Big Blog No. 2: The Music of Greece

 

    Obviously, I love music, I also love pizza and my dog. I consider myself to be a video game nerd. One thing about me, that you may not have known is that I am a sucker for history and geography. When I began thinking about what culture I would be studying for this blog entry I immediately chose Greece. I have always thought highly of Greek culture, music, and mythology. However I have never truly studied the music. I can talk about the mythology for hours upon end, but this is a music class is it not? So let's get into it.

The Influence of Ancient Greece

    Ancient Greece shaped the way that we live our everyday lives today. The Greeks were a very sophisticated people, studying mathematics, philosophy, medicine, and astronomy, they made advances and gained a greater understanding of the world. The people of ancient Greece were also fond of art, architecture, literature, and theatre. The stories of Homer's epic poem, The Iliad and Odyssey, are still taught in public schools today. Now one thing I have not mentioned is Greek music. Well because of the abundance of knowledge and art that is seen throughout history the music has been a bit overlooked in your basic history classes, which is a shame because it is quite lovely, which is not surprising, considering where it comes from.

Music of Ancient Greece

    Based on the geographic location, the Greeks were heavily influenced from both eastern and western cultures, giving them a large diversity of art and knowledge. The Greeks saw music as a connection between art, poetry and lyrics, as well as dance. Music was also seen as a gift from the gods, therefore certain Greek instruments were named in homage to those gods. For example the panpipes were named after the god of the wild, Pan. The lyre was named after Hermes, the messenger of Mt. Olympus. And the flute was named after Athena, the goddess of wisdom. 

Because of their fascination in science and the mind, music was believed to have strong connections to the body both physically and mentally and by no surprise their beliefs were accurate.

    What you just listened to was the "Song of Seikilos", or "Seikilos Epitah, which is the oldest documented musical composition. Historians believe that the work was composed anywhere from 200 BC to 100 AD. When translated to English the lyrics roughly read, "As long as you live, shine. Let nothing grieve you beyond measure. For your life is short, and time will claim its toll." Those lyrics are still relevant to our cultures in todays time.

The Instrumentation of Greece

    Throughout Ancient Greece there were several instruments that were used commonly by many different people, but the most acknowledgeable instrument is the lyre. A brief description of the lyre is, a small harp that sits in the player's lap. Tuned to a pentatonic scale, regardless of what string you plucked, harmony was always easy to achieve. This allowed for lyricists to shine because of the simplistic tuning. The greeks preferred words of music because of their strong ties to literature.

Is that not super cool? There is not much you can really do, only five strings are on this lyre, and it seems to be tuned to a minor scale.

Now lets give this next piece a listen, there is a lot more going on.

This lyre is much bigger than the one we saw on the previous video and is tuned differently, however each lyre is similar in build. Then objective of the lyre is to be able to play a harp in your hands. Now the drum is very simple, but it is pitched and gives off low drone. Im sure you can get a sense of some Indian influence from that. How about the vocals? They're very middle eastern aren't they? Like I said before, Greece sits in between the eastern and western styles of music, so there is lots of noticeable bleed from both sides.

Below is the last video on the lyre... its super cool. Enjoy!

Yeah, thats pretty insane right? I found the whole idea of an ancient world instrument being used to perform one of Bach's beautiful works, which in the grand scheme of things is not that old. Again this lyre is tuned differently as well as having a different structural build. The seven string lyre is the most common of all the lyres and is still an instrument that is looked upon today. Lastly can we all take a second to respect my dude here for hitting harmonics on open strings? That is WILD!

Out of all the instruments we learned about throughout Diverse Cultures, the one that stuck with me the most was the oud, or as the Greeks call it, the outi. The oud originated in ancient Persia and made its way to Greece and has become a staple of Greek music. I was particularly drawn to the oud because I love string instruments of any kind, also I am a guitar player... shocking right?

This is very much a Greek piece, however I am sure you can hear the Arabic inspiration.

Earlier in the blog, I discussed the oldest song, "Song of Siekolos". Well this super cool dude decided to not only perform the piece, but build ancient Greek instruments to fully experience what the people of the old world did. 

Greek Music in Video Games

As some of you may know, I nerd out over a few things in my life and some of the most nerdy things are music and video games. Put those two together and I become the Ultimate Nerd.

