Global Citizenship (Final)

Being a citizen is a state of mind that pits classes against each other and causes the separation of powers by creating a hierarchical society.  The term “citizen” makes the distinction between two groups of people. But global citizenship is a term of acceptance and unity where everyone can come together as one solitary group whose values may be different, but what makes them the same is what really matters.

               Music practices shape all of society and culture in profound ways. Music is one of the central necessities to human evolution and survival. In history music has changed the course of human thought and interaction in both positive and negative ways. The fact the music can cause liberation or holocaust is both a beautiful and terrifying thing. Dr. McDonald’s anecdotes about his experience with the Shona tribe in Zimbabwe are perfect examples of how music can be the circulating factor in their lives. The Shona people relied on it as a form of contacting their spiritual world. When they would run into a problem, they wouldn’t rely on themselves for the answer; they would use their lamellophones and desis to call into the spirit world. These ceremonies are called Biras and they are one of the most important things in the Shona’s culture. Their society is influenced in a way that requires them to participate in music to have any contact with their deity.

               Music in society tells a lot about the cultural values that society withholds. In the documentary I Love Hip Hop In Morocco, cultural taboo was being committed in the form of expression by hip hop. Morocco is a predominantly Islam country, and with having Islam values as the societal standard, it makes it hard for hip hop artists to use what they love as a form of expression. The rapper within the documentary being silenced by society the most was young woman Fatima. Fatima grew up in an Islamic family that was very supportive of the way in which she chose to communicate. Where her family is exorbitantly supportive, society couldn’t take a person like Fatima seriously. Society had already been shaped by the music of the Islamic culture, so when just about every already established normal in their culture gets broken, society can only be shocked and dismissive of a person like Fatima. Music doesn’t only have the power to cause societal revolution, it can also cement beliefs on separation in class and power; who gets a say and who doesn’t.

               One of the first questions you ask a person when you are getting to know them is: where are you from? What if this question became irrelevant? That’s what a “global citizen” is.  What it means to be a global citizen, or a cosmopolitan, is the application to an idea that requires understanding of all cultures. It requires a disposition that is free of acting upon ignorance. Global citizens only react to what they know, and to what they don’t they explore and seek to understand. They are egalitarians that don’t raise or lower themselves by any standards. Global citizens simply are, and they simply do.

               By being a global citizen, a requirement is that you must open yourself to cultural tenets and be a part of a cultural cohort. Cultural cohorts are the basis of any attempt to branch away from everyday life that being a citizen requires. Experiencing different cultures in settings outside of your own is a way of being a global citizen and participating in cultural cohorts. Eventually a relationship between a global citizen and a cultural cohort will mature into a cultural formation. These formations become a large part in the way you dress, think, and act. Two great examples of a way global citizenship can manifest locally in Bloomington is through attending music sessions on Tuesday night at the Runcible Spoon, or attending the Bloomington Contra-Dance every Wednesday night at the Boys and Girls Club. The Bloomington Contra-Dance was one of the most profound examples of the two because of how involved it got me. It was in a participatory format that got every up from their couches on a Wednesday night to enjoy dancing to festive music. A sense of togetherness and euphoria filled the room. People of all different skill levels showed up and participated. That in tale is the reason for the success of something like the Contra-Dance. Global citizens come to appreciate and participate in the activities that another culture can provide. When aspects of the Contra-Dance branch out from the walls of the Boys and Girls Club, that is when it becomes a cultural formation and changes the way people speak and interact with each other.

               With being a great global citizen, comes great responsibility. The role of a global citizen is to set an example. Forcing an idea or concept on to a group of people would work against every value a global citizen holds so telling people to be tolerant is the reverse of what their job is. Cultural tolerance and appreciation is the image a global citizen is meant to convey, not one of oppression and annoyance. When people follow in the footsteps of a global citizen, good will come out of it. Ignorance won’t be a means of reaction, because people will know to turn their ignorance into understanding and acceptance. The consequences to being a declared citizen of any specific location begins the cycle already set in motion by the majority of the population by creating differences that don’t need to be fabricated in our society. Hierarchical societies are created by location and status. So if societies were based on what we do rather than where we are from, unity by the masses would be the result.

