Last Seen Blogs
wildalfala7
Untitled
joongwooclub
ateez lover club
linettefox
Rin (They/he)
southcoasting
yes please thankyou
gratefuljedi
( ×ω× )
Text
Blog Post #10
Considering my rough draft was written in one night I will definitely need to polish some things. I lacked points in my organization, so I will need to reread and reorganize my main points and make sure the whole thing flows. My thesis also needs some rethinking, it was a bit too broad. It was just the effects music has on the brain and cognitive development. But after expanding my research, and with the help of Dr. Keehn’s comments I am going to narrow it down to the effects music has on creativity and how the brain works into that. I think this will also help the organization of my paper as well, I will begin with how the brain is physically affected by music, and then move into the increase in cognitive development of musicians vs. nonmusicians, and how that affects an increase in creativity and divergent thinking.
The things I learned in this class I will use and think about a lot since I am a music education major, the power of music is something that I am quite passionate about, especially after taking this course. I will continue to be passionate about the power of music throughout my life, and for my future students I will make it clear how powerful music really is. As for now though, I will be taking more psychology courses in these upcoming terms, so I will take what I learned about music’s effects on the brain to those classes. I will also be more aware of the woke side of music that addresses big societal issues. I had done this a bit before, but not as much, so that’s something I will do this summer. Overall, I think I learned a lot this term about well, the power of music, and I couldn’t be more grateful for taking this FYI 103 course. Dr. Keehn has been such a wonderful professor, and I’m so glad I got to work with her in a classroom setting and I sure am gonna miss her next year. Although at this point I’m considering taking up trombone just so she would have to teach me for the years to come.
Emily:
1. If music is so powerful, why do many musicians abuse drugs and alcohol?
Musicians began to abuse drugs/alcohol until around the 60s when it became more prominent and public in society. Usually these same artists would write songs about rebelling, which usually also included the use of drugs/alcohol because it was against traditional values. Since then, I think drugs and alcohol use has become a sort of “norm” in the fame of popular musicians. And I think that the musicians that do decide to participate in that are not the musicians that the public should “look up to”. They are not being socially responsible, and are not creating a responsible image for themselves.
2. How rigorous does the training have to be?
As musical training continues, the brain continues to grow and grow. So, for their to be a significant change, anywhere from 2-3 years of participating in a musical activity (whether that’s weekly lessons or just being in your school’s choir) will exercise the brain and show growth in the connections in the motor and auditory regions, as well as the “gray matter” on the outer surface of the brain.
3. Could the data all be based on correlation or have studies been done to show causation?
My take on this is, like others had discussed in their presentations, that having the presence of music in one’s life causes them to be more motivated and think more creatively, which then leads to a higher intelligence. Studies have shown that music and intelligence are correlated, but it doesn’t prove causation. Taking music lessons for a year won’t just automatically make you smarter, but the act of learning to read music, learning to play an instrument, learning to perform, all exercise your brain and thus makes the brain crave more and more learning. Which then leads to students being motivated to learn, and the more they learn, the more intelligent they become.
1 note
·
View note
Text
Symposium Day Post
I attended the session from noon to 1pm called “Schubertiade: Art Song Theatre” which was run by Dr. Michelle Crouch and her students in her studio. It was held in Larson Hall in Bergendoff, and what I thought was really interesting is that she had the lights off for the whole session, and there was a spotlight where the performers sang their piece(s). Almost all of them were in German, so Dr. Crouch had the English translation on the big screen behind the performers. She also had pictures on each slide that were related to the message of the piece being performed, which I think helped the audience better understand the meaning. I was fairly engaged because I enjoy watching performances, and each piece was performed by a different student in her studio so watching each person perform and taking in all their differences in tone being brought together for this session was really interesting. Before each act, Dr. Crouch would give a brief description of the overarching theme of the act. For example, before the act on religion Dr. Crouch discussed the impact of religion on Schubert’s life and how he expressed that in his music, and then 2 people sang pieces by him about religion. She did have a paper or something that she used as a reference when she spoke, but she didn’t just read off the page. I was not negatively affected by her reference sheet, because she addressed the audience more than she read off her sheet in front of her. Overall, the session was informational as well interesting and I’m glad I attended.
