Saturday, January 25, 2020

British Invasion Of Black Soul Music Music Essay

British Invasion Of Black Soul Music Music Essay In the early 1960s before the British invasion black soul music, Doo wop, Motown and RB dominated the American audiences. The 1960s saw the civil rights movement. In 1963, a march on Washington saw the passing of the civil rights act of 1964 which outlawed discrimination in public accommodations and employment. This followed with the assassination of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, spurring riots in 125 US cities in 1968, coinciding with the civil rights act of 1968. The 1960s saw Billboard change the name of its RB chart to Soul, but the term Soul had been used as a label since the mid 50s. It had its beginnings in the 1950s when Ray Charles exploited the gospel sound to create fusions of black religious and RB music with songs such as I got a woman based on the gospel song My Jesus is all the World. Sam Cooke also contributed a great deal to Soul. Cooke produced an almost unbroken sequence of hits from 1957 to 1964, the year of his death his music gave proof that anything was possible. This influenced artists who would later become global black Soul performers such as Aretha Franklin, The Falcons and James Brown. Groups such as The Angels, The Shirelles and The Righteous Brothers helped to popularize the music as mainstream. For much of the 1960s soul could be seen as the umbrella term for black popular music, which dominated American audiences in the early to mid 1960s. However one of the biggest success stories was the Detroit based Motown, which could be seen as pop soul which gave fame to names such as Diana Ross, Gladys Knight and Smokey Robinson. Tamla Motown was created by Berry Gordy Jr and although the stars were all black, you couldnt fully define it as black music as the intent was to make music palatable to white audiences. Gordy was also known to have controlled the performing styles and clothes in a way to prepare them for the wider mainstream audience. Amongst the most successful of his artist was Marvin Gaye, who was the first to take his artistic control over his recordings and repertoire. The East Coast DooWop and girl groups also made a contribution to African-American music during the 1960s. They were singers and groups whose origins were found on the street corners in the form of cappella groups found in many urban centres. With very rare exceptions, these groups did not write their own songs, but relied on their handlers to set up the recording sessions, pick the material, and produce the records. In fact, many of these behind-the-scenes people eventually became stars in their own right in the seventies. The influence of Doo Wop can be seen in soul music through groups such as William Robinsons, The Miracles who started a Doo Wop group whilst at school. White popular music of the UK developed into one of the most leading musics in the world. Through the 1950s there existed a barely understood American style. Rock and Roll. At the beginning of 1960 American pop music continued to set the patterns of the native musical efforts in the UK. The US contribution to the British charts was large and extremely important At this point- the twist was in full swing, Chubby Checker, Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis dominated the British charts. After rock and roll, Britain returned to its traditional values with the likes of Cliff Richard and Living Doll which brought mums and dads along as well. For a short while in Britain at the end of the 1950s into the early 60s there was a revival of American Skiffle, made popular by Skiffle artist, Lonnie Donegan. Skiffle was the first attempt undertaken to appropriate American popular music. It was a growing interest in rural and urban blues. Many of these interests involved a conservative nostalgia for the authentic of some imagined yesteryear. Skiffle would later influence John Lennon and Paul Mcartney in their first band The Quarrymen and The Beatles. We can also see the influence of African American artists through British RB which developed as a major musical movement in the early 1960s, initially in London, but also in other urban centres in the UK, as predominately young white male musicians attempted to emulate the style and recordings of African American RB artists. We can see this influence through The Rolling Stones. Muddy Waters used song extension to transform 1940s Chicago Blues. This was achieved by reviving repertoire he had learnt and increasing amplification. 15 years later The Stones and subsequently Cream and Canned Heat followed his example in substance as well as spirit by themselves drawing from the same source. Thus The Stones recorded I Just want to make love to you and I cant be Satisfied. Blues songs and influences continued to surface in the Rolling Stones music throughout their long career. Cream made versions of the delta blues and Canned Heat took their inspiration from the delta bluesman Tommy Johnson. This song copying tradition played a big role in the pop music.- All these African American influences such as Skiffle, RB and Soul along with white American Rock and Roll gave way to Beat music or the Merseybeat. Bands who defined this genre were largely the Beatles but also Hermans Hermits and Gerry and the Pacemakers, to name a few. In Walter Everetts The Beatles as Musicians he describes their compositional style as imitations of buddy holly and RB techniques practised by the witty guitarist Chuck Berry, the energetic Little Richard, and the humorous and skilful coasters After the large success of the Merseybeat in the UK, it transformed over to the US led by The Beatles on the 7th of February 1964. This would be then followed by other beat, pop and rock groups. Among the most successful bands in the genre were the Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds, The Kinks, Manfred Mann, The Animals, the Spencer Davis Group and The Who. Many of these bands dominated the UK and US charts from 1964, becoming a second wave of British Invasion acts in the US, and in the UK were central to the Mod subculture. Several of the bands and their members went on to become leading rock music performers of the late 1960s and early 1970s, helping to create sub-genres that included psychedelic, progressive and hard rock and making RB a key component of that music. However the British Invasion ended careers of black artists such as chubby checker and fats domino with only a handful surviving such as the Motown artists. However soul music did remain popular through evolved forms such as Funk which can be associated to James Brown. This later developed into Funk and Soul influenced by Phychedelic Rock. A good example would be the band Sly and the Family Stone and their album Stand! who were successful. However groups such as The Miracles and The Supremes found it hard to keep up with the changing trends and could never recover. Black music charted a musical path different from white rock. Although much black music crossed over to the pop charts, black performers did not share common ground with their white counterparts.-

