Interview of Music

 

  This week's blog will be an interview with my mom. she grew up in the late 70s, so her music taste is somewhat different from mine. I tried to ask questions that would show a clear contrast between time and music. for the most part, I think the best way to get to know what music someone grew up with is to not only ask about what they like but also the time.

this interview took place on zoom, I was unable to go home to talk to my mom.

Iriana- hey mama, you ready to start

mama- I reckon (laughs)

Iriana- ok so what do you think were the best years for music?

mama- ummm, when I was bout, 12. around the 80s.

iriana- why?

mama-music wasn't anything like today. you didn't hear all that cussing and sex. we listened to Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Prince. 

iriana- so a lot of pop icons today are mainly what you listen to.

mama- yea, I liked older music too, Etta James, Nina Simone, you know them. i raised you right (laughs)

iriana- (laugh) I guess so. what is the most defining time in music?

mama- I don't know about all of it but pop music back then is like R&B then.

iriana what do you mean?

mama- like when I hear you listen to pop it’s not what I would call pop, it’s not as flavorful as I remember

iriana- (laughs) flavorful?

mama- you know what I mean, it just seemed like I grew up with a lot of what is pop nowadays I’d never heard before.

as we went on with the interview I learned that the songs my mother grew up listening to have been passed down to me. I put da spell on you -Nina Simone, I’ll take you home- the drifters and under the boardwalk. 

mama- music is a reflection of society, I can always remember a song that felt right with what I was going through in life. I wasn't old enough to know a lot about complete separation or anything but I was around during the early stages.

iriana- so the music we listen to with grandpa reflects what?

mama- I don’t know, I think it was just a good time to take your mind off what was going on. 

after talking with my other I understand how complex music is. the understanding of the evolution of music is hard to pin down. it seems like every genre of music was once switched with one another or developed from each other. I don’t know how well I did with this week’s blog but here are some songs that I love.




Comments

  1. Kelly WertzOctober 22, 2021 at 2:01 PM

    Hi Iriana! I really enjoyed reading your blog, as always!! My mom feels the same way about the profanity in music from today. My mom would use the same terms; flavorful seems like such a term that parents would use to describe music. Your mother seems so authentic and I love how they both have passed down music to us!

    ReplyDelete
  2. keyOctober 23, 2021 at 2:08 PM

    I enjoyed reading about the interview with your mom. When I interviewed my grandma she said the same thing about todays music lol. I like how she said music is a reflection of society, I agree.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Heather's Adventures in Music of Diverse CulturesOctober 23, 2021 at 3:49 PM

    I love that you wrote in all the southern dialect and laughing! My mom did the same thing when I interviewed her and I could just hear her talking. Both of my parents LOVE the 80s and I like seeing what other people got from that decade. I know good and well what my parents like and it's cool to see what's the same and what's different :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousOctober 23, 2021 at 6:05 PM

    I love that your mom listened to those artists because my mom loves them as well and even my sister and I listen to them sometimes as well because they are so good!

    ReplyDelete
  5. ChanayaOctober 23, 2021 at 7:25 PM

    I really liked your interview with your mom. My mom feels the same way about current music, and we talk about it all the time. My mom also believes that music does really show how times have changed.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Samoan Music and Why We Love It

Image
        Today I will be pulling you into the world of classical Samoan music. Before we hear the music, as always, you must dive into the culture first. Soma is a cluster of islands in the middle of Polynesia. Soma was once governed by New Zealand until the people gained independence in the early 1960s. after years under the New Zealand government, they adapted some cultural attributes from New Zealand. Most people o the islands of Samoa identify as soman, some identity with New Zealand and other ethnicities mixed with Samoan. Ethnically Samoa seems to be quite peaceful. this comes from homogeneity, which is a big part of Samoan culture. Fa’a Samoa is a samosa term that means the Samoan way. This is, briefly from my understanding, the code or guide for the ideal Samoan life. The core values are the environment, family, language, connection with the ancestors, art, and political and social structures. The Samoan culture is very welcoming and open to sharing their cu...
Read more

DooWop!!!

Image
  What Is DooWop?      Doowop is a genre of music that was popular during the 1940s and 50s. the way to distinguish the doo-wop sound is the close harmony and more particularly the use of nonsense words that correspond with the beat or rhythm with the words. Doowop is also known as a sub-category of rhythm and blues, wh9ich were popular genres during this time. The sound of Doowop takes inspiration from blues, jazz, and swing. How was Doowop created? Surprisingly, the creation of Doowop had nothing to do with famous musicians at that time or fancy recording labels. Doowop was created by African American teenagers. While swing music was on a rise so was segregation. The black community was separated and given fewer opportunities than white people, this even extended to the music scene. Since they couldn’t buy expensive instruments or perform with famous groups, Doowop was born. Born in alleyways, barbershops, living rooms, anywhere that was safe and allowed creativity...
Read more

Africa: More Specifically, Egypt and the Music!

Image
What do think of when you think of Egyptian music? If you are anything like me you probably thought about camels, gold, and slow chimes with a calming melody in the background. I only think this way because I haven't learned about the actual culture and the significant of the music, until now. First, I had to consider the origin of Egyptian music. sadly, after a bit of research, it turns out that no one really knows what ancient Egyptian music sounded like. there was no sign of written music or scales, so scientist got their information from cave carving, and painting. They also found some instruments. some instruments that were discovered were harps,  Mashrôkêtã (double oboe) and the double flute.  Many of today's instruments come from or are inspired by Egyptian instruments. One of the oldest flutes was found in ancient Egypt. The Harp and the flute are both instruments we have discussed with other cultures in class.  The Egyptian flute has a low windy sound, that i...
Read more