Step 2

A.  2 Ancient Papyrus Fragments

• Is this type of music new to you?: Yes, I have never heard anything like this music before. I have heard similar phrasing choices and styles, but I have never really heard this specific style.
• What were your specific feelings or thoughts in response to the music?: This music makes me feel almost uncomfortable and concerned. It feels like a cry almost, very deep and ringing throughout the whole thing. It genuinely transports you to a different time period when you hear it.
• Tone color/Timbre (bright, brassy, warm, ringing, hollow, etc.): Ringing, sad, distant
• Texture (monophony, homophony, polyphony, etc.): All of the songs are monophonic.
• Your overall impression of the music of ancient times: It definitely is a very different approach to music compared to how we approach music nowadays, but I also really enjoy it. It has this sadness and crying feeling that really speaks to me and I just really find comfort in it for some reason.

B.  Ancient Greek and Roman Music

• Is this type of music new to you?: The first song, yes because the instruments supporting the vocals sound like otamatones (see picture attached below), but clearly aren't because those did not exist in ancient times. Obviously I am familiar with the idea of an instrument supporting the vocals with a harmonization of the melody since I oftentimes play that on my Oboe, but this sound was very different. The second song I am relatively familiar with just because I have listened to a lot of pieces that incorporate this style of musicality into them.
• What were your specific feelings or thoughts in response to the music?: I enjoy listening to it because in both, you can see where our music evolved from this and what elements we have incorporated into modern-day music. The 2nd song feels very fun to me, I could listen to it on repeat and feel very happy, whereas the 1st song kind of intimidates me a bit. I think it's those weird instruments in the background.
• Tone color/Timbre (bright, brassy, warm, ringing, hollow, etc.): 1st song: brassy, dark. 2nd song: soft, tribal, quiet
• Texture (monophony, homophony, polyphony, etc.): 1st song: homophony. 2nd song: monophony, transitions into a "mixture of homophony and polyphony". It is difficult to call it either of those forms though, since it is a flute melody with a drum supporting it rhythmically. It is not homophony since it is not a harmonization of the melody (since it is a drum), and it is not polyphony since it is not several parts being played at the same time.
• Your overall impression of the music of ancient times: All of the pieces I have listened to so far have been a bit underwhelming, mainly because I am used to music with many different parts being played at once. Most of them haven't had very complex rhythms, with exception to the 2nd song in this video (which spiced it up a bit!). I appreciate hearing what existed a long time ago and appreciate where it brought us in music today, but I don't entirely think I'd go out of my way to listen to it outside of learning about it.

C.  Fragments arranged for Lyre

• Is this type of music new to you?: The instrument specifically is new to me, but I have heard music similar to this before in the past, in games or in movies/film/shows.
• What were your specific feelings or thoughts in response to the music?: I have always known about the Lyre but have never heard it before! It was really exciting to listen to one for the first time, I don't know why I never decided to look it up before. It was really cool to watch him play and hear the sound. I really enjoy how unique the sound of the Lyre is.
• Tone color/Timbre (bright, brassy, warm, ringing, hollow, etc.): Hollow, almost like a harp...
• Texture (monophony, homophony, polyphony, etc.): Monophony
• Your overall impression of the music of ancient times: I enjoy picturing the lyre was like the ancient version of the guitar. I know it probably wasn't, but I enjoy picturing ancient scholars walking around with lyres on their back just like college guys do with their guitars. I really loved the sound of the lyre, it is something I believe should be incorporated into modern music.

D.  The Aulos

• Is this type of music new to you?: This is definitely new to me. I have never even heard of or listened to anything like this. The purposeful dissonance is definitely something I am used to, but I am not used to this weirdly strong and powerful brassy, dissonant sound. The only thing that felt familiar to me was the Oboe-esque sound.
• What were your specific feelings or thoughts in response to the music?: It gives me somewhat of an Oboe vibe to be honest. It makes me wonder if there is any correlation between my instrument and the Aulos. It wasn't the most exciting thing to listen to, but I definitely enjoy hearing some hints of the Oboe inside of it.
• Tone color/Timbre (bright, brassy, warm, ringing, hollow, etc.): Brassy, dissonant
• Texture (monophony, homophony, polyphony, etc.): Monophony
• Your overall impression of the music of ancient times: This is another one that made me uncomfortable but I still have an appreciation for it. Since we have this, we can see where our music developed from it. I really enjoyed the fact that it sounded a bit like the Oboe.