0 notes
Text
Blog Post #9
1. Write a paragraph on what you think makes a good protest song. Reference the article and choose to agree or disagree with something they said.
I agree with the 3 legged stool idea of a good protest song: a strong performance about an urgent topic with a specific audience in mind. I think in order for a protest song to be good, the message has to get across in a meaningful and powerful way, and the topic has got to be something for their audience to really hear and listen to.
2. Look up a favorite artist (keep going until you find something and make it different than one you might have mentioned in Blog Post #8) and find some ways in which they are trying to make a positive impact. This can be either charities, benefit concerts, lyrical messages, etc. Share you findings.
Okay, well Lin Manuel-Miranda is a mans. He has done so much for the world of theatre and music overall, but also has created and promoted diversity in the theatre community. He wrote the musicals In The Heights and Hamilton and created characters so that people of color in the acting community would have more casting opportunities. THEN after the huge success that Hamilton was, he made the Hamilton mixtape and changed the songs in Hamilton (about the U.S. during the Revolutionary War era) and applied them to issues in today’s society. For example, one of my favorites from the mixtape, “Immigrants (We Get the Job Done)” is about how immigrants are the backbone of this country’s working class, but they get no credit.
3. Discuss if you think they are effective, why or why not.
Heck yeah it’s effective. Although the theatre community is a bit small, the music and style of Hamilton was so modern and contemporary that EVERYONE wanted to see it. Lin Manuel-Miranda took a story about one of our founding fathers, made it into a musical about his family life, his love life, and about America during this time period, all while opening the audience to more than just the regular theatre-goers. AND THEN got other well-known celebrities to help with the production of the mixtape, which ALSO had a huge success. So yeah, people heard him and what he had to say in more ways than one.
1 note
·
View note
Text
Blog Post #8
Myself:
If you think of a few recent purchases what were the main factors that influenced your purchase? The necessity of the item for my day-to-day routine.
What was your last music-related purchase? Concert ticket
What were the main reasons/motivations behind the purchase? The concert was my favorite band, and they were fairly cheap!
What kind of music do you like? I enjoy a lot of different music, but I mainly listen to Indie-style and alternative. I also listen to a lot of showtunes because I love theatre.
How do you consume music—i.e., how do you buy it/ when do you watch/listen to it/where do you watch/ listen to it? I really only listen to music on spotify, but there are times that I go on youtube to watch music videos or live performances.
What are your opinions on the current music industry as a whole? I don’t have a fairly strong stance about the music industry, but it definitely favors one genre (pop), since it is the most popular. I think they try to look for what will sell, versus how much the actual music may mean to the audience.
How much of an influence would your favorite musicians have on you as a person? My favorite musicians have a fairly big influence on me, because their messages in their music is what I go to for comfort or advice or whatever.
How about on your purchases? Well, considering I use spotify (which is free), I don’t spend that much money on music. I will buy CDs sometimes for my car since my aux cord isn’t the best quality.
Do you consider social responsibility and/or ethical considerations when making purchases of products/ services in the area of music? For the most part, no.
Can you think of ways that musicians/bands currently engage in socially responsible behavior? There are multiple artists that mention or even center their song around a current issue in society.
Artists realize - or at least they should - that their fans look up to them, so their music reflects them.
Do any recent examples of socially responsible behavior within the music industry come to mind? Logic’s song “1-800-273-8255″ is all about suicide awareness, the title of the song is literally the suicide hotline number.
Have you considered aspects of socially responsible behavior when you have attended live music events? Yeah, actually I went to a MisterWives concert Saturday night, and before this one song called “Out of Tune Piano” the lead singer - Mandy Lee - made a speech about loving yourself and staying true to yourself.
Have you engaged in socially responsible behavior at live music events? No
How would you define a socially responsible musician? An artist that keeps a balance between making profit and inspiring their fans.
Do you think it is important for them to act in a socially responsible way? Yes
Would you be more likely to buy an album/attend a concert of an artist that you perceive to be engaged in socially responsible behavior? Yes
Have you attended a live event due to the socially responsible aspect of the event? No
How would you compare the role that social responsibility plays in everyday consumption decisions to music consumption decisions?
Interviewee:
If you think of a few recent purchases what were the main factors that influenced your purchase? How expensive it was and how I was interested in the purchase.
