Kevin Locke Lakota Flute Perform and Pueblo Music - Essay Example

?The Native American music of Washington is one which is defined by traditions and customs as well as the known history of those in the region.The Yakima is one of the tribes which are known to carry a large influence in Washington State through the different music played. The music was an integral part of the everyday living needs within the region. This was combined with songs which have been recorded by those who have visited the tribes to note the forms taken. The meanings within the songs were noted by the daily activities as well as spiritual rituals and traditions which were able to express the lifestyle and the culture of the Yakima tribe and the association with the occurrences which were a part of the time frame. The unique concepts associated with the Yakima culture not only come from the attributes of the music played. The Washing State region is one which has unique attributes to the tribes, specifically because it is where the five nations began to meet and the tribes began to unite. This was also noted because the tribe was located at the point in which Washington naturally divided, leading to the nation being attributed as the people of the gap. The influences which occurred with the music were altered because of the position of the Native Americans in relation to others that were on the land as well as the association which this had with trading ideologies and creating music that was able to build a sense of peace between the nations. The main concept was one which led to music such as greeting songs which signified a known sound when meeting tribes and others passing through the region at different times. The type of music which was attributed to the Yakima culture also formed with both secular and sacred forms that were performed during ceremonies. An example of the secular music is known as the “Owl Dance.” This consists of drum beats and singing that lead the song. The men and women are able to recognize the Owl Dance by the initial drumming and singing, which leads to the formation of a circle. The men and women are then able to interact and chose partners, specifically which is identified with different parts of the dance as women and couples interchange while the music changes with beat and portions of the song. These attributes worked to combine the social culture with the dancing as well as the meaning within the music. Similar concepts were used with the secular, specifically in which the singing, drumming and other interactions were used to summon the spiritual nature of the tribes and the ideologies which were needed at the time. The basis of the Yakima culture with the secular and sacred music as well as the music used to intertwine cultures is one which is still practiced today. However, there are also changes from the Western influences and capacities which are available. Many are using the concepts of recording to improvise the songs used within the tribe and to alter the way in which the music has been approached. The music has been combined with new ideals that are used with the secular music as well as contemporary bands that continue to use the same instrumentation and sound while changing both the sacred and secular music. These alterations are creating different aspects to the music while building different ideologies that are associated with the main culture and the aspects of the music. While the evolution of the tribe continues to evolve, there is still the same sense of meaning with the sacred and secular music as well as the way in which the music is initiated for the tribes in the Washington area (Schuster, 1990). Women's Music The concept of women’s music is one of the trends which continues to emerge in society and has created a distinct image outside of the regular scenes with music. In Western cultures and in classical forms, women were not recognized as composers and weren’t expected to study or build their own repertoire as professional musicians. The lack of information and the amount of suppression for women to be recognized as composers and performers in music didn’t change until the concept of women’s music began to emerge. This was a spin from the feminist movement in the 1960s and which recognized music that was specifically attributed to women. The main aspect was to show women who were composers and performers and to recognize music that was written specifically for this demographic group. The spin of the feminist movement which occurred in the 1960s was a tactic that was used to recognize women composers and to show that there wasn’t a space available for women to perform. This occurred because most recording companies and those who were responsible for including women in the mainstream limited the image to a select few. The feminist movement created a separatist movement that offered more space for women to perform and to compose while building a sense of strength and development with the music for women. The ideology then led to women having more opportunities to work into the main arena of music while building a stronger effect with those that were a part of the movement. The women’s movement that began in the 1960s eventually submerged into the mainstream culture. However, there are many artists which continue to associate their music with the mainstream. The first concept which led to the difference came from Maxine Feldman, who, in 1964 openly announced that she was a gay artist and used her album as a way to propagate the lesbian movement. This was followed by other women bands showing the same ideologies, including Alix Dobkin, Kay Gardner and Lavender Jane. The main attribute of each of these bands is not only based on recognizing the need to have more performers as women but is also based on the lesbian movement and the ability to recognize that each individual is openly gay while expressing this within the music. The emergence that occurred with the lesbian movement also emerged with recording labels which were created specifically for women. The first of these was Olivia Records, established in 1973. The recording company continues to create and distribute music for and by women and has grown into a large number of bands and lead women that are now considered a part of the popular style of music. This has followed with magazines such as “The Journal of Women’s Music and Culture, ” specifically based on advertising and distributing the women artists that were continuing to arise. Each of these has built a larger segment of women as artists and listeners who are interested in the topics specific to this demographic. The artists which continue to perform in this genre are also now recognized in the mainstream for the messages which have been brought as well as the unique perspective which is taken based on being a part of the women’s movement in society (Carson, 2004). Kevin Locke Lakota flute perform Kevin Locke, which also carries the name of “first to arise” in Lakota, is an internationally recognized performer. The performances of Locke are based first on integrating the Native American