Thesis: Music as been around for roughly 50,000 years. There are millions of songs out there. Some songs have lyrics, some do not. Some songs have only lyrics and no instruments, and vice versa. When you hear the sound of music like the lyrics, beat, pitch, etc you name it, it tells you something. The lyrics seem pretty obvious but maybe the tempo tells you how mad someone was when they made it. Maybe the high pitch tells you how frightened or serious something is. Nonetheless, music has something in common throughout time and space: Music tells us how people feel. “Many historians have used song lyrics to help understand the culture and consciousness of the people who sang and listened to them. Especially when considering people who left few written accounts of their lives, song lyrics can give important clues about what people thought and felt, their daily struggles, and their dreams about the future.” (“What Can Songs Tell Us About People And Society?”)

Context: This first piece I am looking at is called Real Friends. It was written by Camila Cabello, Frank Dukes, William Walsh, Louis Bell and Brian Lee. It was released on December 7, 2017 in the US. This song was made to tell how Camila felt when she was working in LA, mostly working without a social life, not really having any close friends.

Lyrics: The lyrics are very touching in my opinion. They tell us that she does not want friendships that will end easily and that she wants to connect with friends who be there for her. Lyrics are a very powerful component especially in this song as they definitely tell us how she feels “Got to get up out of this town.” “I’m just looking for some real friends.” They are almost a cry for help!

Range: The range in the song is mostly on the lower end and I think this helps set the mood making it kind of serious and a little down because that is how she was feeling in my opinion. There are parts when a high pitch is introduced and I like this as I feel like it is there to bring us up a little and sooth the sadness.

Chords: The chords are almost constantly being played throughout the song and they almost set the tone or vibe along with the range. Without the chords the song would definitely be something else.

Opinion: This song is one I listen to quite a bit. I really like hearing the chords and the low range. The elements just go really well together and make a beautiful piece of music. This song really tells and makes us feel as she does as I think we all may have felt how she felt when she was working on the song.

Context: This next song is called Slow Dancing in the Dark. The song is written by George Miller and was produced by Patrick Wimberly. It was released on September 12, 2018. The purpose of this song is to show how someone might feel about a failing relationship. The metaphor about dancing in the dark is to show that even though your relationship is intimate you can’t see your partner which is making it impersonal.

Beat: The beat is really slow and spaced out. This one of the elements that make this song really stick out.

Dynamics: The opening is really subtle and deep. This leads into the dynamics going really high as he screams the word dark. For me it is what really makes me connect and see how emotional he is about it. With the dynamics as such it really puts an emphasis on how much this means to him.

Pitch: The pitch is very low in the beat but his voice is kind of high and they kind of contrast in my opinion. They mix really well despite the contrast, it is like the complement each other very well.

Opinion: This song feels very emotional to me. After looking it up and further understanding the lyrics I think I know why now. This song is very popular on an app called TikTok and it makes me feel very pleased to see it else where. I think it is great for showing you care about someone but also not wanting to.

Personal Journey: My relationship with music has changed drastically after taking this wonderful class. Before when I listened to music I would mainly “enjoy” it I suppose but now I look at songs and music more carefully and in depth. I try to listen to all the elements that I can identify and see how they all come together, kind of like looking at the big picture but as well as the small details that make it up. I am very pleased with my decision to take this class as I now have a deeper appreciation for music and its purpose in my life.

Sources:

Barras, Colin. “Did Early Humans, Or Even Animals, Invent Music?”. Bbc.Com, 2019, http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20140907-does-music-pre-date-modern-man. Accessed 24 Apr 2019.

Overdeck, Laura. “Bedtime Math”. Bedtime Math, 2019, http://bedtimemath.org/fun-math-songs-in-world/. Accessed 24 Apr 2019.

“Real Friends (Camila Cabello Song)”. En.Wikipedia.Org, 2019, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Real_Friends_(Camila_Cabello_song). Accessed 24 Apr 2019.

Robert, James. “When Music Tell Stories”. The Writing Cooperative, 2019, https://writingcooperative.com/when-music-tells-stories-8c838399671d. Accessed 24 Apr 2019.