Friday, January 17, 2020

Effective Teaching and Learning Environments Essay

This assignment will discuss effective teaching and learning environments. According to Brophy (2004) there are twelve principles contributing to effective teaching; a supportive classroom environment, the opportunity to learn, curricular alignment, establishing learning orientations, coherent content, thoughtful discourse, practice and application activities, scaffolding students, strategy teaching, co-operative learning, goal orientated assessment and achievement expectations. All these principles contribute to the active involvement of the student and attaining effective learning environments. For this assignment we will focus on three of the main principles and discuss its effectiveness in my own learning and influences it will have on my own teaching. Supportive learning environment Teachers modelling personal attributes such as approachability, friendliness, emotional maturity and sincerity towards individuals as well as learners create an environment of cohesiveness and support. Educational content can be developed to connect and build on students’ prior knowledge and experiences whilst also encouraging understanding of learning outcomes in a positive collaborative environment. As a tertiary student I find these qualities very encouraging in allowing me to pursue my education without fearing to contribute and asking questions without being chastised or frown upon. An example of a non-supportive environment was observed at a high school where a teacher humiliated a student for failing a math test. The teacher made the student stand in front of the class and then called him ‘stupid’ leaving the student distraught and traumatised. Needless to say this was an extremely negative experience and could have detrimental effects on the student or all the students’ motivation for learning. A supportive environment is one where the students can be interactive with the teacher, other peers and lesson content. A recent excursion to the Attadale foreshore with the aides of workbooks and precise teacher instructions allowed the students to engage and explore the lesson by utilising their senses and the natural environment. This effective teaching method succeeded in building and supporting group collaboration and expanding their knowledge. Opportunity to learn The opportunity to learn greatly depends on the how much time is spent on participating in lessons and learning activities. Being an effective teacher is to be prepared and organised, using allocated class time efficiently for accomplishing activities and achieving instructional goals. Teachers need to articulate clear expectations and a sense of purpose that can be processed easily by the students in regards to general behaviour and engagement especially during lessons. Teachers can give clear and consistent expectations through modelling or direct instructions. Effective teachers instruct strategies and procedures for students to manage their own learning, elaborating content allowing students to respond and form their own interpretations. An example observed in a classroom setting lead to unenthusiastic results. A student needed clarification of an assessment, the teacher had instructed the whole class although as an observer I noticed that not many students understood what was required. The teacher approached the one student and admonishes him with a â€Å"why don’t you know anything!† statement. The students in the class have since stopped asking clarifying questions and continue to struggle in their lessons. The learning opportunities for students in this setting were limited. A more positive approach to teaching is to allow all students at different abilities a chance e.g. a grade 5 class spelling test had the teacher separating students into small literacy groups according to their abilities. Attention was focused on the struggling students whilst the more capable students had clear instructional goals to work towards. Curricular alignment The curriculum components are used as assistance in creating constant instructions and learner outcomes from K-12. The curriculum has been designed to assist students in their attainment of knowledge, understanding, appreciation and life applications in preparation for students to participate in adult roles within society. Teachers need to instil appreciation for learning into students, the why and because of learning and knowing that there are good reasons for learning that leads to life applications where what they have learned can be used when needed in other contexts. When I was in high school (Brunei Darussalam) I was taught using textbooks and to memorize random information available in the texts. Assessments were based on the amount of information memorized. This type of learning was not productive to me or the local society as it did not allow for the development for curiosity beyond textbooks. Students were passive and were not permitted to query anything other than content of lesson. Information was not related to daily matters in life. The difference in the education system here is that teachers motivate and encourage analytical thinking with questions and guidance. I was found lacking in understanding curricular concepts involving thinking ‘beyond’ the textbook although the push to ‘think outside the box’ was something that I relearned and appreciated over time. Finally, although these three main ideas; a supportive classroom climate, opportunity to learn and circular alignment have been highlighted individually, each idea should be applied in conjunction with the other nine principles mentioned by Brophy for attaining effective teaching and learning environments. All twelve principles are meant to be aligned as a measure of assisting students in accomplishing intended curricular outcomes. These main ideas influence my teaching by motivating the creation of an understanding and cohesive classroom by modelling and being supportive to the personal, social and academic well being of all students; by being prepared and ensure that lesson plans are stimulating, challenging and that the diverse learning abilities of the students have been taken into account to further maximise their opportunities to learn; and with curriculum guidance be able to achieve specific outcomes geared towards students being able to function socially and adapt to the adult world.