What was your last music-related purchase? A ukulele.
What were the main reasons/motivations behind the purchase? I wanted one, and it was on sale.
What kind of music do you like? I enjoy all genres except heavy metal and vulgar rap.
How do you consume music—i.e., how do you buy it/ when do you watch/listen to it/where do you watch/ listen to it? I use spotify basically anytime I’m alone: walking to class, doing homework, etc.
What are your opinions on the current music industry as a whole? Sometimes it favors over-sexualizing songs. A lot of songs don’t have a true meaning anymore, it’s about bodies and sex.
How much of an influence would your favorite musicians have on you as a person? Not too much.
How about on your purchases? Some influence, but not to an unhealthy level.
Do you consider social responsibility and/or ethical considerations when making purchases of products/ services in the area of music? Yes.
Can you think of ways that musicians/bands currently engage in socially responsible behavior? Benefit concerts for charitable causes.
Do any recent examples of socially responsible behavior within the music industry come to mind? Ariana Grande’s concert to raise money for the victims of a recent shooting.
Have you considered aspects of socially responsible behavior when you have attended live music events? Yes.
Have you engaged in socially responsible behavior at live music events? Yes.
How would you define a socially responsible musician? Someone who stands up for what he/she believes in and is a good role model to their fans.
Do you think it is important for them to act in a socially responsible way? Yes
Would you be more likely to buy an album/attend a concert of an artist that you perceive to be engaged in socially responsible behavior? Yes
Have you attended a live event due to the socially responsible aspect of the event? No.
How would you compare the role that social responsibility plays in everyday consumption decisions to music consumption decisions? If an artist/band is more socially responsible, their products are more likely to be sold.
Social responsibility is an ethical framework which suggests that an entity, be it an organization or individual, has an obligation to act for the benefit of society at large.
Discuss how authenticity is important to an artist’s efficacy in promoting a social or political. The more authentic and original their music is, the more likely their message will get across to their audience. And then that audience will spread that message.
Cite an example from the text. “through the purchase of socially responsible products, consumers are afforded the opportunity to publicly express their support for a social or environmental issue”
Can you think of an example you have witnessed of either an artist promoting something that didn’t seem authentic and one promoting that did? Post a link or video if you can. I’m bringing up MisterWives again, but their song Revolution addresses a lot of problems in the world today, and that there needs to be change. Here’s a link to the lyrics and meaning: https://genius.com/14368143
0 notes
Text
Blog Post #7
If you are new to the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, please read careful and use this opportunity to learn about this important part of our world. Although this article is from 2002, the introduction remains vital as the climate has not changed. This area has been a place of conflict for centuries and the fighting still continues today.
1. Nasser writes: “Not surprisingly, decades of hostility and fighting have resulted in monolithic readings of the problem, whereby each group is uncompromising and unwilling to listen to the other side’s point of view.”
What does this mean? Can you think of something in your life or American politics that is similar?
All of the built up hostility has lead to each group becoming too ignorant to listen to perspectives other than their own. This is similar to a lot of issues in American politics today, one that comes to mind is gun control. Everyone voices their opinions on it, but no one is listening to what others have to say. It’s quite ironic since everyone wants their voice to be heard, but no one is willing to listen.
2. How do each of the three religions claim Jerusalem as a central part of their religious traditions?
For Jews, the Wailing Wall (or Western Wall) located in Jerusalem is the remains of the Second Temple built by Jews after their exile in Babylon and is the holiest site in the Jewish religion.
For Christians, the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus occurred in Jerusalem. And this - next to birth of Jesus - is the most influential event in their religion.
For Muslims, Jerusalem is the home of Haram al-Sharif, or the Noble Sanctuary, which includes the Dome of the Rock and the Al Aqsa Mosque, from which the Prophet Muhammad ascended to Heaven.
