Case study (Starbucks) Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

(Starbucks) - Case Study Example This strategy creates new business opportunity for Starbucks. By increasing the efficiency of the baristas in terms of delivering the order of its valued customers within the shortest period of time possible and maintaining the cleanliness and friendliness of the staff who are working within Starbucks coffee shops also creates competitive advantage for the company. Almost a decade ago, Starbucks has been focused on saturating the domestic market in the U.S. Since the company has already saturated the U.S. market, Starbucks began expanding its business within the global markets. Since anybody can easily establish their own coffee shop, competition within the coffee industry is very tight. As explained by Porter (1998, p. 1), competitive advantage is referring to the â€Å"search for a favorable competitive position within a particular industry†. Using the four major assumptions we have mentioned earlier, Starbucks management was able to successfully develop a competitive advantage in terms of improving the quality of services the company has been extending to its valued customers. There is a very tight market competition with regards to domestic and global markets of coffee products. In line with this, rivalry within the coffee industry is tight due to the fact that the capital requirements in putting up a coffee shop are not so expensive. This makes barriers to entry within the local and international coffee industry low. Since anybody can easily sell brewed coffee, the threat for substitute products is very high. Improving Starbuck’s services increases its market share within the coffee industry. Therefore, the company has gained more power over its suppliers. Since the company is able to purchase its raw materials by bulk, Starbucks is able to purchase its raw materials at a relatively low price. Considering that there are a lot of existing coffee shops around

Lifes Ups and Downs Essay Example for Free

Lifes Ups and Downs Essay One warm weekend in June, my girlfriend decided she wanted to take me on a weekend getaway to none other than Las Vegas, Nevada, a place where no one else existed but me and her. So I thought. I was totally ecstatic; at this point it’s been moths since we’ve been out just the two of us with no kids. The first night we get there we get dressed up and make reservations at our favorite restaurant. The moment we get to the restaurant, she starts acting weird and all of a sudden does not find a single thing on the menu appetizing and complains of a stomach ache, so we leave in a hurry. Arriving back to our suite, there is a card taped to the door with her name on it. So many thoughts are racing through my mind, â€Å"She is planning something special for us, she has a surprise for me, maybe she ordered room service while we were out and it was inside waiting for us.† As quickly as the thought came they left, we entered the room only for her to admit she was just too tired and needed to rest. So I let her, I laid next to her wondering what was going on, what was going on in her mind. It was almost like we were living in two different worlds. As she slept curiosity suddenly came over me, very quietly I got out of bed grabbing her bag which contained the note that was tapped to the door, into the bathroom I went. My eyes could not believe what was written so boldly across the paper â€Å"I HOPE SHE WAS WORTH IT.† I could not resist questioning the matter at hand, I woke her up and she blatantly denied there being any meaning to this card. We argued hard and like ever before, almost like she had forgotten who I was, like I didn’t matter to her. The rest of the night went on and we were both hurt. I used indirect termination strategies to spare my heart anymore hurt. I couldn’t come to terms that this was finally coming to an end. Four years later, I found out I was never her one and only I was simply her girlfriend number two. Being very cautious to every relationship offer that came my way, I turned down so many. I did not care to see another relationship. I was never one to â€Å"get-over† a bad situation, but I knew I had to move on; I couldn’t come to terms with my last break up. Just as soon as I let down my guard, there she was someone who made me feel alive again. She helped me heal every wound in my heart and soul. Until, I started to see some similarities from my past relationship. She was so secretive, there began to be relational violence. I had to wear sunglasses everywhere I went even if I was inside because of the bruises I would have from the nights before when I didn’t do what I was asked in a timely manner. When the questions came from my friends and co-workers I had to lie. My life has never had so much deception I soon began believing in my own lies. I questioned her I didn’t understand why I had become her human punching bag. She was so cold and nonchalant towards me. As the days went by the dresser drawers slowly became empty the closet became empty and there seemed to be less and less of her things at my place. I wanted to know what was happening, was my life slowly slipping away again? So I picked up the phone and attempted to call her, I got no answer. Days went by without me hearing from her. Then I realized our relationship had ended in sudden death. There was no contact between us. The outside world became non-existent to me. I could not cope with the thought of another relationship ending so sudden. My life hasn’t been the same, how do you wake up one day to a world that isn’t your own? Relearning life one day at a time has been tough but I am a fighter this too will make me stronger!