               I agree with the idea that global citizenship is one of the most productive ways of living. Taking lessons from other cultures and improving your own is an important aspect of being a global citizen. Being a global citizen means much more than any one man can understand. The only hope humanity has in living in a world of peace is by starting with cultural tolerance. When the human population learns that they have more in common than they have different, that is when a world of coexisting global citizens will be born. 

Bloomington Contra-Dance

               Our goal for our trip to the weekly Bloomington Contra-Dance was to have a fun time, and our class absolutely accomplished that goal.  I haven’t been placed in a better environment yet in Bloomington where I’ve felt as strong of a connection with the people around me. It didn’t matter if you had been there for the past six years, or if this was your first time and checking it out. Skill level doesn’t matter, and that’s what I loved about it so much. It was a place where people could come together as a community and feel one with the arts of music and dance.

               If my enthusiasm for the Contra-Dance isn’t already obvious, I would have to say that it was one of the most liberating experiences and most fun I’ve had with a large group of people in all of my life. Everyone who showed up either knew what they were there for or had an initial idea. They came together to experience music and dance as cultural cohorts. This experience gave every one a taste of different cultures than the ones they came from. From speaking to many of the fellow participators, many of them had professions that took up their time while they weren’t taking part in the weekly Contra-Dance. When music is heard in public setting, people normally think of a radio playing in the background of the supermarket or a concert that they paid several dollars to be at. But at this public dance, it was a very affordable four dollars to actually be a part of the performance.  The music was set at a very manageable tempo that everyone could stay in time with and not stress out about missing a step or two. This leads me to my next point. This event invites people of all different shapes, sizes, and skill levels. As a short guy, I would keep getting partnered with women much taller than me, but that was okay. When glancing around the room, there was no science to the way people got together. It was an event that requires two people to be together. There is no seclusion or solidarity in the Contra-Dance. It forces you to interact with your partner not necessarily conversationally, but you both are given steps to follow, and from each neighbor change you and your partner would get better at the directions that you were given. When the music ends, there is a connection between you and your partner that either verbally or nonverbally is indicated and you feel a sense of accomplishment.

               The Contra-Dance is a beautifully crafted event. All your preconceived notions and insecurities can be left at the door when you attend events like this. Finding something in life that is genuinely fun is something that you want to squeeze the most out of. I will be attending future Contra-Dance on account of how much of a thrill it was for me and my friends. In today’s culture, people assume you need to engage in alcohol consumption or drug use to have a fun time dancing. But the feeling of euphoria that the Contra-Dance gave me was something that can’t be found through any drug or any amount of alcohol consumed. The moments in life that give those feelings of joy are the ones that will stick in your mind forever, and are the ones that you want to experience again.

               I now have a new found respect for participatory music and actions.  The numbers of benefits behind participatory music and actions are countless. Participatory music makes you feel connected with all the people you are playing with. Even though we weren’t playing instruments, the dancers played a large role in the success of the music players. By stomping and stepping to the beats being played, we weren’t only giving the music life through our dance, but we added to the sound as well. I had similar feelings when I was at the farmers market. You feel similar feelings of oneness and togetherness when attending an event that isn’t based on music as well. These participatory actions take cultural cohorts and transfer them into our daily lives, thus making them cultural formations.  This gives prove to the fact that participatory music and actions don’t determine success on the amount of money that they collect at the end of the night, or the quality of sound coming from the instruments, but success is determined by the laughs and the amount of positive energy accumulated by the people participating.

               The Contra-Dance blew away any and all expectations that a newcomer could have. It took the art of music and made it into an aspect of life that you can come to weekly and feel the feeling of unity in a way like none other. These events make you value the parts in your life that have been overshadowed by a high fidelity and studio art that has become the social standard for our lives. For a population as a whole, we need music to function and feel connected, so if we can emphasize the importance of social interaction through participatory, we will likely break out of the impersonal society we live in today.

Irish Music Community Observation

On Tuesday, August 7, 2012, I went to eat dinner at the Runcible Spoon. While I was there, I observed an Irish music session including Pop Music, Identity, and Social Life’s very own Dr. McDonald. The Runcible Spoon pays obvious amounts of attention to capture the atmosphere of an Ireland home and it is a perfect haven for people of all cultures to come and experience.