3. Read the lyrics of the prayer sung by Fairuz and discuss how they change over the course of the stanzas.
The beginning praises the city of Jerusalem, and how peaceful the city is, with “beautiful buildings” that make it “the flower of all cities”. The lyrics move to the Biblical history behind the city by creating the picture of the mother and her son crying, the mother and son being Mary and Jesus. Then the mood shifts - not only in the lyrics, but in the instrumentation as well. The lyrics move to another point in history, specifically the 1967 war and the detrimental effects it had on the city and its people. The lyrics in the fourth stanza are focused more on the despair of the people, “crying for” the people who have suffered the most. But the fifth stanza moves toward the hope of the future after the war. The war ruined the peace of the city, but the one singing is preaching to keep faith in God to reunite the people of the City to once again have peace. The lyrics address the anger people have, and the fear people have. But the end of the song leaves the listeners on a hopeful note.
4. What elements of music should we listen for in Palestinian popular music and Israeli popular music? They will sound very different, but also very different from our popular music.
In Palestinian popular music, the melody is pure and performed with only one voice or instrument, with background vocals and strong percussive beats. There’s also hand clapping to create patterns different from the rhythm of the melody.
Israeli popular music has similarities to Palestinian popular music, but differs in its base and melody. Israeli music uses more Slavic and Russian melodies and instrumentation. And as immigrants came to Israel from different areas of the world, each brought their own heritage and traditions to the culture, especially Jewish heritage. Therefore, Israeli music - and culture in general - reflects the traditions of all its citizens.
5. How is this music disseminated? What sort of censorship has been in place?
Recently, artists in the Middle East have been creating hope through their music during very difficult times in their nation. A fair amount promoting the idea of coexisting by singing in various languages, by artists of various heritages. The Israeli government obviously didn’t like this because you know the government has to control everything the people do and think, so they began enforcing censorship. Artists were arrested, sometimes imprisoned for their music. They were considered just as dangerous as rebel forces. Palestinians at border checkpoints were not only stripped of their personal belongings, but their tapes and anything music-related were confiscated as well.
6. It won’t let me embed this for some reason, but take a listen to the king of Rai Khaled and Noa singing John Lennon’s “Imagine.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIqk7lK7vkM
What musical elements do you notice? Does this song “work” for this purpose?
The instrumentation is very similar to the original until the instrumental break after the second chorus when it adds instruments to create a more middle-east sound. The vocal ornamentation are those of the popular music in the middle east. The first verse and chorus is in a language I’m assuming of the middle east region. Then the second verse and the rest of the song is in English. I think this really brings the message of the song to a brighter light for the listeners. The lyrics themselves preach unity and coexisting, and then when the two people sing the song in the different languages create more unity within themselves.
7. “The role of popular music is not limited to raising awareness of social and political tensions, but to actively participate in offering tools for understanding the shifting dynamics within a disputed territory. As music soars above the temporal crossroads, it enables people to come together and reach better understandings of one another despite their political differences. To this end, music not only reflects our vision and understanding of history, but also expands our appreciation for the present, illuminating conflicts and paving the way toward a better future. The challenge remains, however, for each party to accept the other side’s views in a way that would ensure a just peace, equality, and reconciliation for all.”
Do you agree with or disagree with the author’s final words?
I agree with the final words because the most opinionated people have the toughest time really opening up to other point of views. I honestly don’t know how this can be solved except for people just realizing that other people have different opinions, and that’s okay. As long as people aren’t inflicting harm on others because of that. People in general need to be more open-minded to change, because then movements like gay rights and civil rights and women’s rights would not have taken so much time and work to just HAVE HUMAN RIGHTS and BE KIND and UNDERSTANDING. Yes change is happening, but slowly, and if people become more open minded, then change wouldn’t be so hard.
0 notes
Text
Blog Post #6
1. First post your parody of This Land is Your Land. I think this will work best if you do not change the chorus, but if your verse is about an issue too far from us sharing this land, then you might change the words of the chorus too. You can follow the rhyme scheme AABB from the first verse, but notice the other verses use some near rhymes.
As I went walking through the city
I saw around me, walls with grafiitti
A kid a few feet away, being bullied
This land was made for you and me
This land is my land, this land is your land
From the the north side mansions, to the “sketchy” south side
From the privileged rich schools, to the underfunded programs
This land was made for you and me
2. Keep these questions in mind as you read through the chapter for class found on Moodle from The Songs that Fought the War.
A. What is the main idea of the chapter? How music can be very powerful in time of war, and how some organizations attempt to limit that power by setting restrictions and rules in order to keep the people “in line” with a certain belief.