traditions into messages and entertainment. The traditions combine hoop dancing with the flute performances, also which is inclusive of stories and education based on the tribe of the Lakota and the various meanings which are associated with the music and lessons. The concepts which he includes have led the largest audience to be based in the classroom, specifically which children and college students. However, his emergence is now creating a stronger impact within the world because of the messages which are sent from the Lakota traditions and into contemporary society. The concepts that Locke has associated with the flute performances are best noted through the various compilations and CDs that have arisen from the tribe. This is inclusive of over 9 CDs, two which have been nominated for Grammys because of the combined features with the native sounds as well as the newer and more contemporary sounds that are used with the work. The CDs are inclusive of the Native American stories told by the elders of the Lakota tribe and are combined with thematic materials based on the traditions and culture, all which are specific to one given message with the CD. These performances remain central with the flute that is used because of Locke’s specialty as well as his associations with the music. The concept of the Lakota flute music is further combined with the ideology of the indigenous flute and the meaning it carries in the tradition of the Lakota’s. The flute is also known as the essence of the wind and is sometimes referred to as the Enlightening Breath that one first hears when going to the prairies. The ideal is that the flute is reflective of the wind that moves through the different parts of nature and is important because the sound it produces also reflects with the other elements of nature. The flute has seven main notes to represent this. Four represent the directions of the earth, one represents heaven, another earth and the seventh is the heart, which is also referred to as the place in which each individual can come together. These flutes come with different sizes and forms, all which are able to create different tones and key centers for various performances and meaning in each. The unique aspect that is combined with the performances are not only based on the flute that is used for performance, but also the integration of other forms of art and storytelling that are indigenous to the Lakota tribe. Locke is also renowned for the hoop dancing which is said to be a signifier of the unity of all that are on earth. When working with the hoops, as well as the flute music, there is the ability to create a different effect that not only represents the Lakota tribe but also which leads to the current issues and needs on the earth. An aspect of Locke’s processes of life are based on the capacity of creating and building the messages both from the Lakota tribe, traditional forms and with the contemporary needs for a complete performance, which is not only based on the sacred concepts which are a part of the instruments and tools used, but also which integrates in deeper meanings to the contemporary issues of the day (Kevin Locke, 2011). Pueblo Music The Pueblo music that is attributed to the Native Americans consists of the music of several tribes throughout the Western region of the United States. The music is known for both secular and sacred songs as well as attributed developments related to a specific style and form known in this culture. Pueblo music is a combined set of sounds from tribes such as Keresans, Zunis and Hopis. The ethnography that is associated with the study of this music has led to several theories which lead to statements that the Pueblo music is one of the most complex of Native American forms of music and moves beyond the folk song into different ideologies that are a part of the now studied style. Examining these aspects then creates a different approach to the Pueblo music and the understandings used with the secular and sacred music. The leading part of Pueblo music is the drum beat that is associated with each song. The drum is not metrical and is dependent on the melody that is created and the way in which this is sung. There are two known levels of rhythm that are related to this, one which is the fundamental, or back beat of the music, and the other which is the melodic rhythm, which follows the main instrument that is creating the melody. The melodic drumming is known to change in the beginning and ending sections as well as during transition points during the song to create a language that shows an understanding of the changes which are moving and developing through the piece. The structure of the rhythm is followed by a form which is attributed to most Pueblo music. This consists of the melodic style which follows as well as the changes in the rhythm that are attributed to the music. The most common form follows the structure of AABBA; however, there are smaller units in most of the larger forms created. These differ according to the motifs used and also vary according to the standards that are within the tribe. The difference is based on the number of submelodies that are sung, fragments which may be used during specific changes and interludes which may be used. The changes in each of these differ between the Hopi, Zuni and other tribes and also differ according to the main form of the song, showing that there isn’t a specific association that is created with the main style. Another important aspect of the music which is created with the Pueblo form is the basis of the melody. The use of different tones and melodic lines fluctuates outside of Western tonality and into shifts with the voice. This not only occurs with the typical singing that is used to being heard, but also is attributed to fluctuations with sounds that come from the throat and mouth during specific intervals, as well as speech like changes that occur with the voice. The style is based on the use of the singing and what it is being used for at a given time frame. It is also dependent on the style which is used, such as a secular dance form or a sacred song used for a specific expression. The differences then relate to concepts such as announcements for different events, secular songs for entertainment and sacred ceremonies that require a different format and type of tonality for the overall performance. It is noted that these attributes are related to the interpretive format of the Pueblo music as well as the association with the music reflecting everyday life and the events which occur at different times. The characteristics of these events then lead to the needed associations with the music form and singing which takes place (Shaul, 2002). References Carson, Mina. (2004). Girls Rock! Fifty Years of Women Making Music. Louisiana: The University Press of Kentucky. Kevin Locke. (2011). Kevin Locke Music. Retrieved from: http://www.kevinlocke.com/kevin/media.html. Schuster, Helen. (1990). The Yakima. New York: Chelsea House. Shaul, David. (2002). Hopi Traditional Literature. New Mexico: University of New Mexico Press. Read More