The Chemistry of Cohesion

A performance celebrating cultural diversity

by Jack Beazleigh
 Summary of Composition
My final composition for this event is 10 minutes and 16 seconds long, meeting the
requirements of the brief for this assignment. It is divided into three key sections, each of
which tell a story about cultural diversity. The melodies, harmonies, lyrics and rhythms have
been carefully selected as a result of my research into the key issues of this topic and reflect
my aim to celebrate the story as I understand it and in a way I believe my target audience
would appreciate. So that the sections are audibly connected and lead smoothly from one to
another, they are all written in the same key (C) and I have taken care to ensure melodies
transpose from one to the next without interruption.

A more in-depth analysis of each section is provided in chapter 2 of this portfolio; however,
a brief summary of the composition is as follows:

Section One (3 minutes, 22 seconds):

A gentle introduction to the whole piece using a simple rhythm and underlying harmony
inspired by African tribal music. Overlaid on to this is a gentle melody supported by guitar
chord progressions typical of a traditional English folk song, which forms the basis for the
vocal harmonies. The lyrics, though in English, are based on a traditional Indian folk tale
about hope for the future. The combination of all these elements represent the diversity of
cultural influences and how they can work together, providing the audience with a message
of hope. However, deliberately placed discordant notes highlight the difficult path to cultural
harmony and provide an indication of what is to come in section two and the transition to
section three.

Section Two (4 minutes, 7 seconds):

A longer piece with a slower pace and sadder melody. The lyrics and atmosphere of the
song are designed to ask the audience to contemplate the struggle for cultural diversity
throughout history and how we feel as individuals in the face of cultural differences. It is also
tries to offer hope for a positive future.
Section Two-Three transition (1 minute, 2 seconds):
The finale of this composition is heralded by sliding note progressions inspired by classical
music from India and a sampled clip of an interview with Bobby Seale, leader of the Black
Panthers, in which he calls for different cultures to get along.

Section Three (1 minute, 45 seconds minutes):

The rhythm noticeably changes in this section, becoming much pacier, the transition
between the two sections representing the struggle for cultural harmony throughout
history. Associated lyrics inspired by famous speeches and quotes from history highlight
some of the key issues faced when cultures clash. The music however becomes more
harmonious and lighter towards the end, leading into a bright, celebratory piece, based on a
house music beat with Indian bangra undertones and accompanied by musical sounds
inspired by West Indian steel bands and melodies observed from videos of the Notting Hill
Carnival – an event which epitomises and celebrates the joy of cultural diversity.

Conclusion:
The combination of all three sections tell a story of the development of cultural diversity as
interpreted from my research. The combination of many different cultural music elements
to create an original, single piece has also inspired the title of the piece, ‘The Chemistry of
Cohesion’. I have researched and tried to use a variety of different musical influences to
celebrate cultural music from around the world and the essence of the performance, which
is cultural diversity. These cultural references compliment the underlying musical structures
influenced by three contrasting musical genres – folk, rock and house with other cultural
music references – including African tribal, classical Indian, modern Indian bangra and
Caribbean steel band music – forming the final piece. The words ‘We’re stronger when we
trust’ are incorporated into the lyrics of every section to emphasise the single message of
the whole piece.
 Task One: To plan for the composition of original music for
performance or recording

Statement of Personal Aims:

Though my composition is to form part of a performance celebrating cultural diversity, my
aim is to encourage the audience to also think about the long journey we have taken
towards achieving a harmonious, culturally diverse society, so that the final celebration
becomes an appreciation of how far we have come. To achieve this, I intend to research and
gain a greater understanding of the meaning and importance of cultural diversity and the
history of its development.
I have a great love of music and though I am more familiar with western music, I have
started and intend to listen to a wide variety of music from different cultures in order to
identify the most effective ways to represent and merge different cultural sounds and
stories. As I have most experience listening to western music however, particularly pop,
indie, rock, hip hop and rap, I envisage that 2 or 3 examples of these genres will form the
basis of my final piece, onto which I will apply my own interpretations of different cultural
sounds. I will use my increasing understanding of music and recording technology to develop
my ideas and enhance them still further with my additional research.
The success of my final piece will be measured by its ability to tell a story about cultural
diversity, which I intend to create with carefully written lyrics (the ideas for which will come
from my research) and melodies, which effectively combine western and other cultural
musical references to create suitable moods supporting the words I have written.
I envisage the audience of parents, guardians and students will cover a wide range of age
groups and, by nature of the event, ethnic groups, and as such I believe their expectations of
the event and my contribution to it will be that it is enjoyable, celebratory and
representative. As such, I again plan to incorporate many different cultural influences into
my composition and keep the music light and happy.
 Plan of my contribution to the event:
My assignment brief is as follows:
‘Your school is hosting an event to celebrate cultural diversity. You have been asked to
compose original music for a 10-15 minute performance at the event, which should include
influences from at least two contrasting musical genres (for example, pop, folk, blues, hip
hop, jazz, R&B, rock, etc.)’.