As a child I always loved the Assassins Creed franchise, wonderful gameplay, a great story, and killer scores. A more recent release from Ubisoft was Assassins Creed Odyssey, which puts you in the shoes of a Greek mercenary who travels Greece near in 90ish AD. The reason I bring this up is for the score in the game. The composers behind the entirety of this score did a wonderful job!

Another game that uses lots of Greek culture, religion, and music, is the God Of War franchise. God Of War is an iconic series. You play as Kratos, a spartan turned god, who is out for vengeance. Spoiler, he kills all the gods on Mount Olympus by the end of the trilogy. The score is so so good, give it a listen. 

Wrapping It Up

    Well I love Greek music, culture, and mythology and I hope that you all learned something from reading this blog! Thank you for sticking with me and reading these blogs over the course of Jan Term. It was really fun and I hope you all have a nice spring semester!

Works Cited

“Music - Mysterious Greece - the Insider’s Travel Guide.” 2014. Mysterious Greece The Insider’s Travel Guide. Mysterious Greece - The Insider’s Travel Guide. October 27, 2014. https://www.mysteriousgreece.com/about-greece/music/.

“Classical Greek Culture (Article).” n.d. Khan Academy. https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/world-history/ancient-medieval/classical-greece/a/greek-culture#:~:text=The%20Greeks%20made%20important%20contributions.

Wired. 2009. “The Seikilos Epitaph: The Oldest Song in the World,” October 29, 2009. https://www.wired.com/2009/10/the-seikilos-epitaph/.

Cartwright, Mark. 2013. “Ancient Greek Music.” World History Encyclopedia. https://www.worldhistory.org/Greek_Music/.

‌

‌

‌

Music & Family

    Something that I have learned as I have grown to be a young man is that regardless of what season of life you are in, your family will always be there with you. Family can be defined in many ways. Technically, family is a group of people who are related by blood. In reality family is much more than that. I have friends that I consider family, I consider my girlfriend family, and as a christian, God says we are all family in his eyes. To be honest I have people in my family that I do not speak with much. I have a better relationship with the staff at Venus Pie than some of my true family members. 

Something else I have learned: Music is a bridge that spans across generations

Have you ever heard the saying "harmony is better in the blood"? Well I truly believe in that statement. I chose my grandfather, Dan Caston, to interview for this blog entry for many reasons. He is like my dad, I go to him for advice all the time. He is a phenomenal musician. He is an even better man. 

Pop took me under his wing when I started playing, teaching me about music, the cultures, theory, the list goes on and on. I started "studying music" in the eighth grade. I remember sitting down at a hot dog place with papa, we were grabbing a bite before praise band practice and some country song was playing on the loud speaker. Out of nowhere he asked me, "what does that progression sound like to you? Pretend that you're in the key of G and listen for the changes." So I did, and it was hit or miss for a while and those random questions went on for months, and they still do, but I finally realized what he was trying to teach me, the number system. I had a very simplistic, but firm, understanding of music theory before coming to study at Converse, but I could not read music, so I had a bit of a learning curve. My roots are different from a classically trained musician, and I have to thank my Papa for that. He set me up for success and I didn't even realize it.

For this interview I will be summarizing my Papa's responses as he, like me, loves to talk and go on and on :)

Question 1: What Was Your Music Life Like as a Child?

    My papa grew up in the 1950s and 60s in a mill village here in Spartanburg. He was an only child, and both of his parents worked very hard, so he learned to have fun and be okay with being alone sometimes. He did all the normal kid stuff, played army in the yard, rode his bike everywhere, and played ball with his friends. His father sang and played harmonica n churches in the area, and papa would tag along with him, singing with his daddy. One day he was eating cereal and at the bottom of the box was a toy, more importantly a toy guitar. He was so intrigued by the little toy. He played it so much that his parents saved up enough money to buy him an acoustic guitar from Sears. At the time it was twenty dollars. Twenty dollars.

"At the time I was also taking piano lessons. My piano teacher came to mama and said, "Danny doesn't need to take from me anymore, he is reading the music and adding other things that are not on the sheet." I was eight or nine at that point in time."