“Slow Dancing In The Dark”. En.Wikipedia.Org, 2019, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slow_Dancing_in_the_Dark. Accessed 24 Apr 2019.

“Slow Dancing In The Dark By Joji”. Song Facts, 2019, https://www.songfacts.com/facts/joji/slow-dancing-in-the-dark. Accessed 24 Apr 2019.

“What Can Songs Tell Us About People And Society?”. Historymatters.Gmu.Edu, 2019, http://historymatters.gmu.edu/mse/songs/question5.html. Accessed 24 Apr 2019.

Bio: Just like my previous post I will be looking at a piece from a Disney movie but this time from The Lion King. The Lion King was produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is the 32^nd movie to be released by Walt Disney Pictures. There is just something about Disney songs and movies that provide great content for assignments like this. The piece I will be looking at is called Hakuna Matata. The song is sung by three of the characters known as Simba, the lion, Pumba, the warthog, and Timon, the meerkat. I am pretty sure most of you have heard this amazing song before, if not, I hope you like what you are about to hear/watch.

Role: The role of this song is setting the tone for the protagonist, Simba for the next bit of the film. It helps ease him into a new lifestyle and a way of thinking. Without this important song Simba may have not felt comfortable to keep moving forward with his life in that particular point of his journey.

Beat: The beat is something that sticks out in this song so well. You can not help but tap your foot or bob your head as the song goes on. You can also see the characters moving along to the beat in the music video.

Pitch: The pitch is not too high as to make the song “annoying” and it is low enough to seem mellow and peaceful. Basically the pitch is perfect for the song and what it is meant to do, like put you to ease.

Social Commentary: Judging from the lyrics and the pretty obvious message that the song gives I would have to say that moral/social message is to live life without worrying about everything. “It’s our problem free philosophy.” “It means no worries for the rest of our days.” I do not think it can get any clearer than that! The song’s lyrics are the message much like the Jungle Book example with Bare Necessities.

Opinion: It is my opinion that this song, much like a majority of Disney songs, is a beautiful, beat filled song that a lot of people can enjoy. There are many parts to connect with in the song. It is a song that is easy to listen to and get along with. I would definitely recommend listening to this song and many of Disney songs!

Sources:

Momaha, 2019, https://www.omaha.com/momaha/blogs/hakuna-matata-means-more-to-me-than-no-worries/article_63c8e82d-2ed0-511c-b159-8948931d352f.html. Accessed 15 Apr 2019.

“Hakuna Matata (Song)”. En.Wikipedia.Org, 2019, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hakuna_Matata_(song). Accessed 14 Apr 2019.

“The Lion King”. En.Wikipedia.Org, 2019, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lion_King. Accessed 14 Apr 2019.

Bio: I am choosing a piece from the 1997 Disney film Hercules. Hercules is the 35th animated movie made by Disney and it is based off the greek mythological hero Hercules, the son of Zeus. The piece I decided to go with is Go the Distance which was released on May 27, 1997. It was composed by Alan Menken and produced by Menken and David Zippel, in the US. The song is sung by Roger Bart who voices Hercule’s singing voice in the film. Without further ado below is the song.

Role: The role of this song is to show us how Hercules feels. It lets us further understand what Hercules is going through. He does not feel accepted and is treated like an outcast, someone who does not belong. This song tells us that Hercules wants to find where he feels he belongs and he is willing to put in the effort and time to get where he wants to be. Go the Distance is almost the backbone of Hercules because without it it kind of feels like Hercules does not want to do anything about how he feels and there might not be a story. It is essential to the bigger piece.

Dynamics: One of the musical elements that really shows and demonstrates Hercule’s strong emotions is the dynamics. When the song gets really soft it really connects with his desire to move forward and achieve something great. When the song gets really loud it shows his passion the strong will that is within him.

Lyrics: The lyrics say it all, literally. The lyrics tell us what he dreams of and his goals for the future, they could not be anymore clear than they are now. There are certain parts of the verse that change which is telling us that Hercules can and will go the distance.

Social Commentary: I believe the social commentary or social/moral message of the story is that we will all find our own places in the world. The journey might be hard, easy, difficult, simple, complex, whatever the case, but at the end you will find where you feel accepted and belong.

