Blog Post #4: Dingildai

In this piece of music I feel the beginning of the structure is signified when the aerophones sound. It gains this fast pace that sets a tone of excitement throughout the piece. Mongolian throat singing has been a pretty big interest of mine ever since our Music Cultures class took a field trip to see the Mongolian throat singing group Alash in Asheville one fine evening. This music definitely is different from what we often here in our Westernized society. But the amount of feeling and passion in this music is palpable.
It is funny that although this piece is a bit quick paced it also has a calming effect. Makes me think of the color blue. Feels smooth and velvety almost.
When the second singer comes in it all becomes more easy to fall into. Like the extra voice adds a depth to it that it previously had lacked. And this feels like it was purposeful. Everything about this piece feels very calculated and intentional.
I like how abrupt and sort of stop and go this piece is. Like there is a conductor leading who is stopping them abruptly but on purpose.
Before going to see Alash perform I never really was a big fan of Mongolian throat singing. My suite mate Madi Gilbert has been in love with the genre since I met them. They would show me videos, probably some being Alash without my knowledge, and rave about how amazing it all was. But I never listened close enough. I didn't think about it as much as I should have. So when I finally did for our class I was pleasantly surprised to see Madi was right. It is beautiful, beautiful music that is so different than the regurgitated stuff we hear parading around as "music" in our country and society. On the radio it is always some pop song that is five lines repeated, a couple of chords on a guitar being replayed and a couple of beats on a drum. Mongolian throat singing takes passion and dedication and so much concentration. It is not mindless music. And that is what I love and find so appealing about it.
I do think that for some people like myself it takes awhile to gain full appreciation because we are so accustomed to what is the norm here that we forget that there is music from all over that sounds different and beautiful and deserves to be heard and respected and appreciated.
Seeing Alash play for us was magical. In such a small venue we were graced with their brilliance. It was incredible. I was completely in awe with my mouth hanging open. I could not believe the beauty that I was witnessing. They were playing these beautiful instruments both in timbre and in sheer material gorgeousness. And they were making the most entrancing sounds in a language we didn't need to understand to know how important what we were witnessing was. It made me want to expand my horizons so much more. Become less used to the crap played on radio stations. And start spreading beautiful and dedicated work like theirs.