The key requirements of my brief and how I intend to meet them are outlined in the
following table:
Requirement What I How I Who I need Resources I Time Health &
intend to do intend to do to involve will need needed for Safety issues
it each activity
Compose an Listen to a Online Teachers, PC – google, 12 hours e-safety
original piece of variety of research and parents, peers apple music, (ongoing)
music music styles listen to for advice and Spotify.
for inspiration music. recommendati iPad - garage
Compose -ons. Singer to band
music on help with
garage band harmonies
Incorporate a Research the Online and Teachers, PC – google, 2-3 hours e-safety
celebration of concept of library based Librarians, Wikipedia
cultural cultural research parents (peer-
diversity into diversity to reviewed
the composition inform my pages only),
composition Local library
choices
Include Listen to a Listen to Teachers, PC – Spotify Ongoing n/a
influences from variety of music parents, peers iPod –
at least two music styles to for advice and personal
contrasting gain recommendati music
musical genres inspiration -ons collection
Personal vinyl
collection
Identify the Once I have I will identify Teachers for iPad - garage 12 hours n/a
structure of the developed my different parts advice and band (ongoing – as
piece (i.e. ideas, I will of the piece recommendati part of my
number of break the depending on -ons composition
songs/pieces piece up into what I would work)
needed/timings) suitable like to portray
sections in the music
Assess the Interview and Contact Teachers, Questionnaire 1-2 hours Ensuring
requirements of canvass friends, family, parents, family safety when
the audience opinion members of members, asking
my local neighbours, members of
community to peers my community
ask what they who are
would look unfamiliar to
for in a me
performance
celebrating
cultural
diversity
Using the plan above, I intend to conduct the investigation part of my research first in order
to give me a sound understanding of the topic which I will use to create my final piece. I
have decided to record my initial ideas and compose the piece using Garageband on my iPad
as I am familiar with this technology and can use it both at home and at school. I will also
need to ask an additional singer to help me with the harmonies I want to compose.
 Task Two: To create a set of finished, original music to be
performed or recorded for use at a specific event to a target
audience

What is cultural diversity?

