Global Citizenship

            In a society where discrimination is so prevalent, the responsibility to become an individual global citizen becomes much more essential. As Thomas Turino alludes to in his text, very rarely does one individual make a macro change in a global sense single handedly; however, it is through combined action that these macro changes are possible. Taking the time to understand different lifestyles encourages cultural acceptance and cultural growth.

 Different types of music have very different impacts on society. Studio-art music, high-fidelity music, and presentational music all share the same ultimate goal of personal gain through the acquirement of money. These capitalistic forms of music are based on the individual and do not promote intimacy. From these types of music, it can often be assumed that these countries are more developed. In order to listen to high-fidelity music, a machine is needed to play the recording of the song. Some of these machines like mp3 players and iPods can be expensive, so a society dominated by high-fidelity music can be assumed to be a society of greater wealth. On the other side of the spectrum, participatory music has the means of globalizing and synthesizing cultures from all around the world. Its primary message of preaching togetherness and solidarity cries out for a globalized world without divisions of race, nationality, or religion setting each other apart. Participatory music is often associated with less developed countries that have less money due to their lack of capital. That being said, I really doubt that they would change their culture if they did have the resources to purchase an mp3 player. There is so much that can be learned from understanding a particular society’s music. Although there are many different types of music throughout the world, every culture values and can relate to some form of music. In fact, some cultures put music and dance extremely high on their priority list of priceless realms of life. Societal values can easily be learned based on the music of a certain region. Lyrics in high-fidelity songs can often give a good understanding of what some cultures value. For instance, many people in the United States value friendship/family, love and spirituality. Based on participatory environments, we can often learn their values of solidarity in a local and global sense. Music influences society by providing entertainment and a way of life for millions of people. Small communities benefit economically from music performances near their town. Larger cities draw in larger crowds who spend their money at local restaurants and local hotels, which provide communities with more financial stability. Music gets people who share similar interest and taste in music to think alike. Its influence on society is honestly immeasurably great; the list could go on and on. Although it is highly unlikely, a transformation of millions of social cohorts to a much fewer social formations is the beginning to a more globalized world. The participatory framework can alleviate large-scale problems through small communities. Turino asserts, “For me, good music making or dancing is a realization of ideal – Possible - human relationships where the identification with others is so direct and so intense that we feel, for those best moments, as if our selves had merged.” I really do believe that this assertion is true in regard to music and its influence on society. People start to think together when they music together.

In order to be a global citizen one must be cognizant of where they stand with the rest of the world while being open-minded and inquisitive to cultural difference. Being an effective global citizen could involve a lot of small things: riding your bike to work instead of releasing harmful emissions into the world’s atmosphere, purchasing local produce at markets to help out your community economically while helping the world by reducing harmful chemicals released into the environment through planes and trucks, supporting local functions such as Bloomington’s Contra-Dance, and being informed and accepting of different cultural values. Being like Heinrich from The Punks are Alright is a great way of being a globalized citizen. He works with less fortunate people to improve the quality of their lives. While bettering their lives, he also is accepting of their culture, which is clearly different than his. The ideal globalized citizen does their part, which may seem ineffective, but with combined efforts of other globalized citizens does make a large-scale difference in the world for the better.

            Effective global citizenship involves doing your part. That is the overall main responsibility. Combined efforts are the only method of successfully becoming more globalized; it is a group effort. Additionally, it is everyone’s responsibility to be culturally aware and accepting of everyone. Discrimination destructs the world, so that is why it is so important to see everyone as humans rather than belonging to different cultural cohorts. The more we know about people, the more we humanize them and the more we humanize them, the more we connect socially. If America were more inquisitive than we currently are about different cultures, the rest of the world would be a lot different from our perspective. Currently America values corporations much more than it values individuals. This needs to change to make the world a better place. For imagining the self in these circumstances, it may give some people a sense of false hope. Although I feel as though everyone contributing will help the situation on globalization, I am fully aware that there is no such thing as a universal practice. Most people in developed countries will not abide by the guidelines, which will hurt global efforts.