He was playing piano, guitar, and singing. He even had a makeshift set of drums that he banged on. For coming from a family who didn't have much, he was incredibly happy. He was addicted to music. He took his guitar to school and played it at recess, and played whenever and wherever he could. Papa is my hero.

Question 2: Who Inspired You as a Young Musician?

"The Beatles forever changed my life." 

Papa started playing music before the British invasion of the 60s. Before that time he was studying up on hymns, playing music with his daddy all the time. He says he remembers hearing the Beatles for the first time, he was blown away. He saved up enough money to buy "Meet The Beatles." 

"I learned every song on that album, I played along for hours and hours. Day after day, I lived and breathed that music. In our living room we had a record player that sat in a piece of furniture, that is where I listened. But the sound quality back then was nothing compared to what we have now, so I would stick my head in and close off the openings so I could easily hear each harmony that John and Paul were singing." 

His love for The Beatles carried over into my dad, and into me as well. We have spent much time sitting on the porch singing old Beatle tunes and crushed the harmonies. Those are my best memories.

He loves the harmonies in this classic Beatles tune. Give it a listen 

Question 3: What is Your Favorite Concert You Have Attended?

"Well I loved going to see Aerosmith back in the 90s, that was an amazing show! But I think another concert that was life changing was Boston. Me and your grandma saw them in the basement of the Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium. It was around the time of their first albums release, so no one really knew who they were, but soon after they were doing stadium tours. So consider myself lucky to have seen them in such a small and personal setting."

A Quick Summary

My papa is one of my musical heroes. He is not normal, his talent is God given and I am so blessed to call him family. I would not be where I am without him and not just musically, but as a young man. He has changed my life is countless ways. I could go on and on about him, his jokes, and musically ability. I love that man with all of me.

Below is a link to a little bit of his music. It is a few of his songs that he has written in his 60 year long music career.  These recordings span from the late 80s up until mid 2000s, so you will hear a good bit of "80s style keyboard patches" and I love them! A majority of the instrumentation you are hearing is him, besides a few guitar solos that were tracked by my uncle who is also a phenomenal musician. Please give it a listen. Dan Caston is a legend.

https://open.spotify.com/album/1TrKdOs1oy92jBRLPv2gZj?si=tiKTHH5XSqmhmYvlX6tlzQ

Big Blog no.1 - Punky Punk

    Who likes super distorted guitar tones? What about surprisingly deep lyrics? Ooooh what about very nasally singing?! Well those three ingredients make up the wonderful genre that we all know and love. Punk music. Maybe not everyone, because people are entitled to their own opinions ya da ya da and for some sad, depressing, and heart wrenching reason, not everyone likes punk. Sad.

What Exactly is Punk?

    Punk is one of the many offspring from the mega genre that is rock, which changed the face of music forever. Known for it's high energy it is easily identified for being a more aggressive genre. Punk is often associated with rebellion, teenagers, and anything that screams "anti something." 

Below is an example of a very punky song. Give it a listen and see how it makes you feel.

Pretty awesome right? We will touch more on Green Day after while, they are my favorite.

The Roots

  If someone were to ask you, "Hey bro, when exactly did Punk music start originating?" You would most likely say, "The 90s man!" Well I hate to break it to you friend, but you're wrong. But hey don't feel bad, I thought the same thing as you did before I cracked open the metaphorical book that is the internet and did my research! 

The wonderful genre that is Punk music actually originated in the mid 1970s, and can even be traced back to the 60s as a nickname for musicians who were playing shows with little to no experience and a lack of musical understanding. Another common misconception is that the home of punk is L.A. It actually was New York City, as well as Detroit, which made my head turn as I re read that passage a few times. It was during the late 60s that young people were pushing for peace and equality, but not everyone had that mindset. Many people were also protesting at this time in anyway shape or form. And for bands it was through song.

This is a band called The Stooges, which were one of the first bands to be classified as "Punk"

Give this recording a listen and see what you think

As you listened I'm sure you were able to pick out many of the punk like elements that were scattered throughout the song. The guitar, the drums, the singing, the tempo. The music is fairly straight forward and quite simple isn't it? I have no doubt you heard those lyrics too, they are very much political and took jabs at governments around the glob. To me there is beauty in having the freedom to say what you want, it is the first amendment after all, and the fact that this Detroit boys do it through song is awesome. 