Mylearning.org defines cultural diversity as “a wide range of different societies of people, of
different origins, religions and traditions all living and interacting together”. This definition
encapsulates my goals for my final composition, which I am hoping will combine different
musical influences from a variety of cultures to reflect the harmony of these different
cultures working together. In 2001, UNESCO claimed that ‘cultural diversity is as necessary
for humankind as biodiversity is for nature”. It is clearly very important and yet the
development of this way of life has not always been straightforward. Clashes between
people of different cultures, religions and traditions have existed for hundreds of years and
continue to the present day. The conflict between religious groups in Tudor times extending
throughout history to the troubles in Northern Ireland and rise of the Black Panther
Movement in the 1970s for instance, as well as the issues we experience today show that
cultural diversity is not always easily accepted, especially if some people feel their
individuality is in some way threatened. The problems experienced throughout history are
significant and as a result of my research, I would also like to represent this aspect of
cultural diversity in my composition.
I have therefore decided to divide my piece into three sections. The first will provide a
gentle introduction to the audience, reflecting the harmony of different cultural influences
coming together. This will then lead on to a more discordant, darker section, reflecting the
difficulties when societies clash. I have also used the words of Bobby Searle, Leader of the
Black Panthers in this part of my composition to represent difficult times in social history.
Finally, to leave the audience with a positive experience, my final part is much more upbeat,
harmonious and celebratory to reinforce the message that working together is a positive
and good thing.
 The Composition
Section One (3 minutes, 22 seconds):
Section one was designed to introduce the audience to the entire piece and create a calm
and reflective atmosphere. After listening to a variety of music from different cultures, I
decided to take my inspiration from the gentle rhythms of an African tribal song,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4a7IHDXRG6k. From this resource, I developed my
rhythm and when recreating this I decided that drums would be too harsh a sound and
instead opted for the more delicate tone of the wood block. On top of the continuous
wood block beat, I applied a further continuous, two note sequence consisting of F and E,
for which the clarinet provided the best timbre.
Having established my underlying sound and rhythm, I then applied my melody. Traditionally,
I have always found the piano easier to compose my melodies on. Having listened to a
variety of pop and folk music, I settled on a more folk style genre of music which I felt
complemented the gentle nature of the African beat. Onto this I applied complementary
guitar chords to add weight to the melody. The melody also provided the main structure of
my vocal harmonies.
I broke my piece up into individual sections to vary the mood of the song. The melody was
introduced with a piano and flute duet and repeated with the removal of the flute and
introduction of the vocals. Vocals were kept simple for each verse to emphasise the
simplicity and innocence of the message, while a vocal harmony was written for the chorus,
which culminated in a loud, three-part vocal harmony to indicate the climax of the song.
This was followed by a simple variation of the melody which brought back the clarinet
sound to tie in with the continuous clarinet sound, which is playing throughout the entire
song. A single voice with a guitar and piano accompaniment repeats the chorus for the last
time, bringing the song back to its original gentle atmosphere, before finally a further
variation of the melodic theme on the grand piano brings the song to a satisfying, hopeful
conclusion. The song then comes back to the original two-part wood block/clarinet duet to
complete its full circle.
My inspiration for the lyrics came from an Indian folk tale
(http://www.worldoftales.com/Asian_folktales/Indian_folktale_11.html) about the quest for
respect, which emphasises the underlying message that I wanted to convey in my
composition – the importance of cultural diversity in terms of respecting people of all
backgrounds.
 Inspiration:
It is owing to my poverty and
stupidity that I am treated with such
Lyrics disrespect here; so I will pretend by
means of an artifice to possess a
Verse knowledge of magic, so that I may
Sometimes, the search for respect, become an object of respect to this
Leads to regret. Sthuladatta
Fate often takes control, Harisaman – Indian Folk Tale
So live and let go.

Inspiration:
Chorus Fate brings about, as if in sport,
I forgot you, please forgive me, things impossible, for when calamity
We are one. was so near, who would have
I am part of you, you are part of me, thought chance would have brought
Earth and sun. us success?
Harisaman – Indian Folk Tale
Verse
False truths, believable lies, Inspiration:
Lead to demise. Brahman with these words— "I
We’re stronger when we trust, forgot you, forgive me"—and asked
Good and just. him to tell him who had taken away
their horse.
Chorus Harisaman – Indian Folk Tale
I forgot you, please forgive me, Inspiration:
We are one. I will pretend by means of an artifice
I am part of you, you are part of me, to possess a knowledge of magic,
Earth and sun. (x3) Harisaman – Indian Folk Tale

Quoting directly from the tale, I used the words “I forgot you, [please] forgive me” (I added
‘please’ for emphasis and to help the words scan more effectively with the melody), as I felt
this was a particularly powerful message leading up to section two which touches on the
struggles for acceptance of people from different backgrounds. Similarly, I also incorporated
a couple of discordant notes – a G in the verse and E in the chorus, which both clash with
the F played by the clarinet in the continuous, underlying ‘African’ melody – to further
emphasise the difficulties experienced when cultures clash, foreshadowing what is to come
in section two.

The overall effect of this opening section however is to introduce the audience to the
concept of cultures working harmoniously together. With Indian, African and western folk
influences coming together in the same song, reinforces the place of this composition in a
performance celebrating cultural diversity.

Section Two (4 minutes, 7 seconds):

The continuous wood block rhythm and two-note clarinet melody are the only sounds left
of section one, which gradually fade out to silence. Section two begins after one beat with a
single, acoustic guitar melody, which forms the chorus tune of the song to come. The mood
and theme of this section is more melancholic, based on the musical style of a typical rock
ballad and uses acoustic guitar throughout, with roots rock guitar to add gravitas to the
chorus. The lyrics have been inspired by my research into the struggles for cultural
acceptance of people in different parts of the world, and extracts from different quotations
and speeches have been put together to form a clear message for this part of the
performance – that of the futility of discrimination. In verse one, I have repeated the line
‘We’re stronger when we trust’, which was used in section one, as I want this to be the
overarching theme of the entire composition. The verse-chorus combination is quite long
and sustained throughout the song as the message was most important. To add some
variety though, I also included a 5-chord instrumental to herald the final chorus and give the
song a proper ending.