            Overall, the concept of globalization is set based on an existing utopian society. Although the idea of globalizing sounds perfect, it is literally too good to be true due to lack of participation. Although small communities do make an impact on the world, its impact will only be noticeable through many communities doing the same thing, and until that happens, globalization is just an abstract intangibility.

            

Bloomington Contra-Dance

           

           Going to the Bloomington Contra-Dance was the best decision that I’ve made since I have been on campus. While originally possessing a neutral sense of enthusiasm, I was genuinely surprised as the night carried on. The presence of live music including the fiddle and accordion was remarkable. The sounds made by these instruments were so vivid and clear that I hardly could tell it was being performed live. I honestly had a grand time throughout the night and look forward to the next encounter with the lovely people and the overall old time music and dance atmosphere.

            In the preliminary stages upon our arrival at the Boys and Girls Club, a feeling of awkwardness and discomfort surfaced through my body language due to my attendance in a foreign situation. Initially, I had absolutely no idea of what was going on let alone how to dance. As I slowly acclimated to this unfamiliar environment, my confidence and level of comfort steadily increased. After making drastic improvement, I made the gutsy decision to let completely loose. I connected emotionally with the people who were there at the Boys and Girls Club through conversation between and during dances. During nearly all of the dancing, my newly acquired neighbors would introduce themselves and ask me questions. This loquacious environment definitely connected me with the people. Having been a former regular attendee at the Boys and Girls Club in my hometown, I naturally took a liking to the environment. It reminded me of home and gave me a sense of comfort. This eventually gave me a feeling of euphoria, exciting me further about my extended stay in Bloomington. I was do-si-doing, swinging my partner round and round, and waltzing: all maneuvers that I had no idea that I could do, but after repetition, conquered quite wonderfully. As soon as I made the decision to let loose, the entire atmosphere changed for the better. I confidently asked ladies varying in age from fourteen years old to ninety years old if they would care to dance with a stiff amateur like myself. Compared to other forums of music, this experience was entirely more accepting and enjoyable. This Old Time Music and Dance ambiance involved participants of all skill levels, which draws a crowd that is much more diverse than other mainstream forums for public dancing. The more experienced regulars, who belonged to this social cohort due to their consistent attendance on Wednesdays, assisted the obvious beginners in learning the step patterns and dance moves, providing more uniqueness to this mode of dance. Learning and teaching is one aspect of participatory music that truly makes it unique. An additional trait that made this experience different from other mediums of song and dance was the interaction among several different people. In this friendly environment, it forced you to meet new people at the event by constantly swapping partners after the conclusion of one cycle of the dance. Also, I found it very appealing that this event was taught so that everyone was included. At many other, more formal, social gatherings, it is expected and assumed that everyone knows how to dance. This inclusion is also one of the several benefits of participatory music. Men old enough to be my grandfather were asking girls younger than me to dance. Men younger than myself were asking women as old as my grandmother to dance. People danced together to connect socially with everyone, not to solely connect socially with their particular demographic. I constantly found myself meeting new people to dance with, which inclined us to strike up conversation, which lead to similar interests and an authentic feeling of solidarity. In a nutshell, that is the sole purpose of participatory music. Everyone can have fun dancing and socializing with new and accumulated friends.

            This Contra-Band event showcased many of the benefits of participatory music beautifully. As the entire group exemplified, everyone got involved which made the music more entertaining. It is an environment that is specifically designed to created relationships. Listening to music combined with universal activity makes a huge impact on the way the music is perceived by people. People did not need to be “good” at what they were doing; they just needed to add to the social bonding in order for the event to be successful. It is a very democratic atmosphere that emphasizes fun rather than competition. When amateurs amalgamate in a social gathering, it is often more amusing when people are sub-par at what they are doing. Simultaneous participation encourages comfort by not singling any one person out, so its ability to provide a safe and secure environment is also a huge benefit. Through open-mindedness, I learned that participation leads to a personal connection that simply cannot be achieved through high fidelity situations and other mediums of music.

