A Changing Venue

         The calypso tents, venues for entertainment such as social commentary and double entendres, have been one of the two most infamous aspects of carnival. Even though it may sometimes seem less important to modern carnival attendees than "Road" entertainment, it has held a significance part in the culture of carnival. In Shannon Dudley's Carnival Music in Trinidad, the growth from "temporary structures erected carnival" became "theaters and auditoriums in Port of Spain". There importance will be discussed and what magic that happens inside them will be revealed. 

History Of Calypso Tents 

By the turn of the twentieth century, Carnival’s tents had become a staple of social commentary. A place for enjoyment and a venue for the calypsonians to perform in, tents started to form in the early 1900's. The more established bands began to create areas out of cocoyea branches and bamboo poles for performers to make costumes and practice dances for Carnival. About a decade later, these “tents” became a more popular area to perform. Also, it allowed performers to charge audience members for admittance. Peter Mason, a writer for the guardian and professor at the University of the West Indies in Jamaica,  goes into depth about the subject saying in “1921, thanks to calypsonians such as Inventor and Lord Executor, the tents had become so popular that Walter ‘Railway’ Douglas, a first world war veteran and calypsonian, was able to open a much more salubrious tarpaulin-covered venue in Port of Spain’s Duncan Street, with seats, a capacity of 300…proper stage…and an entrance fee.”  
        This was a beginning of the more permanent auditorium like tents, evolving past the original bamboo models. Like the term “trunk” on cars, tents continued to be known as tents even though they are a far cry from what they were. These new structures allowed for electricity and stages which were quite an upgrade from a roped off areas in the dirt.  

        Above is a picture of “The Original Old Brigade” tent. (Ermit) This photo is a great example of what tents would have looked like before the Second World War and in comparison to what they look like now is astonishing. Below is a picture of the NAPA (National Academy for the Performing Arts) named after Lord Kitchener, the famed calypsonian.

The venues for calypsonian tents have changed greatly from the introduction of the tents in the 1910s. When the tents first began, calypso was sung in temporary structures erected just for carnival. These structures were often industrial tents, large enough to house both a full stage and many seats for the audience.

Calypso performance in a club.

Calypso performance in an amphitheater.

                                          

Calypso performance in a traditional tent. 

Over time, the locations of most tents have changed from short-term tents to theaters and auditoriums, often in Port of Spain. Each has a stage, but designs vary from clubs (https://youtu.be/RUNVNN0KIak) to amphitheaters (https://youtu.be/b_cKXw7O36s). Some venues, however, still prefer the traditional style of a calypso tent (https://youtu.be/NuFZ3LAn0C8). The style and mood of each venue, interestingly, has little to do with the calypsonians who perform there. The popular tents, which have exclusive performing contracts, often issue them not to those calypsonians whose style matches the  mood of their tent, but to the performers that will help them draw the largest audience. Upbeat and festive artists will be contracted by club-style tents just as likely as amphitheaters and other open tents, and the same goes for calypsonians that are more serious, speaking about social issues and politics. This is a stark contrast to the spirit of American performance halls, where the venue usually limits the type of performance it will have: American clubs often feature jazz ensembles and artists, while amphitheaters will typically host rock and pop bands.

Modern Soca

           Modern Soca music is much different than how it used to be in the past. Soca music in the tent used to be more subtle and light, but now music is more upbeat and jumpy. Traditionally tent music has been more light and intimate, but in recent years has moved to being louder. There used to be live bands, back up singers, and fewer extravagant effects. With modern technology, performers are able to enhance their sets. The bands are now intermixed with recordings or DJs. Artist have back up dancers, flashy lights, and special effects to make their performance have more of an impact. There are uses of things such as pyrotechnics, acrobats, strobe lights, and more.  In the two videos here, you can see that the screen in the back is showing the lyrics to what the artist is singing. We can appreciate the music more because is involves even more audience participation. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGrnXqH6NnU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGSUUYNvXKg

Credits 

Jonna

• Proofreading 
• Build Blog 

Chase

• Bibliography
• History 

Kailee

• Modern Usage 

Derek

• Logistics

Dudley, Shannon. Carnival Music in Trinidad: Experiencing Music, Expressing Culture. New York: Oxford UP, 2004. 