Now onto the 70s:

In 1974, 4 guys who lived in Queens, NY, officially formed one of the most respected and influential punk bands ever. The band is called Ramones and thanks to them punk is still played today. 

Think about the time in which this was released, this was nothing like The Beatles, Eagles, Or Led Zeppelin. This was something new that hadn't been heard on that level yet. And people loved it. The energy was fresh, the lyrics were harsh, and the music was heavy!

Regardless of the time, all punk music follows the same set of fundamentals that make punk, punk.

Punk in the 90s

    Ah yes! If I could choose to be a teenager in any era it would most definitely be the 90s. I love the fashion, the culture, and most importantly, the music. If I could I would write an entire paper on 90s music and dive deep into all the songs that still blast through our headphones today.

Now lets talk about the ultimate 90s punk band: Green Day

Green Day is why I love punk music. In my eyes they are the best of the best. And just to throw this out there, when the band was formed it contained only three members! I just really connected with their music, it made me feel alive, made me see that it was okay to swim against the stream, and be comfortable in your own skin. Granted I never took part in any rebellious activities growing up. I mean I never went to parties and I didn't really date until senior year of high school. But Im okay with that. You don't have to be angry to listen to punk, you don't even have to be a rebel. It is all about what speaks to you and how the song makes you feel.

Now what does that make you feel? It makes me feel like a badass... I tend to speed when this song is on my radio. Maybe I shouldn't listen to this while I drive.

The lyrics of this song, and a majority of Green Day's songs, are much deeper than you realize. This is indeed a protest against the American government. At the time of it's release the US was involved in a war against the Iraq because of the traumatic attack, 9/11. At the time George W.  Bush was in office, so many speculated that the song was aimed towards him. In an interview, guitarist and singer of Green Day, Billie Joe Armstrong, explained that, “I would never think of American Idiot as being about the Bush administration specifically. It’s about the confusion of where we’re at right now.”

Don’t wanna be an American idiot!

Don’t want a nation under the new media

And can you hear the sound of hysteria?

The subliminal mind fuck America!

Welcome to a new kind of tension

All across the alien nation

Where everything isn’t meant to be okay

Television dreams of tomorrow

We’re not the ones who’re meant to follow

For that’s enough to argue

Lets back track about ten years, to their legendary 1994 album, Dookie, more specifically their first single from that album, "Longview."

This song is completely different from the 2005 hit "American Idiot." This song tells the story of a teenage guy who sits at home all the time with zero motivation to do anything, but ironically has nothing to do. Lyrics even talk about how even masturbation cant cure his boredom. Yeah you read that right. Its college people, we're all adults here.

My mother says to get a job

But she don't like the one she's got

When masturbation's lost its fun, you're fuckin' lazy

Bite my lip and close my eyes

Take me away to paradise

I’m so damn bored, I’m going blind

And I smell like shit

Even though these songs are different, it's easy to see the similarities between the two. Just like The Stooges and Ramones, these songs are heavy, fast, and full of aggression, because those are the roots of punk music. The lyrics may be different and tell another story, but you can feel and hear the frustration in the both of them. That is what punk is all about, being heard, sharing your voice. Sometimes the easiest way to be heard through frustration and anger unfortunately. To me, punk music is a genre that almost anyone can relate to, because we have all been angry, heart broken, horny, or whatever you want to feel. Punk is so much more than nasally singing and gritty guitars. It is a way to connect to your emotions, which I think is music's general goal. 

Oh you want some more songs? Ill list some of my personal favorites below!

Here ya go homie :)

Jimmy Eat World - "Bleed American", these guys are very very underrated

Reliant K - "I Need You", these guys are a Christian Punk Band. I would so play this in church.

Paramore - "Careful", yes I may have a crush on Hayley Williams... but who doesnt?

Green Day - "Macy's Day Parade", this is a very different vibe from the Green boys, but its still punk!

Works Cited

Cooper, Ryan. “A Beginner's Guide to the Evolution of Punk Rock.” LiveAbout. LiveAbout, April 10, 2018. Last modified April 10, 2018. https://www.liveabout.com/history-of-punk-rock-2803345.