B. During the ASCAP recording ban that occurred during the early years of the war, how did new war related songs get disseminated? The new songs were “plugged” on the radio, usually by studio bands and vocalists.
C. What were some of the hardships recording companies and touring bands faced during war times? Since there were various bans on certain types of music, artists were limited on what material they could make to earn money, and recording studios were also very limited on what songs they could produce in order to bring in money as well. And what was able to be played wasn’t exactly what the public wanted either, so in the end everyone was just dissatisfied.
D. What was the OWI looking for as a good “fighting” or “proper” war song? Why? They were trying to steer away from the boy/girl sentimental songs that were too much about romance and not about the war. They needed songs that would intensify the war effort(s).
E. What kind of songs were verboten? (Forbidden) “tear-jerking ballads and sentimental sob-songs”, any song that would remind the soldiers of home and make them miss their family and homelife
F. What were some differences between WWI and WWII that contributed to a lack of the production of a signature war song like Cohen’s “Over There?” Since a lot of advancements had been made in the music world, it made sense that a more simple song like “Over There” would not be as effective in the more modern world of music. The people in the more modern world of music wanted a good message within a good song. Not just a good message in a not-so-great song.
G. Listen to “Over There.” What elements do you think contributed to its success? Like we discussed in class, I think the hook is one of the biggest things in a song for it to succeed. The catchy melodic phrases are what stick in people’s heads. As well as the vagueness of the song, like they use “over there” as a more simpler way of saying “Germany sucks”. The audience doesn’t want to feel like they’re being attacked with an opinion or belief, they would prefer subtle hints for them to be able to make their own connections and ideas.
0 notes
Text
Blog Post #5
For Chapter 12:
1. Find a music therapy example from the text that interests you the most. Go to Youtube and find a video so you can see it in action. Post the video and a one paragraph response as to why that specific music therapy interested you and what it was like watching it.
youtube
This video discusses how sound effects behavior, and how physioacoustics are used to manipulate certain behaviors for people in need. Physioacoustics use frequencies of sound to create sympathetic vibration in the deep tissues of the body - as the book says. Lower frequencies tend to cause the body to vibrate with the sound.
2. Have you ever used music therapeutically? Have you ever seen music therapy in action first hand? Sometimes if I am in need of a phat cry I put on sad music to help me cope. Or if I’m having trouble sleeping I’ll put on soothing classical music.
For Chapter 13:
3. What is the main idea of this chapter? The main focus of this chapter is how music brings people together - especially in societies.
4. 6 sources: 1. Interview with Bobby McFerrin for The Music Instinc 2. Mickey Hart interview with Elena Mannes, October 14, 2010 3. Daniel J. Levitin, quoted in Seed, April 30, 2007 4. Aaron Berkowitz, The Improvising Mind: Cognition and Creativity in the Musical Moment (Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2010), viii. 5. Interview with Lawrence Parsons for The Music Instinct 6. Interview with Kay Kaufman Shelemay for The Music Instinct.
0 notes
Text
Blog Post #4
After reading this chapter check out this article explaining the conversion of the radio waves to sound and listen to the sounds scientists discovered in Saturn’s rings. https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/05/03/science/nasa-cassini-sound-recording-saturn.html
1. What do you think? Musical? Noise? Why or why not? Honestly, I do not think this is music. I don’t think it has enough patterns to be considered music. Although the waves do create sound at different pitches, it does not seem organized enough. I know music can be totally improved and not have patterns, but I do not consider static to be music.
2. The chapter focused on silence being an important aspect of music. Listen to your favorite song again and notice the silence. Is there any? What did you notice about it? If you didn’t notice any silence what about the silence before and after the song was played? What about silence in this song: https://g.co/kgs/DtT5Nb As a person who is obviously passionate about music, I think that silence in songs can be just as moving as the musical phrases. Especially in Hide and Seek, it shows the break in thoughts and the break in memories. She’s reminiscing in the song, and it literally shows how in conversation we take a break and just think.
3. Between these three animals which one did you think was the most musical? Put them in order 1-3. What criteria did you use?
