Monthly Archives: November 2022

Dissecting Artist Profiles

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1.

  • Identify the angle / concept  of one of the artist profiles we read
  • Does the title signal the angle / focus? If so, how?
  • Identify a moment where the writer uses details to develop or expand on that angle
  • Discuss how the first sentence of the profile relates to the writer’s angle
  • How does the writer explore the angle to go beyond common knowledge–to teach readers something new?

2. From any of the profiles we read, choose a moment where the writer integrates a discussion of technical aspects of music or uses music terms in a way that feels organic. How does the writer make it work for an audience who may not be well-versed in music technique?

3. From any of the profiles we read, choose a description of the artist that you think is particularly well-written.

4. From any of the profiles we read, choose a final sentence that you think works particularly well.

My music :)

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I know you all asked me to post my EP. So here it is!

sorry for the delay, been a lot with my midterms and final assignments coming up. Anyways, here’s some music for you all to jam while you study!

I suggest listening from track 1 all the way through. The transitions in to each songs are really what me and my friend focused on with this and how sonically they creates it’s own story(similar to chapters in a book)  with it.

I produced tracks 2(Hawaii) 4(Margaritas) 6( Yosemite) 8( New Fazos) , my friend the others.

https://music.apple.com/us/album/blossoms-2/1608703353

https://open.spotify.com/album/6bBsNl90MTZ1kHfIuFUJXs?si=zfgl5eNOSLWyQGPRzC2Hvw

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRhSySd6eT2TtoEv1pARz-VsMgZDe1E1A

 

The sentences are alive.

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In Russia, they’re much more afraid of the word ‘riot’. In America, they seem to be more afraid of the other word.  –Linsday Zoladz, on Pussy Riot (How to Write About Music, p. 247)

He is from nowhere. –John Jeremiah Sullivan, on Axl Rose (How to Write About Music, p. 231)

The Spanish press—-man, they weren’t kind. They said Axl was a “grotesgue spectacle”; they called him “el divo.” –John Jeremiah Sullivan, on Axl Rose (How to Write About Music, p. 244)

When I started, it was more often male singers with whom I connected–Elvis Costello and I shared a lot of range–and a little while later the dark brown tones of Nico’s singing provided another source of influence, or inspiration. –Tracey Thorn (Naked at the Albert Hall, p. 7.)

I’ve always thought if Dusty’s voice was a color, it was silver. –Tracey Thorn (Naked at the Albert Hall, p. 36.)

Dragged out from behind the kit and made to stand center stage, it was immediately apparent she lacked the stage presence to do so, and wasn’t a natural performer. –Tracey Thorn, on Karen Carpenter (Naked at the Albert Hall, p. 54.)

And in ‘Goodbye to Love’, listen to where she sings ‘Time and time again the chance for love has passed me by, and all I know of love is how to live with out it’. Now, that’s all in one breath. –Tracey Thorn, on Karen Carpenter (Naked at the Albert Hall, p. 57.)

Scott Walker is  perhaps the greatest example of how far you may have to run to explore those depths and escapes the confines of your beautiful voice. –Tracey Thorn (Naked at the Albert Hall, p. 194.)

Jarring lyrics and soothing arrangements, a juxtaposition I’ve always liked. A sense of having it both ways; ease and its opposite all at once; pleasure and pain; the lovely and not lovely. –Tracey Thorn, on Scott Walker (Naked at the Albert Hall, p. 195.)

Elvis was certainly slippery–deep voiced but childlike in his exuberance, he had a sound that messed with received ideas about maturity and stomped all over the racial divisions that ruled both public space and the music charts at the time. –Ann Powers (Good Booty, p. 126)

 

 

A bunch of singers

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These are instructions for Tuesday’s class. Advice: Aim for lively language! You don’t need to get too technical. Just use the terms to help  you think about the singers and their performances.

First, review the terms that describe elements of singing I’ve posted. Then, read the assigned chapters by Tracey Thorn. Pay attention to the way she writes about technique in a passionate way. Think of her as a role model.

Then, Click around and listen to some of these singers. Listen for the qualities of singing we–and Tracey Thorn–are talking about: tone/timbre, range, phrasing, dynamics, pitch, timing/rhythm. I recommend listening without watching–and on headphones or good speakers. Keep in mind that for one singer, range and tone may be central; for another, maybe it’s phrasing and dynamics; for still another, it may be all of the above. Basically, every singer is different. Think about what makes a singer unique.

Following Tracey Thorn’s lead, ask yourself a couple of questions. If you had two sentences,

1.) How would you describe the voice or vocal performance of one of these singers in two sentences?