Thursday, January 9, 2020

What You Need to Know About Commedia DellArte

Commedia dellarte, also known as Italian comedy, was a humorous theatrical presentation performed by professional actors who traveled in troupes throughout Italy in the 16th century. Performances took place on temporary stages, mostly on city streets, but occasionally even in court venues. The better troupes — notably Gelosi, Confidenti, and Fedeli — performed in palaces and became internationally famous once they traveled abroad. Music, dance, witty dialogue, and all kinds of trickery contributed to the comic effects. Subsequently, the art form spread throughout Europe, with many of its elements persisting even into the modern theater. Given the vast number of  Italian dialects, how would a touring company make itself understood? Apparently, there was no attempt made to change the performances dialect from region to region. Even when a local company performed, much of the dialogue would not have been understood. Regardless of region, the oft-used character  il Capitano  would have spoken in Spanish,  il Dottore  in Bolognese, and  lArlecchino  in utter gibberish. The focus was placed on physical business, rather than spoken text. Influence The impact of  commedia dell’arte  on European drama can be seen in French pantomime and the English harlequinade. The ensemble companies generally performed in Italy, although a company called the  comà ©die–italienne  was established in Paris in 1661. The  commedia dell’arte  survived the early 18th century only by means of its vast influence on written dramatic forms. Props There were no elaborate sets in  commedia. Staging, for example, was minimalistic, with rarely anything more than one market or street scene, and the stages were frequently temporary outdoor structures. Instead, great use was made of props including animals, food, furniture, watering devices, and weapons. The character  Arlecchino  bore two sticks tied together, which made a loud noise on impact. This gave birth to the word slapstick. Improvisation In spite of its outwardly anarchic spirit, commedia dellarte  was a highly disciplined art requiring both virtuosity and a strong sense of ensemble playing. The unique talent of  commedia  actors was to improvise comedy around a pre-established scenario. Throughout the act, they responded to each other, or to the audiences reaction, and made use of  lazzi  (special rehearsed routines that could be inserted into the plays at convenient points to heighten the comedy), musical numbers, and impromptu dialogue to vary the happenings on stage. Physical Theater Masks forced actors to project their characters emotions through the body. Leaps, tumbles, stock gags (burle  and  lazzi), obscene gestures, and slapstick antics were incorporated into their acts. Stock Characters The actors of the  commedia  represented fixed social types. These types included  tipi fissi, for example, foolish old men, devious servants, or military officers full of false bravado. Characters such as Pantalone (the miserly Venetian merchant), Dottore Gratiano (the pedant from Bologna), or Arlecchino (the mischievous servant from Bergamo), began as satires on Italian types and became the archetypes of many of the favorite characters of 17th- and 18th-century European theatre. Arlecchino  was the most famous. He was an acrobat, a wit, childlike, and amorous. He wore a cat-like mask and motley-colored clothes and carried a bat or wooden sword.Brighella  was  Arlecchinos  crony. He was more roguish and sophisticated, a cowardly villain who would do anything for money.Il Capitano  (the captain) was a caricature of the professional soldier — bold, swaggering, and cowardly.Il Dottore  (the doctor) was a caricature of learning who was pompous and fraudulent.Pantalone  was a caricature of the Venetian merchant, rich and retired, mean and miserly, with a young wife or an adventurous daughter.Pedrolino  was a white-faced, moonstruck dreamer and the forerunner of the modern clown.Pulcinella, as seen in the  English Punch and Judy shows, was a dwarfish humpback with a crooked nose. He was a cruel bachelor who chased pretty girls.Scarramuccia, dressed in black and carrying a pointed sword, was the Robin Hood of his day.The handsome  Inamorat o  (the lover) went by many names. He wore no mask and had to be eloquent in order to perform speeches of love.The  Inamorata  was his female counterpart; Isabella Andreini was the most famous. Her servant, usually called  Columbina, was the beloved of Harlequin. Witty, bright, and given to intrigue, she developed into such characters as Harlequine and Pierrette.La Ruffiana  was an old woman, either the mother or a village gossip who thwarted the lovers.Cantarina  and  Ballerina  often took part in the comedy, but for the most part, their job was to sing, dance, or play music. There were many other minor characters, some of which were associated with a particular region of Italy, such as  Peppe Nappa  (Sicily),  Gianduia  (Turin),  Stenterello  (Tuscany),  Rugantino  (Rome), and  Meneghino  (Milan). Costumes The audience was able to pick up on the type of person actors were representing through each characters dress. For elaboration, loose-fitting garments alternated with very tight, and jarring color contrasts opposed monochrome outfits. Except for the inamorato, males would identify themselves with character-specific costumes and half-masks. The  zanni  (precursor to clown), such Arlecchino, for example, would be immediately recognizable because of his black mask and patchwork costume. While the inamorato and the female characters wore neither masks nor costumes unique to that personage, certain information could still be derived from their clothing. Audiences knew what members of the various social classes typically wore, and also expected certain colors to represent certain emotional states. Masks All the fixed character types, the figures of fun or satire, wore colored leather masks. Their opposites, typically pairs of young lovers around whom the stories revolved, had no need for such devices. In modern Italian  handcrafted theater, masks  are still created in the ancient tradition of  carnacialesca. Music The inclusion of music and dance into  commedia  performance required that all actors have these skills. Frequently at the end of a piece, even the audience joined in on the merrymaking.

