P. Ramlee barbershop quartets: introducing an American style of singing through Malaysian culture

Wesley Allan Johnson,

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Type :	article
Subject :	M Music
ISSN :	2232-0032
Main Author :	Wesley Allan Johnson,
Title :	P. Ramlee barbershop quartets: introducing an American style of singing through Malaysian culture

Place of Production :	Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris
Year of Publication :	2016

Full Text :

This research in progress examines the process of arranging songs by P. Ramlee for a barbershop quartet. Barbershop quartet music is a distinctively American style of singing, but it is a very “low-tech” genre to perform, requiring no instruments, no electricity, and only four singers. Because of this, the potential to teach or demonstrate the style to those who cannot support elaborate sound setups. Barbershop quartet music provides one of the foundations for jazz and popular music and incorporates traditional Western harmony (both very present in popular music). However, because of its “American-ness” in the language (English) and dialect (American English), barbershop quartet music is nearly absent in Malaysia. Because P. Ramlee songs form a similar foundation of music in Malaysia as barbershop quartet music does in America, this research project involves the arranging of P. Ramlee songs for barbershop quartet. The presentation describes the presenter’s past experience in arranging pop music for barbershop quartets, how the P. Ramlee songs are selected for a repertoire (artist-led, qualitative, and quantitative), a brief description of “Bunyi Barbershop,” an arrangement in progress, and a description of the ultimate goal of the research: a songbook of P. Ramlee arrangements for barbershop quartet. The book will also contain a brief description and introduction to barbershop quartet music with the intention of introducing the musical style to the people of Malaysia through songs people know well.

References

1. Ahmad Sarji Abdul Hamid and Johari Salleh. (1994). Lagu P Ramlee. Lagu-lagu Filem 1948-1960. Kuala Lumpur: Harvard Club of Malaysia. 2. Ahmad Sarji Abdul Hamid and Johari Salleh. (1995). Gelora - Lagu-lagu Filem P Ramlee 1961-1972. Kuala Lumpur: Harvard Club of Malaysia. 3. Arrington, S. R., Carter, C. C., Errico, G., Gottwald, L., Hamilton, P. R., Hankerson, W. L., … Walter H. R. (2013). Timber [Recorded by Pitbull featuring Kesha]. On Meltdown [Digital download]. Hollywood, CA, Malibu, CA, New York, NY, Nashville, TN: RCA Records. 4. Carroll, E., Fields, A., and Morse, W. (1915). “Auntie Skinner’s Chicken Dinner” [arrangement by Dave Briner]. Barbershop Harmony Society. Retrieved April 5 2015 from http://barbershop.org/document-center/category/19-freemusic- for-printing.html?download=487%3Aauntie-skinner-s-chicken-dinner. 5. An Information Manual for Barbershop Quartets. (2011). Retrieved March 27, 2015, from http://barbershop.org/document-center/category/17-quartet-singing-and renewal.html?download=165:aninformation- manual-for-barbershop-quartets. 6. Johnson, W.A. 2014 Review Barbershop Revue (medley of Taylor Swift, Iggy Azalea, Pharrell, and 12 others) [Video file]. Retrieved March 23, 2015, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0Tk6jSJqI.

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