            After experiencing the Contra-Band dance for the first time, I can honestly say that I have every intention to go there again. The amazing people are the main reason for my next appearance at the Boys and Girls Club. They were so nice and welcoming; I always strive to surround myself by the types of people. Letting loose with some of my friends and meeting new people really is an awesome time. Although I am not the best dancer, I can totally see myself improving that aspect of my life through persistent attendance and practice on Wednesdays at the Boys and Girls Club. After all, I am in total support of the Bloomington community, so giving four dollars in exchange for a night full of fun and meeting new friends is without a doubt the easiest decision to make. I am genuinely grateful for this entertaining opportunity that we discovered in class. 

            Dining in at Bloomington’s trademarked Runcible Spoon for the first time as an Indiana University student did not disappoint. Its overall atmosphere was infused with hominess and extreme comfort that really hit home with me. Coming from an Irish family, the general atmosphere combined with the authentic Irish music made me think of many important people in my life. The music itself was quite unique in the sense that the instruments combined in a foreign yet melodic and pleasing way.

            Deriving from a diverse group, the six musicians who were positioned in a relatively confined circle in the interior of the restaurant played some iconic Irish instruments including the Irish flute, accordion, guitar, Irish bouzouki, concertina, mandolin, violin, and bodhran although the instrumentation changes from week to week. There really were not many people watching the ongoing performance contrary to my former expectation (except the two or three small tables that were closely located near the group). How could such a talented group of musicians seem to be so unnoticed by the townies? This preliminarily struck me as odd, but after some time thinking about it, I realized that it was actually very cool. Collectively, this group was not looking for any attention at all. They were not performing for an audience; they were performing for themselves and their own entertainment.  The entire tradition of gathering every Tuesday night to play originated from a desire of social bonding inter-musicians. They all shared a passion for Irish styled folky music, and this sharing in interest brought them close together. In fact, the group conversed much more than they actually played. All persons are welcomed and invited to play at the Runcible Spoon on Tuesday nights regardless of his or her skill level, which signifies a lack of musical boundaries or criterion to meet. If a participant did not know the current song being played, they would not be expected to play, rather they would sit back and enjoy the piece. Even if they did know the song, it was common behavior to sit out for a few just to relax. It was also common for them to jam out a little bit by doing sort of a very passive dance movement while sitting. Interestingly, the crowd does not applaud participatory music like this. It’s a very democratic and fun atmosphere. On this particular night, world-renowned Irish flutist Gray Larsen took on the temporary leader position at the beginning. After leading the three or four tunes in the set, the leadership is passed off to another participant, and the newly appointed leader chose the succeeding song. As I was about to depart the event, I managed to score a brief conversation with Gray Larsen. He briefly mentioned that three tunes make up one set; and one set is typically repeated three times before termination of play. Throughout the duration of my stay, six different songs were played varying greatly by instruments, lyrical presence, length etc. The musicians communicate largely through body language. Certain gestures signal many universal actions. Amazingly, these performances are never rehearsed; the chemistry that was present between these artists was truly remarkable considering their lack of rehearsal. This Irish group tended to go with the flow while putting personal twists on tunes to make them more fun and musically social. The camaraderie and sense of togetherness attained from the entire experience is why people come to play week after week. This event involves some respectful etiquette, which includes not jumping the gun on wanting to lead a particular tune; you will be passed on the ability to lead. Ultimately, the musical environment exhibited by the musicians every Tuesday night keeps regulars coming back for more.

            I strongly believe that this entire tradition stems from a variety of internal personal encouragements. First off, I believe that the occasion is very highly influenced by the betterment of the locally owned Runcible Spoon. Avid music fans thrive on free entertainment, and given the quality of music, the Spoon prospers on Tuesdays which, from working in the restaurant industry, I know are typically less profitable days. Although it was not particularly loaded with people today, I think it would be a different story during the actual school year. My prediction is that during the right time of year, a seat would be very difficult to come across on Tuesday nights due to popular demand. This free promotion helps out the community enormously and is one of the driving forces behind its continuation. Its presence has been around for so long, that people use it to help identify Bloomington. It appeals emotionally to the people who saw the Spoon from the beginning stages to its matured state because they witnessed the entire growth process through struggle and success. As stated previously, the musicians also come for a selfish reason, being their own pleasure of solidarity. The social bonding felt in the participatory field of music is arguably the most transcending and fulfilling facet in the entire music industry. Contradictory to the American cultural value of earning fortune through hard work, this participatory Irish group credits personal and societal impacts more prestigiously. As corny as it sounds, this experience changed the way I think about music. Culturally, the United States definitely prefers high fidelity or presentational music. This first-hand encounter showcased the pulchritudinous nature of the lesser-appreciated medium of music involving the group rather than the individual. Deponents of these social events from past to present have been exposed to unaccustomed musical ideals which facilitate a more embraced and more intimate understanding of participatory music. These accumulated understandings eventually help to redefine cultural values in American society. Nonetheless, the most evident observation from the entire evening is that these friendly individuals truly love giving back to the community.

