What Is Greg Dobihal Presentations On Their Family's History And Musical Roots?

For this final project, I listened to Emily Tigges and Greg Dobihal’s presentations on their family’s history and musical roots. Greg’s family has Czechoslovakia (father’s side), German (mom’s side), and Dutch (mom’s side) roots. Located in eastern Europe, Czechoslovakia, now the Czech Republic and Slovakia, has very distinct genres of music. The most popular, the polka, is a form of Czech folk and dance music that utilizes a wide range of instruments, including accordions, trumpets, clarinets, tuba, and others. He also noted the important and popularity of Czechoslovakian classical music, citing Dvorak’s “New World Symphony” as an example. His mother’s side of the family has German and Dutch roots. The two cultures, much like the Czechoslovakians, have rich musical histories. In the 16, 17, and 1800’s, Germany produced the finest classical musicians of all time, including Bach, Beethoven, and Handel. Much like the Polka, Volksmusik, the folk music of Germany, utilizes similar instrumentation and rhythmic cadences, creating tunes easy to dance to. The Dutch also had their own folk music. A lot of this music is found today in the eastern United States, especially in Pennsylvania.

First, he noted that his family, siblings in particular, introduced him to country music, citing Blake Shelton’s “Austin.” While in school, Greg participated in band, choir, sports, snd private lessons introducing him to many more styles, including jazz, classical, traditional choral works, hiphop, and rap. Finally, his religious upbringing greatly influenced his musical pursuits. Growing up Catholic, Greg sang in choirs and heard many church hymns, including “Oh God Beyond All Praising.” His religious background also encouraged him to listen to music with substance and meaning, using the song “I’ll Keep On” by NF as an