Being an engaged global citizen

I have been thinking about how to decelerate or stop the storm of Globalization; is anybody can be out the range of global citizenship. The answer is suspended. It is like a storm or hurricane, sweeping every thing it passes by and converting them into a similar pattern. It’s pathetic to see that western countries give third world countries brainwash, replace their original culture and values with western ones and spread the idea of capitalism to all over the world. The variety of culture is threatened and the whole world tends to have same thoughts. With identity of global citizenship becoming increasingly noticeable, people’s identity of their own culture is somehow blurred. However, no one can be an outsider of the storm for globalization is strengthening connections among people, making us a chain. Every one can make a little difference with his or her deed no matter whether people notice or not. Even though we say that we don’t care about globalization, we all have lived under the influence of the trend.

On the international stage, developed western countries are usually the initiative side, playing the roles of subverter to assimilate others’ values into a mainstream that is accordant with them; they are the dominators of new international orders; they are the deciders of whether or not give developing countries a hand and help them out in aspect of technology, education and economy. For these powerful citizens in the world, they are supposed to support the civilization improvement and general development of backward ones; they should contribute to the harmony of world instead of making use of the irresistible of strength of globalization. As for developing countries, in order to be adaptive to the universal climate, except for being passive they should actively dedicate to absorbing the essence from other countries and insist on their core of culture while combining and balancing the exterior and domestic senses of worth.

To understand a cultural cohort or formation requires the macro-view about how culture roots into arts and nurtures every aspect of life. By art works, I mean the one that originates from the local place by local people rather than works produced by outsider, like Hollywood movies. Actually I prefer to refer to both inside and outside materials to study a kind of culture. Because each art work contains certain purpose and emotion, if see it solely from one side, the conclusion we arrive from study might not be objective. There are plenty of resources we can refer to. Take music as an example, we all acknowledge that music is a way to interpret thoughts and feelings and identify a group. The context in music, the style music is performed, the way music communicates and relates with people, can all articulate spirits, traditions, values and needs of the group. I used to consider music as a universal language for it is equal and can be shared among all the places in the world. However, now I would rather to see music as a magnet; on one hand, it attracts and brings people who hold the same faith together, making them a community and giving them a sense of belonging; on the other hand, music as a cultural interpreter can exclude voices and ideas that are not compatible with its own cohort. That is how various music style form and conflict with each other. Music can function as coherence as well as block, it all depends on how it is used and understood.

We have multiple roles every day and switch our roles any time any place, spontaneously. To be a qualified global citizen, we have a lot effort to pay. First of all, be open-minded and respectful to different culture. There is no best and worst culture and ethnics in the world, only diverse. I came to a foreign country with a little knowledge about it. Deep inside my heart is my strong attachment to my homeland and our national convention and my worry about the inability to fit in this new environment. Thanks to my nice and dear classmates and professors here, I don’t feel alienated because of my race and culture. At least, I survive so far. I have no doubt that we are all good global citizens on this point. Secondly, never see things from one side. We live in a information explosion era, we receive a great amount of news every day. Sometimes it’s more or less demanding to be critical about what we hear and see from medium. However, if we don’t spare an effort on that, we may misread many culture and issues based on a sole or exparte channel to gain the pictures of world we are not familiar with. What’s more, appreciate our present life and everything we own now for the sake of a more satisfying and pleasing life. We complain a lot about unfairness and setbacks we meet, we desire more when we are satisfied a little, we focus on what we have lost and what we don’t own, missing many beautiful moments and details around us. Compared with people in poor or third world countries, or those who are suffering from war, fights and prejudice, we are much more fortunate, we are blessed. While I am sitting in front of my computer and writing down my immature opinions about the world without worrying about what to eat and wear, there are millions of peers are in starving and poverty, unable to imagine what in store for them in the next minute, not to mention wondering what future will be like. We are far more lucky.

Taking the course of Music Identity and Global Citizenship enables to think extensively and comprehensively about music, people, culture and political issues around me. The course has successfully exceeded the range of music to sociology and anthropology, making me more aware about my identity of being a fair global citizenship.  

Irish music

The first time I got in touch with Irish music was from movie The Lord of Rings. There are several Irish style soundtracks in it when characters approached some mysterious forests or step in a wonderland, which makes me relate Irish music to mystery and archaism since then. When it comes to mystery, it must have something to do with history and tradition. Indeed, Irish music is a branch of Celtic music which has more than a thousand-year history and function as a bond of Irish, Scottish, Cornish and Welsh.

