Module 8

For the final listening example we were assigned Radiohead's, "Bodysnatchers".  What is constant throughout the record is the distorted timbre of the guitar.  When I first played the track, i immediately checked my computer to make sure I had all the plug-ins securely placed.  Afterwards, I realized that this was the desired tone of the guitars throughout.  The guitar opened the song with a repeated riff which would serve as a sort of reoccuring theme of the piece.  Next, the lead vocalist is heard as he sings the first verse.  I had a hard time following the lyrics of the piece until the line, "I'm trapped in this body. I can't get out".  It seems that this line is a part of the chorus , which repeats soon after and alters the lyrics slightly by using the words, "I have no idea what you are talking about."  After this we hear a chordal shift into the bridge.  From here there is an instrumental interlude layered with vocal improvisation.

The text offered a very interesting analysis of the lyrics, citing the 1956 film, Invasion of the Body Snatchers as the basis of the methaphorical references.  The main difference between the film and this song is that in the song "Bodysnatchers", the vocalist remains trapped in his own body where as in the film, the people were replaced with replicas of themselves. Starr continues to say that this metaphor can be very realistic for musicians in the music industry who feel trapped into producing commercially appealing music.

I feel that given the underlying meaning of the lyrics of this piece, this selection was a good listening example to end the course with.  It raises the question of musicianship and artistry vs music that generates profit.  Unfortunately, it seems that in order for some artists to be financially successful making music, there have to balance a bit of give and take in this area.  Perhaps the question that each individual musician must ask themselves is, "What am I willing to sacrifice for the opportunity to create the music that I am passionate about?"

Module 6

The listening examples for Module 6 are listed below:

“Stairway to Heaven” by Led Zeppelin was a little difficult to follow.

I personally found the song to heaven mysterious and dark. The lyrics were difficult to follow as well. These feelings were experienced upon first hearing the recording, however, after reading about the piece I can further understand why.  I also found the ties to Aleister Crowley and his teachings extremely disturbing. Musically the form of the song was one like I had never encountered. For example, there are three main sections of the piece.  The first section was the least complex of the three, and yielded the following form: ABABA’.  “Oye Como Va” performed by Santana was significant in its integration of the Latin influence in Rock music.  Carlos Santana leads the band. Due to the incorporation of afro-Cuban rhythms throughout this song, the mix was also a key component of the recording. It was essential that all of the individual percussion parts can be heard. “Psycho Killer” by Talking Heads begins with an established groove in the introduction.  When section “A” begins with the verse, the high-hat and snare are added to the drum kit to create a bit more of a drive in the piece. The form is pretty straightforward with oscillations between section A and B.  There are slight variations such as a two-part C section and an instrumental section toward the end of the piece. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five’s “The Masterpiece” was an enjoyable piece.  It began with a brief introduction followed by the chorus.  The lyrics gave c clear picture of society from the perspective of the writer, which I think was the main goal of the piece.  Between each verse there was a pre-chorus and a chorus section. “Pedro Navaja” by Willie Colon begins with a clear trumpet section and an infectious Latin rhythm.  This is followed by the verse.  The interesting concepts of this piece are the Spanish text and the clever inclusion of the line, “I want to live in America”, taken from, “Westside Story”. “Hotel California” by The Eagles begins with an acoustic introduction and at the beginning of the verse we hear the rhythmic beat of the piece for the first time.  Lyrically a picture is set from the very beginning.  The verse is comprised of two 8-bar phrases.  The chorus enters with syncopation and harmony and is followed by the second verse.  The chorus enters again and then a third verse is heard.  Next is a lengthy instrumental section, which includes a guitar solo.  The song ends by fading out the music. “Bad Girls” by Donna Summers begins with an instrumental introduction with a repeating bass line, guitar strums, a trumpet section and even a whistle.  The first verse enters and then there is the chorus. This continues until the chorus has ended for the second time.  Then there is the instrumental section that was first heard in the beginning.  The song ends with a spoken chant. In contrast, “Love to Love You Baby” by Donna Summers is a very seductive piece.  The racy sound effects atop the smooth musical line and breathy melodic line performed by Donna depict the message of the song clearly.  The form of the song is simple and repetitive.  For the most part it oscillates between the chorus and verse and includes many repetitions of the chorus with variation in melody line. “Crocodile Rock” by Elton John enters with a brief instrumental section with piano and keyboard.  The verse then enters followed by the chorus.  There is a type of tag of “la’s” immediately before the second verse.  This sequence is repeated and then a third verse begins.  After this, the tag section repeats until the music fades out.  “It’s too late” by Carol King is a smooth vocal written in a singer/songwriter style.  The form bounces back and forth between verse and chorus.  The exception to this is in the middle of the piece and toward the end where there is a solo line in the guitar, soprano sax and toward the end of the piece where the piano played the solo in the instrumental section.  Barry White’s, “Love’s Theme” begins with a dizzying ascending line from the strings of the Love Unlimited Orchestra.  The piece is unique from the others that I listened to this week as it is the only that is completely instrumental.  The same ascending, melismatic line in the introduction reappears as a clear point in the music.  From that point, the piece takes on another layer utilizing other orchestral instruments, such as French horns to fill in the spaces and ultimately fill our the sound.  Toward the end a groove is established by a change-up in the rhythmic feel of the piece.  The newly created groove continues until the music is faded out in the beginning.  Stevie Wonder’s, “Superstition” is a classic recording that is used still today.  It begins with the drums and then layers a synthesizer on top.  Next, we hear the keen vocals of Stevie Wonder. The verse leads into more of a tag at the end of the verse. This tag will be used at the end of all the verses and so it feels like the chorus.  There is then an instrumental section, which leads into a final verse.  The music then fades out for the end of the piece.

