Entrance to zoo:
Fun, danceable music as I came into the zoo and paid for my ticket
Little German Band
In coming up past African dogs and next to elephants, a noise of trumpets, euphoniums, and drums. The Little German Band was playing in the pavilion, outside of the eatery. Kids applauded every time the band finished a song, when there were kids there. There were only two picnic benches outside protected from the rain, so there were limited listeners. The singer/trumpeter of the band asks the audience if they know the Polish Prince. In the store adjacent to the pavilion and the eatery, the cashier bounces her head to the music played. The music is sometimes sung in German, depending on which songs. They wore traditional German outfits, with hats, green and white costumes, knee socks. The band was composed of a tuba, 2 trumpets, clarinet (doubling on sax, didn’t hear the sax though), drums, and singer. He gives history behind each piece (one time mentioning Elvis) and how popular songs came from German/ East European folk music.
I continued my walk up the zoo. I passed the giraffes, turned right, and made my way by the Farmyard porch. There sat a man with a stand in front of him holding a guitar, and playing for people walking by. Unfortunately, nobody really stopped, it seemed to be in a bad location for stopping because of its isolation. It was rainy weather too, and he looked less than happy to be there in the rain.
Music played at the “Fun Tent” from speakers on the ground:
“Monster Mash”, then instrumental soundtrack for a scary movie. Is it meant to be intimidating? Inviting? Or just in the Halloween spirit? Inside the tent there were smoke-filled bubbles, mini-golf, beanbag toss, etc. “I put a spell on you” comes on. The music helps create a much more popular event, with popular songs in the fashion of how people usually know them.
Music at food concession stand:
Boom box- instrumental music, spooky involving synth strings and bells, tympanis, and a drumbeat. Where do these CDs come from?
Pop music plays in the gift shop. It is tuned to a radio station. The radio plays “I am barely breathing” song and I sing along to it while I search for a birthday present.
Speakers are set up along the wildlife trail. They are set in stop places but hidden in the brush or underneath benches. “Bing Bang walla walla bing bang” song is on. Then ghostly moaning; it would be creepy to walk this alone in the dusk. Addam’s family theme song comes on. A 6-year old boy dances to the song in front of his family.
Before I leave I come face to face with a peacock like bird. It spikes its feathers as I come close, and then issues rhythmic honks towards me against the glass between us. Is this music? It has a pitch, a purpose, rhythm, and I am fascinated by the interaction. Should animal-made music be included in an ethnographic project of zoo music? They are the focus of the zoo, and are clearly what people come to be entertained by.
I exit the zoo at a run, trying to catch the bus back home. The music at the entrance accompanies my exit with a Michael Jackson like quality of the 80s, again quite danceable and inviting.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
I wonder what the rationale is for having the live groups like the German Band. Are they regulars at the zoo? Do they tour around playing German music at all sorts of cultural events/locations?
Why did the Zoo choose them; moreover, who chose them? Is there a specific Zoo official in charge of coordinating musical entertainment?
I like your questions about animal song as music. I think you should totally look into that. Ties back to the whole Hermit Thrushes idea, as I'm sure you remember. Zoos often have information panels about the animals; it would be interesting to see if any refer to the animals' "songs" or "music" - see if the zoo itself is subtly giving visitors a sense of animals as sources of music.
It's interesting to see all the different musical styles present in the zoo; was the guy with the guitar a busker, or hired by the zoo, or just there to play music for fun? Is all of the scary music played throughout the year? Is it tied to a specific exhibit or event?
I liked your discussion of the little German band, which may lead to some discussion of invention of tradition, etc., if they stick around for a while.
This is a great "soundscape" account that highlights the importance of music as a way to organize experience in public places of all kinds. (It reminds me of a well-known scholarly article about music at the Mall of America; this writer and others have addressed how music can work like architecture, shaping visitors' sense of space and place.) I'll be interested to see what you choose to focus on for the presentation, but I hope it can include a recorded sound example of some of the live music at the zoo. Are you planning to engage in conversation with zoo visitors about their impressions of the music?
Post a Comment