            Day after day of observing and studying music, I continuously discover greater potential for music in the world. Music has the great ability to unite people together as well as connect them emotionally. No matter where anyone is from, music is one of the few universal similarities that all cultures have and share. Its aptitude to influence so many groups of people through entertainment, self-transcendentalism, and human connectivity is possibly one of the most enchanted wonders of the social world.

I Love Hip-Hop in Morocco

Coming from a part of the world that is highly influenced by its religion, Morocco’s hip-hop culture faced much adversity throughout the crux of its movement. Stemming from the underground industry, hip-hop in Morocco has been very concealed until recently. Superstars are slowly yet surely emerging in Morocco from many different walks of life. A few of the upcoming superstars organized a festival in which the true colors of hip-hop could be properly showcased and exposed to the otherwise deprived Moroccans. After struggling to find proper funds to support each of these artist lifetime goals, the I Love Hip-Hop in Morocco crew ultimately partnered with Coca-Cola and the American Embassy. This documentary highlights the future of hip-hop as being left up to the youth of Morocco. It’s continued uprising lies in their hands now; and if they want it, they will go get it. 

The artist that stood out to me the most was the young girl, Fatima. At the time of this documentary’s release, she was still in her teenage years and she was taking on a task that was unimaginable by most Muslims. She, with the support of her parents, decided to pursue a career in hip-hop. Although still a follower of Allah and Islam, she took a less orthodox approach to her religion. She dressed in provocative clothes and spoke her mind through her raps. Both of these actions were highly controversial in the Islamic community. Nonetheless, Fatima was an individual who did not feel obligated to conform to the ideals of the average Muslim; so she strived to be successful in her hip-hop career. Making it onto a stage was something that most male hip-hop artist could not achieve let alone a female like Fatima, but her perseverance helped her triumph this life-long goal of hers. To her, hip-hop was the best method of expressing herself. It helped her get over many of the struggles faced by typical teenagers. Aside from that, she saw music as very fun, which further increased her overall passion for it. In a way, Fatima is fulfilling her dream as well as the previous dream of her father. Her father always aspired to become a musician throughout his childhood as well. His incapability helped to spark the beginning of Fatima’s journey as a musician. Fatima’s parents interestingly asserted that they feel as though Fatima took on the role of both the boy and the girl. She was in a girl’s body but felt as though she had every right to the lifestyle of a man. Fatima realized that she was one of the select few that would be assisting in broadening Morocco’s horizons to other forms of music, so she took her talent and put it to good societal use.

The other hip-hopper that stood out was Brown Fingaz. Early on in the film he stated, “Losing my ability to rap would be the same as losing my identity”. Here Brown Fingaz indicates that hip-hop music for him is a lifestyle, and he believes that he can be a devout Muslim while being heavily influenced by hip-hop. The conditions that Moroccans live in are unimaginable to most Americans. The projects in the United States are the equivalent of a nice neighborhood in Morocco. For him, hip-hop is a way of illustrating his oppression for poverty in Morocco. It’s quite similar to therapy for him. Using hip-hop allows him to portray messages to people that are not permitted. Free speech is not guaranteed in the Islamic faith, and that is why hip-hop is so problematic in this society. As Morocco becomes more accepting of this cultural change, the relationship between pop culture and youth culture is beginning to collide more directly. The world’s youth have a fascination with pop culture because of its innate ability to provide meaning and expression to complicated and unfortunate situations.