Module 5

I particularly found this week's listening examples interesting since I am planning to research this era more closely.  Information on the selected examples can be found below:

“Please Please Me” by the Beatles begins with a short musical introduction followed by the verse which lead directly into the chorus.  The second verse then entered followed by an extension of the chorus and a tag.  The third verse was next, followed by the extended chorus once more. There was a slight rubato at the end to signify the end of the song.  “A Hard Day’s Night” by the Beatles enters with a single sustained chord on guitar and then the upbeat chorus begins.  This is followed by the verse and then the chorus again.  There is then a bridge section or “B” section of the music is heard for the first time.  The “A” section of verse and chorus repeats and is followed once again by the “B” section.  The chorus is the closing section that is followed by the instrumental section that fades out at the end.  The Beatles’ “Yesterday” is a classic and has been covered by many contemporary artists.  It begins with a short guitar introduction and then follows the format of AABABA.  There is a short concluding section after the A section.  What I enjoyed most about this piece are the lyrics and beautiful melody.  The song is very well written and the simple melody over top the subtle chord changes really emphasize the lyrics.  “Eleanor Rigby” by the Beatles is another well-written piece.  It begins with an introduction of vocals overtop strings.  The form of the piece pretty closely follows the verse-chorus-verse-chorus layout.  The captivating melodic line of the verses, however, is what is so alluring. “Good Vibrations” by The Beach Boys is a very unique type of song when it comes to the form.  The song seems to have pretty isolated sections with one repetition occurring after the “B” section. There is one more repetition of “B” which happens at the very end of the song.  The signature harmonies of The Beach Boys combined with the pop instrumental makes this group distinctive. “Like a Rolling Stone” by Bob Dylan begins with a short instrumental section.  Next, the verse enters followed by the chorus.  There is a short instrumental with a short harmonica solo. The second verse then enters followed by the chorus the instrumental section reoccurs. Next, there is a third verse followed by the chorus and same instrumental section.  There seems to be a bridge that leads back into the chorus, which ends with a harmonica solo that fades out at the end.  “My Girl” by the Temptations is another classic. It begins with a brief instrumental introduction followed by the verse-pre chorus-chorus format.  The third verse is separated by an instrumental section and a key change.  At the end the music fades out with improvised solo and background vocals.  “You Send Me” by Sam Cooke is delightful from the very start with the background vocals and the soothing voice of Sam Cooke.  The form is not typical as it primarily repeats the chorus and uses the bridge to primarily get to the improvised section and back again to the chorus. “A Change Gonna Come”, as performed by Sam Cooke was in many ways the voice of a movement—the Civil Rights movement.  It begins with a string instrumental section that prepares the verse beautifully.  After the verse there is a short tag that is precieved as the chorus.  This continues for all the verses. The only change to this is the bridge of the song, which occurs right before the third verse. Aretha Franklin’s “Respect” was another song that contributed heavily to the Civil Rights Movement.  It begins with a short instrumental section and then enters with the verse which is followed by the second and third verse.  Next, we hear an instrumental section that prepares the fourth verse.  After this verse there is a break in the music and the most popular part of the song is heard. “R-E-S-P-E-C-T, find out what it means to me.”  After this, the music fades out.