Emrit, Ronald C. "Calypso 1900 - 1949." Calypso (Trinidad). Best of Trinidad, 2015. Web. 30 Oct. 2016.

Mason, Peter. Bacchanal!: The Carnival Culture of Trinidad. London: Latin America Bureau, 1998. 

NH Productions TT. "Machel Montano | Power Soca Monarch Finals 2015 Performance & Winner | HD VIDEO." YouTube. YouTube, 14 Feb. 2015. Web. 30 Oct. 2016.

NHProductionsTT. "Voice - Cheers To Life ( LIVE ) | International Soca Monarch 2016 [ NH PRODUCTIONS TT ]." YouTube. YouTube, 07 Feb. 2016. Web. 30 Oct. 2016.

Roxanne7638. "Kaiso Nobby - Marriage Advice - Calypso Showcase Tent Carnival 2016." YouTube. YouTube, 13 Jan. 2016. Web. 30 Oct. 2016.

StephaniiChase. "Headliners Calypso Tent 2013 Adrian Green Spirit Of The African." YouTube. YouTube, 28 June 2013. Web. 30 Oct. 2016.

"The Lord Kitchener (Aldwyn Roberts) Auditorium - National Academy for the Performing Arts." NAPA. N.p., 2015. Web. 30 Oct. 2016.

"Once More Once", Jazz Structure

                                   
             As noted by Bonnie C. Wade, "jazz, which is generally characterized by improvisation...is a set of chord of chord changes"(pg 136). This brings us to the structure of jazz which can be broad. Two large formations of jazz instrumentation would be combos and big bands which will be discussed as well as the importance of improvisation. 

Is Improvisation Composing?

            The most crucial reason we use structure is to give music meaning, transforming it from random chords and rhythms to something that is full of emotion and of importance. It is the framework on which the fundamentals of music are hung. It is a way to organize sound in a intensional and inspirational way.              

            In jazz music, improvisation is a key feature. A common definition is the process of making up music “on the fly”, or during a performance. However, Wade describes it more  specifically as “a compositional process in which a musician exercises relatively great flexibility with given material during a performance” (pg 135). This contradicts the preconceived notion that improvisation is just a musician doing “whatever they want”. In reality, a musician is composing on the spot based off of some predetermined material. Usually in jazz it is some type of chord progression, like 12 bar blues.  

 

             Another great distinction is that a lot of improvisation is practiced in advance. A common practice in the study of jazz is learning a large collection of “licks” or musical quotes that can then be arranged almost automatically from memory during an improvisational solo. Jazz music ahas a long history of learning and stealing musical ideas from other artists. Therefore making improv resemble composition than most people assume. The artist is making a careful selection of musical ideas in order to fit the needs of the particular tune they are performing. 

               The biggest difference between improvisation and composition is the amount of time you have to do it. Where as a composer might rewrite a phrase hundreds of times, an improviser writes as he goes and can judge the music instantly based off of the reaction of the audience. 

                                       Big Band Structure 

             Jazz, in my firm believe, wouldn't be jazz without the big bands. From the 1920s, big bands dominated western pop culture. They remained apart of mainstream culture even until the 1950s when rock and roll became a staple of the American musical diet. Big bands typically consisted of saxophone, trumpet, trombone and rhythm sections sections. Often, there were singers who would accompany the band. Other instruments, such as the clarinet, frequently were associated with big band acts. Leaders of bands included Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, Duke Ellington, Count Basie and many more. However, big bands could often have different structures but some were quite common. One of which would be rhythm changes — the chord progression to “I Got Rhythm”. 

“I Got Rhythm” sung by Ethel Merman, 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4hI-xhGZug

Here is an example of it: 

https://tamingthesaxophone.com/pic-jazz/i-got-rhythm.gif

Many songs used this structure, such as Duke Ellington’s “Cotton Tail.” Often, many pieces would have the same chord progressions as others. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbOseBw-fnU

A popular big band chart, “How High The Moon” has the same progression as “Ornithology” by Charlie Parker. Though different songs, they do share quite a lot. 