Balancing Islam with any amount of hip-hop culture is quite challenging in the Islamic community. Since it is generally not accepted whatsoever, its existence spreads quite a controversy. According to the artists, they take a less fundamental approach to their religion. Although it is still very important, they tend to be more open-minded in their religion and more inclusive. To deal with this pressure, the artists asserted that they use music to take them closer to their god. Music is a way of communicating with fellow Muslims and superior beings. Fatima for example, stays on top of her religious platform by praying frequently and fulfilling her Islamic duties. She does everything that other Muslims do, so she and her family see nothing wrong with the type of life she leads.

It was a very intelligent maneuver for the American Embassy to sponsor the festival. At a glance, giving ten thousand of American’s tax dollars to another country for a concert seems quite absurd. In retrospect, it was a great foreign policy move. This notion effectively promoted Western culture in a very pacifistic way. As it is commonly said, music brings people together. Having a better relationship with Muslim dominated countries improves the image of Americans within the entire world. Whether people are willing to admit it or not, free speech is a universal want in the world. America helping people to achieve the right to speak freely helps our foreign policy out largely. The audience was appreciative of the notion made by the United States because it helped them to advance culturally. For some of the more strict interpreters of the Islamic faith, this notion by the United States was a slap in the face. They believed that Americans were tweaking with something that had no concern to them. Changing a group of people’s faith that is centuries old is a very sensitive thing. In this case, the donation made by the American Embassy worsened the foreign policy. But overall, it was a non-violent promotion that ultimately strengthened the relationship with the Muslim community and gave more individual freedoms to many people.

Although controversial in some religions, hip-hop music really helped the advancement of a neo-Islamic faith, which in turn helped strengthen relationships with the United States. The common understanding that hip-hop is American is slowly fading away as the term “hip-hop” is becoming more of a globalized genre of music. Determination in adverse situations like the one portrayed in I love Hip-Hop in Morocco is the key ingredient to conquering the separation battle between religion and pleasure activities. 

Reel Bad Arabs Stereotype

           Contrary to popular belief of most Americans, Muslims have been discriminated against for many years, not just since the attack on the World Trade Center. Throughout history, Americans have tended to pay particular attention to conflicts in the world that involve Muslims like the Middle East oil embargo, the Iranian Revolution, and the conflict between Israel and Palestine. But for some unknown reason, extreme amounts of Arabic people are often misconstrued as evil villains that are always out to get Americans.  The film Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People accurately illustrates Hollywood’s tendency to victimize Middle Eastern people through depictions in movies.

            The absolute most controversial aspect of this film to me was the inclusion of Aladdin on the list of movies that stereotype Muslims. Prior to watching this, I had never made the connection that Aladdin did this to a specific group of people. What surprised me more is the fact that Aladdin is a children’s movie and because of that, I will no longer look at this movie under the same light. So, the Hollywood movie producers are trying to portray Muslims as bad people to the future leaders of our country. They are trying to instill an understanding and acknowledgement that Muslims are bad people from the very beginning so that its continued exposure to the public is socially accepted. This is the exact reason why the movie industry is so comfortable with stereotyping Muslims. Muslims have been stereotyped for so long that the continuation is highly overlooked. If we put it into context, we would never see African Americans of Jews stereotyped in such a universal way. In fact, stereotyping these people would result in a lot of argument and shame. Oddly enough, I never recalled an occurrence in Aladdin where they bluntly stated that Arabs were bad people. They just tried their best to show them as mean, aggressive people to subliminally convey a message of hidden racism. Personally, I think this overgeneralization adds fuel to the fire of many victims. From an American perspective, we always feel like Muslims hate us for no reason. From a Muslim perspective, they may always feel like we hate them because of the inaccurate depictions of them serving as the constant villain in our current and historical cinema. Showing this sort of hatred in films may contribute to a huge misunderstanding between Americans and the Islamic community.