Module 4

The musical listening examples of Module 4 are described below:

“Nancy with the Laughing Face” by Frank Sinatra begins with an introduction with string orchestra and is soon followed by the smooth entrance of Sinatra.  The strings take a backseat and Sinatra takes over the melody.  After the verses there is an interlude where the strings take over again.  After a couple of measures, Sinatra enters again for the final verse, after which the strings complete the song with an outro similar to the intro.  “Choo Choo Ch’Boogie” by Louis Jordan begins with and instrumental introduction with playful imitation of a train by the rhythmic piano and brush strokes used on the snare drum.  This continues throughout the verse and the chorus of the solo.  Next, there is a piano solo that prepares the next verse and chorus.  There is then a saxophone solo that leads into the final verse and chorus. It ends with a tag interplays the vocalist and varying rhythms from the instruments.  Chuck Berry’s, “Mabelline” is an up beat piece that enters with Berry and the accompaniment.  The quick rhythms used for the rather text heavy verses allows the soloist to be more rhythmic in his delivery.  This combined with the 12 bar blues progression adds to the overall Rock feel.  “Long Tall Sally” performed by Little Richard in also an upbeat piece that uses the 12 bar blues structure.  However, this piece alternated between verse and chorus throughout the song with the exception of an instrumental break in the middle and the resolve or concluding material at the end of the piece. “Don’t be Cruel” as performed by Elvis Presley has an interesting form.  It begins with an instrumental section and then begins alternating between verse and chorus, however, after the second verse there is a type of extension or tag added to the chorus that is then used each reoccurring time the chorus is sung.  At the end, however, there is yet another extension added.  Another element that is different with this piece is the use of harmonizing background vocalists singing ‘doo-whopps’ with reverb. In The Coasters’, “Charlie Brown”, perhaps one of the most interesting factors of this song is the lyrics, in my opinion, especially in the beginning (“Fee, fee, fie, fie, fo, fo, fum.  I smell smoke in the auditorium”). This piece utilizes the 12-bar blues as well but the format makes several changes throughout. It alternates between verse and chorus sections and the 12-bar blues structure is heard in the beginning and in the instrumental section.  “Mambo No. 5” is a piece I recall hearing in movies that depict fancy resorts! The backbeat played by the percussion, which includes conga, bongo, and maracas, is enticing. The staccato playing of the horn section was also significant to this piece as they played the culturally reflecting syncopated rhythms. Big Mama Thornton’s, “Hound Dog” was soulful with an edgy vocal.  Yet somehow, all these elements were layered on top of an easy groove.  The Bluesy sound almost puts you in a trance.  It begins with the vocalist and then breaks for an instrumental section.  After this, Big Mama re-enters with the verse followed by the chorus, which leads to the ending of the piece.  “Mama He Treats Your Daughter Mean” as performed by Ruth Brown begins with a short instrumental section, which is then followed by a piercing vocal that effectively reflects the lyrical content.  Brown begins with the chorus and then sings the verse.  The chorus immediately follows with the second verse, right after.  As an indicator of the final time, Brown sings the last chorus with melodic variation.  It’s Mighty Dark to Travel” by Bill Monroe and His Blue Grass Boys enters with an instrumental section comprised of banjos, steel guitar, and fiddle.  We then hear the chorus and later the verse.  However, in between each singing section there is a short instrumental section.  The chorus is harmonized in thirds each time. 

Since were are moving closer to present day in our timeline in the course, I am beginning to hear how several musical choices from these listening examples reflect similar musical choices made today in arrangement, instrumentation and vocalization!  

American Vernacular Music-2

This week’s collection of pieces included music used for social dance and Tim Pan Alley.  My reflection on each piece is as follows:

I found "Castle House Rag" to be a bit "busy" for my taste.   The syncopated rhythms were homophonic. They were performed on the melodic and percussion instruments which contributed to the  "business" of the piece. However, the quick moving, syncopated rhythms found throughout the piece and particularly in the "A" section of the piece are typical of ragtime.

"Tiger Rag" was lively and held the listener's attention with various surprises throughout.  In the beginning, theme was introduced and repeated. The clever use of rests were effective in variation.  The percussive slaps and slides performed by the clarinet and trombone were playful and also effective.  The ending combined two of these elements for a strong finish (Percussive slap, rests).

"Dipper Mouth Blues" gave a more relaxed tempo in comparison to the other selections for this week. The polyphonic nature of the "A" section gives way to a standard verse-accompaniment form in section "B" with the clarinet taking the first solo.  Section "A" reappears to prepare the "B" section, which supports a trumpet solo.  This piece could be classified as easy listening.

