Tag Archives: music

Ritual: Pre-performance Routine

Date of Performance: 04/30/2025

Nationality: British

Primary Language: English

Residence: Edinburgh, Scotland

My informant is a performing musician, and describes to me his pre-show ritual. He’s a singer, and so his routine is precise – while some of it is mental, any anomalies could compromise the condition of his vocal cords. It consists of several conditions: first, without fail, on the day of a show, he drinks “two full britas” worth of water. This, he explains, is to keep his vocal cords as hydrated as possible. This step is probably the most critical – as an example, he recounts a time when he had several alcoholic drinks instead of water, and embarrassed himself deeply onstage after the fact. Next is his diet: on the day of the performance, he eats only a sandwich with tomatoes and cucumber. Anything oily, like meat or fried foods, throws him off, he says. Before he arrives at the venue, he drinks a thermos of tea, specifically throat coat, at a medium temperature. Finally, while driving to the show, my informant listens to “Boogie Wonderland” by Earth, Wind, and Fire to get him in the right state of mind for his performance. 

He says that he doesn’t necessarily ascribe meaning to each of the steps in his ritual, but that adhering to them keeps his mind and body in the right space so as to perform to his best ability. When asked as to how he formulated each step, he responded that they were things that just sort of stuck with him as he performed more and more. I did witness a concert of his after this interview, and I can attest that his ritual seems to have worked. 

Being a performing musician myself, too, I can understand the importance of a standardized pre-show routine to my informant. While personally, I don’t adhere to as strict of a regimen, the music I perform doesn’t rely heavily on vocal technique, which might be the difference. A lot of singers I know have similarly precise routines, likely due to the biological component of singing properly. Often, they are encouraged to follow more rigid warm-up rituals so as to keep the vocal cords, a muscle, in its best condition, much like athletes would do before a game or competition.

El Caballo Dorado Dance

Age: 20


Date of performance: 4/25/2025


Language: Spanish


Nationality: Mexican American


Occupation: Full-Time Student


Primary Language: English


Residence: California

Text: “El Caballo Dorado” AKA ‘The Golden Horse’

Context:

My informant recalled a dance they learned as a child during a party, which they associated with ‘ranchero’ culture. The dance, known as “El Caballo Dorado,” is commonly performed at indoor parties, sometimes even during public celebrations outdoors, and features traditional clothing. It derives its name from traditional Mexican song under the same name that plays during the dance Similar to the “Cha Cha Slide” in American party culture, my informant added that it’s a group dance with synchronized movements. A signature move among the male dancers includes holding one hand on their cowboy hat and the other with a thumb tucked under their belt, reinforcing its cowboy-related theme. The dance starts at a manageable pace but increases in speed, turning into a sort of informal competition where participants must keep up with the rhythm. Those who fall behind are seen as having “lost,” though there isn’t a single winner—multiple people can succeed if they maintain the pace. The informant emphasized its role as both a cultural expression and a competitive party activity.

Analysis:

I listened to this song growing up under a Hispanic household, in doing so I hold a similar interpretation to my informant. Much alike my informant, I never learned the actual history about this dance just its background. This has made me arrive at the conclusion that—though it might’ve initially had a significant historical value upon its commencement—it has ultimately evolved to the traditional point of serving as just an entertainment value for Hispanic communities. Despite this, it has held on strong due to its levels of complexities people in the community take it and have continued to pass down throughout generations. Music is a strong foundation for most Latin communities, and this song and dance has served to cement this ideology of bringing generations of diverse individuals to continue to share the dance floor and enjoy their culture.

Stupid Games

Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, California
Language: English

Text: You Played Stupid Games, You Win Stupid Prizes.

Context: Informant details that this proverb was first heard in a Taylor Swift song. Informant commonly uses this proverb when discussing the decisions of others, especially when addressing relationship decisions. Informant describes themselves as being an advisor to many friends when it comes to relationships. When they bring up issues that are centered around making bad decisions, especially choosing romantic partners, the informant relays this proverb. Informant acknowledges that it can sometimes come off as harsh, but understands the necessity of tough truths, especially with people they care for. Informant wants their friends to understand that, sometimes, the best way to avoid troublesome issues is to be more precautious in decision making.

Analysis: I believe this proverb is very fundamental to how the American people view hardships. A lot of people separate themselves from the event, and treat the situation as something that has been, “done to them,” rather than, “done to self.” This is rooted in the tendency of people to not take responsibility for their actions. This proverb provides the wisdom that negative outcomes are likely to come from non thoughtful decisions. This can, and should be, applied to decision making on all scales. The American decision making culture has long been rooted in a “now is better than later” mindset. This means that the quicker decision is the better one, as it allows for action to be taken at a rapid rate. This, however, leads to many unforeseen issues that would have likely been thought of if the decision was made more carefully. This proverb’s importance then becomes as a reminder that the best choice is the thoughtful one.

The girl and her games. 

