Assignment+No.+3

There are four personal reviews of the two videos. Please read each review and respond to one. Comment on the clarity of the writing style, content and personal response. Remember these assignments are intended to help us learn to respond to critical writing and to provide constructive criticism. In a Drowse by the Eiichi Hayashi Trio is a very different piece of music. When I first started playing it I thought it was very odd and didn't consider it very musical although it had a few musical elements. The musical elements started disappearing and it began to sound very disorganized, as if it was the first time they were playing through a song (that was too hard for them). When the theme came back I liked it a bit more than the first time. All of a sudden got very quiet and almost stopped, which I didn't like because it made it seem like they forgot what they were doing. The balance of the instruments wasn't very good. The start of the slow section was probably my favorite part because it had a sense of stability and form and was moderately musical. It didn't sound very full. What I mean is that with the overly high pitched saxophone, the bass and nothing in between, it seemed empty. I didn't like the sax player because he was all over the place. He sounded like he was playing the music just to show off and not for the sake of music. I found he had a good range, and the high notes surprised me, but his tone was not enjoyable to listen too. The drummer made the whole thing more confusing by never keeping a steady rhythm and always playing as if he had a big solo. He also always seemed to be playing the cymbals except during the theme. It gave it too much of a constant ringing sound. The bassist was the only one doing any good, musically. For all these reasons I didn't like the song and I would never listen to it as entertainment. When I listened to the second song (The Neck Belly Reels by Sharon Shannon) I felt much more comfortable and happy with the music. It had a set form and melody that I could hum along with. It was well organized and catchy. I would never have known that one person in the band was more in charge than anyone else had I not read the name. They seemed all equal and happy about it too. They were all together and well rehearsed but there to just have fun. It was a more musical song and had a lot of repetition, which I like. It was well balanced between every member and it was also very full sounding, having many different instruments. All of the musicians were amazing players and not one of them stood out to being any less skilled than the others. Comparing the two would not be hard, and by describing them both I have accomplished that. I definitely enjoyed the second song more because of the musical elements it had that the first one didn't.
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No. 2

First of all I’d like to say that I’m not great at criticizing and comparing music, but in this case it was not really a problem. By far, the Neck Belly Reels did an incredible and far superior job. It is hard to even compare the selections. The Eiichi Hayashi Trio was very amateur in comparison to say the least.

So to begin; the Eiichi Hayashi Trio. While they started out reasonably, almost immediately the music began to grate on my nerves. They seemed to be slightly disorganized and I even noticed several minor errors. The players seemed to be as concerned about making sudden moves with their instrument, as they were with the playing. Their main aim seemed to be to demonstrate how “cool” they were rather than focusing on their playing. Their tone was also far from great, and they just didn’t seem to really act like musicians. To be honest I’d have to say they were one of the worst groups I’ve ever heard. That being said, they may have simply been performing for themselves, in which case their music would be more acceptable.

Now on to The Neck Belly Reels. They were an incredible group that had me tapping my foot through the entire piece. Their Irish jig-like music was extremely entertaining and was very welcome after listening to the terrible first video. They played with a great tone, they always seemed to be together, and had a great beat. Their personal smiles and frequent glances at each other helped build a relaxing atmosphere and contributed to the video’s overall feel. While they seemed to smile very often, I didn’t feel as though the smiles were faked. The band also had a great balance of instruments and seemed to really enjoy playing as a group. Their performance was so good, that I could easily listen to it several times. While the music is slightly repetitive, the music is an Irish-Jig and meant to be danced too. It’s very hard not to get up and dance while listening to this music. Overall they were one of the best groups I have ever heard, mainly due to the fact that they played with a great group focus and professionalism that left me amazed throughout the piece.

In conclusion, while I know that the Neck Belly Reels are a much more professional band, there is no comparison. They were pleasant to listen to, entertaining, and highly skilled, while the Eiichi Hayashi Trio did a poor job in comparison. Although I’ll admit I’m not a big fan of Jazz, their performance had many flaws that make it look amateur at best.