Lyrics
Verse
When you look someone in the eye
They’re probably thinking the same
Their feelings matter just as much Repeat of the Lyric in section one to tie the two
But you hide behind a name sections together
We’re all scared some of the time
It may be easy to strike first
But we’re stronger when we trust
And are rid of this curse
Inspiration:
Chorus I have a dream that one day…little black boys
When Martin Luther’s dream and black girls will be able to join hands with
Takes us all by hand little white boys and white girls as sisters and
We’ll say enough is enough brothers.
Then we’ll all understand Martin Luther King Jr., I Have A Dream
 Inspiration:
History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be
It’s time to face up to the past unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be
With courage and pain lived again.
We need to trust who we are Maya Angelou
And not live it again

Verse Inspiration:
Don’t let others’ will and fear There is a constant drain of energy which might
Create something that’s not there be better used in redefining ourselves
There’s a constant drain of energy Audre Lorde, Sister Outsider: Essays and
When you hate instead of care Speeches
We’re only here for a short time
It seems a shame to waste
The gifts we have and should enjoy
And not dismiss them in haste

Chorus
When Martin Luther’s dream
Takes us all by hand
We’ll say enough is enough
Then we’ll all understand
It’s time to face up to the past
With courage and pain
We need to trust who we are
And not live it again Inspiration:
I have learned over the years that when one's mind
Verse is made up, this diminishes fear; knowing what must
be done does away with fear.
Knowing [exactly] what must be done
Rosa Parks
Does away with fear
Helps us to be true to ourselves
And look to future years
Tearing off scars off again and again Inspiration:
Will get us all nowhere I have learned over the years that when one's mind
Why would you want to repeat the pain? is made up, this diminishes fear; knowing what must
And live with being scared? be done does away with fear.
Rosa Parks
Chorus
When Martin Luther’s dream
Takes us all by hand
We’ll say enough is enough
Then we’ll all understand
It’s time to face up to the past
With courage and pain
We need to trust who we are
And not live it again
Section Two-Three transition (1 minute, 12 seconds):
The end of section two drifts back to the duet between the wood block and clarinet, that
originally opened and closed section one, for two bars and moves towards section three
with a continuous sliding motion of the F string, played on the cello. This sounds melodic at
first, being concordant with the F note played on the clarinet, but then becomes more
discordant as the note slides gradually down towards E, picking out all the sounds in
between. I took my inspiration for this from the musical features of Indian classical music
(for instance https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUZgDS-1v4M), which does not follow
the typical harmony and counterpoint structure associated with chromatic scales in western
music and therefore sounds more discordant. This technique creates a sinister effect,
emphasising the descent of the piece so far into its sombre tone. This effect lasts for two
bars, after which the beat changes dramatically with the wood block fading out and bass
drum and shaker taking over the rhythm, underlined by the continued alternation from F to
E on the clarinet which keeps the whole piece connected and together despite the different
musical changes going on. The contrasting light and heavy tones of the bass drum and shaker
emphasise the changing mood of the song and the alternating, quicker beat also helps to
build up tension. Tension is also built by the introduction of a continuous C chord played on
the double bass, which creates quite an exciting, dramatic effect. The transition to section
three concludes in a clip of an interview with Bobby Seale, leader of the Black Panther
movement in the 1970s – sampled with added reverb to add a haunting effect to his voice –
in which he says that people should learn to get along, encapsulating the message of cultural
diversity.

“I think that, er, people are gonna have to learn how to live…together on the face of this
earth…and the only way they’re gonna do it is to establish a humane revolutionary system that
makes some sense”.
Extract from an interview with Bobby Seale,
Leader of the Black Panthers.
Courtesy of Getty Images

As Bobby Seale’s voice fades, the drum-shaker rhythm, double base and clarinet remain the
only things we can hear and everything comes to a dramatic stop after 4 bars with the crash
of a combination of western and Chinese drum cymbals. Not only does this introduce yet
another interesting cultural musical sound to the piece, but provides a dramatic break in the
transition from sections two and three. Section three is then marked by a complete change
in rhythm, musical genre and atmosphere, highlighting a final part of celebration to the
composition.

