http://www.jbennettmusic.net/index.htmlBennett's Aesthetic Momentsenjbennettmusic@gmail.comCopyright 2009 Jason Bennett2010-03-26T15:57:20+08:00 hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 Sun, 23 Aug 2009 19:23:17 +0800jbennettmusic@gmail.comTravel2010-03-26T15:57:20+08:00http://www.jbennettmusic.net/BAM/BAM.php#unique-entry-id-10http://www.jbennettmusic.net/BAM/BAM.php#unique-entry-id-10Child Air. This is the name of the airline that I will establish soon. As you might guess, this airline is only for traveling children. No longer will children be allowed to fly with the adult population; their parents must purchase the little sweeties a ticket on Child Air. I'm still working out the logistics in my head, but where there's a will, there's a way!

I was thinking of this while boarding a flight from Hong Kong to Manila for an education conference. Across the aisle from me was a restless two year old boy. He was pulling the typical moves a child of his age would pull on an airplane--crying, trying to escape from his mother, drooling, etc. It was a two hour flight that I knew was going to seem much longer. I really don't blame the kid. Even adults don't like sitting still in a crammed airplane for two hours. He just wanted to walk around and explore the airplane.

About an hour into the flight, just as this boy's mother had no more tricks up her sleeve to quiet the child, and just as I was thinking about producing a makeshift parachute to escape, something wonderful happened........the mother started quietly singing the alphabet song. The boy quickly got quiet and and remained still. It was a great moment, that is, until the song ended. Oh NO!!!!!!! What next? Isn't it obvious? The wheels on the bus go round and round............ I felt like joining in on the song!

This came as I was flying to Manila to present a workshop on integrating music into the school community. It was a nice example of how music impacts all of us in different ways. Music can tame even the wildest two year old beasts. ]]>jbennettmusic@gmail.comConcerts2010-01-17T21:30:52+08:00http://www.jbennettmusic.net/BAM/BAM.php#unique-entry-id-9http://www.jbennettmusic.net/BAM/BAM.php#unique-entry-id-9Green Day concert last night at the Asia World Arena in Hong Kong. I know of the band and am familiar with a few of their songs, but do not follow them religiously. I ordered the tickets early and looked forward to experiencing the sights and sounds of a live rock concert. I sat stage left and had a side view of the band.

At times I experienced a sensory overload: loud and fast music, flashing lights, pyrotechnics, cheering crowd, clapping and waving, jumping. This is to be expected, of course. Looking out at the crowd and watching everyone dance looked "really cool." Looking at people dancing individually was another story. Let's just say that there were very few people eligible for the show "So You Think You Can Dance." I am definitely included in that group. The band did a great job of getting the audience to participate through call and response singing, clapping on the beat, and chanting "Hey" on the offbeats.

I wore ear plugs throughout the entire concert. It really allowed me to hear the instruments and voice clearly without the reverb from the venue. The band played well, but everything was in a 4 beat pattern. The band finally played in a 3 pattern for about 45 seconds at the end of the show. It was refreshing for the music teacher in me to hear something other than 4. The band used the typical show format of starting with new music and ending with some of their classic songs.

For a few moment during the concert, I looked out at the crowd enjoying the music and thought about how interesting it is to be living in this moment in human history with the advancements and technology in our grasp. Despite our busy and hectic lives, music can still bring thousands of people together for a common purpose. It's a beautiful thing.]]>jbennettmusic@gmail.comAIS2009-11-22T22:43:41+08:00http://www.jbennettmusic.net/BAM/files/2009#unique-entry-id-8http://www.jbennettmusic.net/BAM/files/2009#unique-entry-id-8
On my way home, I realized that it was actually a good thing that we had so many performances and so many students eager to perform for others. BAM! It is a sign that the cultural and artistic heartbeat of the school is going strong. So, while it was a long, cold, windy day, I am glad that so many people were able to add to the cultural life of our school.]]>jbennettmusic@gmail.comTravel2009-10-07T22:20:53+08:00http://www.jbennettmusic.net/BAM/files/2009#unique-entry-id-7http://www.jbennettmusic.net/BAM/files/2009#unique-entry-id-7
I guess what really drives me nuts is the fact that I tend to get the ringtone stuck in my head. On my way home today, I stopped by a 7-11 to get some water and out bursts a cell phone version of Disney's "It's A Small World." The moment I heard it I knew that I was in for a few hours of this happy tune running through my head......and I was right! Ahhhhhhhh!