E.  The Kithara 

• Is this type of music new to you?: This music isn't exactly new to me, as I have stated in others I have played games before where this music is very similar to the music inside of the game. This specific piece is new to me, but this style is very familiar to me.
• What were your specific feelings or thoughts in response to the music?: I really enjoyed this piece! It was very comforting and felt very familiar to me for some reason. I definitely like this piece a lot and can see us performing something very similar to it.
• Tone color/Timbre (bright, brassy, warm, ringing, hollow, etc.): Hollow, bright
• Texture (monophony, homophony, polyphony, etc.): Same as one of the earlier ones, I'd call this one polyphonic since there is the chimes, the drums, and the guitar-esque instrument being played. There isn't exactly a harmonization of the main melody, so I wouldn't call it homophony, but I also wouldn't call it monophony since there is more that one instrument.
• Your overall impression of the music of ancient times: I really enjoy this piece a lot, and can see where our music developed from this. I not only appreciate this piece in helping us develop our pieces today (as you can see a decent amount of similarities, such as the rhythmic support and accent of chimes with the main melody on a string or wind instrument), but I actually genuinely like this piece.

Step 3

Describe what you see on the Epitath of Seikelos that might give clues as to how this song should sound:

I cannot see the exact translation of the Ancient Greek letters in the picture that is placed in the video, but there are definitely some lyrics and note names that are on the Epitath. On the middle/lower section, there do seem to be some markings that indicate the lengths of notes as well.

Describe what you see of the Euripides parchment that might give clues as to how this music should sound:

There are what looks like the length markings that indicate that there are some note lengths indicated for all of the... what look like lyrics. I think this parchment may be a lyrical piece.

In the Spirit of Socrates

Step 2

From “Music In Antiquity” 

What function(s)/purpose did music of Ancient Times serve?

Music of ancient times had many purposes, such as: signaling for the military; entertainment at dinner parties, street performers, and marches at funerals; several purposes in theatrical pieces; celebrations and ceremonies; and even to cover up the noises from sacrifices.

Why did pipers play during sacrifices?

Pipers played during sacrifices to cover any noises that the animal may make.

Which instrument was used to signal retreat, attack and halt?

The tuba!

Why were musicians left to play in camps after the army had departed?

Musicians were left to play in camps after the army had departed in order to trick the enemy into believing that the army had not yet left.

Whose teaching salary was the highest in the Asia Minor?

The music teacher (yay for Asia Minor).

What was a music teacher’s responsibility?

Music teachers taught theory (some things never change!) and teach students how to play the kithara. Students were not taught to play music by written text, but by ear instead (oh how the times have changed), so teachers had to play the pieces for students in order to educate them.

What’s up with Nero?

Nero, the emperor posed as a professional musician even though he was considered an amateur player, and would even pay 5,000 men to clap in four different ways after his performances. It is also stated that we are unsure if he won all of his contests because of his talent (he was a good musician!) or if because the judges feared the emperor having them killed.

From “Outrageous Women of Ancient Times”

When was Sappho active?

She was born somewhere between 640 and 600 B.C. and died around 550 B.C..

What musical instrument/accessory did she invent?

A smaller lyre with a special pick called a plectrum.

How many lyric poems did she compose?

She composed more than 500 poems for herself, friends, and students.

Describe her students and cult.

Her poetry was so extravagant that it drew in girls from all over, and they formed a group described to be nothing parallel with anything we have today. It was described as "innocent and sensual, an intimate circle of friends who exchanged ideas and emotions and loved one another dearly." There was a love for one another that was so genuine that they poured it into their work, and some of Sappho's friends and pupils went on to become famous poets as well.

What were some of the ways she was worshipped even 1000 years after her death?