Opinion: My opinion is that this piece of work is amazing, it truly is. The song is inspirational and what makes it so inspirational is that fact the moral message, lyrics, dynamics all come together almost perfectly. This song is gives off positive “vibes” that make you feel like everything is alright because the lyrics tell you so along with the dynamics that give you the feeling encouragement to face your life’s obstacles.

Sources:

“Can YOU Go The Distance? | A Disney Message For Everyone”. Sites.Psu.Edu, 2019, https://sites.psu.edu/adisneymessageforeveryone/2015/04/12/can-you-go-the-distance/. Accessed 3 Apr 2019.

“Go The Distance”. En.Wikipedia.Org, 2019, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Go_the_Distance. Accessed 3 Apr 2019.

“Hercules (1997 Film)”. En.Wikipedia.Org, 2019, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hercules_(1997_film). Accessed 3 Apr 2019.

Mae, Raniela. “Interpretation Of The Song GO THE DISTANCE”. Assignmentshomeworksetc.Blogspot.Com, 2019, http://assignmentshomeworksetc.blogspot.com/2011/02/interpretation-of-song-go-distance.html. Accessed 3 Apr 2019.

Biography: Rihanna was born in Barbados in 1988. She was discovered at the age of 15 when she was performing an improvised show for two music producers named Evan Rogers and Carl Sturken, both who were vacationing from New York at the time in Barbados in 2003. The next year she recorded demos for the then president of Def Jam Recordings, Jay-Z. He liked what he heard and decided to sign the young artist. Rihanna’s first breakthrough was with her “Music of the Sun” album in 2005 which shot all the way up to top 10 of the U.S. Billboard 200. Her third album “Good Girl Gone Bad” was released in 2007 and earned her a grammy award in 2008. This is when her career really took off. Since then she has become the best selling digital artist of all time with more than 100 million gold and platinum song certifications. She’s sold more than 54 million albums and 210 million tracks worldwide. Considering all this, it is quite amazing as she’s only been around for about 10 years. One of the things that made her music so popular was the decision to make her music more of a dance-pop genre which is what you’ll hear in the two videos shown.

Beat: One of the elements that makes this song so good is the beat. It is hard to not tap your foot along or nod your head. The beat is one of the really great characteristics of the song. It would be a great beat to dance to with a group of friends because it is easy to find and hear.

Repetition: The constant “Bum bum be-dum bum bum be-dum bum” are what draw me in. It goes along great with the beat as well. The two compliment each other in way that makes the song danceable to, like in a club. The repetition makes me look forward to the next verse and so on. It is nice knowing that there is part of the song that is almost simple with a few notes. You can focus on the beat really well while listening to the repetition.

Tempo: The tempo is spot on in this song. It is not too fast nor too slow. Just like the other elements it contributes a lot to being able to dance to. If it was a little faster it might sound much like electronic or edm, in my opinion.

Dynamics: The song seems to get louder and softer and just the right times. There is clear build up to the music getting louder and that is the part where people would be jumping up and down in the club! You can hear it in her voice as well especially when she sings the lyrics “I want you to make me feel like… ” you can hear her voice get louder.

Theory: Rihanna brings fashion and style, not just in clothing, but to music as well. In other words, her role is making lyricists songs into something that someone can play in the club and everyone can dance along to with her easy to find beat and great tempo. She has an aesthetic that is both pleasing to the eyes, if you watch her music videos, and ears. In her music videos shown above, you can clearly see with no doubt that she proves this.

Opinion: Rihanna is great at what she does. Her talent to combine and use musical elements with what she is passionate about makes her great at what she does. For example as mentioned above, her desire to use a more upbeat genre really worked out well. Her voice goes well with the elements that make her music, like the ability to bring lyricists songs to life with beautiful art and a pizzazz that wows those who listen or watch her. She definitely found her calling and she will probably continue to amaze us all in the many more years to come.

Sources:

“Bio – Rihanna”. Rihanna, 2019, http://www.rihannanow.com/bio/. Accessed 23 Mar 2019.

Cunningham, John M. “Rihanna | Biography, Music, Movies, & Facts”. Encyclopedia Britannica, 2019, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Rihanna. Accessed 23 Mar 2019.