The living Irish music of yesterday was awesome. It was a small band that never has fixed players and playing places while there were seven musicians yesterday, each of them was in charge of different instrument and role during the performance. Usually, the Irish music is accomplished by these typical instruments—flute and whistle, uilleann pipes, accordion, concertina, banjo, guitar, bodhrán, harp and so on. When I first came into the Runcible Spoon, I can hardly tell which part of attendance were musicians which part was not. There was no stage and all the musicians dressed casually, some people sat around them were listening and watching, some were nodding and singing along, making it no distinction or boundary between performers and audience. The only mark to tell the musicians from others was the instruments in their hands and songs in their mouth. Then whole atmosphere was neither as intensive as a personal concert nor as prime or serious as symphony concert. We could chat with them while they took a break after each song. Every one around is relaxed and feels free to enjoy the music

The way they played songs was interesting. One of them started a song and others tried following the rhythm and tune. If they all can play it they will have an ensemble, if some of them can’t play, they just drop it and change another songs. It makes every performer easy to follow and devote into music, as well as audience. They played three or four songs, which all sounded similar, and each song repeated a main and simple tune so that it was effortless to play. It is exactly the purpose of participatory music: no restriction or limitation on the way music performed, on musicians’ perfection of performance and audience’s involvement; participatory encourages full participation and interaction. People joined the music by swaying their body with music, clapping for them.  

Musicians gave us different answers about why played the Irish music there. Some were for free drinks, some were for sparing time, but no matter what there is a common motivation makes them be together, that is their love for Irish music and their needs to feel sense of belonging through the bonds of music.      

When I listen to Irish music, I always feel a sense of sorrow. Actually, Ireland used to be a lean and necessitous land both on natural resource and economics; it also groaned under political restraints. That’s why their music contains a sort of vagrom and blue elements.   

You pick music which fulfils your needs.

Punk, as an underground music in the world, usually serves as an index of rejecting association with majority, rebellious thoughts or behaviors of youths, distinctive styles of clothing and adornments, as well as a variety of anti-authoritarian ideologies. When it comes to music, Punk will be the least kind of music I would like to listen. In my and other peers’ stereotype, punk is a low-class and negative type of music for its furious and loud rhythms, crass and discourteous lyrics and punk musicians’ exaggerated and obtrusive clothing or dressing. However, I didn’t realize it until today that: Everything exists for reasons, music included. The distinction between Punk and classical music is that there is no hierarchy or individuality for Punk. It’s accessible and easy to compose and understand for any ordinary people and it doesn’t matter what class you belong to.

Punk can be a representative of participatory music. The singers and audience all scream and shout and do crazy dance together. There’s no clear and insuperable boundary between performers and audience. The punk concert is like a sweaty-melting pot that brings and holds everybody there into it. Today’s movie completely blew my mind and changed my opinion about Punk. In terms of punk’s offensive songs and noticeable clothes, I interpret it as a will to have freedom and release themselves from religious and social restrains; to ask for more attention and care from outsides; to find an identity, which differs from high classes, to define them and fit in; but I prefer to say that it is this kind of will that shapes their identity.        

I used to treat punk as a superficial and non-mainstream music but I was wrong because punk music does contain thoughts in it. The majority of Punks are underdogs all suffering from miserable life and they put their hopes, feelings and thoughts into it. I was surprised that the Brazil girl even saw punk as a protest against Capitalism and Globalization. That’s a function that I would never expect from Punk. What the Punk do is to seek for a refuge where they can get rid of troubles from life, liberate souls and do whatever they really want to do. Punk is exactly the refuge. Punk may be depraved for people who know little about it like me; it may also be a silver lining for people like Dolly. He was poor and undertook a plenty of responsibilities. Only Punk can turn him from a lamentable and mopey guy into a relaxed youngster. Owing to his passion for punk and the Pig Band, he worked hard to make money and get their records; he enjoyed making patches for his punk idols. These were kind of a fuel and stimulation in life to push him forward. Not only Punk itself, but also people’s enthusiasm to it, has become a hope of those who appreciate it.