The International Schools in the uae

The International Schools in the uae The United Arab Emirates International School is a well established educational trust, which wants to open an international school in Oman, knowing that there is now an opening for international schools in the educational sector. This Research will include important analysis for the United Arab Emirates International School to use in order for them to learn about the international schools in Oman, like the environment surrounding them which is Political, Economical, Social and Technological factors and also known as the PEST Analysis. Other than that the people that can have an effect and impact on the business will be included as part of the analysis, like customers, suppliers, substitutes, new entrants and competitors and also known as the Porters Five Forces. So by conducting these analysis and learning them the company will then be able to find out their opportunities and threats which are part of the SWOT Analysis including the Strengths and Weaknesses. These analyses will be me asured for three different cities and three different regions which are Muscat City in Muscat Region, Sohar City in Batna Region and Buraimi City in Dhahra Region. Then finally we will be able to give the United Arab Emirates International School recommendations. Definition PEST analysis is a technique used to identify, assess and evaluate external factors affecting the performance of an organization. A PEST analysis is undertaken to help an organization gain an understanding of the wider business environment and may be carried out as part of an ongoing process of environmental analysis or scanning. The aim is to provide information to assist those responsible for strategy development and decision making. PEST analysis may be used in the context of overall organizational strategy or more specifically to evaluate the feasibility of a new product or service, or expansion into a new market. (http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-5221632/Carrying-out-a-PEST-analysis.html) Advantages of PEST analysis. PEST analysis: * provides an understanding of the wider business environment * encourages the development of strategic thinking * may raise awareness of threats to an organizations ongoing profitability * can help an organization to anticipate future difficulties and take action to avoid or minimize their effect * can help an organization to spot business opportunities and exploit them successfully. It helps the firm in many ways, its important that environmental analysis is carried out before entering into the industry. PEST analysis is a helpful method of summarizing the external environment in which a business operates. Nevertheless, it should follow up by considering how a business should act in response to these influences. (http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-5221632/Carrying-out-a-PEST-analysis.html) Political and legal factors: Political factors are rules and regulations that are made by the government that has a direct impact on the business. These rules affect the daily running of the business when it comes to policies and regulations. We believe that the school should take into consideration the following political factors: Employment Laws: Every country has its rules and regulations for a new foreign organization entering the country to establish its business, when talking about rules and regulations for example Omanization the countrys rule is that these foreign companies must recruit Omani citizens as employees to help reduce the unemployment in the country and to gain experience from the foreign employees as well, in addition to that local partnership is one of the rules that a foreign owner must take in consideration which is also called (Foreign Trade Regulations). Speaking of international schools in Oman SABIS of Muscat is one of the schools that are owned by both a foreign and local partners. Government Stability: Because there is no war in Oman the government is stabled, secure and safe and not much of a change with the government. There are many foreign and local companies opening up in Oman, there are many international schools existing in Oman for example the AMERICAN BRITISH ACADEMY (ABA) if the government was not stabled then these types of schools wont exist because of the constant changes with the government therefore there will be less or no foreigners living in Oman. It is absolutely safe for any foreign organization to establish its business in Oman. Economical Factors: All businesses are affected by economical factors nationally and globally. Whether an economy is in a boom, recession or recovery will also affect consumer confidence and behavior. Equally economic factors affect the purchasing power of potential customer, and the state of the internal/external economy in the short and long-term. The unit may need to consider: Unemployment: Oman has been encouraging Omanisation to reduce the level of unemployment in the country. By the entrance of the International school from the UAE into Oman, it will play a role in reducing the unemployment and providing more jobs for local Omanies. Disposable income: Oman is facing a boom in the economy due to the surplus they are getting from oil sales. Accordingly consumer spending is high. With higher consumer spending, an increase of demand will show up. This demand will have to be satisfied. For that reason, the International school will have the chance to satisfy this increasing of demand. Socio-cultural Factors: social factors will include the demographic changes, trends in the way people live and think. Moreover, it also includes the cultural aspects of the macro environment. These factors influence customer needs and the size of potential markets (inside and outside of the International school). Lifestyle changes: by time the life style in Oman changed and is continuing to change. People have different views over many things such as: Education. Many years ago there were no private schools in the country and girls were made to stay at home and look after their parents. As time passes by, things changed. Omani citizens thinking have changed. They started sending all their kids