read while playing. It's a unique puppet show that Let's Play Music students will love for its creative presentation of musical themes.
Hoedown from Rodeo from Eleanor Stewart on Vimeo.
So How Do You Compose A Song?
Aaron Copland wrote music in a style that was new, and he wrote music to be used in new ways. In the biography, Aaron Copland: The Life and Work of an Uncommon Man, he shares a bit about his own creative process.
"Somehow, suddenly, a musical idea occurs to you; either a whole phrase, or three notes, or a series of chords, something that seems pregnant with possibilities for development. Once you have the kinds of ideas that fascinate you, you're no longer in a position to decide the nature of the animal. It's going to take its essence from the musical ideas that occur to you... Some musical ideas are too short, they don't seem long enough to carry you through ten minutes of music, so you have to start searching about for other ideas; contrasting ones that seem to fit with the original ones."
Take it from Copland: there are countless ways to start a song. Whether it's just a few notes you enjoy or a cool chord progression, it's a great beginning. When students start composing in the 3rd Year of Let's Play Music, we encourage them to tinker with these small musical fragments—they can be the seeds of a composition. It doesn't take much to get started!
You Can Go To The Hoedown!
A hoedown isn't your typical ballet fare—it's a lively, down-home party for regular folks. After a hard day's work, farmers would put their hoes down and gather for music and merrymaking. Are you nostalgic for the days of wild west cowboys and barn dances?
Well, here's some exciting news: you can still experience a hoedown near you (Click Here to Find One)! These events typically feature contra dancing, similar to square dancing, accompanied by folk and bluegrass music played on fiddles, banjos, and piano. A caller will guide dancers through simple steps, repeating them throughout each song and introducing new patterns for each subsequent tune.
Can young people join in the fun at contra dances? Absolutely! While the pace might be a bit fast for very young children, family dances often include simpler songs for everyone to enjoy (check with your local group). Tweens and teens pick up the steps quickly, and even children as young as seven can participate with ease. I encourage you to embark on a family outing and experience a dance event in your area—it's a wonderful way to embrace tradition and have a great time together.
Put Your Hoe Down and Dance
Now that you've seen some Hoedown ballet and some contra dancing, why not make up your own moves to Hoedown to dance with your family?
コメント