Week 2 - Tears for Kientepoos

Title of Piece: Tears for Kientepoos

Performers: Mary Youngblood

Culture of Origin: American Indian

Orchestration: Plains-style flute


I originally found this video on the Smithsonian Folkways website (http://www.folkways.si.edu/video/american_indian.aspx) but in order for me to put the video here on my blog I found another recording of the same artist playing the same piece. I was drawn to the simplicity of how the flute-playing sounded. Knowing that the title is "Tears for Kientepoos", I expected the playing to feel sad and solemn. In the video that is found in the Smithsonian Folkways website, Mary Youngblood describes this as a tribute to Kientepoos, an American Indian who wanted peace for him and his family. This unfortunately did not happen and he was hanged.

I feel that the flute gives us a nice melodic line that uses the breath of the player to really draw out each note and shape it to form a sad line. There is no real sense of time for a beat or rhythm, for I feel that adding this would take away from the sense of "breathing".

During this week we discussed instrument classification. I enjoyed learning about the Sachs-Hornbostel classification systems of Idiophones (instruments whose primary sound-producing medium is the body of the instrument itself), Membranophones (instruments whose primary sound-producing medium is a vibrating skin), Chordophones (instruments whose primary sound-producing medium is a vibrating string), and Aerophones (instruments whose primary sound-producing medium is vibrating air). The flute playing in this video would be classified in the aerophones for the vibrating air used to create this sound. I believe having music where there are different classifications of instruments used can be a way to add different musical levels and layers to a piece of music. However, for this piece, adding an instrument from another classification would take away from the simplicity of this piece. I also do not think it would have the same effect if it were to be played with another instrument from another classification. If an instrument from the chordophone classification were to be used, the feeling of the breath and the sadness would not be the same. It is important to know the different classifications in order to understand the way they can be used in different pieces of music.

I hope you enjoyed this music by Mary Youngblood and her music from her American Indian culture.