The Carolina Chocolate Drops

The film about the Carolina Chocolate Drops was an informative film that followed the band through creation to their eventual parting of ways.  The film was a personal look into each members lives, but not much detail was given on their lives not pertaining to music.  I thought the film may have been improved by adding more details about the backgrounds of each person before the conference where they all met.  Instead, the film repeated many details, and in my opinion, contained too many details.

However, the film did blend together the history of the the Chocolate Drops seamlessly.  The sequence of events was easy to follow and it was easy to see each person progress as an individual as well as the band's progression as a whole.  It is incredible how talented each individual was, and how motivated they were in their own ways.  Each played numerous instruments, and even picked up a few more instruments over time.

Native American and Ancient Greek Entertainment

Native American music and dances were very simple, with basic instruments used.  There were performances, but not formal seating.  This forced people to move around to watch and experience in a different way than performances today.  It is possible that their sounds and movements imitated their surroundings.  This could be a way to find meaning, similar to our present-day religion.  They could have admired nature and appreciated everything around them, as they were completely immersed in nature daily, depending on it to survive.

The Ancient Greeks made a theater to honor the gods, a large feat of human work.  Music was used in attempt to heal people at the theater, believing in the gods to help cure medical issues.  The theater was used for entertainment, linking entertainment and religion.  The Ancient Greeks had much more sophisticated performances than those of the Native Americans, but it was also artificial.  Acoustics were used to amplify sound, and the entire setting was man-made.