Author: Rameezah

For my second Blog Post, I attended the Guitar Ensemble Concert at the Aaron Copland School of Music. I have passed by this building many times on campus, however I had never actually been inside until this event. When I stepped foot into the School, the portrait of Aaron Copland hanging on the left side caught my eye. I think the first part that stood out was the warm tones used in the painting and the relaxed pose sitting on the couch. I then learned that the artist painted two almost identical portraits of Copland, and that one hangs in Washington D.C. Then, when I walked in Lefrank Hall I was absolutely mesmerized. The intricate designs in front above the stage left me in awe. 

This concert consisted of 4 musicians: Maggie Craig, Daniel Zapata, Jack Bergen, and Javin Sewkaran. Each played 2 solos, and then came together to play 2 pieces at the end. Even though I am not familiar with different types of guitars, it was easy for me to tell that each guitarist has their own style and personality in the way the pieces were played. You could really tell that the musicians seemed to love what they were doing as each piece was full of love and care. It reminded me of when I would be playing the flute at my school concerts. I hope to start playing it again over the winter break. This class and even this concert, made me passionate again about music and want to pick up my flute!

Daniel Zapata’s pieces stood out to me because he dedicated each of the pieces to his parents. He played Lejanía (Carlos Rodríguez Payés) which he dedicated to his mother, and ended the solos with the piece Fantasía (Gentil Montaña) dedicated to his Columbian dad. There was something that was very heartfelt about the way he introduced the pieces and you could really hear the emotions while he was playing. This reminded me of what we had discussed in class of how art carries personal meaning, even when the audience does not know the full story. Maggie’s second solo was also absolutely beautiful. The way she played her pieces had a sort of calmness or gentleness that filled the atmosphere of Lefrank Hall. I think it was a shame that more people were not there to hear the concert… they missed out! As we learned in class, every artistic piece, whether it is poems, paintings, opera, is beautiful and deserves attention and recognition. However, even a small concert with a small audience can hold a lot of beauty! 

At the end, the 4 guitarists performed Oya Tu Merced y Creo (anonimo) and Con Temor Vivo (Juan de Triana). The way the different voices of the guitars were able to harmonize and produce a beautiful piece was absolutely stunning to hear. It was the literal ‘music to your ears’. I thought the solos were impressive, but hearing the last two pieces made me appreciate how even a guitar can produce so many different layers in a piece (in band, we had all sorts of different instruments to blend together, however here, it was different types of guitars!). When we had the session with Amanda Hick, I remember learning to pay attention to little details, noticing pauses, timing, emotions, etc. Even though this was not an opera I attended, I found myself being able to pay attention to how the guitarists played their pieces, when they were fully immersed, and when they had to pull back. I think coming from a background of playing an instrument helped me get a more immersive experience. I even found myself tapping my foot lightly (resembling a metronome) as when I would when I used to play. Looking back, while writing this Blog Post, I remember John Dewey’s text we read and how art is an experience. It doesn’t become meaningful because it exists, but rather because the person who is experiencing the art is fully immersed. And when I was sitting listening to the guitarists play their pieces, I felt fully present. 

All in all, this concert became a lot more special than I expected. It was not a huge performance, but it definitely stood out. I am grateful that I attended, and I think more students should take advantage of small events like this (it was also free! No registration needed). I hope to now attend more events like this, and I truly appreciate how much talent is present in our campus. It has the possibility of leaving an impact when you give it all your attention and appreciation. 

Pictures: 

For my first Blog Post, I watched Hamilton the Broadway. I remember my 4th grade teacher was obsessed with this play, and she even made shirts for our entire class which were Hamilton themed! Yet, I never actually sat down to watch the full thing until now, and I am so glad I finally did. I understand why my teacher loved the play so dearly. Even though this was not in person, it felt like a full theater experience because of the way the musical was shot. I didn’t expect to stay focused for almost three hours, but the way the show mixes history, music, and storytelling pulled me in pretty quickly. 

This musical followed the life of Alexander Hamilton, starting from when he arrived in New York as a young immigrant all the way to his death after the duel with Aaron Burr. Watching the Broadway made me see the Founding Fathers differently from how we usually perceive them in textbooks. In the film, they are shown as young, ambitious, impulsive and kind of messy individuals who are trying to figure out what America should become. For example, the heated arguments, one of them being where Jefferson and Hamilton were arguing about whether to help France in their war efforts or stay neutral, and in that process saying some insults to one another. In the textbooks however, they are typically portrayed as people who knew what was going on, and seemed strict. 

One scene that stood out to me was the song “My Shot” where Hamilton is basically hyping himself up because he refuses to let any opportunity slip away. It reminded me of some of our class discussions about pursuing opportunity and how personal motivation shapes people’s paths. Also, in class we talked about Colson Whitehead’s idea that “You are a New Yorker when what was there before is more real and solid than what is here now”. Watching Hamilton, I kept thinking of that because the whole show is built around the older version of New York, yet the way it is shown is extremely alive and present, as if the city still holds all the old versions inside it. When Hamilton arrived and sang “In New York you can be a new man”, it reminded me of how Whitehead described the city as constantly changing but still remembering everyone who passes through it.

I admired how this Broadway used staging and choreography to tell the story. For example, during “Yorktown”, the ensemble moves in slow motion while Lafayette and Hamilton rap about the victory, and the spinning turntable stage makes the scene feel chaotic but controlled at the same time. It helped me visualize the intensity of the Revolutionary War in a way that a reading cannot. 

I would also like to add that when we read the poem “Harlem,” we talked about what happens when dreams get postponed. Hamilton is basically the opposite. He’s terrified of delaying anything, which ends up being part of his downfall. His non-stop mentality feels similar to how we discussed dreams building pressure. Hamilton is always pushing, and Burr is always waiting, and it made me think of how the tone in “Harlem” shifts from soft to intense. Burr and Hamilton reflect this kind of phenomenon, especially in “The Room Where It Happens.”

During the show, I kept thinking about how identity and stories are shaped and one of the quotes we had talked about in class: “To be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others”. Hamilton the Broadway shows the early leaders talking about freedom while still dealing with the contradictions like slavery, power, and inequality. It made me think about how ideals are easy to say but harder to live out… a similar theme present today.

All in all, watching Hamilton made me appreciate how art and performance can bring history into the present. It tied together a lot of ideas from class, especially the way New York holds different versions of itself over time. Even watching it virtually, I felt connected to the energy of the city, the themes we have discussed, and the idea that everyone is trying to create their own story/identity just like Hamiliton did.