The most extreme display of affection towards Sappho was a fictional poem wrote about Sappho jumping off of a cliff to her death due to her desperation to be loved by a man. But even Plato was a big fan, stating that Sappho upped the number of muses from nine to ten. Tons of sculptors made heads and statues of her, tons of people had books of her poems, the capital of Lesbos used coins with her face on them, and there was even vases, walls, and gems engraved with her likeness.

What about her writings made the Christians ‘anxious’?

Her works were described as "pagan", and had very direct/honest references to love and passion that were considered bad examples.

When & where were some of her poems discovered?

Some of her poems were discovered in the 20th century in what was called a thousand-year-old garbage dump in Egypt along with other pieces of Greek books that were buried with it.

From “The State of Music at the End of the Ancient World”

Where did the history of Western art music begin?

Western art music "properly" began with the music of the Christian Church, but people still turned to the Greeks and Romans for instruction.

Why did Roman musical traditions ‘disappear’ at the beginning of the Middle Ages?

 Roman musical practice ceased to exist  due to the early Church's discomfort with Roman music's social occasions or pagan religious practices. The Church was determined to exterminate it, not only in the Church but to get rid of any memory of its existence at all.

What attitude did Greek mythology display toward music and music makers?

Greek mythology stated music was of divine origin, and that its inventors and earliest practitioners were gods and demigods (ex: Apollo, Amphion, and Orpheus). They even believed that music had magic powers, such as healing sickness, purifying the body and mind, and work miracles in the realm of nature.

How did Aristotle react to the complexity of music festivals and competitions?

He countered against the complexities that musicians were exploring, and music became much more simplified after his alarmed reaction.

What does monophonic music sound like?

A melody without a harmony or counterpoint.

Why is the Epitaph of Seikelos of particular interest to music historians?

The Epitaph of Seikelos is interesting due to the clear rhythmic notation on the tombstone. There are notes without rhythmic markings above alphabetical symbols that are worth a unit of duration; horizontal lines indicate 2 beats and horizontal lines with upward strokes are worth 3 beats. All of the lines have 12 beats.

How many notes survived the Euripides papyrus?

Only 42 notes of the Euripides papyrus survive, so all performances are a reconstruction (so sad!).

Why did the early Christian Church distrust all instrumental music?

The early Christian Church distrusted all instrumental music due to the ideas they rejected, such as music is purely for enjoyment, as well as kinds connected to festivals, competitions, dramatic performances, and more intimate occasions. This wasn't due to the dislike of music, but to make sure people did not convert and stay away from their pagan past.

What type of singing is the earliest recorded musical activity of the Christian Church?

Hymn singing was the earliest recorded musical activity.

How did Byzantine musical practices impact western chant?

Not only did the West borrow a number of chants between the sixth and ninth centuries, but they also followed the practice of classification into the repertory of eight modes.

Who is ‘Gregorian Chant’ named after?

It is named after Pope Gregory I, who was in power during the reorganization of the chant.

What language replaced Greek as the ‘official language of the Roman liturgy?

Latin replaced Greek as the official language of the Roman liturgy in the fourth century.

List a few of the jobs required of a monastic cantor.

The monastic cantor was a key person for the musical program, and performed tasks such as maintaining the library and scriptorium, as well as directing the performance of the liturgy.

Who was allowed to play the lyre to accompany hymn singing and psalms?

It is stated that instrumental music was excluded from public worship, and only the faithful were allowed to use a lyre to accompany the singing of hymns.

What role did the Christian missionaries play in developing Western music?

In order to conquer and convert the entire population and eventually Western music, the Church had to remove of any "excess baggage" of music, and focused solely on the Gregorian Chant. They took this music to every part of western Europe, and in a way developed our Western music.

Who was Boethius?   Describe one of his ideas about music.

Boethius, or Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius, was one of the key components in gathering Roman music and moving it to the Western world, with his De institutione musica (The Fundamentals of Music). He divided music into 3 kinds, my personal favorite being musica mundana, or cosmic music. He states that this kind of music is related to the "orderly numerical relations observable in the movement of the plants, the changing of the seasons, and the elements."