to school, in order to gain education. In addition, when private schools opened up in Oman, families didnt mind sending their despite the mixture of both male and female. Moreover, Omani families started going out and eating out more often. Population: its the number of people in the country, when it comes to that the population in Oman is on the rise. Companies and organizations take population in consideration, because it means that people increase and the needs increase too. For example, for schools increase in the population of a country or a city means increase in number of students every year. The Chart below is an example of the rise in population in Oman. Educational levels: the level of education throughout the years has increased tremendously, and the demand of International schools in some parts of Oman is high, due to the increase of foreigners in the country for work purposes. Technological factors: technological factors are vital for competitive advantage, and are the major driver of change and efficiency. Technological factors can for example lower barriers to entry and reduce minimum efficient production level. New technology has an impact on changing the way business operates. The Internet has the most effect on the strategy of organizations. New discoveries and development: the advancement in technology has been beneficial to the International school in the industry. Due to technology the administrative staff can now access to the Internet 24 hours a day comfortably from their homes. Another advantage that technology has given the International school industry is the ability to reduce their costs as new machinery is now available for them to reduce their paper work and also reduce the time wasted. In fact the Internet allows the managers of the International school to use video conferencing to keep up to date with their other branches without to physically go there. This technological revolution means a faster exchange of operating environment. (http://www.btinternet.com/~katrina.severn/avce/PESTAnalysis.pdf) After looking at all four PEST analyses we believe that Sohar is the best place to open an international school due to the increasing of population by both local and foreigners. Also adding to that Oman tend to have a political stability due to the ruling of the Sultan rather the change of government, economical Oman is stable at the moment sine they are at the boom due to the surplus of the oil sales but this does not mean it will remain stable forever things might change if there was a decrease in oil prices. The socio- cultural in Oman is defiantly on the change to the better people are moving forward and want the best for themselves and families. We have identified earlier PEST analysis which includes the external environment and it was concluded that the environment was in a favorable condition for the UAE International School to enter the Omani market. However, we must consider the internal environment. These factors are within the control of the organizational members, to do so a Porters Five Forces analysis must be carried out. Porters Five Forces Analysis: Porters five forces model is a framework that describes how an industry grows, behaves and responds to five primary external and internal forces. The Porter 5 forces model is a framework for understanding the underlying structure of an industry or business segment, built around the five primary and dominating competitive forces that affect the short, intermediate and long-term effects of an industrys size, strength, vitality, and profitability. The value of the 5 Forces model and subsequent analyses is to help understand and predict the behavior of the industry, and most importantly, the actions of rival companies. (http://drivedemand.com/logo.html) There are five vital forces which have been introduced by Michael Porter for the analysis, these are: The threat of New Entry: The possibility of new firms entering the industry impacts competition. The threat of Substitution: as those products that are available in other industries that meet an identical or similar need for the end user. Supplier Power: An industry that produces goods requires raw materials. The power of the suppliers to drive up the prices of your input. Buyer Power: The power of buyers describes the impact customers have on an industry. Competitive Rivalry: the strength of competition in the industry. Threat of New Entry: Competition in an industry will be higher if entry into the industry is easy; therefore barriers to entry are there to protect the high levels of profits. Barriers reduce the rate of entry of new firms in order to allow the existing firms to enjoy levels of the profits. Product Differentiation: since there are very little or no product differentiation in the International Schools industry, new entrants may feel that competition will be strong and profits will be hard to earn. Capital Costs: Any normal person will find it hard to come up with the costs required to open an International School, as it is hard to find and buy a land large enough to accommodate such requirement. They would also have to pay suppliers for the initial stock, employees, etc. Capital costs are unbelievable high for this type of industry since initially large amount would be needed to buy land, resources, advertisement, etc. Economic of Scale: this refers to the decline in unit costs of a product or a service that occurs as the absolute volume of production per period of time increases. Economics of scale gives the International School competitive advantage as they can price their fees at a lower price than the others, and a new entrant will find it hard to compete with the low prices. This is because there is no product differentiation so competitors must compete in terms of price. Threat of substitutes: Substitutes are goods or services that satisfy the same customer needs. A threat from substitutes exists if alternative products with lower prices and better value satisfy the same need. In the International School Industry the substitutes will be the competitors. The threats of substitutes are determined by factors such as: Customer Relationship: it is important to build a good relationship with