Below is Count Basie playing “How High the Moon” 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZqpxEdTcyM

This below is Charlie Parker preforming “Ornithology” 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYNnJBom0ro  

However, during a piece, solo and soli parts are often written in. A great deal of “Sing Sing Sing” by Benny Goodman are solos. Often, solos are able to make a song last longer and thus less songs have to be preformed. Big Bands are often played as dance music and having solos can really make a song last like in “Sing Sing Sing”. Below is the piece, and listen for the extensive solos by multiple instruments. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_YG9XBX04Y

                                            Jazz Combos

So beginning with basic Jazz structure, most Jazz is built on a predetermined set of chords, which accompanies the melody. When you play through these set of predetermined chords once, it is called a chorus. The main structure of Jazz combo is the repetition of these choruses with something different in each one. The first chorus has the main melody, or the head, which is actually written in. In the next how many choruses, however long the current soloist decides to take, will play their solo. When the current soloist is finished, they will taper and signal for the next performer, who wants a go at a solo, to begin their solo. They will keep doing this until everyone who wanted to do a solo had a chance to. The audience will applaud after each solo to acknowledge them, but to also acknowledge what they just improvised. When all the solos are finished, the band will play the first chorus, or the head, again. For groups of about 10 or more, music is written out to keep the band organized. There is just so many members that it will be really difficult to let everybody have a solo. A way that Jazz combo is described is like a sandwich. You have the bread at both ends, but in the middle is all the different ingredients. 

             Overall, Jazz has many different structures that can make each song style unique. However, they're in many ways alike. Styles are often transitioned from on group to another but can have the similar or even same structure as one another. In the end, there is much that can be discussed, but an ending must come. 

Tasks

Chase

- Blog Builder 

- Big Band Section

- Intro and Conclusion 

Jonna

- Proof Reader

- Improv Section

Kailee

- Combo Section

- Bibliography

Bibliography

OnlyJazzHQ. "Benny Goodman - Sing Sing Sing." YouTube. YouTube, 05 Feb. 2013. Web. 16 Oct. 2016.

JazzBreakTV. "Count Basie - April In Paris." YouTube. YouTube, 04 Feb. 2012. Web. 17 Oct. 2016.

Budoroom. "Count Basie :How High The Moon." YouTube. YouTube, 24 Oct. 2010. Web. 16 Oct. 2016.

TheHellzapoppin. "Duke Ellington - Cotton Tail." YouTube. YouTube, 01 Aug. 2011. Web. 16 Oct. 2016.

Ashtonjoliet. "Ethel Merman Sings I Got Rhythm 1956." YouTube. YouTube, 14 June 2011. Web. 16 Oct. 2016.

Jalcjazzacademy. "Exploring Improvisation in Jazz." YouTube. YouTube, 06 Oct. 2015. Web. 17 Oct. 2016.

Petethomasmusic. "I Got Rhythm Chord Changes." Taming The Saxophone. N.p., 2013. Web. 16 Oct. 2016.

"Musical Elements." Jazz in America. N.p., 16 Oct. 2016. Web. 16 Oct. 2016.

Pvelectric. "ORNITHOLOGY 1- CHARLIE PARKER." YouTube. YouTube, 21 Jan. 2010. Web. 16 Oct. 2016.

Jalcjazzacademy. "Jazz Fundamentals: What Is Improvisation?" YouTube. YouTube, 22 Feb. 2015. Web. 17 Oct. 2016.

Wade, Bonnie C. Thinking Musically: Experiencing Music, Expressing Culture. New York: Oxford UP, 2009. Print.

The Devil's Interval

What Is It?

The Tritone: The Devil’s Interval? - TWO MINUTE MUSIC THEORY

Also know as the Devil’s Triad and diabolus in musica, the Devil’s Interval is a flatted or diminished fifth, or an augmented fourth. It is an interval, two pitches being played at the same time, with the prefix “tri” referring to the three whole steps between the two notes. It is directly between the perfect fourth and fifth and therefore divides the octave into two halves. When played, the tritone is very dissonant, meaning it clashes and sounds unresolved. Tritones are also used harmonically in dominant chords. Dominant chords are usually used in jazz music.  