Hopper, Alex. 2022. “Behind the Meaning of Green Day’s Protest Song ‘American Idiot.’” American Songwriter. August 10, 2022. https://americansongwriter.com/meaning-american-idiot-green-day-song-lyrics/.

Huber, Chris. 2022. “The Meaning of Green Day’s ‘Longview.’” Extra Chill. April 1, 2022. https://extrachill.com/2022/04/green-day-longview-meaning.html.

Music & Gender

A person's gender plays a stereotypical role in many aspects of our daily lives. Some people find these stereotypes offensive, others not so much. Some find comfort in these "rules" while some like to bend and break them. Well for me I believe that man, woman, or whatever you identify as, are created equal and should be able to live freely, especially in this country. I'm not a political person, and I will not go into my opinions online, especially on a blog where my fellow classmates get to see how awesome my music taste is. However I will say that gender barriers are indeed an issue that need to be addressed

Now onto the music... that's why you're reading this right?

Led Zeppelin is one of the best rock n roll bands to walk the earth. Well in my opinion at least, as well as the millions upon millions of people around the globe who agree with me. Zeppelin is my all time favorite rock band, they were ahead of their time, inspiring countless musicians. Their mark is still very visible in the rock side of the music world. When I was younger I aspired to be Jimmy Page. I spent so much time learning Led Zeppelin tunes, it got to the point where my dad would bang on my door and say "please play something else son". I would try and learn other riffs, but Led Zeppelin was just intoxicating to me. I fell in love with rock n roll when I learned of the greatness that is Led Zeppelin.

Now what does Led Zeppelin have to do with gender? Well its not so much as the band as their genre. Rock n roll man! This is the a hard but true fact. The mainstream classic rock scene was dominated by males. That is not to hurt anyone's feelings, and no I'm not trying to offend people. It's the truth. I'm not saying that it is a good thing or even an intentional thing. I think there were many factors as to why the classic rock scene was dominated by men. For one we have to think about the time. During the late 60s and early 70s women were still looked at as house wives rather than women. Thankfully that idea is no where near as a relevant as it was during the times of classic rock and I am grateful for that. That whole idea was not a good look for dudes. See how I didn't say man?

Another thing that factored into men being the face of rock was the image. The idea of a bunch of sweaty, sometimes shirtless, dudes playing gritty guitar, screaming vocals, and smacking on drums was super cool. And we can all admit that it is. So when you get into the business side of things, the image is what sold the band most of the time. Image is important.

This is where Led Zeppelin comes in. To me they fit that image of rock n roll. Plus they are all insane musicians! 

For me the idea of a woman playing guitar is badass and quite frankly pretty attractive. One, because I myself am a guitar player, and two, it's not everyday you see a girl shredding a guitar, especially to a large audience. 

So here is a collection of videos from an insanely talented female guitarist who helped break the gender barrier that has had a hold on rock music since the days of Led Zeppelin.

This is Orianthi. She is an insane guitar player, and in my opinion is the guitar heronie we all needed. She proved that it doesn't matter your gender and has paved the way for young and aspiring female musicians trying to make it in the cruel yet rewarding music business,.Anyone can play the guitar or any other instrument, it all comes down to how bad you want it. And how far you are willing to push yourself to be the best you can be.

Here is a cover of Jimi Hendrix's "Voodoo Child", a staple song in the list of legendary rock songs that everyone should listen to or play at least once in their life time.

Oh did I mention that she was Michael Jackson's lead guitarist? Yeah she did that too!

Music & Rituals

I love rock and roll music. That is one of the foundations of the Caston House of Rock, which is in my brain and soul. As a sixteen year old kid I would spend hours in my room trying to figure out countless classic rock solos, which truthfully sounded like a sloppy pentatonic box that was brutally mauled by a pack of wolves. One song in particular that I remembered "mastering" was "Hit Me With Your Best Shot", which has a killer guitar solo in it that sixteen year old Isaiah thought made him sound like a shred god. It didn't, but hey I can play it now!

Anyway, rock, gritty guitar, heavy music. That style holds a special place in my heart. And because of that whenever I could play that in style, I would jump all over it. By the age of fifteen I was playing guitar at my grandfathers church, where he led the praise team. Every year we would put on a Christmas service which consisted of performances from both the choir and praise team. The music we played was more complex because Christmas music is so fun and challenging sometimes, but I didn't mind the challenge.