the customers to prevent them from moving on to the substitutes, if a customer were to feel that he/she has a better relationship with a certain school than the others then that customer is more likely to go the particular school than the others. Supplier Power: It is important for The UAE International School to obtain the resources that is needed for them to successfully operate the school, therefore it is crucial for them to have a good relationship with their suppliers. Moreover, for the UAE International School to succeed, they must try to reduce the power of their supplier, because the higher the bargaining power the supplier, the higher will be the price of resources. Buyer Power: Buyer Power is the power of customers to drive down your prices. If we look in the terms of the UAE International School, the buyers would be the customers that come to them and they have great power over the UAE International School, then the school will be forced to lower their selling price. Two factors of buyer power are included as examples, which are: Brand identity: Is how the company wants the consumer to perceive the image of their product. The buyer has a power when it comes to brand identity its because they choose the brand that satisfies them the most. So if the brand in your company does not satisfy consumers then youll either have to lower your prices or lose the consumer. For example, if the UAE International School does not offer branded items to their customers, while Muscat International School offers branded items, then most of the buyers will choose the branded school. Threat of Backward Integration: This is when the buyer changes from buying your product to buying your competitors product even though they are similar. The reasons of this maybe the price or the quality of the product and so on. So in this case the buyer has power over the supplier. For example, if the buyer compares between two international school like Muscat International and Sabis, they may find that the price differs in both schools, where Muscat International School might be cheaper, so the buyers would definitely go for Muscat International School. So the UAE International School will have to consider the competitors price and try to offer lower or the same price or better quality, and they would also have to consider the needs of the buyers and try to reach their satisfaction. Competitive Rivalry: The intensity of the competition between exciting firms in the industry can be analyzed. It is important for the school to know the number of its competitors such as: Azzan Bin Qais Private School, Muscat International School, Sultan Private School, Sabis International School and Sohar International School. Since the products are likely to be the same (homogenous), the UAE International School will have to find a way to offer something different to its competitors. High competition results in prices and margins thus, the profitability of the industry. Product Differentiation: this is when the customers are made to feel that a brand is different from another even though the product is the same and since all products are provided at the International Schools, competition will be high, because all will be competing with the same products for the same crowd of customers. Customer Relationship: it is important to build a good relationship with the customers to prevent them from moving on to the substitutes, if a customer were to feel that he/she has a better relationship with a certain school than the others then that customer is more likely to go the particular school than the others. Looking at this, we can see that three out of the five forces are favorable towards the UAE International School. In brief the internal environment is in good condition for the school to enter. From the analysis it can clearly be see the fast that there is no product differentiation is a major issue to the industry.

Destruction in Erich Maria Remarques All Quiet on the Western Front :: All Quiet on the Western Front Essays

Theme of Destruction in Erich Maria Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front Everyone knows what war is. It's a nation taking all of its men, resources, weapons and most of its money and bearing all malignantly towards another nation. War is about death, destruction, disease, loss, pain, suffering and hate. I often think to myself why grown and intelligent individuals cannot resolve matters any better than to take up arms and crawl around, wrestle and fight like animals. In All Quiet on the Western Front, Erich Maria Remarque puts all of these aspects of war into a vivid story which tells the horrors of World War 1 through a soldier's eyes. The idea that he conveys most throughout this book is the idea of destruction, the destruction of bodies, minds and innocence. The author starts off his book with a note highlighting the meaning of this book. It is as follows: This book is to be neither an accusation nor a confession, and least of all an adventure, for death is not an adventure to those who stand face to face with it. It will try simply to tell of a generation of men who, even though they may have escaped shells, were destroyed by the war.(Intro) Right after reading this paragraph, I knew that none of this book was to be comical or heroic. It was not going to be one of those stupid stories romanticizing war and making heroes out of men who killed more of the enemy than anyone else; this book was about destruction. These few lines before chapter one set the whole tone for the rest of the book. Glory does not exist in this story, only death and sadness. The story takes place through the eyes of a German infantryman named Paul Baumer. He is nineteen and just joined up with the German army after high school with the persuasion of one of his schoolteachers, Mr. Kantorek. Paul recalls how he would use all class period lecturing the students, peering through his spectacles and saying: "Won't you join up comrades?"(10). Here was a man who loved war. He loved the "glory" of war. He loved it so much as to persuade every boy in his class to join up with the army. He must have thought how proud they would be marching out onto that field in their military attire.