               The Runcible Spoon was an interesting experience because it is very reminiscent of a restaurant in my home town that I worked at. It is a very peaceful arrangement and the people there were very much their own. Bloomington has always given me the impression that it works very hard to be a place where everyone can find their very own niche, or little piece of home. While eating my dinner I took a moment to glance around and note the types of people sitting around me enjoying the festive music playing in the background. Many of the people I observed were Bloomington locals who would walk through the backdoors of the establishment and order a Guinness, but across the room from me and outside in the gardens were elderly groups of people coming for dinner. The music was by far my favorite part of the experience and it was exciting hearing all the different instruments the artists had brought with them. The instruments I saw used: the mandolin, guitar, accordion, two different types of flute, and a drum. I noticed that the mandolin and guitar tended to be the base of each of the songs and give a rhythm to follow, while the flutes and accordions took the melody. Each one of these instruments is like layers on a cake. While even having one instrument is a treat, the more instruments layering on top of each other in song make at a much more natural sound and give whole new meaning to the word music. Music of the Irish culture is by far my favorite form of music. Irish songs can capture the feelings of cheer and content and transfer them into sound for people to listen to and enjoy. This form of music can also be some of the saddest which is why I love it so much, it is an art form of total extremes and puts things out there cut and dry. The people and musicians sit all in different places but fairly close together. The musicians sit in a fairly congested part of the restaurant as if they were about to order a meal, and then they start playing Irish jigs in a circle.

               Respect is given to the performers that come to The Runcible Spoon. No one crowds around the musicians; no one cheers or tries to overpower the sound of the music. The audience almost isn’t an audience at all. They are participating in the music that is being performed by simply being respectful and keeping down so that the music goes undisturbed. The way the performers sat in a circle almost indicates that they are performing in an invitational format. If you were to have a talent or an instrument to add to the group, it seemed as though that they would be more than welcoming to your participation. The group of musicians played many different instruments and songs. What was interesting was that it seemed to be practiced in a very participatory way. When watching them play, each person would take turns starting off the song with a melody or phrase and then the group would respond with their own variation of the phrase. Even though they play with the 4^th best Irish flutist in the world, Ray Larsen, there isn’t a set hierarchy where one person is the proclaimed leader and the others follow intently.   It was like they were having conversations that we were listening in on and they would change from topic to topic. There was no leader of the group. Between songs the groups would take breaks and talk with different tables having their meals and then when it was time for them to play a new song, they just felt it and would start.

               We live in a society that values high fidelity and studio art music. It seems as though we have become accustom to living in a world where human interaction has taken the backseat. When musicians like the ones in the Runcible Spoon come together to play in a very participatory manor, the “audience” learns new values that bring people together rather than placing them into solidarity. There was a universal feeling of unity that this form of participation music conveys.

               Going to dinner and listening to music at the Runcible Spoon was one of the most memorable parts of IFS. Ireland is the one place I wanted to visit before I die, and this experience made that want into a need. In a society predominantly ruled by high fidelity and studio art music, it’s refreshing to get a taste of a form of music that really makes you feel sense of unity.

I Love Hip Hop in Morocco Review and Analysis

I Love Hip Hop Morocco is a personal insight of rappers trying to make it big while living in the Islamic communities in Morocco. With the struggle that is new age views versus old time traditional conceptions, Morocco has become a place of split cultural views. This film reflects the thoughts and dreams of the true future of the Arab world: its youth. The interviews in this film aren’t of portrayals by the media; these are real humans who live in a land of massively separated community with all different views on world news and worldly topics.