You can create tritones buy counting up from the root note 3 whole steps or 6 half steps. For example, if you start at B you would go B - C - C# - D - D# - E - F 

List of Tritones:

1. A & D#/Eb
2. A#/Bb & E
3. B & F
4. C & F#/Gb
5. C#/Db & G
6. D & Ab/G#

Tritones for Beginners - Lesson 1

The History of Tritones

The notorious “tritone”, once commonly know of the Devil’s interval has had — to say the least — an interesting musical past. During the middle ages, the dissonance of the tritone lead to the belief that it was a devilish interval. Thus is became known as “Diabolus in Musica, or Devil in Music, and [was] expressly forbidden under Church canon law.” (Merrick). The reputation lingered and lingered well into the 18th and 19th century. Still to this day, the tritone is avoided in Catholic sacred music. In a 2006 BBC news article, Finlo Rohrer writes that “Professor John Deathridge, King Edward professor of music at King's College London, says the tritone had been consistently linked to evil. In medieval theology you have to have some way of presenting the devil. Or if someone  in the Roman Catholic Church wanted to portray the crucifixion, it is sometimes used there.”

By the 19th century, composers such as Richard Wagner had taken a tritone, minor 2nd  and a diminished 9th, and put it in an entire chord, to be known as the Tristan chord. This became a turning point in music as the chord is perhaps the demonic to date. In other words, the associations with tritones may still exist but they are no longer banned and used commonly in music. The piece below is an example of Wagner’s piece and his Tristan chord.

To prove the associations with the interval still exist, a satirical article published about Ted Cruz tells his plans to ban the interval, and some. For some entertainment, please read! 

http://www.submediant.com/2016/03/15/citing-evangelical-faith-ted-cruz-calls-to-ban-satanic-tritone/

Modern Usage

There are many uses of tritones in modern music, but it is just difficult to pinpoint them out. The tritone gives off this eerie, spooky, creepy feeling in music. It is more commonly found in rock, alternative, and punk, but there are other examples in other genres such as classical and jazz. There are even songs in soundtracks like "Maria" from "West Side Story," "The Simpsons," and "South Park."

For the hard rock and metal fans, Black Sabbath’s song “Black Sabbath” is an entire song revolving around tritones. If there ever was song that exhibits the effects of tritones, it would be this song which has a very creepy overall feel. In the sprit of October, and Halloween just around the corner, this is a great song to add to a holiday themed playlist. 

Here is a list of songs that use tritones:  https://www.uberchord.com/blog/tritone-songs/#Operas-Musicals

The list above tells of different genres tritones are found in. It includes classical, which not what we consider modern in present time.

In modern music that uses tritones, the triton always resolves up to the 5^th or down to the 4^th. Humans usually look for that consonance, so we resolve up or down to make it feel correct. For example, usually the leading tone, or the seventh, will resolve back to the tonic, or in our cases “do”. In other cases, it gives that eerie or creepy feeling that the composer is trying to convey, or it creates a dissonance that just sounds correct, even though to those who have perfect pitch, it feels like screaming in their ears. 

Sources

"A Brief History of the Devil's Tritone." Mental Floss. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Oct. 2016. <http://mentalfloss.com/article/77321/brief-history-devils-tritone>.

Homecookedblues. "Tritones for Beginners - Lesson 1." YouTube. YouTube, 22 Aug. 2011. Web. 08 Oct. 2016. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_u9laoGPB_o>.

Odansmith. "The Tristan Chord." YouTube. YouTube, 19 Aug. 2012. Web. 09 Oct. 2016. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpWg_cZkDho>.

OfficialSabbath. "Black Sabbath - "Black Sabbath"" YouTube. YouTube, 29 Oct. 2014. Web. 09 Oct. 2016.

Schoen-Philbert, Jonas. "25 Songs With The Tritone." Uberchord App Comments. Uberchord, 09 Sept. 2016. Web. 08 Oct. 2016. <https://www.uberchord.com/blog/tritone-songs/#Classical>.

Schoen-Philbert, Jonas. "The Tritone, Everything You Need to Know." Uberchord App The Tritone Everything You Need to Know Comments. Uberchord, 09 Sept. 2016. Web. 08 Oct. 2016. <https://www.uberchord.com/blog/the-tritone/>.

The1564studios. "The Tritone: The Devil's Interval? - TWO MINUTE MUSIC THEORY." YouTube. YouTube, 17 Feb. 2016. Web. 08 Oct. 2016. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKF-j_3gTKA>.

Credits

Jonna: What is it? Essay, Proofreading
Chase: The History Essay, Bibliography
Kailee: Modern Usage Essay, Build Blog/Post