2.) In another two sentences, how would you describe the contrast between two singers. What makes them different from each other? I’ve listed these singers in pairs you might compare, but you can choose to pair any two from the list:

Aretha Franklin and Diana Ross (of The Supremes), Scott Walker and Karen Carpenter, Kendrick Lamar and Eminem, Patti Smith and Marvin Gaye, Kesha and Bruce Springsteen, Johnny Rotten (of the Sex Pistols) and Ella Fitzgerald, Jack White (of The White Stripes) and Taylor Swift, Alex Turner (of the Arctic Monkeys) and Curtis Mayfield,  Nico (of The Velvet Undergound) and Dusty Springfield,  Snoop Dogg and Missy Elliot, or George Michael and Nina Simone or Ralf Hütter (of Kraftwerk) and Astrud Gilberto.

Singers and Singing: Some Terms

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Timbre or Tone: The quality of a sound; that component of a tone that causes different instruments (for example a guitar and a violin) to sound different from each other while they are both playing the same note.the spectral pattern defining the tone quality. Quality of musical tone; thin, thick, light, dark, sharp, dull, smooth, rough, warm, cold, etc.What makes an instrument sound like that instrument and not another, even though the other instrument may be playing the same pitch. (Free Music Dictionary)

Phrasing: The art of performing music in a way that allows each phrase to be conceived as a single unit. This involves breathing in the correct places, crescendoing and decrescendoing in the correct places, and using rhythm, dynamics, and musicianship to give the music shape. How drum beats are distributed by the player around the drums in context to the song or drum solo. (Free Music Dictionary)

Dynamics: Vocal or singing dynamics is the practice of controlling vocal volume. It goes beyond simply singing loud and quiet. It also includes singing vowels and phrases at the appropriate volume. Dynamics also include silences and rests, which singers shouldn’t forget about. . . . Firstly, let’s start with what it means; the definition of vocal dynamics derives from the Greek word “dynamo”. This translates as “power”. In musical terms, we use define vocal dynamics in singing as being the volume of the voice. This can relate to the variation between notes. (Open Mic)

Vocal Range: The range of notes that a singing voice can encompass. A vocal range of about C above the treble clef to about Middle C is the range of a soprano, the range from F in the top of the treble clef to F below Middle C is the alto range, the range from G above Middle C to C below Middle C would be that of a tenor, and the range of Middle C to C below the bass clef would be the range of a bass. A mezzo soprano (often referred to as simply a “mezzo”) would be between the soprano and alto, a baritone would be between the tenor and bass, and a contralto would be a low alto, or simply an alto. Usually soprano, mezzo soprano, alto and contralto are female voices and tenor, baritone, and bass are male.

Pitch is one of the most fundamental words in all of music. Everything that deals with melody and harmony, scales and chords, starts with pitch. But it is also sometimes misunderstood, and often what we think of as pitch is different to its actual meaning. We might think of a note as sounding “higher” or “lower” than another note, but what does that actually mean? The main property of a sound wave is its frequency, which is just a word for how fast the cycle of the wave is. Pitch is then how the human ear hears and understands that frequency. This is all a bit technical and mathematical, but just know that pitch is basically the frequency of a note. The higher the frequency, the higher the pitch and vice versa, the lower the frequency, the lower the pitch. So, a note sounds “higher” or “lower” than another note if it has a higher or lower frequency than that note. (Hello Music Theory)

Timing / Rhythm: Timing is an important part of singing.  Learning to count the beats, using musical notation and sight reading are all part of the process and will help you to improve your performance  This section aims to provide some basics on timing, rhythm and the art of using your ears!! . . . Rhythm refers to the way in which sounds of varying length and accentuation are grouped into patterns. If you listen to a song the tune itself could not be played on a table but it’s rhythm could be tapped out on one. If you tapped faster or slower the rhythm does not change – only the tempo. You can identify the rhythm by listening to where the accents are placed. Played notes, words, phrases or drum hits are loud, short, long or soft, these are repeated in a measured flow and these are what make up the ‘rhythm’ of the song or musical piece. (Vocalist)

Record Club: Breaking Down the 2000 Masterpiece “It’s My Life” by Bon Jovi

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To name one popular English song of all times, my choice will undeniably be Bon Jovi’s “It’s My Life.” Released in 2000, this song still holds its prestigious throne among audiences of all ages. It is also unique to see how ‘Bon Jovi’ is simultaneously the name of the vocalist Bon Jovi and the American rock band itself. “It’s My Life” is a single from the band’s album Crush.