Wednesday, January 1, 2020

Berea College Acceptance Rate, SAT/ACT Scores, GPA

Berea College is a private liberal arts college with an acceptance rate of 38%. Located in Berea, Kentucky, and founded in 1855, Berea College is one of nine Work Colleges in the U.S. Students pay no tuition, and all students receive significant financial aid for all four years of attendance. Most Berea students are first generation students from the Appalachia area. Accepted students work 10 to 15 hours a week on campus or in the community as part of Bereas Labor Program. Since its founding, Berea has had a non-sectarian Christian identity. Berea is a member of the  Work Colleges Consortium. Considering applying to Berea College? Here are the admissions statistics you should know, including average SAT/ACT scores and GPAs of admitted students. Acceptance Rate During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, Berea College had an acceptance rate of 38%. This means that for every 100 students who applied, 38 students were admitted, making Bereas admissions process competitive. Admissions Statistics (2017-18) Number of Applicants 1,576 Percent Admitted 38% Percent Admitted Who Enrolled (Yield) 73% SAT Scores and Requirements Berea College requires that all applicants submit either SAT or ACT scores. During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, 16% of admitted students submitted SAT scores. SAT Range (Admitted Students) Section 25th Percentile 75th Percentile ERW 520 590 Math 510 623 ERW=Evidence-Based Reading and Writing This admissions data tells us that most of Bereas admitted students fall within the top 35% nationally on the SAT. For the evidence-based reading and writing section, 50% of students admitted to Berea scored between 520 and 590, while 25% scored below 520 and 25% scored above 590. On the math section, 50% of admitted students scored between 510 and 623, while 25% scored below 510 and 25% scored above 623. Applicants with a composite SAT score of 1210 or higher will have particularly competitive chances at Berea. Requirements Berea College does not require the SAT writing section. Note that Berea participates in the scorechoice program, which means that the admissions office will consider your highest score from each individual section across all SAT test dates. ACT Scores and Requirements Berea College requires that all applicants submit either SAT or ACT scores. During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, 83% of admitted students submitted ACT scores. ACT Range (Admitted Students) Section 25th Percentile 75th Percentile English 22 29 Math 20 26 Composite 22 27 This admissions data tells us that most of Bereas admitted students fall within the top 37% nationally on the ACT. The middle 50% of students admitted to Berea received a composite ACT score between 22 and 27, while 25% scored above 27 and 25% scored below 22. Requirements Berea does not require the ACT writing section. Unlike many universities, Berea superscores ACT results; your highest subscores from multiple ACT sittings will be considered. GPA Berea College indicates that most admitted students have a minimum GPA of 3.0 in college preparatory level coursework. This data suggests that most successful applicants to Berea College have primarily B grades. Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph Berea College Applicants Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph. Data courtesy of Cappex. The admissions data in the graph is self-reported by applicants to Berea College. GPAs are unweighted. Find out how you compare to accepted students, see the real-time graph, and calculate your chances of getting in  with a free Cappex account. Admissions Chances Berea College has a competitive admissions process with a low acceptance rate due to the colleges unique mission of providing a nearly free education to students with significant financial need. However, Berea also has  holistic admissions  process involving factors such as community service, character and personal qualities, social maturity and demonstrated interest in the College.  Each application is considered based on transcripts, test scores, financial eligibility, letters of recommendation, and personal interviews. Students with strong academic potential and financial need from Appalachia receive preference at Berea. In the scattergram above, note that most successful applicants to Berea tend to have GPAs of B or better, SAT scores (ERWM) of 1000 or higher, and ACT composite scores of 20 or better. However, test scores are only one part of the admissions requirements for Berea. All admissions data has been sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics and Berea College Undergraduate Admissions Office.