I really love the notion professor said today that “You pick the music that fulfill your needs.” It gave me a lot to think about. Indeed, every one has needs and can be or need to be fulfilled by certain ways. I surprised to admit that music does meet my needs while I never noticed this point before. When I am happy and have things to do with willingness, I hardly feel like listening to music, except for dancing. Because I am alright, I don’t need “remedy” at all. When I feel down, to control my moods I usually turn on my players and drown myself into a secure world: music! Soft music is my first option to listen while I am studying or working for it makes me feel calm and attentive to keep on studying; what I need is an undisturbed state. I will play hip-hop loud to excite myself if I am working out. Even though it’s a quite simple way to explain the notion I am still glad to find that there are always examples to demonstrate this word. One thing interesting is that learning about one’s taste and option in music will help you learnt the person more. I was thinking about all the music I usually listen to and find out that they mostly give me positive pictures of life and make me feel safe, calm and confident. For Dolly, Punk offers him a space to be himself, to be rebellious and be able to complain about the unfairness and injustice in the world. Every one has struggling times and things they are fighting for; we are all under a certain level of tolerance, try to live up with these sufferance and, ultimately, either compromise or accept it. What I have in common with people in the movie is that we all count on music as a sort of self liberation.

Globalization brings people closer and makes us more connected but it also makes the rich and the poor two extremes in the world. Resources and labors in developing countries are exploited by developed countries with low cost, and products are sold back to these developing areas with high prices. That’s how the gap between the First World and the Third World grows larger. Although I don't regard the trends of globalization as a postive tendency, I can't deny that I am under the influence of globalization and can't get rid off it. Food I eat, clothes I wear, music I listen and movie I watch, are all the international products of globalization.


Punk has been a cultural sign other than a type of music. It belongs with an important group of people that are living an undesirable life. Based on the Cannikin Law,  how much water a bucket can contain is determined by the shortest board rather than the tallest board. Likewise, it is those people who live in the bottom of the world or society determines how far can human civilization go.

              

Hip-Hop in Morocco

Hip hop music originated within early-1970s block parties in New York City, specifically African American and Hispanic sections of the Bronx, as an alternative to ethnic gangs that proliferated during that era. Since Hip hop came into being, it has been a pronoun of underdogs. It usually rises in areas that are undesirable and backward and people like to sing it to complain about their dissatisfactions about life so hip hops are somehow related to negative sides. It is understandable that hip hop is a new contemporary music in Morocco and is hard to be accepted in a short time by a conservative and not open-minded country like Morocco.

A hip hop player named Othamma in the documentary said that they were forbidden a lot and never allowed to use four-letters words in songs and American hip hop can have words like that why they cannot have the right to write those songs. Cursing in songs and speaking them out make him feel great. Actually swearwords are part of the nature of hip hop for they serve as a tool to vent people’s angers and resentments to society; they are also denotations that people can say what they want. When Morocco rappers are excited about using bad words in music, it shows they actually want to express their opinions without restriction. The etymology of Islam is voluntary submission to god; so people faithfully demonstrate their submission by worshipping and following god’s commands and reject any other polytheism. Polygyny is permitted and women are regarded inferior to men and are less capable than men in any field. The rapper, Fati, proved that girls can do whatever boys can do. She kept her faith in Islam, got good grades at school and devoted a lot in hip hop, being a good rapper. She blew people’s mind about what a girl can achieve in Morocco. In the concert she put up with audiences’ yelling and distain before her performance. It is really tough for a girl to face with it. Even though the social circumstance was not favorable,

fortunately, her parents backed her up without hesitation for her father dreamed about being a singer in his childhood but the dream was terminated by his parents, so he understood how wrong to deprive kids’ dreams.

Although there are dissents and resistance towards Morocco hip hop, these hip hop artists stick with what they believe is right and valuable. People are uncomfortable with it because hip hop is kind of challenging their traditional view about the meaning of music and their religious expectation. Any new area needs pioneers to make the majority accept it and that’s exactly what these rappers are up to. Spreading hip hop doesn’t mean denying or discarding one’s own culture and faith, instead, Morocco hip hop embeds youth’s animosity against terrorists and their willingness to make changes or progress to a better future. They combined American hip hop style with Morocco elements into songs, which makes their culture multiple and fresh and adjust to the trends of globalization. They don’t fight back when people disapprove them; they just insist on music and let their songs talk. This is the nature of Morocco hip hop.

Nowadays, the tendency of globalization has become irresistible and overwhelming. Morocco youth set America as a model and reference to measure their level of civilization and democracy. That’s why they compare their hip hop with American’s and consider American ones as standard to progress their own music. However, this kind of deed tends to enrage and dismay the dominators and the popes, which may trigger potential fights or wars. Besides, on the one hand, Americans will be happy for their culture and values are spread around the world; on the other hand, spare funds on Morocco may be regarded as unnecessary by American tax payers.