            The other movie that grabbed my attention was Rules of Engagement, and to be honest; I have not seen this movie. However, from the brief part that was shown in the documentary, I picked up on the controversy. In Yemen, there was a standoff between the American military and a Yemeni squadron. In this particular film, it was originally portrayed that the Americans massacred these civilians with no cause other than the fact that they were Muslims. The Americans are looked at as being heartless people with absolute internal hatred toward this group of people. After further investigation, Samuel L. Jackson’s lawyer is taken to the hospital by a one legged girl who was in the midst of the fire in order for her to show what the Americans did to her people. While at the hospital, the lawyer stumbles across a tape of the incident that took place from the perspective of the Yemeni people. As it turns out, the one legged girl initiated the fire along with the rest of the Yemini people. People originally perceived the one legged girl as an innocent child that got caught in a bad situation, however after the footage was recovered, that innocence and feelings of sadness by Americans was completely shattered. As it is seen from our point of view, we are always the good people and they are always the bad people. Hollywood is very reliable in making this clear to the public no matter the actual circumstance. The American film industry may be so arrogant in the way they depict Arabs because it is socially acceptable within the North American boundary. Also, another reason why the film industry is so cavalier about Arab culture and Arabs in general is because we are misinformed. Americans are so egocentric when it comes to understanding other cultures. Generally Americans and Christians are not entirely accepting of other faiths and ways of living. Because of this inaccurate portrayal, there is definitely tension between Americans and Arabs. Also, it puts out a vibe to other countries that Americans are ignorant and unaccepting. Hollywood needs to stop singling out individual groups of people to represent the “bad guy”. Only harm results from the current system.

            Of the movies that were presented, I personally have only seen two: Aladdin, and Back to the Future; however I recognized many more than that. Truthfully, when I saw the Libyans approaching Marty and Doc in a white van, it screamed trouble to me. My hunch was then reinforced when the Libyans shot down Doc. I have definitely been influenced by movies in this way. When I go on planes, I do get a little nervous when I see an Arabic man boarding the plane. The many movies and the few bad encounters with Arabic people have put a negative message in the back of my mind that signals a little bit of fear. As bad as it sounds, when I see Arabic people in movies, I do associate them with fear and aggressiveness. After watching this documentary however, I believe that my thoughts will change for the better. Arabs are just people like everyone else. The overwhelming majority of them have great life intentions while only a few of them mean any harm at all.

            Thematically, this documentary screams that we must not judge a book by its cover. What may seem like one thing can actually be the complete opposite. Just because someone is Arabic does not make him or her a bad person at all; so do not conform with popular opinion just because one’s particular culture shares that opinion. This documentary also preaches not to believe everything on television. Popular culture can definitely shape conceptions of groups of people. Developing stereotypes of people are not necessarily bad, just make sure you are well informed and do not go strictly off of what is portrayed in movies and such.

            

Bloomington Farmer's Market Analysis

Bloomington's Farmer's Market

From being at the Bloomington Farmer’s Market for only an hour, I quickly realized that there was a plentiful supply of food, music, politics, and people. Prior to this experience, I had never been to a farmer’s market before. The overall atmosphere is what surprised me the most. Initially, I had no idea that so many people went to these markets, but in retrospect, I understand fully why so many people do go. Whether you are looking for some quality entertainment through musical performances, looking to squire a farm fresh meal, looking to find information about politics and the community, or looking to take the family out for a fun filled day, the Bloomington Farmer’s market does not disappoint.

Although I noticed that the political stands were considerably less concentrated with people, I found these booths quite interesting. Although I am pretty new to the Bloomington area, there are a few things that I have picked up on. Mark Kruzan is the mayor of Bloomington. He is a democrat. Personally, I find this fascinating because there were republican booths at the farmer’s market, but no democratic booths. From this, I concluded that Bloomington is a town that is primarily dominated by the Democratic Party. From my understanding, the republican stand was there to try to rally republicans up to change the political status of Bloomington in the next election. More interestingly, I concluded that the absence of a democratic stand was indicative of comfort; they were confident that they would have no trouble winning more than enough votes to be the following representative of Bloomington. I am not sure if it was strategic or coincidence, but directly adjacent to the Republican stand was a music group that was playing upbeat, high-spirited music. If they did in fact locate here strategically, they used the music to set the mood for the attendees. If not, then they were luckily treated to some cheerful music for the entire day.