1. Bonobo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MM9YTlF_ErY&app=desktop
3. Perfect pitch dogs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SZCMDlmO0c&app=desktop
2. Snowball
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7IZmRnAo6s&app=desktop
This was a bit hard between Snowball and the Perfect Pitch Dogs, because although the dogs could match pitch, snowball really showed a connection with the music. The dogs were amazing, don’t get me wrong, I can’t do what they did. But they didn’t show a real connection with the music. I think if shown more than just matching pitch with the dogs, my answer might be different. But I believe connecting with music and moving with it is much more important to being “musical” than being able to match pitch.
0 notes
Text
Blog Post #3
We have been exploring a variety of topics in our course “The Power of Music” that have hopefully asked you to WONDER about our diverse and changing world. Now it is time for you work to construct an argument paper by first developing a working thesis.
Write your potential thesis statement down. (or topic idea if it is not a thesis yet.) I am very intrigued by the idea of studying the effects of music on the human brain. Performing versus listening to different genres and how that might have different effects on the brain.
Google search key terms from this and see what pops up. Describe some of these initial findings. Does it seem like you might be onto something? Do any of these have works cited or bibliographies or seem to be referencing more scholarly work? Post a video or article you found that interests you the most and you want me to know about. https://itssaraglows.wordpress.com/2016/05/16/how-music-genres-affect-the-brain/ This article discusses different genres of music and how they affect the brain and thus create different moods and/or behaviors. It also shows how the brain processes music.
Has your thesis evolved at all from this initial search? Yes, I am very interested in how the brain processes music as well now. I believe the brain processes different genres of music in different ways, thus creating a certain mood when listening to a certain type of music.
Chapters 7 and 8
Do you think music is part of being human? (cite evidence from the reading). I believe that music is part of being human. Since the beginning of time, humans have used different forms of expression to make music. They used instruments, voices, and dancing to make music before they even knew they were making “music”. Also, music is so universal that a variety of people can listen to the same piece and enter into the artists’ world. As Stephen Mithen said when listening to music made by Amazonians: “I can enter into their musical world. And yet, if I listen to them speak, I have no idea what they’re speaking about.”
How did Mannes transition from Chapter 7 to 8? Was it effective? Why or why not? She ends chapter 7 discussing how physics and math and biology are all included when discussing the origins of music, specifically one scientist who questions: “How can we respond so emotionally and so intuitively to music if it isn’t something that’s really deeply embedded in our biology?” Then opening chapter 8 by talking about discoveries in Germany of ancient instruments. Some experts say that the instruments that were found were more technologically advanced than modern instruments.
Given that we have no recordings or written evidence of ancient music or language, what evidence are experts using to hypothesize about how music and language functioned in society. (at least 3 examples). The ancient flute they discovered is a good example of an instrument that was used ages ago. Also, Mithen’s theory that before language there were different musical phrases for certain phrases like “we’ll go hunting” expressed with different pitches and/or rhythms. And building off of that, Parsons and Brown hypothesize that “body percussion” is what began the evolution of dance, that humans first dance moves were thigh slaps and beating the chest.
1 note
·
View note
Text
Blog Post #2
Sound Targets
1. What kinds of evidence did Jonathon Pieslak use to demonstrate how soldiers use music as inspiration for combat? On first glance, does it seem like his sources are credible? How do you know? He uses examples from multiple countries in multiple wars using battle cries, instruments, etc. to perform music before going into battle. It seems like his sources are credible because they’re from older books, about older events.
2. What genres were most popular for American soldiers in Iraq? Metal and rap were the most popular for American soldiers in Iraq.
3. What invention has changed the way soldiers can use music as an emotional tool? Portable audio devices changed how accessible music was for soldiers to listen whenever they wanted.
4. Paraphrase the historical context at the beginning of the article into a single paragraph you might use to give background for a reader if you were writing a paper on this topic. From ancient battle cries to soldiers in Iraq listening to their favorite song, music is used as inspiration before battle. This has been used throughout history, and the earliest form is ancient battle cries where a group of soldiers would sing or chant words before – and sometimes during – battle. This has been modified as history went on, like how Japanese pilots would yell “Banzai” in World War 2. Instruments were also incorporated into pre-battle music, like bagpipes in Scotland and drums and fifes in America.
