Silkroad Ensemble: Music Analysis

Music has much more to offer than what we just hear on the radio, whether it be its genre or the experience it can give us. There are four performances which exemplify this: the “Arabian Waltz” by the Silkroad Ensemble; “Believe” by John Pascuzzi, Steve Sklar, and Dr. Richard Grossman; "Quarter Chicken Dark," "Attaboy," and "Here And Heaven" by Yo-Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer, Chris Thile, Stuart Duncan, and Aoife O'Donovan; and “One Love” by the JJI Exile Brothers.
The “Arabian Waltz” by the Silkroad Ensemble is a suspenseful yet intriguing song. I was initially surprised at the sheer amount of people and different instruments, as there were many I didn’t even recognize. The most noteworthy parts of the song were the beat of the drums and the sounds brought by string and flute-like instruments. Although I was at first skeptical, all the different instruments were able melt together to create a song that was ominous and intriguing, yet playful. The song was driving in some parts, while other parts were slower and quieter so that the drums were the focal point. Perhaps the most unique aspect of the performance was the mix of the classical instruments with the tribal ones. Violins, flutes, and bongos
Right from the beginning, the song had a noticeable blend of different styles of music, from Oriental, to folk, to southern gospel and reggae. This was further emphasized through the many different people from all over the world singing the same song in their own style or with their own instruments. From India, to Israel, to the Congo, to South Africa, the different styles and cultures were evident even in small snapshots. The mixture of different instruments, from the sarod, to guitars, to bongos, to drums, mixed with people of different ethnicities, nationalities, and languages, showed how everyone was unique but still able to connect through a