The majority of the booths were selling food to no ones surprise. One observation that I made was that similar foods were located near each other. Fresh fruits and vegetables were nearly all located near each other. I believe the reason why this is true is because the various vendors are confident in their product and want as much traffic as possible to come their way; after all, the produce is the biggest reason for people to shop at the farmer’s market. Additionally, the more substantial meals were located near each other. I believe this to be true for the same reason as the produce. Another intriguing thing that I noticed was the high concentration of families and children near the concession stands. Children weren’t really located near the vendors that sold raw food; they were more so located near the vendors that had food that was meant for eating on the spot. On hot, sunny afternoons, children get tired, sweaty, hot and cranky. This holding true, their parents treat them to a delicious snack, or a refreshing drink to keep their spirits high for the remaining duration of their stay. Being a prosperous seller at the farmer’s market is very strategic. For example, the kettle corn station knows that a large part of their target market is directed towards families and more specifically children. Being located in the area with the most children traffic helped them to maximize revenues. The music attracted the children, and then the children were attracted to popcorn; very simple, yet effective marketing techniques were used. One tactic that was used was the power of free samples. Free samples are used all the time to trigger impulse buys. This tactic worked wonderfully on me. I love tomatoes, so after tasting a fresh, juicy, delicious tomato, I felt obliged to purchase one.

Music is arguably the most essential part of the entire farmer’s market even though it is not the most profitable. Without a doubt, the overall majority of the traffic definitely revolved around the music stands; especially the group that was located near the entrance of the farmer’s market. Music really sets the overall atmosphere for the market. Audition is perhaps the most important sense in business because of its ability to capture people’s attention so easily. After stopping and listening to music for a while, people’s attention then shifts to booths that they see while they were listening to music. Had the music not been present, many people would not have noticed some of the excellent vendors. Music attracts people to the farmer’s market and it also attracts booths to the farmer’s market.

As mentioned earlier, families and children clearly flocked toward the music. Less noticeably, they also gathered around the “adopt a puppy” station. The crowd was highly diversified with age. People ranged from being months old, to decades old, to nearly a century old. All were there for quality entertainment and quality products. Music, family, politics, and food all compliment each other nicely, which provides great assistance in bringing everyone closer together.

The farmer’s market is very comparable to participatory music. For example, buyers were expected to interact with sellers. When I walked down by the political booths, a woman saw me writing in my notebook and asked me a few question because I was awkwardly walking up to the booths, looking at them, and asking no questions. Interaction is welcomed and expected at the farmer’s market. That is what makes it similar to participatory music. While watching a performer, they too asked for help in participation. He was playing the guitar and harmonica and asked the audience for help by giving him a steady beat. Although it was clearly obvious that some people could not maintain a constant beat, it brought the audience together and everyone was having fun. This aspect is very much the same with participatory music. Musicians at the market realize that their income comes from donations made by the audience. Therefore, they try their best to be the most inclusive and entertaining rather than solely the best sounding. People go to the market to have fun, and participatory music can provide loads of fun for everyone. Another observation that I made was that there were no musicians that were on a stage. This is because there is more of a personal connection with the audience when they are on their level and not on top of a hierarchal pyramid.

After sharing my first experience at the farmer’s market with some great friends, I can truly say that it was a memorable experience that I will not soon forget. The music set a mood that sparked the prosperity of large quantities of vendors at the market. The atmosphere was unreal and definitely something that was appreciated by many. 

