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 ❀