The story begins with a group of Moroccan Hip Hop artists who share a dream to play in a professional concert for a hometown crowd. Unfortunately, resistance is strong in their society and resources scarce. With the help of the American filmmaker, they appeal to the American Embassy for funding and begin the journey that will lead to the 'I Love Hip Hop in Morocco' festival. The youth in this film are the future decision makers and leaders of the world of Arab. These are not the images portrayed by the media; these are the real people, and their views on America, Islam, and the world in general which might surprise more than a few people around the globe. In the recent past, new Moroccan rappers and artists have emerged from juvenescence of the Muslim decent. The first artist I’d like to focus on is the disk jockey that goes by the name of DJ Key. DJ Key was the first artist interviewed, and was easily one of the most interesting. He is a self-taught turntable sensation and he spoke on how he had to make a decision between the Islamic religion and music. His love for music was constantly challenged by his devotion to his Islamic beliefs. Islam forbids the listening or performing of contemporary musical arts such as rap and hip hop. DJ Key chose the music over his beliefs because his love for music was stronger than his feelings towards Islam. The second artist is a young woman named Fatima. Fatima grew up in a healthy household, finding it hard to express herself in any other way; rap became the way of communication that was the most raw and natural to her. She grew up in a community of the Islamic faith and was hard for her to be a rapper, but with that, it was also hard to be a woman in that realm. People she knew underestimated her abilities primarily because she was a woman. Women in the Islamic cultures aren’t seen as people with outstanding potential. They are expected to go to school, work, and home. Fatima didn’t follow this path in life, but she cleared a whole new path for all women in the Islamic culture to follow. Fatima’s family especially influenced the beliefs she has on expressing herself. Her family was supportive of all her ambitions. Fatima’s father experienced the oppression of the Islamic life. Fatima’s father was also a well-practiced musician who had to give up what he loved most in life. He didn’t want Fatima to experience this oppression in her own life. Supporters of rap in Morocco hate Fatima. A female rapper is extremely unorthodox in a society believing that women don’t have potential. This tells us that even young people in the community can influence change in the nature of pop culture.

               Young Moroccan performers are constantly in a battle with their own society. Moroccan rap, a favorite genre for many Moroccans, especially Moroccan youth, speaks out and protests on social and political issues. The young Moroccan rappers were taking stances to help increase their life styles in with increased use of freedom of speech. These “freedom of speech fighters” are against the force of diplomatic bureaucracy. As they continue with the careers they love, they run into problems with their religion. Hip Hop is growing as a cultural influence on the entire world, so it is only natural that Morocco be influenced as well, but the ominous wall they face is their unshakable form of religion that keeps them from one of the most influential forces in the world. Baggy clothes, slang, and edgy lyrics challenge the roots in which the Islam religion is based upon. Artists of Islamic nature negotiate these competing pressures by making hip-hop into an art that they can worship their god by.

               America helped fund the concert by supporting it as a form of freedom of speech. The reason why this could be problematic is because the Moroccan government and society is mainly influenced by the Islamic religion. When a foreign country starts supporting an act that doesn’t serve the government and society, there will tend to be problems with foreign relationships. America wanted to support Morocco’s attempts to retain their rights to freedom of speech and sexual equality. To the groups involved, this kind of support was welcomed and made for the show to be an utter success, but for the groups of people actively involved in the Islamic culture it was something that highly offended and disgusted them simply by the music people played at this festival. The day of the festival, thousands of people gathered for the hip hop festival and the reaction of the crowd was more than just positive. The fans accepted the fact that hip hop was now a way of life, to be accepted and practiced by the people of Morroco.

               Hip hop has taken a leap from being a form of expression, to a great influential part of society that has spread across the globe. Often people take for granted the power and messages cataloged in music, but when used for change, music can change the views all aspects in which an individual can live.

             

Going to the farmers market Saturday morning with the class was easily one of the most fun things I've done during IFS. Walking around the Bloomington farmers market seemed to be much more lively than the one that I have in my home town. The fact that it had music placed in such a pleasant manor, so they weren't impeding on each others sound. I found several patterns used in the placement of various stations throughout the market. I noticed that at the places like the political stands that there were various sweet food stands where parents or grandparents could get their young children a sugary snack while they get informed on the political situations in Bloomington. I also concluded the farther I went to the back, the less young people there were than in the front of the market so possibly the younger people weren't there for sights but for a single thing and then they left (NOTE: I made these notes after taking three laps around the the farmers market.) The participatory aspects taken place at the Bloomington farmers market were similar to the ones in music. Music, food, and politics come together as a whole to collaborate and support each other. As the public arrives, different people are attracted to different parts of the market. I separated these groups of people up into ages. While they are all at different kiosks and stations, they all collectively come together to do their part as a community and spend money to help support the factions of people they want to support. This in tale supports the rest of the stations surrounding them by attracting more and more people to the area. The Bloomington Farmers market was a great experience and I am sure I will find myself there again soon.