Anyway, believe it or not, in an era of globalization, although connections among different nations and races can be enhanced, the variety of cultures will be threatened for as much as there must be some mighty countries use their cultures to impact on or even take the place of other countries culture, during which wars and fights are unavoidable. Is globalization a good sign or terrible sign? The question needs considering.

Review on the Reel Bad Arabs

Based on these days’ study and exploration I realize that many medium have incredible effects on social and culture formation. When we listen to music or watch films, we usually simply treat it as an entertainment so we tend to be more relaxed and less alert about the contexts of music and movies and accept these contexts. Art sources are mainly abstracted from life while beyond life. Most people blindly put their faith in what they see without questioning and that is a problem.

I remember a scenario in the Reel Bad Arab that when a whole family is having dinner around table, a middle-east woman rushes and started shooting at every one in the room even kids. Women are expected to be gentle, bright, intelligent and kind, especially the Arab women. They are born in a conventional and conservative environment. Even women can commit attack and bombs; it’s not hard to imagine how cruel and barbaric the nation is. Another plot is that an Arab is trying to sexually assault a woman. As a female, this deed infuriates me most and evokes my antagonism towards to these flagitious men. From these plots we can tell, movie producers are intended to portray that Arabs are brutal, bestial and inhuman.

I have never seen any of these films before but when I watched those plots today, I was actually kind of accepting the substance as a fact that Arabs or middle-east people are violent without doubting about it. When I am in China, we hardly see domestic movies with materials like terrorists from middle-east so I acquiesce most of the messages from American movies. It makes me realize that we admit what we see and hear are mostly true. It is dangerous because we believe something unreal that some people expect to us to believe and Hollywood movies have been impacted on both domestic and foreign countries, making people trust on the context being delivered.     

The reasons why American film industry is so cavalier with its portrayals of Arabs are sophisticated. Firstly, after the World War 2, western countries were scrambling for abundant oil and mineral resources from middle-east countries and there were several conflicts among these countries. I believe the relationship between America and Arab exacerbated since then, which rooted the hatred into both countries. Secondly, Arab is a riotous and disruptive country. America would like to show its prosperity and high level of civilization by representing Arab as a desolated and undeveloped country to make a sharp contrast. Actually I have a question here: Arabs and America are generally acknowledged as allies on international stage, why does Hollywood vilify its’ ally? When Arabs see these movies that present them as dehumanized, why do they feel like fine with it? Moreover, most of Hollywood movies aim at spreading the thought that they are the best and the strongest in the world and they represent heroism and justice. To shape such a figure, stories need negative characteristics to be a comparison.

These films can lead to some serious problems. Our philosophy and perspective towards the world are more or less shaped or influenced by a group of people, especially as for things we have never experienced by ourselves, which means our points of view can be wrong and lopsided. The small group of people can be politicians, national leaders, financers, economists or militarist and they spread their ideas by education, medium, speech and so on. For example, all the Chinese steadily hold that Taiwan and Tibet are part of our land for the education we get, the history we learn and the medium we receive all point at this fact. However, I know a lot of Americans are taught by their teachers and told by their governments that Tibet is an independent country. Besides, with extent of the films Americans will feel that they are already the most powerful in the world and may be too proud to keep on technology development and social consummation. What’s more, this kind of films reinforce the prejudice against middle-east area can contribute to an unstable or unharmonious relationships between nations and potential fights.

Generally, instead of accepting information passively, we should be aware of the medium repetition and redundancy around us and try to use critical thinking to see daily issues. There are plenty of powers are changing and building our thoughts like music and movies while we may not realize.     

               

How does music discourse terrorism

According to dictionary, terrorism refers to those violent acts which are intended to create fear and terror, are perpetrated for a religious, political or ideological goal, and deliberately target or disregard the safety of non-combatants. People are used to thinking that terrorist usually characterizes those who initiate a war or attack on others and the defenders have nothing to do with terrorism even though they take actions on fighting back or seeking revenge. While the truth is whoever provokes a battle and causes damages and traumas on others, physically and mentally, can be regarded as terrorism.