Months of planning would go into the Christmas services. One day late in the summer my grandfather brought up the idea of us covering a snippet of Lincoln Brewster's "Miraculum" and I absolutely jumped on board. I remembered thinking how awesome it was and how cool it would be that I would play some Christmas classics reimagined as heavy rock music. And oh boy it was superb. Well at least in my mind it was. I spent months preparing, learning as much and getting as close to the original as I could. I wont lie, it wasn't that bad considering that I hadn't been playing much more than a year and a half at the time. I'll never forget playing that song, being there with my grandfather, and learning how to serve God with music. 

Yeah I know... bad ass right?

Im going to keep the church music train rolling, because my musical roots are imbedded in church and I am very grateful and proud of that. Im going to share with you my all time favorite hymn. "How Great Thou Art". The song has a hold on me, it always has and it always will. It's one of those songs that has been covered by so many artists across countless genres, and every version is wonderful. It fits any style of music like a glove. The lyrics and melody are timeless. I've played this song at church, on my porch, and in nursing homes. It's timeless. I still get chills when I hear the song.

The particular version that I have shared is my all time favorite. Yes Carrie Underwood is insane, she is a beast of singer, but that is not why I love this rendition. It's because of Vince Gill, one of the most overlooked musicians today. Listen to those harmonies he is adding, just smooth. And his guitar solo is out of this world. The tone, the phrasing, its just God given talent and I am so here for it. 

Good luck not tearing up and please enjoy :)

Music & Me

    Hi blog readers! My name is Isaiah Caston. I am a sophomore at Converse University, double majoring in Contemporary Music and Composition, as well as chasing a certificate in Music Business and Technology. Growing up in a musical family, I was constantly surrounded by all sorts of music, which I am incredibly grateful for! I would say that I started taking music seriously when I was in the seventh grade once I started learning how to play the guitar. 

    As a thirteen year old kid I had no clue what my future held for me, but I know for a fact if I hadn't of learned a couple of guitar chords back then I would not be typing this blog right now. I sometimes find it hard to believe that I am where I am in life. It's pretty incredible that what I once found as a hobby turned into what gets me out of bed everyday. 

    So with that very brief description of my studies and musical upbringing lets talk about all the stuff that stays in my head rent free.

My Current Go-To:

    One of my favorite eras has to be the 1990s, theres just something about the music of that time that scratches an itch in my brain. One of my all time favorite bands is Collective Soul, which originated in the midst of the 90s rock/grunge era. However they have such a unique sound and so much variety in their music. The lead singer and songwriter, Ed Roland, is one of my biggest influences in both orchestral and contemporary music. You might be saying "What? Orchestral?" Yes bro. Orchestral. Because Ed studied at Juilliard before the band was formed, and was writing orchestral accompaniments for his rock songs. Absolutely KILLER!!! 

    The song below is a deeper cut from their album "Blender". The title is "Skin" and I LOVE THIS SONG! It's a fairly simple song that gets my head bobbing. And shows that a songs formula does not have to be crazy complex to be a banger.  Enjoy

    Heres a bonus piece called "Pretty Donna" which was composed by Ed Roland. This piece continues to inspire me. 

One of Them Meaningful Songs

    In my early years of playing guitar I started finding my singing voice. It took me years to have the confidence to sing, now I never shut up. Anyway, this Greenday song, which was incredibly soft for a  punk band, was the first song that I ever publicly performed. I was in the 10th grade at the time and spent months on end preparing and the day came to perform... and I was terrified. But I got through it and had my good friend, Rylei Powell accompany the performance on the cello. What a great memory and a great song.

One of Them Songs I Don't Vibe With

    Okay I respect all types of music, but the one that I just cant relate to is opera. Im sorry to all you opera lovers out there, but it just doesn't right with me. The vocal tone and intense amount of vibrato is a turn off to for my ears. Now after studying some opera with professor Bani this past semester I can say that I have listened to a fair amount and have achieved a great understanding. Its just not for me.

Like dont get me wrong this performance is impressive and I respect it, but no. Just no.