“Disturbia (Song)”. En.Wikipedia.Org, 2019, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disturbia_(song)#Composition. Accessed 23 Mar 2019.

“List Of Songs Recorded By Rihanna”. En.Wikipedia.Org, 2019, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_songs_recorded_by_Rihanna. Accessed 23 Mar 2019.

“Only Girl (In The World)”. En.Wikipedia.Org, 2019, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Only_Girl_(In_the_World)#Composition. Accessed 23 Mar 2019.

“Rihanna”. En.Wikipedia.Org, 2019, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rihanna. Accessed 23 Mar 2019.

The shamisen is a traditional musical instrument of Japan. Despite it being a traditional instrument to Japan, Japan actually got it from China in the late 1500s based off their instrument known as the sanxian. You can compare the shamisen to the looks of a banjo, or guitar if you will. It has three strings, a small body, and a long neck of about a meter. There are three categories of the shamisen: futozao, hosozao and tsugaru. What makes these three different is the thickness of the body, this causes different sound in the instrument. This video is shows a man playing a shamisen.

Tempo: One thing about playing the shamisen that I think makes it distinctive and unique is the tempo. I feel that the tempo with shamisen is pretty fast but it can also be quite slow, for the most part I feel it is on the faster side of the spectrum.

Dynamics: From my perspective the shamisen is loud. For the majority of songs I have listened to the dynamics always seem to be high which makes it very alerting. There are some soft parts in the music but not as often as the high parts. The dynamics of shamisen definitely helps define it.

Here we have the Yoshida Brothers. The Yoshida Brothers picked up tsugaru shamisen at the age of five. The studied under Takashi Sasaki I for about nine years and made their debut in 1999.

Pitch: I feel pitch is definitely one of the musical elements that characterize the shamisen in a way that is unique to it. The pitch seems rather high and it stays throughout the entire piece.

Articulation: Here is the musical element that really defines it in my opinion. The notes seem to be in rapid, smooth succession, just moving right along.

The shamisen without a doubt has its own style and sound. When I stumbled upon this video I felt like it showed all the musical elements I mentioned. It seems to go along well with the type of music they are playing. I am very pleased to have looked up this type of music. It reminds me of some electronic and edm music.

Sources:

“Shamisen”. En.Wikipedia.Org, 2019, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shamisen. Accessed 11 Mar 2019.

Wanczura, Dieter. “Japanese Shamisen – Artelino”. Artelino.Com, 2019, https://www.artelino.com/articles/shamisen.asp. Accessed 11 Mar 2019.

“Yoshida Brothers | Domo Music Group”. Domomusicgroup.Com, 2019, https://www.domomusicgroup.com/yoshidabrothers/. Accessed 11 Mar 2019.

There have been many saxophones throughout history. But I will try to compare the first saxophone, the C bass saxophone, to the new Roland AE-10 Aerophone. Adolphe Sax was the inventor of the first saxophone in 1840. He invented the saxophone because he wanted to combine the sounds of a string instrument, the power and projection of a brass instrument and the tones of a wood wind instrument. Here in this next video is the sounds of a regular saxophone.

The Aerophone AE-10 allows people to play multiple instruments such as the clarinet, trumpet, strings, and of course the saxophone. It is completely electronic. So the differences in appearance are quite obvious. Here is a short video to allow you to hear the aerophone playing a saxophone.

Despite the appearance the aerophone’s keys are very similar to the saxophone. So there is one thing that has stayed familiar. The AE-10 is battery powered and has internal speakers to play anywhere and everywhere. The aerophone has adjustable settings to allow for the vibrato and pitch that one desires.

Pitch: With this adjustable setting, I think that the pitch is something that has been changed because you can alter it more freely than on the regular saxophone. You do not need to go grab another saxophone you can just adjust the setting to the saxophone of your liking.

Timbre: This musical element has definitely changed. For me, I do not think I can discern the real from the digital, that is how good the aerophone does in my opinion. Although I am sure there are some out there that might say otherwise and can tell immediately the difference between the two. You can plug the aerophone into external speakers and play it loud and I still would not be able to tell the two apart.