No. 3

It is difficult to compare the Eiichi Hayashi Trio to the Neck Belly Reels fairly in terms of artist talent, as after watching the videos it was obvious to me that very different levels of musicianship are present in either video. I opened “In A Drowse” expecting to hear a piece of music with some stylistic merit that could be analyzed, and was shocked after a mildly acceptable-sounding introduction to hear only a poorly executed drum line and what I believed the saxophone player must have thought was ‘improvisation’. To him it may have been improvisation, but to my ears it was torture. After listening to the first minute of the piece I had to stop because I was so shocked at how poorly it was being performed. The percussionist and saxophonist were not together, and as for the bassist, due to either the poor quality of the recording or my speakers, it was impossible to hear him. If there was more keeping this piece together, it was only evident to the players, as even after having listened to it on different speakers the recording does not allow the listener to hear much but saxophone noise and muffled drums. The Neck Belly Reels on the other hand presented a video that was much better executed and appreciable, though the music was repetitive. The first thing I noticed was that the recording was of a good enough quality to allow the listener to recognize and analyze all of the instruments present; no single instrument seemed to unnecessarily dominate the others. All of the musicians knew their parts and played them well, to create a piece with few flaws to comment on. I much preferred this piece as compared to “In A Drowse”, both because of the better quality of both the recording and the music. Of course, while the Eiichi Hayashi Trio did not seem to be a well-rehearsed professional group performing in a professional setting, they were easier to watch. The Neck Belly Reels’ video is not performed live, and the musicians seem almost strained in their efforts to create a ‘cheerful’ atmosphere. The music was upbeat, but after a minute or so the presentation became very monotonous with how pristine it was on top of the repetitive music. Overall I was very put off by the Eiichi Hayashi Trio and more impressed with the Neck Belly Reels. I recognize that it is impossible to have expectations for one group to play at the same standard as another and there is a wide range of musical ability and professionalism between the two. Each had advantages, but also disadvantages.

No. 4 ||< No. 4

The two pieces up for review are In a Drowse by the Eiichi Hayashi Trio and The Neck Belly Reels by Sharon Shannon. These two pieces are very contrasting in structure, nature, style and musicianship. The Neck Belly Reels is more appealing to the general audience than the In a Drowse due to its structure, style and logical flow and pattern however both songs are great pieces in their own nature. In a Drowse caught me off guard. I expected a jazz style saxophone soloist playing a nice flowing melody, however was unfortunately surprised by the abrasiveness of the tone and the melody immediately. Shortly after each member appeared to be messing around, trying to show off what sounds they could get out of their instruments. This caused many clashes in sound, ideas and rhythms. After the first couple of minutes the saxophone melody became more lyrical and more appealing but this was short lived as the piece turned back in to a musical mayhem of sounds. The reason I have concluded to is that In a Drowse was to recreate thoughts in a light sleep, which are not always clear or make sense. The Eiichi Hayashi Trio certainly captures this idea if that was their intentions. If it were not for the title or videos of other performances, I would have considered In a Drowse the product of putting three guys in a room, handing them instruments and telling them to make noise. The Neck Belly Reels by Sharon Shannon with Gerry O’Conner and Jim Murray is very pleasing to the ear. The nicely flowing melodies with the flute and various instruments later on are very logical and feed off each other. The piece itself is very upbeat and it is easy to tell by the atmosphere from the music and the smile on the performers faces that they are greatly enjoying it. The only drawback to this piece is that it is extremely repetitive, however this music was for dancing, not listening. It is easy to tell that the performers are at different levels of performing after watching the two videos. The Eiichi Hayashi Trio are not as well established as Sharon Shannon. Shannon is well known Irish musician and has recorded numerous CDs while the Eiichi Hayashi Trio appears to be an amateur group. The reel is a professionally done music video with a clear recording attached but the Eiichi Hayashi Trio appear to be performing at a bar. If I had to pick a favorite or preference to either In a Drowse or The Neck Belly Reels, it would without a question be the latter. I do appreciate modern music and styles however they are not as nice to listen to or enjoy as a reel. The only real drawback with The Neck Belly Reels is that it is extremely repetitive like most reels. This does not take anything away from the excellent performance and if it were a head to head competition, The Neck Belly Reels is the winner here. ||  ||