You can visit this link to watch the performance and hear a little bit about the piece, it’s context, and how the author’s circumstances might influence the way we perceive art.
Video Transcript:
This piece is called ‘Sicilian Blues’ and was composed by Hiromi Uehara, who is a Japanese jazz composer and pianist.
Why did you choose this piece?
I chose to play this piece because I think it really exemplifies how understanding the cultural and social context behind a composer can really enrich a piece. Uehara, as a woman and in the world of jazz outside of America represents how the jazz movement has spread. The genre of jazz was born in the black community in New Orleans in the early 20th century, with roots in West African cultural and musical expression, and it rose up as a cultural force against oppression and racism. As a counterculture movement, it’s really powerful and beautiful, despite the complexity of jazz music theory.
More on the Jazz movement
Ironically, though, the music theory world and the jazz world are pretty elitist. It’s hard to get in there, it can be quite cold and unforgiving. I think, though, that it’s a testament to the universality of music that a piece such as Sicilian Blues can be considered beautiful despite all this. And, of course, there are still people that discriminate and look down upon the Jazz movement for its history, no matter how wonderful the music is. I think that really goes to show how culture and social values really impact the way a piece is viewed.
Music Theory, and the Universality of Music
I think it’s obvious to all of us that music is much more than notes on a page. People who understand music theory might see the artistic value, they’re able to do almost like an autopsy on a piece to figure out why it’s so beautiful, but you don’t need a deep understanding of music theory to appreciate a piece. That also relates to how you don’t need a social context to appreciate a piece either. This is why music is universal. However, music theory and social context can really enrich a piece in terms of experience, despite the fact that it’s not necessary to know. I think that this complex universality is a key part of all art and all life, and is what makes Music such a fulfilling art.