All in all I would say that the saxophone has come a long way but I would have to say that the aerophone takes the trophy because it can do almost anything the saxophone can, maybe more. It is smaller, sleeker, and can produce almost the same dynamics as the saxophone. The bottom two videos show more on the aerophone if you wish to learn more about it.

Sources:

Daniels, Jordan. “Best Electric Saxophone Archives | Best Sheet Music Editions”. Best Sheet Music Editions, 2019, https://bestsheetmusiceditions.com/tag/best-electric-saxophone/. Accessed 11 Mar 2019.

Estrella, Espie. “When Was The Saxophone Invented?”. Thoughtco, 2019, https://www.thoughtco.com/history-of-the-saxophone-2456519. Accessed 11 Mar 2019.

“Instrument Discovery – Saxophone”. Bsmny.Org, 2019, http://www.bsmny.org/exploring-music/features/instrument-discovery/saxophone/1.php. Accessed 10 Mar 2019.

This song makes me hyped. It makes me want to go do activities and get things done. Right from the get go, from the moment I hear the first note, my body gets the shivers and I can not wait for the next note. It makes me want to put it on replay all day. Electronic music is usually made with electronic musical instruments, digital and circuitry-based instruments. Marshmello is an electronic music producer and DJ. He was born May 19, 1992 and his career for the most part started in 2016.

Timbre: The quality of sound to me is very clear, smooth, and radiant. I can hear all the instruments and sounds very well. There’s no irritating, nasally, or groggy sounds to interfere with the enjoyment of the other sounds.

Pitch: I like how high the pitch is in this song because it keeps me alert or hyped. The high pitch doesn’t let my brain rest.

Range: In this song the range doesn’t really change, it stays more on the higher end. This i feel keeps the hype going.

Dynamics: From the very beginning of the song, I can easily notice the drastic change within the dynamics. For example, the beginning starts big with the loud beat, then transitions into a quiet beat. Then as the beat is about to drop, the music switches from a softer sound into a much more aggressive one.

Interval: The high pitched intervals at the beginning of the song can be heard throughout the entire piece.

Sources:

https://musescore.com/zakuramusic/marshmello-blocks

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshmello

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_music

Trap music can be distinguished if you primarily hear the sound of the brass, triangle, triplet hi hats, loud kicks, snappy snares and low end 808 bass samples. From the late 90s to the early 2000s trap music made its way into the world. This song makes me feel very nostalgic but at the same time not so much because it is a remix which brings new feelings that the original does not offer.

Lyrics: This one might be a little weird as there are no lyrics except in the intro but that is what I like about the song. The lyrics in the intro ease you into the music. Without the lyrics you are kind of left to wonder and use your imagination to think of lyrics yourself or use the opportunity to daydream. Also with the lack of words it gives you the option to focus on the other elements that make it so great.

Melody: Here the accompaniment is instrumental which does a nice job. The pattern here is just right as well. It allows you to experience the parts of the song that are soothing and massaging to the ear multiple times.

Tempo: The tempo of the music is not terribly slow nor horribly fast. In other words, it is not slow enough to fall asleep and it is not so fast as to make you want to have a dance party but more of a relaxing, slow dance, in my opinion. It is a nice steady, calming pace.

Sources:

“Trap Music”. En.Wikipedia.Org, 2019, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trap_music. Accessed 28 Feb 2019.

“What Is Trap Music? Trap Music Explained | Run The Trap”. Run The Trap: The Best EDM, Hip Hop & Trap Music, 2019, https://runthetrap.com/what-is-trap-music/. Accessed 28 Feb 2019.

Hello everybody! My name is Nathaniel Appolloni. I’m 21 years old. I live in Fairbanks, Alaska, off campus. I’m looking to get a BS in Computer Science.

I would say my relationship to music is pretty normal. I mainly listen to music. I stopped playing an instrument in elementary so I’ve forgotten a lot about sheet music and such. I have not been to a live concert yet but I will! I love venues were music is being performed as long as it’s my kind of music. And to the point my kind of music I like listening to I suppose is EDM, Electronic, POP, Dance, Hip-Hop, and K-POP.