Music used to totally encompass my life. During my teen years, I learned to love piano, guitar, and song, with a dream of becoming a composer. Several influences on my life changed my path (voices of others questioning how I would support myself, children....). My music was limited with the semi-lonely yet satisfying world I called my own; our family moved very often to follow my father's military career, so current music trends in the US (or almost anywhere) were unknown to me (so much so that in my 6th grade year in Edzel, Scotland, a blonde haired, blue eyed young fellow that thought he was a gift to girls whispered behind me, "Hey Barb, listen to this song I wrote for you," and preceeded to belt out the Beach Boys 'Barbara Ann'-my name-...I looked at him and told him I wasn't impressed!...little did I know.....) But music was important to me and was both a friendship and a creative accomplice when I should have been sleeping. My love for music morphed, singing throughout my life time...I remember for many years thinking that life would end if I could not sing...but it didn't, and singing has become a very distant friend within the last decade or more. My 20 year old son is gifted with a more than amazing voice; a tremendous range and natural vibrato, as well as a song in his heart most of the time. When I read the reading for today, Galeet Dardashti's article on piyyut, I thought of my son, and his natural love for songs of importance to other countries (I especially love his beautiful voice singing heartfelt religious Israeli songs). And when I clicked the link and heard Galeet Dardashti's singing, and style of singing, I thought again of him, as well as my love for music. And I also was in awe of the rich quality of voice that she shared with such moving music. Music is not something you have to understand to appreciate...like her description of the deeply religious songs inspiring the belly dancer to perform; it is felt. And her singing reflects that.
As I read through her article, I thought of my Jewish Folklore class. Just yesterday we discussed "invented traditions," how more modern traditions used parts of what was a people's identity of long ago, to form continuity through time and a tradition embraced as their own...and then I read her article. Click. She shared the same idea: "Though they have diverse agendas, all are invested in the reclamation and reinvention of a musical genealogy that they feel is vital to their identity as contemporary Israelis. As the nation loses its grip on the collective imagination, we are witnessing a
reconfiguration of previous identities of Israeliness" (Galeet Dardashti, p16). The previous identities of the Jewish people and the reinvention of this musical genealogy is like the "invented traditions" we spoke of. Though we spoke of folktales, the music and the stories are representative of the people and who they really are, as well as where they come from, a thread of continuity woven to join their past with their present.
I see music as a thread of communication used to seam together the past with the present. I also see it as representing the artist who shares it, inevitably becoming a platform for the audience that follows the artist's music. I think music and it's message is like the proverbial rock tossed into a lake, causing one ripple of wave to make another and another and...the potential for touching lives through music is endless. I see that music has the ability to draw hearts and minds to forget for a moment and just listen...the message in the music has the potential to make a difference to those around..... we got a glimpse of the difference music made on the combined West-Eastern Divan Orchestra and those involved. I can see how music could be used to share identity without allowing a wall to be built, although much, I think, depends on the artist. (For example, the artists in the "Channels of Rage" had great potential to encourage or discourage differences and conflict as a result of their music/message.) Also, she sings songs that were traditionally for men, from what I gathered. So, she is opening a nontraditional arena for women, which I think is wonderful.
I have no idea of the meaning of these words, but notice the 'Divan' in WEDO's name, and the DIVAHN in Galeet Dardashti's album...just wondering if they are related.
I could listen to her music all day long, and look forward to learning more about her and her musical world.
http://www.divahn.com/
Barb,
ReplyDeleteI loved hearing you talk about your son and the obvious admiration you have for his music talent. Although you feel as though you weren't as gifted yourself, I think that sometimes those who admire music are the reason that its so important!
Barb,
ReplyDeletePhenomenal post as always. You do what my former drama teacher called "being private in public." I feel that I have learned a lot from your stories and your journey. Music is such a powerful element. It transforms people, gives them hope and inspires them to things beyond their normal expectations.
Hope is a powerful thing. We need it more than ever now. Maybe music is the key to solving the conflict, it certainly is a step in the right direction.