Nationality: African American

Primary Language: English

Other language(s): French

Age: 49

Occupation: Digital Marketing Consultant

Residence: Upstate, NY

Performance Date: 4/18/2025

Context: 

My informant, YD, is a family member of mine who lives in the Hudson Valley area of New York. YD has always been into music, YD’s was a fantastic singer, and music was their whole thing. Though I’d never really asked about their earliest exposure to music, not like on the radio, but more like a tall tale, something that had to be passed over, like musical performances by the campfire on a lonely night with a couple of friends. So, they told me this:

Text: 

“The earliest musical experience or song attached to a personal history are the various patty cake games I played as child on the playground, after school and during the summer with a group of adolescent girls. These are songs sung between two people while hand-clapping and hand-slapping in unison, and with rhythm. These were songs like ‘Miss Mary Mack,’ or ‘Down Down Baby.’ I learned them from other girls on the playground and females in my family. They were passed down through generations with slight lyrical and rhythmic variations. I know my mother and my grandmother had their own variations. 

Why this stands out and is important to me is because of the history and impact of generations of young girls being taught my mommies, aunties and sisters; these whimsical yet deep songs are fun and have little meaning as a child, but deeper meaning as you get older and realize the things you were sing about. The socialization of kids, the fantasy and awareness of hardship and evil intent. We were so carefree and blissful, yet the world around us was dangerous, sad and we were so vulnerable. 

Here’s one those song I remember:

‘…Down down baby, down by the roller coaster

Sweet sweet baby, I’ll never let you go

Shimmy shimmy cocoa pop, shimmy shimmy pow

Shimmy shimmy cocoa pop, shimmy shimmy pow

My momma said to pick the very best one….’”

Analysis: 

Yes, this entry is a great example of children’s folklore, particularly in the form of hand-clapping games, which are rich sites of cultural transmission, memory, and performance. And so, I assume I don’t have to explain much about songs like the ‘patty cake’ one, but, in my research, the songs like “Miss Mary Mack” and “Down Down Baby” have circulated across generations, especially among young girls, often passed down orally with slight lyrical and rhythmic changes depending on region, family, or even the moment. These rhymes, on the surface, seem playful and nonsensical, but as YD notes, they often contain deeper themes that only become clear with age, even something I grew up realizing from my personal experiences as well. I love the way YD reflects on these songs too, it’s exactly what makes these pieces of folklore so powerful. They function as socializing tools, helping children build rhythm, coordination, and friendships, while also encoding cultural knowledge in a form that’s accessible and repeatable. What hits hardest for me is the idea of inter-generational bonding, something the history behind these childhood games supports heavily. This makes YD’s personal memory not just nostalgic, but part of a larger cultural practice that links them to their ancestry and community. And I think that duality, innocence on the surface, depth underneath, is what makes playground folklore so endlessly fascinating.

Don’t B Sharp, Don’t B Flat, It’s Better to B Natural. (Gloss)

The phrase is a pun based on musical terminology:

“Don’t B sharp, don’t B flat, it’s better to B natural.”

This plays on the names of musical notes:

  • “B sharp” and “B flat” refer to accidentals in music.
  • “B natural” is both a musical note and a play on words encouraging someone to “be natural” in life.
  • The phrase suggests a balance—not being too extreme (sharp or flat), but being oneself (natural).

I first heard this phrase from M, the music director at my church. He used it in a lighthearted way while talking to the choir and musicians, emphasizing the importance of staying attentive in rehearsal with a positive attitude. He mentioned that he had heard variations of this pun before and liked using it as a joke to keep rehearsals engaging but also as a way to get members to self-check their presence in the rehearsal. Beyond the musical meaning, M explained it to me as a life lesson—encouraging people to avoid falling in uncontrolled extremes and instead be genuine and balanced. He uses this phrase both as humor and as a small piece of wisdom for his students and fellow musicians.

This phrase is a musical pun that also carries philosophical meaning. On the surface, it is a clever joke about musical notes, playing with the homophonic nature of “B” and “be” to create wordplay. However, beneath the humor, it conveys a message of authenticity and moderation.

Musically, being “sharp” or “flat” means being slightly out of tune—too high or too low in pitch. In a broader sense, these terms can symbolize extremes in behavior or emotions—being overly aggressive (sharp) or too passive (flat). By saying it’s better to “B natural”, the phrase suggests that the best approach in both music and life is to remain balanced, authentic, and in tune with oneself. As a musician who studies jazz at USC, this kind of wordplay is common in musician communities, where humor often arises from shared knowledge of musical terminology. It also reflects the tradition of using puns and idioms to pass down wisdom in a memorable way. In a church setting, this phrase could take on an additional layer of meaning, encouraging people to be true to themselves and their faith. Ultimately, this phrase highlights how language, music, and life lessons can intertwine, showing how humor can be used as both entertainment and a means of imparting wisdom.

Date_of_performance: 2/24/25
Language: English
Nationality: American
Occupation: Teacher
Primary Language: English
Residence: San Francisco, CA