What's New With Quiana?

 A word about "family." My definition of family consists of a variety of people. Whether blood related or platonic friendship, my family is whoever I see fit to call as such. One thing my mother always told me is that we are supposed to love everyone because that is what Jesus Christ did for all of us. If I'm close with anyone person, it is my mom. Both my parents are amazing and hey have gave me many life lessons that I will cherish and pass on. My mother and I were always close but recently these days I start to see more of myself in her more than ever. My parents have truly been my backbone outside of home.  I find it fascinating to listen to the older folks talk about their lives as youngsters. It really brings the feeling of patience. It also gives a look into a world much different from mine today. It inspires wisdom and gives opportunity to appreciate the little things. I absolutely love talking to my parents about their childhood to teenage years because it is so ...

Music and gender have varying elements that glue the two together. Speaking psychologically, women are more likely than men to respond to music in a more emotional way. Females also prefer popular music more than males. Researchers found that males demonstrated more of a preference for bass music than females. Throughout the history of music, gender has dictated what men and women are supposed to do. From drumming in Native American music to Lil Nas X, music has overcome a lot boundaries.  In my experience, it starts with youth choir. I was a soprano which was the typical placement for female singers. I did not sound very good to say the least haha, but I thought I would place better with the altos. Tenors were only male because they could reach the depths. But they rarely allowed girls to be altos, if they could help it. Another thing about youth choir was instrumentation. Boys played drums, guitar, bass, pretty much everything. Girls usually did all the singing. Even with praise ...

For starters, I for one was not brought up with most country music. I recently have gotten into it from friends here at Converse College. Along the way, my hometown friends were all kinds of culture. My best friend, Christina, is of mixed race and has ties to African American and Caucasian culture. She has a song that hits every time. To get your ears ready and minds tuned in, here is a snippet of some fun Country music. Presenting "Chattahoochee" by Alan Jackson History The history of Country music is originated in the rural South and West; can be referred to as Western. It is a style of popular music in the early 20th century. The term country/western was adopted by recording industries in 1949. This was to spruce up the name and image of the genre from hillbilly music. Country music typically stems from English, Scottish, and Irish settlers of the Appalachians and many other parts of the South. Country music is traditionally filled with vigor and realism. Its lyrics are ve...

In the material we dwelled into before going to Western and South African music, the country of Ghana stuck heavily with me for reasons I'll dive into soon. To study the country of Ghana, some information that is important is to know that Ghana is one of the leading countries of Africa. According to Britannica, this is mainly because of its natural wealth and by it being the fist African country south of the Sahara to achieve independence from colonial rule.  With that being said, any African Americans are going back to the homeland of Ghana to actually lay roots. In a video we watched in some before material called Black Americans Explore African Roots in Ghana from NBC News, African Americas are introducing themselves to Ghana. With any culture functioning as its own, there are certain stereotypes that follow Africa as a whole and that is being poor. Young people like Deija Gordon, who was referenced in the video, go to see for themselves at a young age what they can accompl...

 The Music of the Andes section inspired me to see which country help emerge South America to be so influential. According to BBC News, Brazil is said to be the most influential country to South America. To give more credit, Brazil's country profile includes the exploitation of the Amazon forest and its' diverse population, including indigenous Americans and descendants of African slaves/European settlers. These settlers brought along many ideas, innovations, beliefs, and African enslaved people who influenced the local cultures. The dominant language is Portuguese and not Spanish.  The Music: According to An Overview of the Music of Brazil article, Brazilian music is an Afro-European fusion. This was due to the Portuguese invading Brazil in 1500 and importing slaves for labor. A very big form of music includes Samba. It is worldwide recognized as a symbol of Brazil and Carnival. It is a form of music where dance is accompanied by small melodic phrases. Rio de Janeiro is one o...

 My personal history in Christian denominations does not go further than African Methodist Episcopal and Baptist. Ever since I was born, I had been baptized in an AME church. My spiritual home is Trinity AME in Newberry, South Carolina. Richard Allen founded the African Methodist Episcopal Church in 1794. This denomination of Christian faith stood as the first independent Black foundation. Richard Allen believed that African Americans need to stay organized to challenge racial injustice. He believed that black leaders, in particular, had a duty to speak truth to power.  Ministry in African Methodism holds the preacher to a high standard. The Preacher stands as a unique personality developed by the Negro on American soil. In every denomination of faith, the preachers gives the word of God unto the people, much like Jesus unto the disciples. I mentioned earlier about having some Baptist beliefs in my life. My father was raised in a Baptist Church but soon relocated after marryin...