Music Traditions Around the World Chapter Essay
Essay Assignment 3: Chapter 9
1. Live musical performances, in several aspects, are often associated with heavy partying, drinking, and promiscuity. Professional harpists are no exception to the pressure of caving to this kind of lifestyle. Don Cesar Muquinche explains in his interview that his father was subjected to a great deal of pressure to engage in heavy drinking that could last up to several days. Professional harpists were integral to a variety of celebrations and ceremonies in Tungurahua and the surrounding regions. For this reason, harpists were in extremely high demand and travelled the country for events frequently. Harpists not only suffered from the exhaustion of playing for several days at these celebrations, but were also highly encouraged by the attendants of these events to engage in drinking. The temptation was often difficult to ignore for these harpists, as they were subjected to witness the party-goers engaging in what seemed like never-ending drinking. Don Cesar Muquinche’s father was of the very few professional harpists to successfully resist the urge to submit to such heavy pressure throughout his entire career. He saw how many harpists suffered the harsh consequences of spending all their earnings on alcohol and leaving their families penniless in the end. Muquinche Sr. swore to himself that he would not cause such hardship for his family, and worked hard to obtain property for his family to inherit. For much of Don Cesar’s life, the suffering a professional harpist went through kept him from becoming one himself. From reading Don Cesar’s personal accounts, it seems as though Cesar believed he was not strong enough to bear the temptation and exhaustion that accompanied harp playing. However, Don Cesar eventually gave up his first career as a hat maker in order to become a professional harpist because he could not ignore the joy it brought himself to see others love his music. Cesar greatly admired his father’s hard work and found
1. Live musical performances, in several aspects, are often associated with heavy partying, drinking, and promiscuity. Professional harpists are no exception to the pressure of caving to this kind of lifestyle. Don Cesar Muquinche explains in his interview that his father was subjected to a great deal of pressure to engage in heavy drinking that could last up to several days. Professional harpists were integral to a variety of celebrations and ceremonies in Tungurahua and the surrounding regions. For this reason, harpists were in extremely high demand and travelled the country for events frequently. Harpists not only suffered from the exhaustion of playing for several days at these celebrations, but were also highly encouraged by the attendants of these events to engage in drinking. The temptation was often difficult to ignore for these harpists, as they were subjected to witness the party-goers engaging in what seemed like never-ending drinking. Don Cesar Muquinche’s father was of the very few professional harpists to successfully resist the urge to submit to such heavy pressure throughout his entire career. He saw how many harpists suffered the harsh consequences of spending all their earnings on alcohol and leaving their families penniless in the end. Muquinche Sr. swore to himself that he would not cause such hardship for his family, and worked hard to obtain property for his family to inherit. For much of Don Cesar’s life, the suffering a professional harpist went through kept him from becoming one himself. From reading Don Cesar’s personal accounts, it seems as though Cesar believed he was not strong enough to bear the temptation and exhaustion that accompanied harp playing. However, Don Cesar eventually gave up his first career as a hat maker in order to become a professional harpist because he could not ignore the joy it brought himself to see others love his music. Cesar greatly admired his father’s hard work and found