Reel Bad Arabs Review

The documentary Reel Bad Arabs is an in depth look on the portrayal of Arabian people in cinematography. The film provides the viewer with many examples of Arabs being made out as shallow, hateful natured killers with a blood lust for Americans. Arabs are the most maligned group in the history of Hollywood – so says Dr. Jack Shaheen, host of Reel Bad Arabs. These notions have become so accepted in everyday societal queues that they’ve become chronically attached to the stereotypes that come along with Arabian culture.

There are several provocative or controversial moments in the documentary that caught my interests. The first that caught my interest the most is the undeniable fact that the majority of the films shown as examples are some of the most successful films that have ever been released to the public. Starting from when we are young we are introduced to the belief that there is nothing more of the Arabian culture than “the three Bs”- belly dancers, billionaire sheiks, and bombers. Aladdin is one of Disney’s great successes. Set in an Arabic culture, one of the first things you hear is a song by the traveling merchant, he sings, “Oh I come from a land, from a faraway place/ Where the caravan camels roam/ Where they/ cut off your ear/ If they don't like your face/ It's barbaric, but hey, it's home.” That’s one of the first movies I saw when I started comprehending aspects about life, a crucial part in my life, and for one of the first things a person hears about an entire group of people is that they are “barbaric” and for it to be normal enough to call “home” would show why they are criminalized from the start. The second point that grabbed my attention was how cut and paste many of the Arabic characters from Hollywood truly are. The characters are almost carbon copies of each other, all serving the same purpose, all with the same ambitions and goals. It seems that Arabs fall into three separate categories: The Muslim main villain screaming praise Allah, the comic relief billionaire lusting after women, or the erotic belly dancers provided as a visual stimulant. For example, the movie Black Sunday, released in 1977, concerns an Arab terrorist plot to bomb a stadium during the Super Bowl. Where the plots change from movie to movie, the same character motivation holds true. Back to the Future, eight years after Black Sunday in 1985 went so far as to name a specific country, referring to antagonists in the film as "Libyan nationalists.” Both set of characters have different goals to accomplish with violence, but the reoccurring tool for these villains is violence.

               The American film society approaches the subject of Arabian subjugation in such a supercilious manner. The reasoning behind the cavalier attitude of film producers is because of history and the media. History has shown that some of the most defining moments in American culture have occurred when we were either threatened or attacked by the Arabians. The media then replays these events continuously which give an American citizen the reason to believe that Arabians are “barbaric” and violent. Americans see moments in time where a group of people have threatened them and that makes us susceptible to believe that they are guilelessly terrorists. This collective belief makes it easy for filmmakers to make a universally known villain with little to no effort on their end.  This representation of Arabians is culturally insensitive and when something that requires little to no thought is what gets shown across the nation, all it does is spread the negative notion  that the Arabs evil. On a universal frame, all this does is make America’s foreign relations worsen.

               Reel Bad Arabs showed many films both displaying positive and negative stereotypes of the Arabian culture. I knew a total of three movies that were displayed and they all showed Arabians in a negative light. These movies weren’t my favorite so that made me wonder whether or not the message of Arabs being evil got across to me. The three I saw were Back to the Future, True Lies, and Rules of Engagement. Back to the Future was my favorite of the three, but when I saw it on the list of the movies, I was surprised. I had no idea that “Libyan Nationalists” were a part of the Arabian culture. It honestly wasn’t a thought in my mind, which may mean it has become such a normal thing in my mind and in my life. Same holds true for the other two films, no direct distinction between an Arabian and a bad guy. As an eighteen year old, I witnessed the attacks on the World Trade Center as a second grader, eight years old with not a real understanding of the serious loss our country had endured. But immediately after I heard what had happened, I then heard who did it, and to the masses it seemed as though it wasn’t a surprise. We had grown up with Arabians as the enemy on television, so why would it be any different when we see it as an actual occurrence through the same media outlet as the one that I watched my movies that were already full of Arabian evils. My reaction to the stereotypes of the Arab culture has absolutely changed from the way I looked at them as a youth. I feel watching a documentary like Reel Bad Arabs makes you realize the wrongs happening right in front of you.

               Media has a substantial influence on how we think and how we feel about several different facets of both American and universal values. We must be aware of ideas fueled by apprehension so that we can combat those views with understanding that some indexical relationships are meant to be challenged and sometimes changed so that we can improve relations with the people who we wrongly accuse of threats on our safety. The result of these changes could lead into a society that accepts not only the Arabian culture as a welcome way of living, but all other ways of living as well.

