Music in Society: Why we Need Music

            There are good songs. There are great ones. And then there are the ones that impact society as a whole. These songs don't just make us happy, or fill the background of our favorite movies. These songs convey messages that have a lasting effect on people, and, in some cases, change lives. In society, we need music because of the effect it has on us.

            One song that seems to be the theme for "looking on the bright side" and "stopping to smell a rose" is What a Wonderful World, which is most famously performed by Louis Armstrong. It was written by Bob Thiele (as "George Douglas") and George David Weiss, recorded and released in 1967. Originally, it did not do well in the U.S. but topped charts in the U.K.. Later, as the song appeared in multiple movies and shows, its popularity grew. But what effect does it have on people?

            First of all- check out the comments on that YouTube link! Almost every person there has something positive to say about how this song affects them and their life. I saw one comment about someone singing it to their mother after she'd had a stroke. A few people commented saying it was played at their parents' funeral by request, which is familiar to me, as it was played at my grandfather's funeral 11 years ago. Although the melody and slow tempo can make some people feel sad, it makes others happy and optimistic by reminding them of life's simple joys. The site Old Time Music agreeably states that What a Wonderful World "reminds us to appreciate the wonders of nature, the love of our fellow human beings, and the joy of being alive". I see this song as timeless, one that will continue to affect the lives of anyone who hears it. In society, we need music because of songs like this.

            A little more upbeat than the last, another song that affects people greatly is Respect, written and originally released as a single by Otis Redding in 1965 before being made ICONIC by Aretha Franklin in 1967. With her spin on it, this song was (and still is) a powerful message in the subject of feminism. According to Biography, Aretha's song quickly "became an anthem of women's empowerment", which is undoubtedly true. Aside from the message, I love how catchy it is!

Overall, I honestly believe that society needs music because of the effect it has on people. Whether it reminds us to look on the bright side, or empowers us and encourages us to stand up for our rights, music is so important because of the impact it makes on people.

Sources:

"What a Wonderful World." Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
     What_a_Wonderful_World#. Accessed 6 Dec. 2023.

"Respect." Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Respect_(song)#Analysis_and_subtext.
     Accessed 6 Dec. 2023.

"Louis Armstrong." Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Armstrong. Accessed 6
     Dec. 2023.

Castaneda, Bertha. "The Meaning Behind The Song: What a Wonderful World by Louis
     Armstrong." Old Time Music, 5 Oct. 2023, oldtimemusic.com/
     the-meaning-behind-the-song-what-a-wonderful-world-by-louis-armstrong/.
     Accessed 6 Dec. 2023.

"Aretha Franklin." Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aretha_Franklin. Accessed 6
     Dec. 2023.

Chang, Rachel. "Aretha Franklin: The Powerful Meaning Behind Her Equality Anthem
     'Respect.'" Biography, 8 Jan. 2021, www.biography.com/musicians/
     aretha-franklin-respect-meaning. Accessed 6 Dec. 2023.

Music and the Fictive Dream: The Lion King

Disney's The Lion King (1994) is one of my all time favorite movies!! I watched this movie countless times growing up, and I still watch it every now and then. The piece that I think really elevated the climax and resolution of this movie is King of Pride Rock by Hans Zimmer.

This is what you hear in the background as Simba takes on his uncle Scar, and reclaims his place as king. I think this piece creates so much emotion during such a big part of this movie.

As Simba makes his way to the top of "pride rock", the melody in the vocals and strings, accompanied by soaring french horn lines feels so thrilling and honestly kind of inspirational. I get chills every time I hear it.

Honestly, I don't think this piece has any specific social commentary attached to it. I believe it just adds to the scene and makes it amazing.

Sources:

"King of Pride Rock." The Lion King Wiki, lionking.fandom.com/wiki/
     King_of_Pride_Rock#References. Accessed 29 Nov. 2023.

"The Lion King." Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lion_King. Accessed 30
     Nov. 2023.

The Role of the Performer: Britney Spears

 

Britney Spears is without a doubt, a very popular singer. She's one of the world's best selling artists, and her performances can only be described as iconic.

Britney began singing lessons as a child, before appearing in a few different TV shows. At 17 years old, she released her debut album, "... Baby One More Time" which was the biggest-selling album ever by a teen artist. 

From there, Britney's music career hit many highs and lows, with many more albums released. Most recently, she released a memoir titled "The Woman in Me". 

Here are two of her performances:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vjFljmxecY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fq7Zuq6sgBc

I really like the way she enters the stage in both performances, rising up onto the stage as the center of attention. I also really like the choreography of her backup dancers, and all of the details and visuals that are added to both of these shows. Her music obviously puts it over the top, with her impressive vocals, strong beat and catchy melodies. 

Sources:

"Britney Spears." Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Britney_Spears. Accessed 16
     Nov. 2023.

Toxic. Performance by Britney Spears. YouTube, uploaded by Speed S, 21 Jan.
     2022, www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fq7Zuq6sgBc. Accessed 16 Nov. 2023.

...Baby One More Time. Performance by Britney Spears. YouTube, uploaded by
     ThisIsTheMusicTV, 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vjFljmxecY. Accessed 16
     Nov. 2023.

A Musical Trip to Japan: Koto

 

The Koto is one of the most popular Japanese instruments. It is made of paulownia wood and has 13 silk strings (although some have only 7). It also has "bridges" which are placed under each string in order to tune the Koto for the piece that will be played on it. A Koto is played by plucking the strings using picks (or plectra, called tsume).

This instrument was created in the 8th century, and many different versions have followed since then; the 17-string bass Koto (jūshichigoto), as well as the 20-string, 25-string, and 30-string Koto.