I grow up in a circumstance that wars and terrorism hardly ever happen and I have never experienced any war personally. I watched many documentaries, movies and photos, showing that how battles devastated the nature, people’s flesh and soul, as well as the humanity. The MTV of Terrorist from Lowkey is extremely depressing but perfectly interprets my feeling. “Tell me what’s the bigger threat to human society…Remote controlled drones, killing off human lives or man with homemade bonds committing suicide…I know you were terrified when you see the towers fall. It’s all terror but some forms are more powerful.” There are always methods to solve problems in the world, why would people have to declare wars? Religious conflicts and energy pillage cannot be worked out by   

continuous wars. However, even though I strongly dissent wars, I completely understand how the majority of Americans reacted to the attack. I am a patriotic and a bit of cynical, I will definitely join to army and fight in the front for my country if it is necessary, but hopefully not. If a country is offended, as a nation it has to fight back with certain means. No reaction means the country is coward or not competitive to fight against enemies and war is the most direct and powerful way to show the competency; because the military capability embodies the level of science and technology, education and financial ability of a country. Therefore, a war as an revenge is actually inevitable. To be realistic, what can people really do is just not provoke an attack or war so that the unavoidable future wars will be saved and further terrors.

In America musical culture, rock music is used a lot in military as psychological strategy, which makes sense for rock music rouses people with its stunning tune and sounds to stimulate mans’ adrenal hormone secretion. After the 9/11, country music played a significant role of contemporary music for it adjusted to a new political reality. These music are not only related to rebellion, defiance and protest but also serve for mourning, healing and patriotism. Take the songs we heard today as examples, based on the fact that country music has been coded as conservative and patriotic, it makes sense to see that country music is more likely to contain lyrics that support wars. I am so impressed by the songs we heard today, because I felt that there is call from the music to push me go for the war even if I don’t, like the Have You Forgot. The song reminds me of a word that “people who forget the past cannot be condemned”, namely, to memorize the humiliating moment of history we have to fight for it. Compared with speech or statement, country music makes people subjectively accept the information it delivers, based on their impulsive patriotism, previous impression and preference on it.

Generally, music has been used as an unconscious catalyst in political and social movements. As far as I am concerned, potential effect of music is worthy to be measured and studied for the sake of a harmonious world and durable culture.  

Review of the Shut Up and Sing!

Music is nothing beyond itself. Some people consider it as an entertainment; however, in terms of political and social influence the power of music should be taken into account.

Music is bound to cultural, spiritual and political life of human beings. People have realized the dramatic impact of music to some extent. The Nazi case illustrates that the power that music has for creating positive community relationships can be used to villainous. Under the influence of Hitler, the art of propaganda among the masses were mastered. The idea of using nonverbal signs, expressive cultural practices and rituals to bind people to a certain state has been around for a long time. Because direct commands and symbolic propositions are likely to be found false for they usually call for analytical state of mind and lead to an opposite point of view. As for music, it can imperceptible has effect on people’s mind with an unconscious approach.

In this case, a rave of Natalie Maines aroused the fierce reaction, strict critiques and boycott, which means Dixie Chicks are not only musicians but also public figures that have to pay attention to the bottom line of their freedom of speech. It happens at the very moment that America was attacked by terrorism and the patriotism and cohesion of the whole country were turned into hatred towards terrorists and  angers to seek revenge. If the joke appeared at another period of time, it perhaps would not be excoriated so hard. It was just unwise to criticize the President during a sensitive period of military engagement. As for the boycott, I would rather see it as a proof that people are overwhelmed by music’s influential role in politics rather than an intense response to the Dixie Chicks. One thing the U.S politicians do successfully is portray country music as patriotic music; incompatible voices are unpatriotic and they root this idea into people’s minds. Hegemony is achieved by eliminating music and opinions that are not accordant with current politics.

What determines the trends of music? I believe it is business and politics. Economic profits stimulate musicians to meet audience’s needs. Besides, in order to earn more profits, media cooperation has to dig out stunning selling points and hits to gain more attention. Unluckily, the Dixie Chicks became the target owing to their political views at that very time. In this case,  censorship of freedom of speech is involved and is implemented by medium and cooperation that people give the consent to resist the Dixie Chicks.

The reason why Natalie Maines was ashamed that President Bush was from Texas was she felt the president was ignoring the opinion of many in the U.S and alienating the rest of the world when he claimed a war on Iraq. Their comments were made in frustration and obviously their privilege of being an American to exercise free speech was not reserved. Those who support the idea of “shut up and sing” are trying to separate music from its mission to express feelings, telling stories and recording history. As a musician, if I am intimidated to stop singing what I really what to say, I would rather just shut up and never sing.