BAM! It's time to start an anti-ringtone campaign......"It's A Small World; get your phone vibrating." OK, you come up with a better slogan:)

]]>jbennettmusic@gmail.comConcerts2009-09-20T21:13:22+08:00http://www.jbennettmusic.net/BAM/files/2009#unique-entry-id-6http://www.jbennettmusic.net/BAM/files/2009#unique-entry-id-6BAM! The ending is especially brilliant and continues to send chills up my spine. Do yourself a favor and check out this piece. Enough said.]]>jbennettmusic@gmail.comConcerts2009-09-19T07:08:26+08:00http://www.jbennettmusic.net/BAM/files/2009#unique-entry-id-5http://www.jbennettmusic.net/BAM/files/2009#unique-entry-id-5
The concert opened in a spectacular fashion. Young students from local primary schools performed a mass drum piece. There were about 60 drummers on stage. I was impressed with the amount of communication going on in order to keep the large group together. I was also impressed with the energy given off by the students (approximately 7-17 years old) as they played complex rhythms and single stroke rolls. BAM! It reminded me of the potential of young people and the vast amounts of knowledge and skills their young brains can process. Despite all of the bad news we tend to hear about "young people these days," the performers really brought some good back into this world through their music.]]>jbennettmusic@gmail.comTravel2009-09-16T21:09:18+08:00http://www.jbennettmusic.net/BAM/files/2009#unique-entry-id-4http://www.jbennettmusic.net/BAM/files/2009#unique-entry-id-4Fur Elise. I've heard this tune before in the MTR along with some of Bach's Cello Suites. I finally asked myself why these classical pieces are being played in the MTR. BAM! I wonder if there is a conscious effort to play this music because it can have a calming effect, therefore calming the people's emotions as they struggle to navigate their way through the busy station. Instead of a dose of high art, could it all be a mind game to help control the masses? What do you think? ]]>jbennettmusic@gmail.comEar Training2009-09-05T08:28:01+08:00http://www.jbennettmusic.net/BAM/files/2009#unique-entry-id-2http://www.jbennettmusic.net/BAM/files/2009#unique-entry-id-2
There are so many sounds in Hong Kong. The atmosphere lends itself well to ear training practice on the go. The elevator (or lift) in my building makes bell sounds when it arrives on your floor, as most do. I decided to finally analyze the four sounds it makes and BAM! determined that it was playing so, do, re, me. This was a relatively easy example, but I felt pretty good after figuring this out. Going up? ]]>jbennettmusic@gmail.comAIS2009-08-28T16:48:24+08:00http://www.jbennettmusic.net/BAM/files/2009#unique-entry-id-1http://www.jbennettmusic.net/BAM/files/2009#unique-entry-id-1
I really enjoy watching the students work on this project because I rarely see students work so diligently. It gives the students a chance to learn without knowing it and allows for some very creative ideas to take shape. BAM! They look as if they are deeply engaged in the assignment; nothing else matters at that moment. It's a great feeling to be able to create a project that accomplishes my teaching objectives and also engages the students creative minds at the same time!

The project is due next week. I'm looking forward to the final results. Who knows what I'll say?

Update: Check out a few examples on my YouTube page.]]>jbennettmusic@gmail.comLanguage2009-08-23T19:55:12+08:00http://www.jbennettmusic.net/BAM/files/2009#unique-entry-id-0http://www.jbennettmusic.net/BAM/files/2009#unique-entry-id-0
One of the first phrases we learned was "Lay ho ma^" (How are you?). It was explained to me that "ma" is an expressive word that has no meaning, but is placed at the end of some phrases. When saying the entire phrase, the pitch direction of "ma" should go up. After listening to and repeating the teacher, it occurred to me that these three syllables sound like the first three pitches of the song "Dona Nobis Pacem" (Grant us Peace). BAM! When I was able to relate this new phrase to a melody I was already familiar with, I felt connected to the inherent musicality of the Cantonese language. I knew that Cantonese was very melodic, but this was the first time I experienced it through my own voice.

As I practice throughout the week and attend classes every Sunday through December, I hope to more closely experience the musicality and beauty of the Cantonese language. ]]>