The Beat from Troy Music Hall #53, Say What You Mean

Communication

Communicating is more than just conversation. Poetry, song, dance, and art all convey meaning and help create a context for our emotions.

This week we saw one of the best examples of this. The nation’s youth poet laureate, Amanda Gorman, read her poem “The Hill We Climb” at President Biden’s inauguration ceremony. Here’s an excerpt:

The new dawn blooms as we free it
For there is always light,
If only we’re brave enough to see it
If only we’re brave enough to be it

Tarvarnauramken: Blessings In A Time Of Crisis

Alaskan radio station KYUK put together a video of locals dancing to the Yup’ik song, Tarvarnauramken, a traditional blessing. When released, they were overwhelmed by the response. “From all over the world, people wrote comments indicating a need and gratitude for healing, blessing, and purification. It is amazing to think that a song composed in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta centuries ago was playing in New Zealand, New York, Scotland, and more.” Read the full story here.

How Well-Read Are You?

The written word is an amazing way to communicate, preserve history, and showcase our imaginations. Just ask a book lover!

How well-read are you? According to the website List Challenge, if you have read 10% of these books, you’re considered a true reader. Click here, check off all the books you’ve read, and see where you stand.

Cultural Divides

Laurence Brown is a Brit living in America. He creates videos solely devoted to the difference between our two cultures. Check out this video where he highlights eight words, and how Brits and Americans use them differently.

Brits Try to Pronounce Schenectady

Things that make communicating hard; accents, region-specific idioms, and crazy words that locals assume everyone should know how to pronounce.

Want to see a fun example of this? Skip to the 1:20 mark in the video to hear Brits try to pronounce our local hometown, Schenectady. Ha!

5 Ways to Listen Better

Communication isn’t just about talking; listening is key! The world is noisier, we are becoming impatient, and we are desensitized to sound. This is making it harder to really listen to our fellow man. How do we fix that? Sound expert Julian Treasure provides some ways to reorient yourself for conscious listening.

Sometimes Words Aren’t Necessary

Sometimes, all you need is music and dance to communicate sheer joy!

Violence is Never the Answer

NPR recently reported about a way to communicate that, as humans, we don’t recommend. According to them:

“Octopuses punch fish. Deliberately. Sometimes there’s a reason, but other times, there’s no discernible excuse.” Read or listen to the full story here.