Set at 120 beats per minute (bpm), this song is not your average rock song. Now, I do not say this just because it had secured a place in the top ten songs of music top charts in most countries back then. This song has all the spices needed to relieve you from your struggles and to push you until the end of the finish line. Content-wise, it begins with an instrumental intro consisting of piano, guitar and talkbox. The use of talkbox also happens to be a signature style of Bon Jovi’s songs. The talkbox specifically creates a captivating effect in this artistic piece, producing some uncommon sounds. Then comes the first verse of the song, which instantly delivers a badass vibe, targeting the listeners:

This ain’t a song for the broken-hearted

No silent prayer for the faith-departed

I ain’t gonna be just a face in the crowd

You’re gonna hear my voice when I shout it loud.

Intensified with drums, this is an upbeat song with a powerful chorus that goes like this:

It’s my life

It’s now or never

I ain’t gonna live forever

I just want to live while I’m alive

It’s my life

My heart is like an open highway

Like Frankie said

I did it my way

I just want to live while I’m alive

It’s my life


Bon Jovi has talked about the inspiration behind this song. He wanted to make this song as a way to speak for himself and how he was caught up between acting and singing. The greater message of this song was to take charge of the steering wheel of his life. Although he did not intend to capture the real life occurrences of the audience, the song somehow did its own magic and got the audience engaged. One question that was raised among the audience was regarding the identity of “Frankie.” The “Frankie” in the chorus lyrics refers to Frank Sinatra, whose lifestyle and song “My Way” has influenced Bon Jovi heavily.

 

If you have not yet heard this song, please be sure to do. I do not really think that you would want to miss this!

The Underlying Sexual Tones in Childish Gambino’s “Me and Your Mama”

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          DESIRE

    EXCITEMENT

ORGASM

          RESOLUTION

Daniel Glover’s alter ego, Childish Gambino constructed a 6 minute and 18 second track that somehow is able to represent the male orgasm in all of its complexity. The track begins with the sound of a sweet organ almost trickling down your spine as you let the song carry you towards this climactic journey that Childish Gambino provides. The track then teases us with the phrase “I’m in love when we are smoking that la la la la la”, the phrase is repeated 8 times. This seems to never end while listening and can be compared to the foreplay in the track, or the build up to something more. According to Ann Powers, “The real reason American popular music is all about sex is that we, as a nation, most truly and openly acknowledge sexuality’s power through music.” This supports the theory that Gambino felt comfortable enough to release a track with sexual undertones. Gambino also does a great job in somehow allowing the listener to enjoy the repetition of these phrases because as each plays out he adds  underlying tension with a subtle change in rhythm within the beats.This can be labeled as “desire” because it leaves you wanting more, completely unsure of what’s to happen next. As the next stage plays out, we hear a really sultry guitar riff with a beat drop as well as Gambino’s cry “Do what you want”, this definitely ignites excitement in the listener. Childish Gambino seems to have a desirable cry whenever he sings on this track that continues to amplify as the song continues until he gives out an orgasmic “Oh, oh god!” and continues to cry out and go into his falsetto for “Girl, you really got a hold on me.” Lastly, as the song comes to a close with a noticeable decrease in tempo which leaves the listener clear headed and in full resolution. The track’s total bpm is 118 and a man’s heartbeat can reach up to 130 beats per minute, both numbers being fairly close to each other. This song doesn’t explicitly discuss topics of sex or the male orgasm but with the dissecting of this or any track, it can lead to strange yet cool undiscovered discoveries.

Musical Terms

BPM- The amount of beats that occur in a minute.

Rhythm- A strong, regular, repeated pattern of movement or sound.

Riff- A short repeated phrase in popular music and jazz, typically used as an introduction or refrain in a song.

Falsetto- a method of voice production used by male singers, especially tenors, to sing notes higher than their normal range.

 

Majid Jordan – OG Heartthrob Infographic

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Artists use many different techniques in order to creatively express themselves. A singers vocals are generally the most apparent while, the production supports them in the background. Majid Jordan, an R&B duo from Toronto; had a unique approach involving the melody in their song “OG Heartthrob”. Allowing it to stand out and become one of the most interesting parts of the track.

Starting at the introduction of the song the main melody starts faintly, following is the first verse where it gradually gets louder as it progresses. Finally it crescendos at the chorus. This same pattern is used throughout the song, and each time it returns to the original starting point after each chorus; only to climb back up again.

During the verses the melody has a similar rise, since they are roughly 30-35 seconds long. The only exception is the third and final verse due to it being a hasty 19 seconds. Overall this creative production choice; makes it one of the highlights of “OG Heartthrob”.

https://www.canva.com/design/DAFQ2biDfr8/JgsbuJF_hGkuwUB6u8NVVQ/view?utm_content=DAFQ2biDfr8&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=publishsharelink

 

The audio file is colored cool to warm, representing the intensity of the melody as the song goes on to the chorus. Red being the peak. Above is a depiction of how the melody travels throughout the song, compared to a wave-form.

 

Link to the song: