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Exploring the roots of American music
This heady time is explored in America - A new world discovers its voice, a major event in The Rest is Noise festival, at London Southbank on Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 March.
The weekend of music, talks and conversations includes talks by OU Arts academics Ben Winters, Alan Sennett,and History tutor Alison Appleby on US race relations, Pearl Harbour, the Spanish Civil War, and filming the New Deal.
The OU's jazz expert Catherine Tackley will also be giving a free talk on the Blues and its Influence, in advance of the event concert on Sunday evening.
Visit the OU’s Rest is Noise on Open Learn to find out more about the weekend, including how to book tickets, and ticket offers.
Students currently studying with the OU are eligible for student concessionary rates, where available, when purchasing tickets for The Rest is Noise festival events.
Photo (top) shows Bessie Smith, 'Empress of the Blues'
During the 20th century, America became a major player in the global politics, culture and music. Its rise was accompanied by an outburst of musical innovation which gave birth to new forms such the blues, jazz and swing. This heady time is explored in America - A new world discovers its voice, a major event in The Rest is Noise festival, at London Southbank on Saturday 23 and ...
Video: On music in film...
OU Music Lecturer Ben Winters, a conductor and violinist, talks about the importance of music in film from the university's very own music studio…
Find out more:
OU Music Lecturer Ben Winters, a conductor and violinist, talks about the importance of music in film from the university's very own music studio… Find out more: More about Ben Winters Study with the OU - Music OU music blog 2.142855 Average: 2.1 (7 votes)
Award for 'intellectual' OU music series
The four-part series, presented by Simon Russell Beale (pictured), explores what is often considered the highest form of musical expression in Western Classical music, and demonstrates the way in which it has shaped us and our modern world.
The award judges praised the intellectual depth and challenge of the series. The lead academic in the partnership was Dr Robert Samuels, chair of the Open University course AA302, From Composition to Performance: Musicians at work.
Associated material on OpenLearn also features essays by OU Music lecturers Dr Ben Winters and Dr Fiona Richards, which accompany each episode.
The series was produced as a collaboration between BBC Four; the Open University’s Music Department and Open Media Unit; BBC Orchestras; Radio 3; and the BBC Symphony Orchestra Learning division.
The series is currently being re-broadcast on BBC4 TV on Fridays and Saturdays, with the previous week’s episodes available on the BBC iPlayer.
More information
- Watch episodes of Symphony on BBC iPlayer
- Study Music at The Open University
- List of OU Music courses
The BBC/OU TV series Symphony has won ‘Best Partnership’ in the BBC Audio and Music Awards. The four-part series, presented by Simon Russell Beale (pictured), explores what is often considered the highest form of musical expression in Western Classical music, and demonstrates the way in which it has shaped us and our modern world. The award judges ...
OU music students study day at The Hallé
The day included the chance to watch Sir Mark, Music Director rehearse with the Hallé Orchestra and Choir, as well as get involved in musical discussions. Find out more about the day in the music departments' blog.
Students who attended, shared their experiences of the day:
"I thoroughly enjoyed the study day. We attended the rehearsal of John Adams` “Harmonium” and Beathoven`s Symphony No.3, “Eroica”, two contrasting, large orchestral compositions. Harmonium is a `minimalist` piece, using a choir of 150 voices of all ranges, five percussionists, and (it seemed) no two instruments played the same as another for a good deal of the time. The constantly changing tempo was challenging for the conductor, orchestra and choir, with alternating consonnant and disconsonnant sounds.
The magnificant Eroica sounded almost ordinary in comparison, but perhaps Beethoven`s innovative development of connected movements for his Symphony paved the way for such contemporary music as “Harmonium” to be enjoyed today.
A preliminary brief analysis of both pieces of music was extremely helpful, before witnessing how a conductor puts a real orchestra through its paces. Coming at the point where timbre, individual instrument sound, and combination of them is being studied, the experience is particularly valid. A cheap ticket to the evening concert added to a most enjoyable and fruitful day."
"Very interesting day, thoroughly enjoyable. I understand the original intention was to seat us in front of the conductor which would have been great. However, with such a large choir we were seated behind him which made it difficult to hear his comments/instructions. Even so, it was a very rewarding day and introduced me to John Adams which I now can’t stop playing!"
"Enjoyed the day. I'm an experienced orchestral player so the rehearsal aspect was familiar but enjoyed the contrasting pieces. Most useful bit was hearing analysis of the two pieces as given me lots of hints on how to do this, something I think we are all struggling with in the early stages."
Find out more:
Music students at the OU were recently given a rare opportunity to attend a study day at the Hallé in Manchester, arranged by OU honorary graduate Sir Mark Elder. The day included the chance to watch Sir Mark, Music Director rehearse with the Hallé Orchestra and Choir, as well as get involved in musical discussions. Find out more about ...
Making beautiful music - from traffic noise!
The Organ of Corti recycles sound from the environment, enhancing or reducing the frequencies to create a new soundscape for the listener.
Conceived by composer David Prior and architect Frances Crow as sound artists Liminal Ltd, the Organ is a series of cylinders arranged to focus or diffuse sound waves.
Keith Attenborough OU Professor of Acoustics described it as: “A meeting of physics and art”.
His expertise in the field of acoustic crystals led the pair to create the organ, or rather two – named after parts of the inner ear.
Each was designed to react with different soundscapes.
One, called Cochlea Unwound, is a permanent installation recycling the sounds of water at a weir in Worcester.
The Organ of Corti itself was employed as a travelling version to be ‘parked’ by a motorway, on a busy street or at a festival with members of the public immersing themselves in the sound it shapes.
Last year the Organ won a £50,000 new music prize and, in November 2011 the Noise Abatement Society John Connell Award for Innovation was jointly made to Liminal Ltd and Keith Attenborough.
At a reception at the House of Commons the NAS judges said: “This unique and beautiful experimental instrument recycles noise from the environment.
“It does not make any sound of its own, but rather uses sounds already present by framing them in a new way.
“By recycling surplus sounds from our environment, it offers new and pleasurable ways of listening to what is already there.”
Keith said the organ’s arrangement of four metre tall acrylic poles “does interesting things to sound.”
They enhance or reduce certain characteristics of the sound and, he said: “They get people to listen to sound a bit more and invent their own kind of music as they move through the sculpture.”
He said he was pleased the Organ had been recognised again - particularly as he had worked with Noise Abatement Society founder the late John Connell in the 1970s.
"I was working on the first OU Technology Foundation Course and we had 4,000 students with noise meters.
"We were able to create the first noise maps," he said.
- See more about The Organ of Corti or play the video. here:
A device developed by The Open University that can turn the motorway traffic roar or inner-city bustle into ‘music’ has won a Noise ‘Oscar’. The Organ of Corti recycles sound from the environment, enhancing or reducing the frequencies to create a new soundscape for the listener. Conceived by composer David Prior and architect Frances Crow as sound ...
OU on TV: Simon Russell Beale explores the symphony
In episode one, presenter Simon Russell Beale takes a look at the symphonic works of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven.
The programme is a co-production between the BBC and The Open University. For each of the four episodes, OpenLearn will feature an article from a member of the OU’s music department, extending the scope of the series and ultimately looking at the current state of the symphony.
Symphony starts on BBC Four at 9pm on Thursday 3 November. For further broadcast dates see listings.
Links
Watch a preview clip on the Guardian website
Thursday 3 November is the first episode of a four-part OU/BBC series which explores the most exalted and influential idea in Western classical music, the symphony. And, for the first time, demonstrates the surprising way in which it has shaped us and our modern world. In episode one, presenter Simon Russell Beale takes a look at the symphonic works of Haydn, Mozart and ...
Music Festivals
Did anybody attend any festivals this summer? No matter how big or small! Would you recommend it or go again? Who were your highlights?
Are there any festivals anybody would recommend that's coming up later this year?
I've missed out on not going to any this year although watched a lot of Glastonbury coverage on the good old BBC earlier this year. Not quite the same as being there but at least I stayed dry/mud free. My TV highlights were Coldplay, Elbow and Queens of the Stone Age.
Ben
Did anybody attend any festivals this summer? No matter how big or small! Would you recommend it or go again? Who were your highlights? Are there any festivals anybody would recommend that's coming up later this year? I've missed out on not going to any this year although watched a lot of Glastonbury coverage on the good old BBC earlier this year. Not quite the same as being ...
Desert Island Discs
Mine would be (in no particular order)...
1. The Stooges - 1969
2. The MC5 - High School
3. The Velvet Underground - I'll Be Your Mirror
4. Black Sabbath - Symptoms of the Universe
5. Mission of Burma - This is Not a Photograph
6. Black Flag - Forever Time
7. The 13th Floor Elevators - Your Gonna Miss Me
8. Ornette Coleman - Theme From a Symphony (Variation One)
Mine would be (in no particular order)... 1. The Stooges - 1969 2. The MC5 - High School 3. The Velvet Underground - I'll Be Your Mirror 4. Black Sabbath - Symptoms of the Universe 5. Mission of Burma - This is Not a Photograph 6. Black Flag - Forever Time 7. The 13th Floor Elevators - Your Gonna Miss Me 8. Ornette Coleman - Theme From a Symphony (Variation One)