"East St. Loius Toodle-oo" was the one of the selections this week that began in a minor key, which gave a particular feel for the introduction.  Throughout the piece you could hear the alternation between major and minor modes.  This was probably the most effective method of the module. There was also a playful exchange between solos and accompanying duet lines.  The piece was also unique in this week's collection as it had a ritardando to conclude the piece.

“My Blue Heaven”, caught my attention right away with the cello solo.  The contrast between the legato melody of the cello and the backbeat created by the chords of the piano made a soothing combination. The alternating dominance of the voice and the complimentary instrumentation added to the beauty of the piece.  This first occurs when the voice improvises a melody to support the cello solo in the first refrain.  In the last refrain there are “bird sounds” that take over the melody and once again, the voice accompanies the melody.

There were two versions of, “April Showers”. This piece was similar to “My Blue Heaven”.  Both would be classified as vocal music and like “My Blue Heaven”, “April Showers” has a reoccurring refrain and a prominent melody laced with leaps and sustained notes to produce a very singable line.  Personally, I enjoyed the second recording more than the first. Al Jolson’s vocal performance in the first recording was very theatrical. It was a bold choice and a direct stylistic contrast to the accompaniment. Other differences found in the 1932 version include: No melodic material from the song in the introduction, a slightly dramatic vocal, and spoken text in the repeated refrain.

“How Deep is the Ocean” is the other example this week that begins in a minor key. Bing Crosby is a classic crooner and gives a nice, smooth vocal performance.  His tone is rich. His diction in clear which is important for the lyrics and his expressiveness is what sets him apart as a singer.  The way in which he seems to elongate certain words and his selective vocal inflection in certain places makes the song come alive. This piece, plays with different modes but tends to stay primarily in the minor key, unlike "East St. Loius Toodle-oo" which alternates between major and minor keys.

“I Got Rhythm” is a classic Tim Pan Alley piece and because of its popularity, I found this version refreshing.  Upon hearing the introduction with the full orchestra and the slightly held chord before the vocal entrance, you understand Ethel Merman wanted to make an impact with her recording. The vocal enters with the verse instead of the refrain and takes a slower tempo making the introduction more dramatic.  When the refrain comes in, we hear a switch to the up-tempo that most are accustomed.  After the second refrain Ethel makes another change.  She sustains a high note at the end of the line, “Who could ask for anything more?”  The tempo slows while approaching the final big high note.

American Vernacular-1

This week began with nine very different musical selections to reflect on for the introduction of this course. Since my book has not yet arrived, I have had  to listen to the selected pieces on youtube and have read the uploaded pdf,  Popular Music in School: Remixing the Issues by R. H. Woody. There are both differences and similarities between the nine musical examples.  The music selections for week one are include the following:


The first two clear categories one could create after listening to this week's music examples are instrumental music and vocal music.  "Barbara Allen", "Long John", "Stack o'Lee", "Son De La Negra", and "Jeanie with the light brown hair" all have vocals, while "Soldier's Joy" and "Coo Coo" are entirely instrumental.  Unfortunaltely, " Enigue Nigue" could not be located on Youtube.  Even with in these categories there were audible differences that contributed to the uniqueness of the piece.  "Barbara Allen" was the only piece that was a capella. Another interesting element to this piece is that the melody line does not resolve back to the tonic, which effects the implied cadence on the end of certain phrases.  "Long John" was a chain gang type of song and was filled with of good deal of vocal 'grit' which you would expect with this type of song.  The rhythm played throughout imitated the sound of the hammer hitting the nails while working in a chain gang.  "Stack O' Lee" began with an upbeat rhythmic guitar introduction.  The voice of the singer was heavy and typical of traditional blues.  "Son De La Negra" began with trumpets and the classic mariachi band sound.  The vocalists were typical of this sound as well.  "Jeanie with the light brown hair" had a different emotion overall, which is probably due to the rubato sections of the piece.  Thomas Hampson sang with a very pure tone and performed with plenty of emotion.

Despite these differences, there were notable similarities among the pieces.  All the pieces that have lyrics told a story that was easy to follow.  The lyrics were detailed and illustrated the story well.  The music supported the lyrics in each piece.  In all the pieces the music had a detectable steady beat.  This point is significant because it makes it more singable and danceable.  Both are important points in popular music.

Woody raised several salient points on incorporating popular music in the music classroom.  One of which was to use cultural aspects to connect to the pieces.  For example, it might be interesting to explore "Stack O' Lee" and the story that inspired the song.  "Long John" would be a great piece to introduce the significance of the chain gang to American history. Another suggestion was to encourage the students to create popular music.  "Jeanie with the light brown hair" and "Barbara Allen" would be good listening examples as preparation for this sort of activity.