Review
5. Song Form Review - Please map this song using our terms from class:
Chorus © Verse (V) Prechorus (P) Intro (I) Outro (O) Bridge (B) Instrumental interlude (N) Ad lip (A)
ICVPCBCNACO
6. Take your time on this one:
Discuss why many people “feel” so much in this version of this song, but this song in general. (If you feel nothing for this song, feel free to use a song that makes you feel a lot, but post it so I can reference it.) The reading discusses a lot of sophisticated techniques we will discuss in class, but you can use the elements we have learned to hypothesize, such as melody (range, contour, intervals), timbre, rhythm, harmony, tonality (key), form. To get full credit only posting one of the words above is not enough. What about that element is different in this piece or important to the feel factor?
The harmonies in this piece are so rich and balanced everything just fits together, which is what Pentatonix does really well I believe. They create some of the best harmonies I’ve ever heard, with only one person singing each harmony. They always blend so well, all singing in the same “style” for each song, even though each of their voices have a different timbre. Especially with this song, the range of the melody is fairly large and during each solo, each person sings it in their own way, but when they come together as a group everything just blends. Also, since they are doing this a capella, the absence of instruments creates a more open sound, and gives the group a lot more room to create their own sound/timbre. This song is usually accompanied with a piano, but when one voice sings alone (which does happen sometimes in this specific arrangement), is soothing and freeing for the performer. Especially with rhythm, the singers have so much freedom to move how they want, going faster and slower as they choose. As the song goes on, they change rhythms and tempo to keep the song moving and engaging. Overall, I love Pentatonix and all they do, because I find it amazing how they can make a song sound so full and awesome with just them and their voices.
0 notes
Text
Blog Post #1
Part 1
Hello! I’m Emily Keiner, I’m a vocal music education major, and I am also involved in theatre. I am from Sycamore, Illinois which is about 20 minutes northeast of Northern Illinois University. I am the oldest of three, my brother is 13 and my sister is 15. I have 2 dogs and a cat: Daisy, Ernie, and Kasey.
Have you played a musical instrument or sung in a choir before? Yes! I am currently an alto in Jenny Lind at Augustana, and have been in choir since middle school. I was in piano lessons as a kid for about 7 years, and then I stopped taking lessons but would play on my free time. I am now taking piano lessons again here at Augustana. I also took guitar lessons for about a year in high school, but haven’t played since.
On a scale of 1-10, how comfortable are you listening to Western Classical Art music? 10. In my musicianship classes, most Western Classical Art is required to listen to. I also enjoy listening to it.
What is your favorite genre/s and least favorite genre/s of music? My favorite genre of music is musical theatre, and my least favorite is probably R&B/Hip-Hop.
Why? Musical theatre is my favorite because I am so passionate about theatre, the way a single song can be so important for an entire song is so awesome. Plus, the variety of types of music in theatre, like how Hamilton is completely different than Cinderella, there’s so much variety within one genre. My least favorite is R&B/Hip-Hop probably because I guess I just can’t relate a lot to the songs, and so I listen to it the least.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mP6AXXd2NAM
The melody of this song is the main voice, and the harmony is played by the orchestra. It’s quite a long song, and the melody changes a bit throughout, but for the most part it goes up and down a lot, it varies. The range is what I think is one of the most impressing characteristics of the piece: G#3-Eb3 (the lowercase ‘b” is supposed to be a flat sign). She belts a high Eb at the end and it just expresses how much power that character has, and how passionate she feels about changing herself for the better.
Part 2
According to the reading:
1. Even though we interpret most faster frequencies as being a high pitch and slower frequencies as being a low pitch, why is it important for us to question those terms and recognize them as a modern human construct? As the reading discussed, “low and high - just like left and right - are effectively arbitrary terms” that help us define things in a simpler way. Pitch is actually the frequency at which the waves vibrate, but since not every person has taken a physics class to understand that, we define them in an easier way for all people to relate to.
2. If a bird sings a song in the woods and there is no one around to hear it, does it make a sound? Why or why not? Yes, just because no one is there to hear it, the bird heard itself sing. And also sound waves were produced by the bird, so scientifically as well, sound was made.
3. True or False. If I play a melody starting on a different pitch, but I keep all of the intervals the same, most people would recognize it as the same melody. True.
0 notes