Complexity of Poetry Essay

Poetry is a way for the reader to openly interpret a poem in almost any way they see fit. Because there is so much freedom of interpretation with poetry, there leaves a lot of room for discussion and opposition. Billy Collin’s poem, â€Å"Introduction to Poetry†, breaks down the basic ways for interpreting and understanding a poem. In summary, he explains that the reader cannot focus on trying to figure out one specific meaning of a poem, but instead, try to piece together small parts to understand a deeper meaning. Collin’s rules on how to interpret a poem can be applied to Hughes’s poem about a young student writing a poem for homework. Instead of looking at Hughes’s poem as a whole, the reader can better understand it by breaking it down and figuring out why each line is important and how it ties together with the poem as a whole. Understanding Collins rules to interpret a poem, help the reader decipher Hughes poem on a deeper, more academic level. Langston Hughes’s poem explains how a black, twenty two year old man and the rest of his white classmates are given an assignment to write a paper. The narrator, who is also the student, explains his thoughts about the assignment and how him being the only colored one in his class might be reflected on his grade on the assignment. At the beginning of the poem, he explains how he has to get to class everyday by traveling across some of the â€Å"better† parts of town. The student goes on to explain how even though he is colored, he likes the same things and has the same wants as everyone else. He states that he is no different than the rest of his class and that he too has knowledge to share. By stating this, the student is expressing to the reader how he thinks him and the instructor are equal. In the last few lines the student writes, â€Å"As I learn from you, / I guess you learn from me† (37-38). This explains how even though their skin color and age is different they are still able to learn from each other. The student has a somewhat optimistic and confident tone throughout the poem. He is aware of his capabilities and knows that he can be just as successful as anyone else. Billy Collins â€Å"Introduction to Poetry† explains how whenever people analyze a poem they do not try to find the true message of it. By writing, â€Å"But all they want to do / is tie the poem to a chair with rope / and torture a confession out of it,† explains how the majority of people are lazy and want everything handed to them effortlessly (12-14). This last stanza explains how some people look at poems from one point of view and expect the meaning of the poem to be written out for them. The author is stating that people should look at the poem from different angles just as one would look at the world from a color slide. He tries to explain to the reader that if one were to interpret the poem from a whole new approach, then they could find a deeper meaning than just the surface meaning. After reading Collins â€Å"Introduction to Poetry†, the reader should have a better sense of how to interpret Hughes’s poem. Throughout the first part of Hughes’s poem the reader may think all of the characters background information including his address, age, and hometown is pointless. After reading an entire stanza about this â€Å"pointless† information the reader may try to stop understanding the poem before they even finish it. If the reader uses Collins instructions about analyzing a poem, they may find that all of this â€Å"pointless† information is actually important and helps contribute to the characters feelings of insecurity. Collins poem explains that not all poems have one specific answer or meaning the writer is trying to get across. Keeping this idea in mind, the reader may realize that Hughes’s poem, in fact, does not state an answer or solution to the characters mixed feelings. Although both of these poems leave room the readers own special interpretation, there is a basic meaning and idea to each one. Both of these poems fit well together because Collin’s thoughts and ideas can be directly applied when reading Hughes’s poem. The poems are an effective example of how even though a poem may seem short and simple, there is usually a deeper and greater meaning beneath the surface.

An Exploration of the Malay Kompang

AN EXPLORATION OF THE MALAY KOMPANG Name: Chan Tsui Sze Dora Matriculation Number: U1210644K Seminar Group Time: 1330 – 1530 Seminar Group Instructor: Cikgu Zubir Assignment: Research Paper in Malay Music Date: 10 April 2013 Word Count: 2245 Contents Chapter 1: An Introduction to the Kompang3 1. 1 Features of the Kompang4 1. 2 Features of Kompang Music4 1. 3 Performance Context6 Chapter 2: Influences on the Malay Kompang 7 2. 1 Arabic Influences7 2. 2 Portuguese Influences9 2. 3 Thai Influences11 2. 4 African Influences12Chapter 3: Future Changes in the Malay Kompang14 3. 1 Pop and Media Influences14 3. 2 Western Influences15 Chapter 4: Conclusion16 Bibliography 17 Discography/ Videography 19 Chapter 1: An Introduction to the Kompang The Malay Kompang ensemble refers to a Malay drum ensemble that ranges between three performers in a small chamber or accompaniment setting, to a large group of 30 drummers. As an instrument, the Malay Kompang is so familiar to most Singaporeans, yet it encompasses a rich history spanning more than 700 years that would astound and intrigue many.Kompang is mainly an oral tradition (Abdullah, 2005). Like all other non-notational music forms, it is inevitably highly characterized by change, self-improvisation and influences from other cultures. While Kompang music today is admittedly not so frequently heard nor performed as before, there have been efforts to assimilate this traditional music genre into today’s popular culture. This paper will address the diverse cultural influences on Malay Kompang from Arabic, Portuguese, Thai and African sources.Through the main musical elements of instrumentation, rhythm, form, and performance context, a comprehensive musical analysis of the influence of the different cultures on Kompang music will be made. This paper will also examine how elements of popular culture can be infused into the traditional Malay Kompang music genre, and discuss the general developmental direction that Kom pang music is taking. 