Pop Music in the Aftermath of September 11, 2001

As a direct consequence of the inhumane attacks performed on September 11^th, 2001 by a group of anti-American Muslim extremists, an overwhelming mass of American citizens collectively expressed patriotism publically. Having committed an agglomeration of troops to the Middle East shortly after the catastrophic occurrence, America’s sustainment of presence was inevitable. Appropriately, the American natives accepted the concept of war while striving to maintain positive spirits. Subconsciously, everyone was somewhat cognizant that publicly asserting their disapproval for President Bush and the war was a low blow for the entire country. So many people believed this that one of the founding principles of the United States of America was temporarily weakened. Freedom of speech took on a new definition in the aftermath of the terrorist attack. People could say anything they wanted as long as it was in accordance with “American” politics. The Dixie Chicks’ own Natalie Maines fell victim to this when she predicated her disapproval of the war and the president while on an international tour. The Dixie Chicks were the most decorated country group of all time up until the fatal comment made on tour in Great Britain. Natalie’s comment, “…ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas”, stirred up quite the controversy among many Americans who were infatuated with patriotic collectivism. A nation wide boycott forced nearly all radio stations to suspend the playing of the Dixie Chicks as a whole. As it was exemplified in this situation, public dissent was an unwritten crime for popular music groups. Speaking out was seen as “un-patriotic” and it resulted in chastisement.  Popular music played a pivotal role in politics immediately following the acts of terror as it calls forth more of an emotional response rather than an analytical response. Political messages in music are often perceived as natural, real, and unquestionable; and with repetition generate an indexical political consensus.  During the war, popular music persuaded people’s opinions on politics by getting similar groups of people to think together. Certain genres of music, such as country, shared extremely patriotic messages through their songs. Considering the Dixie Chicks were perhaps the most well known country singers throughout the United States, it was a shock that their personal feelings conflicted with the overall understanding of country music so grossly. Ultimately, the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001 seriously limited musical creativity by diluting the true meaning of freedom of speech, strongly influenced political debates by providing subliminal messages to audiences, and provided financial assistance to victims of misfortune.

Albeit Natalie Maines’ comment is arguably what killed the Dixie Chicks otherwise quite successful career, it did have one positive consequence: the Dixie Chicks were freed to write whatever they wanted in their music. Historically, the only songs that the Dixie Chicks wrote occurred after the political mishap. Being that they were multi millionaires, money was not their first priority; their first priority was sticking to their roots and being true to themselves through song choice. This incapability to speak freely was something that the entire pop music industry in general suffered from. Every popular group in the United States witnessed what happened to the Dixie Chicks first hand and in no way wanted to jeopardize their career, so they refrained from saying anything that was potentially controversial.  Immediately after the planes bombarded the World Trade Center, people were quite sensitive to American criticism, which altered the pop music culture. As time progressed into modern society, the world’s persistent disapproval of the war had desensitized the mass of people. Pop music has since developed a much more diverse culture.

Music can definitely define people in varying ways. In the 2008 presidential election between Republican John McCain and Democrat Barrack Obama, each of the candidates used similar approaches musically. John McCain, who was seen as old, played very contemporary country music to appeal to the public as an individual who was vivacious and more into things than he actually seemed. Barrack Obama, who was seen as young, chose older country music to appeal to the public as an individual who was older, wiser, and smarter than he seemed. In these heated debates, both political parties used music quite strategically. The anti-war movement that was sparked by the Dixie Chicks eventually allowed Barrack Obama to lead a campaign that was intently focused on bringing our troops home and ending the war. It was this foundation that eventually helped Obama triumph as the President of the United States of America. The very thing that began a treasonous “un-American” comment by Natalie Maines eventually became the basis for the “neo-American” way of thinking.  As unlikely as it seems, music does factor into many things that can sway political opinions.

From a personal perspective, I noticed how helpful music was in time of crisis. Shortly after the towers collapses, a group of “superhero” artists banded together to compile a track known as “The Concert for New York City”. Although there were many, some of the more popular artists included the Backstreet Boys, Elton John, Paul McCartney, and John Mellencamp. Within weeks of releasing the song, over $170 million was raised for those who were directly affected by the incident. It is truly inspirational that music can be such a force in helping so many people in time of need. Similar measures were taken in natural disaster relief for the Haiti victims in 2010 through “We Are the World”. Not only did this track help the victims out, it also helped the rest of the world out. When masses of people are killed in a specific region, it makes everyone realize how precious life is. “We Are the World,” preaches that everyone is human and that we all need to pitch in and help each other out no matter our ethnicities, nationalities, or personal ideals. This song personally changed my outlook on life. It’s truly remarkable how critical music can be in society.

Whether people see it or not, popular music is truly an essential part of everyday life. Politically, Socially, and economically, music’s power is often overlooked. After September 11^th, 2001, its role was temporarily altered due to public sensitivity on the issue and it was used to help financially during these sensitive times. Its subliminal messages presented throughout presidential campaigns proved to be fundamentally necessary. Put simply, music helped the United States triumph the unfortunate situation put into place by the very few maniacal members of al-Qaeda.