The Calling
This work was done for a class that focused on Jewish and Islamic cultures, lifestyles, and specifically recognizing and reconciling the differences (and similarities) found within the two groups. I took what was essentially the embodiment of the class objective and combined two well recognized works from each denomination and attempted to make them into a single piece. This song is highly controversial as the Adhan (Islamic call to prayer) is traditionally performed by an individual with no other sounds. To even provide an accompaniment to the Adhan can be considered offensive by many Muslims. As I discovered, this is mostly because it deeply tied to the religious ceremony which is taken very seriously by nearly all who call themselves Muslims.
To my own ends, I look at any musical sound as an opportunity to create. While the usage of the Adhan and the Jewish folk song was no coincidence, I still wanted to exercise my own talents at arranging to see what could come of combining the two works within the context of musical production. In a sense, this was also meant to represent how the American music industry has taken many ideas from Middle Eastern areas (among others) to keep the industry fresh without considering the consequences. We've certainly seen the same effects recently within the film industry.
I want to thank those who helped me through this project and provided valuable feedback. Produced in FL Studio 8. Copyright Ross Smith 2007.