Step 3

A.  Sappho

• Describe musical elements from “Sappho’s Marriage Celebration”: The entire piece is played on what sounds like a flute (could be an ancient version I do not know of) with a voice reciting the poetry over it. It is interesting that there is no musicality to the lyrics besides some potential rhythm changes and pauses, but no pitch change at all. The flute has some bends in pitch, which I appreciate the beauty of how it sounds, which are usually accompanied with dynamic changes. There are many pitch and rhythm changes in the flute as a plays a beautiful melody.

B.  Euripides

• What musical elements are present in ‘Euripides’ ?: There are definitely harmonizations between the vocal parts, but they seem to be aimed more on the dissonant side. This seems almost like a peaceful war song, due to the loud percussion instruments featured. There is also what appears to be a lyre being played as well. There is definitely a lot of dynamic and accent changes as well.

C.  Seikilos

• What musical elements are present in ‘Epitath of Seikelos’?: There are more complex rhythms featured in this compared to the other two pieces. There is no voice accompanying it, just the lyre part being strummed the entire time. There are some dynamic and accent changes, as well as what oftentimes sounds like a trill.

What are the differences in how these three pieces sound?

Sappho's piece sounds like just poetry being recited over a flute melody in a monotone manner. There is no pitch change at all in the vocal section, unlike Euripides, which is much more reminiscent of modern-day band or orchestral music that we perform in school. Seikilos sounds very cheerful and happy as it is played on the lyre with no other parts accompanying it. Euripides is much more intense and almost scary. Sappho does not print the modern picture of marriage in my mind, but it has a softness and airiness to it that could definitely paint the picture of love and passion.

Overall, how does the music of ancient times make you feel?

The music of ancient times makes me feel greatly appreciative. Despite it being very creepy or dark-sounding at times, I am thankful for having all of these resources available to see where we came from and where we will keep going. There are some truly beautiful pieces and they made me feel really good as I listened to them, and drew connections between pieces that we may be performing nowadays and the ones performed in ancient times.

If given the chance, which instrument would you run and hide from?  Why?

Those weird bagpipey brassy instruments in the background of the first song in the Ancient Greek/Roman music from the previous section. Something about it just does not feel right at all. The sound is not pleasant and the dissonance between the voice and the bagpipey things, although is probably intentional, still does not make me a happy camper.

If you were to play an instrument from this time period, what would you choose?  Why?

The Aulos! It sounds very similar to the Oboe in some manners and I like that about it. It definitely does not look like it's played like an Oboe at all, but I am willing to make that sacrifice in order to play an instrument that sounds remotely similar to my own personal instrument.

HONORS TRACK 

Ancient China

Top, String/Percussion Instrument: The Guzheng came from around the Warring Period in China more than 2,500 years ago. The earliest versions were constructed with bamboo and silk strings on a pentatonic scale. It became popular in the imperial court and among common people. Scholars described it as sounds touching the Heavens above and the Gods and spirits below. In 1948, a renowned musician established the first university level Guzheng program in China, but with nylon strings, which is still played today.

Bottom Left, Wood Instrument: The Xun is over 7,000 years old, and is one of the oldest Chinese musical instruments. It was discovered along the Yangtze River (pictured below), and was said to be very popular in Ancient China. They used an oval stone with naturally formed holes on it to hunt prey, which when thrown at animals, made a whistling sound flying through the air.

Bottom Right, String Instrument: The Pipa, also known as the Chinese Lute, is roughly 2,000 years old and one of the most popular instruments in China. It was originally held like a guitar, but during the Tang dynasty, a musician decided to hold it upright to be unique at a competition. The pipa has along Chinese history, where compositions were passed down from masters to students over hundreds of years.

Prehistoric China - Since there aren't really any reliable historical records, most of the ideas of prehistoric China is from speculation from archaeological sites and unearthed relics that may hint at human activity.

Xia Dynasty - Considered to be the first dynasty of ancient China, the Xia Dynasty was mostly several clans living around the Yellow River, but it is believed that even this is mostly legend.

Ancient China - Ancient China consisted of the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, which consisted of traditional Chinese philosophies and fracturing into warring kingdoms. The Shang Dynasty is the first with any historical records remaining, including bronze objects and jade articles. This also included the earliest form of Chinese writing in animal bones. The Zhou Dynasty was when the territory divided into feudal states and was ruled by kings, and the major philosophies and religions such as Confucianism and Daoism emerged.