Section Three (1 minute, 45 seconds):

Starting with a sampled voice echoing the word ‘yeah’, section three sets the tone for a
dramatic change of mood. Section three is based on a typical house-style music genre, with a
variety of drum samples and keyboard styles based around a four-chord structure using A
minor, F, C and G. One of the drum types sampled is bongos, which were chosen for their
likeness to the drum sounds in Indian Bangra music, again bringing different musical cultures
together and because Indian Bangra music is happy, fits the mood of this final piece. The
mood is one of celebration as the performance comes to an end and hopefully, the
distinctive beat and repeated melody, will inspire people and encourage them to want to
dance together.

I used an electric piano to pick out the key points of the main tune, which reminded me of
the melodies I had heard while listening to various steel bands for my research
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5yXCDw427w&list=PLC7E6A4F4B86D18E1). I used
an electric piano to replicate these melodies though as I felt it went better with the other
sounds in the song. Rather than starting the electric piano straightaway though, I gradually
faded the tune up so that it appeared gradually and then beneath that I added a deep bass
keyboard to pick out parts of the melody again, over which I placed the lyrics.

The final lyrics, typical of a house music song, consist of just two phrases repeated over and
over throughout the song and because of this, I wanted to make sure that the two phrases
summarised the message of the performance and of my piece and so it was very important
that I took care when writing them. The first of course, had to be the message ‘we’re
stronger when we trust’ as this appears in sections one and two, which then not only
connects all three sections together but emphasises the over-riding message of my
composition. In order for it to scan properly, I just used the words ‘stronger when we trust’
and sampled this, changing the pitch and echo at different points to make it sound
interesting. My inspiration for the second phrase again came from a quote from Martin
Luther King:

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love
can do that. (https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/m/martinluth101472.html)
I used the final part of the quote ‘love can do that’ as an ‘answer’ to the first phrase, which I
think works well.
 Task three: To reflect on the composition and consider ways to
improve future compositions
The celebration of cultural diversity provides lots of inspiration for composing music,
however I have realised that it is important to be selective when trying to use so many
cultural sounds in a single composition and still keep it clear and well structured. As such,
though my research has been wide, the decisions I have made about my final piece have
been determined not only by my understanding of cultural diversity, but also how to best
represent this in my composition and not overload it with ideas. Though folk music is new
to me, I have generally used western musical genres I feel most comfortable with to form
the basis of my compositions and used cultural music and poetic influences on top to form
my melodies and lyrics. Though the three genres I have used contrast quite a lot, I think I
have successfully
 Reference List

Cultural diversity
http://www.mylearning.org/global-citizens--make-an-impact/p-2022/ [accessed 23/7/17]
http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-
URL_ID=13179&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html [accessed 23/7/17]
Remember the Seventies: A pictorial history of a stirring decade (2011) Parragon, London
(accompanying DVD used for Bobby Seale extract, courtesy of Getty Images)

https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/race-relations [accessed 3/8/17]

https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/r/rosa_parks.html [accessed 3/8/17]
https://www.archives.gov/files/press/exhibits/dream-speech.pdf [accessed 3/8/17]

African tribal music

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4a7IHDXRG6k [accessed 24/7/17]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzhICV5wWlM [accessed 24/7/17]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s55mLhdHRJ8 [accessed 24/7/17]

Caribbean music
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/music/world_music/music_carribean4.shtml
[accessed 28/8/17]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5yXCDw427w&list=PLC7E6A4F4B86D18E1 [accessed
23/7/17]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VeaMEiWo-4 [accessed 8/8/17]

Indian music
http://tundra.cnx.rice.edu:8888/contents/6c32f21d-65ac-4a40-8205-
11226fb6a327@16/indian-classical-music-tuning-and-ragas [accessed 27/7/17]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_of_India [accessed 27/7/17]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUZgDS-1v4M [accessed 10/8/17]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCV7_LcEruw [accessed 10/8/17]

Indian Folk Tales

http://www.worldoftales.com/Asian_folktales/Indian_folktale_11.html [accessed 23/7/17]