1. 1 Features of the Kompang The Malay Kompang is part of the membranophone family.It is a wooden-framed, circular, one-sided handheld drum with a skin made up of animal hide and played using the free hand (Abdullah, 2012). There are two main types of tones on the Kompang – the lentong beat played by hitting the side of the drum with closed fingers, and the cerang played by slapping the center of the drum with the palm (Abdullah, 2012). The lentong typically produces a lower-pitched, rounder sound while the cerang typically produces a higher-pitched slapping effect. One of the unique features of the Kompang is its â€Å"wet† and rumbling timbre due to the strong effects of reverberation.Another special feature of the Kompang is its interlocking technique and the unique musical texture heard from this effect. 1. 2 Features of Kompang Music Even though most musical repertoire of the Kompang is oral in nature and neither notated nor formally defined, there is undeniably a wide range of repertoire in the Kompang genre. There is purely instrumental drumming as well as Kompang used to accompany vocal parts, like zikir. The variety in form – the organization of musical elements in time to create structure (Kamien, 2013) – used in Kompang music is very wide.There is the use of Pukulan, which the first section is called Pukulan Mula (introduction beat), the second is called Pukulan Asas (basic beat) and the third is Pukulan Naik (ascending beat), followed by a combination of other sections including Pukulan Turun (descending beat) and Pukulan Naik. Finally the last section is identified as Pukulan Mati (ending beat). (Abdullah, 2005) There is no rule as to how many times each Pukulan has to be played; the combination of Pukulan sections is determined by the length as well as the function of the entire performance.Also, the form of Kompang pieces is also specific to the community that is performing the pieces. For exampl e, the Kompang music performed by the Kompang Ezhar community in Malaysia typically begins with a call-and-response recitation of the Selawat, a reading of a holy scripture, and then continues with the various Pukulan sections. Additionally, there are even more types of Pukulan found in various forms of dance music (Abdullah, 2005). A summary of the different Pukulan specific to the Kompang Ezhar community is shown in Figure 1 below: Figure 1: A summary of the various types of Pukulan found in the Kompang Ezhar (Abdullah, 2005)In Kompang, rhythm is mainly characterized by the interlocking of different parts divided within the Kompang ensemble. Interlocking is basically done with two or more Kompangs playing simultaneously, with one part playing the Basic beat which is usually the downbeats; another part playing the Rhythm beat which is usually the off beats; and an additional part(s) playing the Leading beat which is usually characterized by triplets or a syncopated rhythm that crea tes a unique interlocking texture specific to the Malay Kompang musical genre (Hahril, 2010).In addition, instrumentation is a musical element that is relatively fixed in Kompang; there is usually a group of Kompangs playing together, and occasionally, accompanying voice. 1. 3 Performance Context In the Singaporean context, the Malay Kompang is usually seen performed at weddings and celebratory ceremonies, or at traditional showcases. As the Kompang is usually performed in large, open spaces, it is important that it produces loud, penetrating and thundering sounds. Kompang performances are also popular at social functions like cultural festivals, dinner shows and events, as well as for the royalty (Abdullah, 2005).All these factors underscore the importance and essentiality of this unique instrument in the entire Malay community. Chapter 2: Influences on the Malay Kompang The Malay Kompang is influenced by many cultures, especially from those cultures that introduced the musical gen re into the Malay community in the early 13th century. As Malacca was ruled by different cultural groups throughout its history, the performance of Malay Kompang was also inevitably influenced by these cultures that took over the land at different points in its history. 2. 1 Arabic Influences One main influence on Kompang music is the Arabic culture and its music.In this context, it is of relevance to discuss the main hand drum that is greatly symbolic of Arabic music – the goblet drum, a large single-headed drum introduced in 1100 BCE (Sadie, 1980). Figure 2: African goblet drum The goblet drum is played either with the drum held under the player’s arm, or with the player sitting down and placing it sideways on his lap, or with the drum strapped around his neck. Similar to the Malay Kompang, it is played using only the hands. There are three main tones used. The doum (bass) tone is produced by hitting the center of the drum head with the palm.The tek (higher-pitched) is produced by hitting the edge of the drum head. The pa is a percussive effect produced by hitting the drumhead and then muting it with the palm to create a closed sound. Figure 3: Doum tone on the Arabic goblet drum Figure 4: Tek tone on the Arabic goblet drum Thus, it can be seen that the playing techniques of the Malay Kompang is somewhat derived from the playing techniques of the Arabic goblet drum – such that a higher-pitched sound is heard by tapping the side of the drum and letting the sound ring, and a lower-pitched sound is produced by hitting the middle of the drum using the palm.Although the muting percussive tone is not as established in Kompang performance techniques, this is probably due to the limitations of the Kompang in that it can only be hit with one hand and held with the other, making it hard to execute a muting effect. 