This week we discussed the lobotomization of a cat for experimentation of sound as mentioned in the book “mp3”. We brought up the discussion if it was ethical or not to do this. I personally found that the cat did not have a brain anymore so it could not feel pain so it was not suffering. Although it may not have been morally right, for the progression of science experiments like this are required.

The term chosen: Blue Grass

First used as an artistic term (not for music): 1719

Next used to describe “Poa” (actual “Blue” grass plant): 1794 (An historical, geographical, commercial, and philosophical …)

First reference to music from novel in 1974: Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys: an illustrated …

After conducting this search I found that Blue Grass Music had not been literally mentioned until close to the mid 20th century and most previous references before that were about a genus of plant species called “Poa”. Blue Grass itself had a drastic rise in literary mention in the latter half of the 20th century.

This last week in class we discussed one topic concerning ‘false fingering’, which is where two (or more) notes are played continuously but with a different pitch. This style is usually demonstrated on a saxophone and serves as a complex thing to the audience but at the same time a simple thing to the musician. I did not understand what exactly made this technique so special but I enjoyed the references that were made to the style.