Carson Mus 200X Blog

 The Japanese Koto was originally introduced to Japan in the 7th and 8th centuries from China. The original version had 5 strings, which then turned to 7, then 13. The instrument is a type of zither, which is basically just a type of stringed instrument. Anymore, this instrument has a standard of 13 strings, but many more variants have different numbers of strings. Since all of the strings are the same thickness, koto are tuned using a moveable bridge called a kotoji. The sound that these instruments produce is very unique, so the music that goes along with it is pretty unique too. It has a sound reminiscent of a harp, but definitely different. I think it has a bit of a twangy sound that provides quite a bit of depth to the music played by a koto. One song that I think shows off this instrument  is  Sakura  performed by Kasumi Watanabe, uploaded 10 July 2013 .     The koto isn't just an instrument, it's a wide genre of music that encapsulates many different...

     When people hear the name "hurdy gurdy" a musical instrument usually isn't the first thing that comes to mind. To my surprise, the hurdy gurdy definitely exists, and it's actually a really cool instrument. It consists of the body of a stringed instrument, but instead of being plucked by fingers, or stroked with a bow, the strings are vibrated with a rotating wheel. The gurdy usually has 3-6 strings. 1-2 strings produce a melody, while the others are used for drone strings. The melody strings can be used to play different notes via a number of keys that press on each of the strings. One other notable aspect of hurdy gurdies is that they usually have a "buzzing bridge" which is a string that passes over a movable bridge that engages when the wheel is accelerated quickly. This instrument originated in France and was the most popular in the European Renaissance Era. After the Renaissance, the hurdy gurdy became a commoner instrument, so I haven't found ...

  Castle of Glass  by Linkin Park is another throwback for me. Not quite as far as my childhood, but it still goes back to when I was about 12 years old. I've always liked this song. There are some songs that I listen to because of the lyrics, but for me, many songs are such that I just listen to them because I think they sound good. I think this song is a good blend of both. It has a really nice beat, it's pretty catchy, and the lyrics are also good. I think it's a great song overall. It wasn't the most popular of their songs, however, since its highest position on the U.S. Billboard was #16 on the U.S. Alternative Airplay Billboard. Since it was featured in a video game, it was nominated for best "song in a game" by Spike Video Game Awards and TheB30Web says that the song is a 9/10. Music Video of Castle of Glass https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScNNfyq3d_w Timbre The tone color of this song is somber, yet also kind of hopeful, like something sad happened, bu...

 When I was a kid, my family would take trips up to our family cabin. Since these trips would take several hours, and I was an impatient kid, my dad would set up his iPod and keep the music going the whole way there. One of my favorite songs at the time, and still is, is the song Bless the Broken Road  sung by Rascal Flats. The song was originally written by Marcus Hummon, Bobby Boyd, and Jeff Hanna in 1994, and has had numerous covers done over the years. By far my favorite is the 2004 Rascal Flatts version, however. The Rascal Flatts cover was the only version of the song to reach #1 on the U.S. and Canada Billboard's Top 100. The original song was good, but Rascal Flatts brought it into the limelight, and it seems that everyone loved it. A video of Rascal Flatts performing Bless the Broken Road  live. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-vZlrBYLSU Lyrics This song is very nostalgic for me since it's a song that I've known since I was a small child, but also the lyrics are...

    Hi there! I'm Carson Myren, a  sophomore  petroleum engineering major at UAF. I was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska, and moved to Fairbanks last year for college. I started out in the dorms, but my girlfriend and I decided to move off campus this year due to the cramped nature of the dorms, and it's about comparable in price. I have quite a few hobbies, but to name a few, I like working on cars, shooting, hunting, and being outside. Since coming up here for college, most of these have had to go on hold to complete my degree, but once I get that piece of paper, I'll have to get back into my hobbies.     My relationship with music is pretty normal. I used to play an instrument in elementary and middle school but dropped it after that. Since then I have almost completely forgotten how to play the trumpet and moved on to just listening to music, not playing it. I listen to many different genres of music and don't have one particular favorite....