2. 2 Portuguese Influences Portuguese musical elements are also evident in the music of Kompang, particularly in its repertoire. This i s not unexpected, as the Portuguese took over Malacca after its successful assault on the city in July 1511 (Leo, 2013) – leading to infiltration of Portuguese elements into the Malay culture and practices then.The main hand drum in the Portuguese tradition is the Tabor. It is a double-headed snare drum made of cylindrical wood, played with one hand. The skin heads are tightened with leather straps and rope tension (Harms, 1989). Figure 5: The Portuguese Tabor The repertoire of the Tabor is mostly military in nature and is used frequently in marching band processions. Additionally, the Tabor is commonly played together with the Portuguese pipe. The player commonly plays the pipe with his left hand and hits the drum with a wooden stick in his right hand.Portuguese pipe music is folk in nature and the rhythms played on the Tabor are accompanimental and characterized by dotted rhythm. As the musical repertoire of the Tabor is not extensive, there is little notation available. He nce a short transcription of the Tabor parts from a Portuguese Pipe and Tabor ensemble has been attempted: Figure 6: Transcription of Pipe and Tabor ensemble recording As seen from Figure 6, each of the three Tabor parts plays different rhythms, but the performance culminates in an interlocking effect such that the three different parts compliment each other’s beats of emphasis.Hence we can derive two insights regarding the Portuguese influence on the Malay Kompang – firstly, the use of the Kompang in Malay processions and weddings could be influenced by the use of the Tabor in Portuguese marching processions. Secondly, the interlocking feature in Kompang music could be taken from Portuguese Tabor ensembles and then developed to the several complex interlocking parts of today, which includes triplets and more complicated syncopation parts. 2. 3 Thai Influences Yet another cultural influence on Kompang music is Thai music.The Malays and the Siamese have had long, diplom atic contact for over half a decade during the Siamese empire of 1403 – 1909. This allowed the Malays to adapt to the Thai culture and music. Two Siamese musical forms that were of great influence to the Malay Kompang were the Wayang Siam and the Makyong (Abdullah, 2012). The Wayang Siam is essentially accompaniment to shadow puppet theatre. The form of Wayang Siam music is mostly free in nature and depends on the theatrics and drama of the performance. Characters are free to move onstage in more or less than the traditional eight-bar phrases (Baier, 1995).The Makyong musical form was primarily performed by a small ensemble of instruments used to accompany theatrical acts, and included improvised monologues and dialogues (UNESCO, 2005), underscoring the flexibility of the form. Similarly, Kompang ensembles accompany dances, weddings and processions and require a certain amount of flexibility to suit the occasion. Despite the flexibility in combination and number of repetition s of Pukulan sections played, it is not as free as the form in Wayang Siam. Nevertheless, the flexibility in form can be seen as a main influence of Wayang Siam on Kompang music. . 4 African Influences The way that the drummers in an African djembe ensemble interact musically is also of influence to the Malay Kompang. One main feature of African djembe ensemble playing is polyrhythm, in which each djembe player plays a repetitive cycle of its own accompanying rhythm which is in a different measure from the other djembe players. This creates a very unique rhythmic texture as there are different downbeats heard simultaneously with the playing of two different measures. This can be seen in the example below, depicting a polyrhythmic effect: Figure 7: Example of polyrhythmIn addition, there is usually also a solo, virtuosic part heard above all the different accompanying parts, which gives even more rhythmic variety to the music. The influence that this has on Kompang is clear in the di fferent parts that are taken on by the different players in the ensemble. However, the interlocking effect in Kompang is not as complex in that it is not as texturally thick as djembe as all the ensemble players are still playing in the same measure. Nevertheless, it still shows a very important influence that African drum music had on the Malay Kompang.In the 13th century in the Malay Archipelago, little polyrhythmic or even contrapuntal music could be found. Hence the interlocking feature of Kompang music was drawn from the polyrhythms in African djembe. Chapter 3: Future Changes in the Malay Kompang In the 21st century today when most people including those in the Southeast Asia region are exposed to popular music due to factors like technological advances and the strong wave of social media, there is inevitably a strong inclination towards fusing traditional music with pop elements.In addition, due to the increased westernization of Asian cultures, many traditional musical forms are gradually evolving into a more Westernized structure. Besides this, the culture where Kompang is performed today also has an effect on how it is performed. For example, Kompang Melayu is a modern style of playing Kompang, specifically found in Singapore (Hahrill, 2010). Based on my research and analysis, there is a strong possibility of two main directions that musical developments in Malay Kompang can take – the pop-infused style and the westernized style. 