Department of Music

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https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14078/18

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Now showing 1 - 5 of 35
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    Unspittable: long-form ethnographic music video as cine-ethnomusicology research-creation
    (2020) MacDonald, Michael B.
    Cine-ethnomusicology, the cinematic study of music culture, is an emerging discipline in ethnomusicology. Benjamin Harbert, a leading figure in this movement, has called for a critical cinema of music to blend ethnomusicology and film studies. In response to this call, I forward the long-form ethnographic music video as a research-creation model that combines ethnographic filmmaking with music video production. This article introduces a three-assemblage ethnographic production model and uses the making of Unspittable (2019) as a case study.
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    African rhythm as the foundation of contemporary bass performance
    (2018) de Toledo, Rubim
    Jazz and contemporary bass playing is a varied and deeply elaborate landscape. If jazz, American popular music, Caribbean, and Latin musical genres are taken into consideration, the breadth of bass styles is too broad to encompass in one lifetime. However, when the roots and traditions of these styles are examined, many common musical devices appear. With even more examination, these musical qualities can be seen and linked to West African ancestry. In this thesis, I outline several of these qualities and demonstrate these concepts from the perspective of modern bass performance. As well, I discuss the core rhythms in contemporary bass playing that have been retained from West African music. In conclusion, I present a handful of practical practice exercise to aid the bassist in internalizing some of the concepts discussed in the thesis. With such a broad topic it is clear to me that, while I present a unique perspective on contemporary bass performance, the study of African retention in bass performance goes far beyond the scope of a master’s thesis. It is my goal to open a gateway to a new awareness on the roots of contemporary bass playing and aid the bassist to build an authentic and profound connection to the ancestry of the art form.
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    Pimachihowan
    (2015) MacDonald, Michael B.; Lertzman, David
    The product of three years of work in Northern Alberta that explores the traditional Cree philosophy of Pimachihowan that roughly translates into living with the land. The northern Cree are First Nations (Indigenous Canadians) living in the Boreal forest, second in size and ecological importance only to the Amazonian Rainforest, an indispensable resource to maintaining life. A Michael MacDonald film; written and produced by Dr. David Lertzman; director, editor, sound: Michael MacDonald; featuring Dr. David Lertzman, Conroy Sewepagaham, and Willard Tallcree; 33:03 minutes. Retrieved from: http://www.michaelbmacdonaldfilms.ca/
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    Megamorphesis: the hip hop quest for enlightenment
    (2016) MacDonald, Michael B.
    Every week Dre Pharoh and iD meet with young Edmonton hiphoppas at a local community centre. Together they make a knowledge cypher called Cipher5 where they work towards developing both skills and better selves. This is a film about one of those meetings where they talk about HipHop Kulture and build a new hip-hop track about their transformation to a higher self, Megamorephesis. A Cipher5 production; a Michael MacDonald film; 29:46 minutes. Retrieved from: http://www.michaelbmacdonaldfilms.ca/
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    (2017) MacDonald, Michael B.; MacDonald, Michael B.; Pearson, Diana
    A daughter's journey to discover the music festival her father loved and the island that makes it possible. A Michael B. MacDonald film; written by Diana Pearson; all songs by Mike Pearson; filmed on location on Hornby Island, British Columbia, Canada; 37:03 minutes. Retrieved from http://www.michaelbmacdonaldfilms.ca/