Here are two pieces featuring the Koto. The first shows the 30-string Koto, played by Aya Asakura. The second shows both the 13-string and 17-string, played by The Sydney Koto Ensemble. (I cannot find the name of either of these pieces.)

                             

The melody of the first piece is very disjunct. It jumps around a lot, which gives it a mysterious quality. There are also many accelerandos, which adds to that quality.

The second piece is a lot easier to follow. It's melody is a lot more conjunct. The piece starts out pretty soft, maybe a mp dynamic. As it goes on, and as the melody builds, it gets louder with the use of a cresc. poco a poco. (Louder little by little).

Personally, I enjoy the second piece a lot more because there's more harmonies and countermelodies, whereas the first piece is a little hard to follow.

SOURCES

"Koto." Traditional Music Digital Library, 2014, www.senzoku-online.jp/TMDL/e/
     01-koto.html#Gallery. Accessed 5 Nov. 2023.

Kuiper, Kathleen. "Koto." Edited by Dutta Promeet et al. Britannica, 20 July
     1998, www.britannica.com/art/koto. Accessed 5 Nov. 2023.

Darius Rucker: From 1986 to 2022

  Growing up, I listened to a LOT of country music. If I was in the car, you could be certain I'd hear the voices of Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert, Tim McGraw, and Brad Paisley flowing out of the speakers. One voice that I seemed to hear very often was Darius Rucker. Whether it was Wagon Wheel, Don't Think I Don't Think About It, or Homegrown Honey, I was jamming along to pretty much everything he had on the radio. What I didn't know at the time, was that he was originally part of a band titled Hootie and the Blowfish.

 The band started in South Carolina in 1986, under a name based off of a couple of the group members' nicknames. In their time working together, they released 6 studio albums. Around 2008, they split up to do solo work, which seems to be very successful for Darius. Since beginning his solo career, Rucker turned to an R&B style for a few years, before switching to country music.

In this post, I want to compare two of his songs:

    Only Wanna Be With You 

and

    Beers and Sunshine

(While also discussing some of the songs written in between).

 Musical Analysis #2 - Lavender Haze

by Taylor Swift

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8DLofLM7No

This song, released in November of 2022 as part of Taylor's newest album, "Midnights", has been described as 'dream pop'. I completely agree with this description of the song, as its melody feels very dreamy to me.

Lavender Haze is written in the key of B-flat major, which is said to feel 'clear and bright'. Its has a meter of 4/4, making it easy to find the bass on each beat. 

Due to the softer dynamics in each verse, this song feels very light and airy to me. I think another element of the song that adds to that feeling is the way it is sung. Not only are the dynamics soft, but Taylor sings in somewhat of a 'breathy', whispery voice for most of the song. The only crescendos I can hear are at the beginning of each time she sings the chorus.

I can't figure out exactly which form it's written in, but I do see a pattern of A-B-A-B-C-B in the melody. The song starts with one verse, which goes into the chorus. After which, the same melody and transition are used to go to the second chorus (which is the same as the first). Then, there's a bridge, followed by the return of the chorus. 

As for the melody itself, I feel that it's relatively conjunct, except for the third and seventh bar of each verse. In these measures, there's a 4-beat riff on just a single syllable of a word, which starts on a D, and ends on the F below it. 

"Lavender Haze." Wikipedia, 29 Sept. 2023, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lavender_Haze.
     Accessed 15 Oct. 2023.

"Lavender Haze by Taylor Swift Chords and Melody." Hook Theory,
     www.hooktheory.com/theorytab/view/taylor-swift/lavender-haze#chorus.
     Accessed 15 Oct. 2023.

Virtual Piano. virtualpiano.net/?search-input=lavender%20haze. Accessed 15 Oct.
     2023.  
          Just used to determine notes in riff.

Buja, Maureen. "How You Should Feel in the Key of B flat Major." Interlude, July
     2016, interlude.hk/feel-key-b-flat-major/
     #:~:text=Pauer's%20key%20characteristics%20for%20B,composers%20used%20B%20flat%20
     major. Accessed 15 Oct. 2023.

"Taylor Swift- Lavender Haze." Song BPM, songbpm.com/@taylor-swift/
     lavender-haze-PYNzPkZ4y_. Accessed 15 Oct. 2023.

 

Hi guys! My name is Jackie. I grew up here in Fairbanks, and I have been involved in music for most of my life. When I was little, I took piano lessons for a couple years (as a lot of us do) and I began playing the French Horn in 4th grade. From then on, I continued to play f. horn throughout middle and high school. Now, I play in the Fairbanks Community Band with several of my family members and close family friends! 

I would say I have a very close relationship with music. I'm almost always listening to music. If not, there's definitely a song stuck in my head playing on repeat.

I think one of the coolest concerts I've ever attended was one by the Seattle Symphony, where they played the soundtrack to Star Wars LIVE! There were so many times that I forgot there was live music playing- that's how good they sounded!

One of my favorite pieces that I played was the Divine Comedy by Robert W. Smith. I believe it was my junior year of high school, and we played it for the Music in Our Schools Month concert (which, if you aren't from Fairbanks, is a combined concert between the high school bands).

Inferno (1st Movement)    Purgatorio (2nd Movement)    

The Ascension (3rd Movement)    Paradiso (4th Movement)

At UAF, I am working toward entering the pediatric therapy field (particularly occupational or speech therapy). Right now, I work at Hands-On Pediatric Therapy clinic, which I LOVE. I also coach freshman volleyball at West Valley High School, as volleyball is one of my favorite things in life :)

 Here is a picture of my little bestie :)

Her name is Daisy ❀