Imperial China - It is stated that the imperial China periods makes up "the bulk of Chinese history", with the rise and fall of dynasties, Chinese civilization being cultivated and prospering in peace periods, and reforming after rebellions

Qin and Han Dynasties - These were what laid down the foundation for the basic political system in China for the next 2,000 years, and are considered the initial period of the Chinese empire. The Qin Dynasty was the first to unite China under an emperor, and moved on to a bureaucratic government in the "less extreme" Han Dynasty (which was the longest imperial dynasty, known for starting the Silk Road trade).

China's Dark Ages - The dark ages began when the Han Dynasty fell and fractured into the Three Kingdom Period, which moved into the Jin Dynasty, and at last fractured again into the Northern and Southern Dynasties.

Medieval China - Opposite to the dark ages, the Middle Ages saw a steady growth as the regime continued to change, and went from 4 warring kingdoms to the most "culturally sophisticated and technologically developed nation", and was eventually consumed by the rise and fall of the Mongol Empire (which went even as far as Europe).

Final Dynasties - The Final Dynasties saw the continuation of the imperial social structure and examinations (rich class, scholarly class, working class, and slaves), but they became more inadequate in the ages of exploration, colonization, and industrialization.

Ancient India

Top, Wind Instrument: The Shehnai is a wind instrument that is made out of wood, with a double reed at the top and a metal bell at the bottom. It is said that its sound represents sanctity, and as such is often used in processions or marriages. Despite this, it is still often used in concerts. The Shehnai is thought to have been developed from the Pungi, an instrument used for snake charming.

Bottom Left, Percussion Instrument: The Tabla is a "membranophone" percussion instrument which is a pair of drums used in traditional, classical, and folk music. It had significant importance in Hindustani classical music in the 18th century, and still remains in use. Despite this, historians argue that the origin of instrument may actually be from West Asia.

Bottom Right, String Instrument: The Sitar is a stringed instrument which is plucked, and is used in Hindustani classical music. It prospered in the 16th and 17th centuries, and reached its modern-day form in the 18th century. The Sitar was also very popular in Western music in the 1960s, featuring on songs from bands such as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.

India started with the Indus Valley Civilization in such sites as Mohenjo-Daro, Harappa, and Lothal, and it is in this period that Hinduism first appeared. In the 5th century, large parts of India were united under Ashoka, who had converted to Buddhism, and it is in his reign that Buddhism spread to other parts of Asia. In the reign of the Mauryas, Hinduism took the shape that fundamentally informs the religion today. Islam first came to India in the 8th century, and by the 11th century had firmly established itself in India as a political force; under which India once again achieved a large measure of political unity. Europe has had a presence in India since the 17th century, and during a more weak point in India’s history, Europe held a contest for supremacy, in which England emerged victorious. The Rebellion of 1857-58, which sought to restore Indian supremacy, was crushed; but, successive campaigns had the effect of driving the British out of India in 1947.

Compare and Contrast:

How do they sound the same?  

They both sound the same in the way that the instruments can bend pitches to reach micro-tones (or notes that are in-between 2 very close notes in our music), and have almost a very tangy feeling to them. The bending of the pitches seems to be very very prominent in both styles of music. The tangy feeling is almost like the aggressive accented plucking they do, there always seems to be an immediate decay after every time they pluck a note, and if not usually one without the accent will be followed by one with one.

How do they sound different?  

The music from India seems much more percussive (drums) rather than China, which seems to focus more on wind and string instruments. Also, the music from India seems to play at a much faster tempo and is much more rhythmically complex compared to the Chinese music, which feels more zen, laidback, or relaxed.

How do they compare to the music of Ancient Greece & Rome?

The music of India, just like its differences with Chinese music, is much more fast-paced and percussive compared to Greece and Rome. The music of China is much more similar in its style, but both have a very different sound compared to Greek and Roman music due to the micro-tones. Greek and Roman music did not contain these tones, which some may find dissonant, and seemed to stick solely in the lines of half or whole steps for notes.