BigHaus
07-10-2003, 11:17 AM
This week BounceFM.Com talks to Farzi H., a grad student at Columbia University pursuing ethnomusicology. As her rite of passage, Farzi wrote her thesis on NYC’s homegrown house music phenomenon, Bang the Party. BounceFM talks to Farzi to gain her feedback, insights and observations on the house music scene as we know it. This is Farzi in her own words!
When you think of house music, there is no specific house dance.
-On House Music
Finally, I moved to New York and went to “Body and Soul,” that was my first experience.
-On Body & Soul
There was a notable absence of the pickup scene vibe which I really appreciated because I was always someone who liked to dance, but didn’t necessarily want to get into all the extra stuff.
-On Body & Soul
Positive attitude helps so much! Positive attitude from door people. I’ve been places within this scene where I really did not enjoy the attitude at the door. It put a bad spin on the whole evening.
-On what makes a good house party
Studying dance has been really frustrating, interesting, complicated . . .
-On Dance
For instance, I have brought some friends out with me to dance, who don’t feel comfortable about their dancing ability. They can become very apprehensive about even stepping out onto the floor. They see people jumping up and down, and flipping around, and handstand, or whatever. They just feel like they don’t belong and the need to leave. That’s such an interesting flip side to the whole inclusiveness of the space.
-On Dancing in House Music Clubs
People always talk about dance bringing people together, but it alienates them also sometimes. Certainly that can happen when there are unwanted sexual advances also. You’re having a good time and then all of a sudden somebody is (dancing) up your butt!
-On Dancing in House Music Clubs
The closest I can get to understanding it, is that class is a better way to look at it. Maybe, say that it’s a working class, not the upper class bluebloods that are getting into the disco music. Except that is it out in France, it is an upper crust thing in France, like discothèque is like little fancy clubs.
-On House Music and Class Structure
The more I started reading about the history of disco, I saw; it’s just like a continuing issue in the Garage and the membership policies. Not anybody can come. With other parties, maybe they want people to feel like they can come, but then you don’t get the crowd you want. Then you’re all pissed about that. Then you have to figure someway of not being exclusive, but being inclusive because, that’s your thing, you know, “it’s all about the music.” And it is all about the music, BUT, you can’t have some fool in there messing everything up.
-On Club Membership Policies
There’s plenty of, what people have described to me as racism within the house scene, for instance in New York. Particularly racism against people who aren’t African-American.
-On the NY Scene
In Great Britain, it seems that people take their music so seriously. They really take going out seriously, as far as I can tell, as a nation, much more than Americans.
-On the Uk vs. Britain
To read the full interview, click here:
http://www.bouncefm.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=238&mode=thread&order=1&thold=0
When you think of house music, there is no specific house dance.
-On House Music
Finally, I moved to New York and went to “Body and Soul,” that was my first experience.
-On Body & Soul
There was a notable absence of the pickup scene vibe which I really appreciated because I was always someone who liked to dance, but didn’t necessarily want to get into all the extra stuff.
-On Body & Soul
Positive attitude helps so much! Positive attitude from door people. I’ve been places within this scene where I really did not enjoy the attitude at the door. It put a bad spin on the whole evening.
-On what makes a good house party
Studying dance has been really frustrating, interesting, complicated . . .
-On Dance
For instance, I have brought some friends out with me to dance, who don’t feel comfortable about their dancing ability. They can become very apprehensive about even stepping out onto the floor. They see people jumping up and down, and flipping around, and handstand, or whatever. They just feel like they don’t belong and the need to leave. That’s such an interesting flip side to the whole inclusiveness of the space.
-On Dancing in House Music Clubs
People always talk about dance bringing people together, but it alienates them also sometimes. Certainly that can happen when there are unwanted sexual advances also. You’re having a good time and then all of a sudden somebody is (dancing) up your butt!
-On Dancing in House Music Clubs
The closest I can get to understanding it, is that class is a better way to look at it. Maybe, say that it’s a working class, not the upper class bluebloods that are getting into the disco music. Except that is it out in France, it is an upper crust thing in France, like discothèque is like little fancy clubs.
-On House Music and Class Structure
The more I started reading about the history of disco, I saw; it’s just like a continuing issue in the Garage and the membership policies. Not anybody can come. With other parties, maybe they want people to feel like they can come, but then you don’t get the crowd you want. Then you’re all pissed about that. Then you have to figure someway of not being exclusive, but being inclusive because, that’s your thing, you know, “it’s all about the music.” And it is all about the music, BUT, you can’t have some fool in there messing everything up.
-On Club Membership Policies
There’s plenty of, what people have described to me as racism within the house scene, for instance in New York. Particularly racism against people who aren’t African-American.
-On the NY Scene
In Great Britain, it seems that people take their music so seriously. They really take going out seriously, as far as I can tell, as a nation, much more than Americans.
-On the Uk vs. Britain
To read the full interview, click here:
http://www.bouncefm.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=238&mode=thread&order=1&thold=0