Music and Politics

The attacks on the United States on September 11^th, 2001 at the World Trade Center were a moment of weakness and fear with a response of patriotism; American citizens were in the position in which they must take a stance for who to support, but the decision couldn’t be their own, it had to be in the best interest of the country and if they denied this way of living they would be declared treasonous and were systematically outcast from society. Following the attacks and the declaration of the “War on Terror,” lead singer of the Dixie Chicks, Natalie Maines, exercised this notion of “treason” with a comment expressing her disapproval with the declaration of war and was ashamed to have President Bush from Texas. After Natalie said this, the group was thrown into a political warfare unknowingly and was constantly attacked with accusations of being a treasonous group and experienced dismissal by the groups of people that they were formally accepted and welcomed by, the country population.

               As a result of being entered into a battle the Dixie Chicks had no intention of starting, they experienced the indication of the contemporary political issues going on in their time, being that they had already existed long before Natalie’s comment. During this time in which terror had struck America, political messages in music were interpreted as the real thing, and were determined “true” and were unquestionable. Revenge and patriotism were in the hearts of the Americans and they were ready to support in the time of war. When this concept wasn’t followed by the Dixie Chicks, this caused mass confusion and feelings of betrayal. The group, primarily Natalie, insisted her political believes were her own and that she was merely a performer making conversation with her fans. The war on terror was a sensitive subject and was not viewed as a time by the American people as a time to be bashing their commander and chief. The caliber of criticism on the Dixie Chicks was National and didn’t blow over in a couple of days. Radio stations were threatened on being boycotted by people across America if they continued playing songs by the group days after the comment was made. Radio station after radio station dropped the Dixie Chicks from their playlists and as their fame fell; their infamy began to billow underneath them. The Dixie Chicks were being silenced for expressing their own personal political beliefs. The problem behind that is that the Dixie Chicks rights were being infringed upon. It wasn’t their music which caused such uproar, but it was what they believed outside the frame of music. Three years after, Kanye West was providing a service on national television for the hurricane Katrina relief organizations when he made his infamous blast on George Bush, “George Bush doesn’t care about black people,” A comment arguably even more offensive towards America’s leader. Though the world was shocked at Kanye’s claim, it was quickly swept under the rug and was laughed at by the public. Why can something so serious be a joke and the joke by taken so seriously?

               There are several things to take away from a story like the Dixie Chicks’. An event like the September 11^th attacks perpetuated the fact that when stricken by fear and patriotism, the American people will defend what they know, and what they thought they knew was their government had their best interest in mind. The lesson to learn from the “Shut Up and Sing” documentary is that music is used by several organizations as a tool to convey an important message. During the times of the war on terror, our government and people would use songs with revengeful tones as a way to acquire approval for war.  In the most recent Presidential campaigns run by John Mccain and Barrack Obama, the music played was indicative of the kind of message each party wanted to get across. John played songs such as “Born in the USA” by Bruce Springsteen to set a tone of pride for being a United States citizen.  John’s campaign runners were either unaware or unconcerned of the true nature of the song. Springsteen actually requested that Mccain take the song off of the playlist because it wasn’t about American pride, but it was a song following the Vietnam War about the injustice the American soldiers were given because there were no jobs to be filled up, so soldiers were left on the streets. Barrack used music as a way to identify himself with the American people.  Bettye LaVette and Jon Bon Jovi performed "A Change is Gonna Come" by Sam Cook. Performances like this happened all through Barrack Obamas Inaguration, and was meant to show unity and togetherness by performers who normally wouldn’t be performing together. If music is used by such influential people to convey a message of their own, then music doing the opposite can cause turmoil on a career such as Natalie Maines and the Dixie Chicks. When they worked against the voice of “truth,” their careers suffered and they had nothing to do but pick up the pieces and begin to rebuild.

               Music is often taken for granted when looking into its’ influence on societal and political aspects. With repetition, music can shape the way we think and feel and can be the determination on what is true and what is not. The Dixie Chicks’ story illuminated the history and provided an example of contemporary music combating the political range. Taking these lessons into account and learning the effects of music on the world is crucial towards understanding the way our world works as a whole.