3. Pop and Media Influences Pop music is a main influence on Kompang music today. Since the 21st century, technology has allowed a growing number of people to be connected to the Internet. With today’s wireless connectivity and infiltration of social media, the immense volume of technological information sharing inevitably causes people to be influenced by songs that are literally popular – those that are accessible to the widest audience (Lamb, 2013). Elements of rock, R&B, country, disco, punk, and hip -hop have been integrated into pop music for the past few decades.The rhythmic elements in these styles have the potential to be incorporated into Kompang. In addition, the form of pop music – verse and chorus – could be another element that could possibly influence Kompang music in the future. 3. 2 Western Influences Due to increasing westernization of Southeast-Asian cultures today as well as the flourish in Western Music education that uses mainly western notation, Kompang music is more frequently notated these days. This is evident from the difficulty that cross-cultural ensembles face in rehearsing due to differences in notational practices. Ross, 2011) Western orchestras, bands and ensembles have also been introduced to the Malay culture in recent years. There could potentially be new compositions that incorporate the Kompang into the scored music. For example, percussion ensembles with Kompang as one of the instruments, or even Kompang concertos could be written in the near future as part of efforts to popularize traditional instruments. Chapter 4: Conclusion In conclusion, the Malay Kompang, although a considerably specific musical genre, is still influenced by a myriad of elements from other cultures.This is especially so with globalization today, causing homogenization of culture throughout many countries. As discussed above, Kompang music was initially influenced by Arabic, Portuguese, Thai and African musical elements. In recent years, it has started to be influenced by pop and western elements, which are mostly caused by the infiltration of media and technology, and the slow but definite westernization of Asian cultures. As such, the growth of Kompang music in ways that are characterized by today’s era can be witnessed. Bibliography Abdullah, M. H. (2005).An Organological and Ethnomusicological Study of A Malay Frame Drum. Retrieved from https://theses. ncl. ac. uk/dspace/bitstream/10443/869/1/Abdullah05. pdf Abdullah, M. H. ( 2005). ENCHANTING THE CULTURE: AN INTRODUCTION TO THE AUTHENTIC KOMPANG PLAYING. Retrieved from http://www. academia. edu/380345/ENCHANTING_THE_CULTURE_AN_INTRODUCTION_TO_THE_AUTHENTIC_KOMPANG_PLAYING Abdullah, M. H. (2012). The Role of the Kompang in Malay Society. Retrieved from http://portal. unesco. org/culture/en/files/21753/10891249663abdullah. pdf/abdullah. pdf Charry, E. (2000). A Guide to the Jembe.Retrieved from http://echarry. web. wesleyan. edu/jembearticle/article. html Djembe technique | Inner Groove Percussion. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://innergroove. wordpress. com/learn-to-drum-2/djembe-technique/ Elements of Music. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://historyofmusic. tripod. com/id6. html Kompang! – SHSS ‘O' Level Music. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://shssolevelmusic. wetpaint. com/page/Kompang! Mak Yong. (n. d. ). Retrieved April 2013, from http://www. unesco. org/culture/intangible-heritage/23apa_uk. htm Matusky, P. (1995). Malaysian Shadow Play and Music: Continuity of an Oral Tradition.Retrieved from http://www. jstor. org/discover/10. 2307/1124116? uid=3738992&uid=2129&uid=2&uid=70&uid=4&sid=21101877205913 Matusky, P. A. (2004). Music of the Percussion Ensembles. Retrieved from http://books. google. com. sg/books? id=x06nBdEkAOMC&pg=PA198&lpg=PA198&dq=kompang+music+scores&source=bl&ots=hjI8kuVMZo&sig=uGiMpUc98bGJcM3GbIV9UH0_gB0&hl=en&sa=X&ei=f_5bUanSH8yUrgeXo4CoAQ&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=kompang%20music%20scores&f=false Musical Elements : Key, Musical Texture,

The Definition of Quest in Literature

The Definition of Quest in Literature A quest is an adventurous journey undergone by the main character or protagonist of a story. The protagonist usually meets with and overcomes a series of obstacles, returning in the end with the benefits of knowledge and experience from his quest. There are several elements to a quest in storytelling. Typically, there must be a protagonist, i.e. the quester; a stated reason to go on the quest; a place to go for the quest; challenges along the journey; and sometimes, the  real  reason for the quest - which is disclosed later on during the journey. Examples in Literature Can you think of a favorite novel, movie or play with a strong protagonist ready to go on a quest? Here are a few examples to get you started.  In J.R.R. Tolkiens The Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins is persuaded by the wizard, Gandalf, to set out on a great quest with thirteen dwarves desirous of reclaiming their ancestral home from Smaug, a marauding dragon. L. Frank Baums  The Wonderful Wizard of Oz  features protagonist Dorothy, who is on a quest to find her way back home. In the meantime, shes joined on her journey by the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman and the Cowardly Lion who work together to find their way back to Kansas. Dorothy develops new understanding and self-knowledge during her sojourn of Oz, symbolized through her friends: brains, heart, and courage. In literature that spans more than one volume, such as  J. K. Rowlings  Harry Potter  series, J.R.R. Tolkiens  The Lord of the Rings, or Pierce Browns  Red Rising, there will often be a quest for the protagonist(s) in each volume which are part of the overall quest of the entire series.