Time for the last song, "Bodysnatchers" by Radiohead. I can say for certain that without the text analysis, I might not have been aware of the full context of the lyrical intent, for the thick texture and reverberation were quite overwhelming. After reading the text, this becomes clear in that they used three guitars, but their effects have something to do with it as well. The theme for the song seems to be a fitting end for the course, a struggle to remain free from the machine (big business) of music that threatens to eradicate any originality in exchange for profits and a bottom line. I'm not sure if there's really anything else to be said about it, other than the theme might make for an interesting discussion point with students.
It's been a fun class!
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Saturday, February 22, 2014
Listening Journal Week #7
Only two required listening this week, so I shall start with those.
Prince's "When Dove's Cry" is a strange little tune. The text analysis revealed many points that I might not have caught or even realized without it, since I am not familiar with this tune. To read the all the vocals are from the same person, many run through varying levels of digital effects, was quite astounding! So many timbres and vocal qualities! This would make for an interesting experiment when working with students and their compositions. This would need to be done at a higher educational level perhaps, but it would be interesting to see what the result would be with students attempting both the melody and a predetermined number of backing vocal lines. The other thing that struck me was the absence of the bass line, which did not seem so obvious until I read about it in the text. It indeed created a very open sound, unlike what appears to be an evolution of sorts going in the other direction over the years.
Then unto Nirvana, a song "Smells Like Teen Spirit" I have heard many times. I have always been drawn to a number of the guitar and vocal hooks, like the "Hello, hello" line and the open guitar strings being played at the beginning. I think I always liked this because of it was a nice crossover of pop music construction with heavy metal sound. As a teenager, this was an angry song that I loved to rock out to, without it being quite suck an "evil" sound that much of the heavy metal of the day was producing.
I went on to listen to "Walk This Way" mainly because I love Aerosmith and do not ever remember this song with Run-D.M.C. I liked some of the early hi-hop/rap that was emerging, but did not listen to it often. This was great! I could envision myself getting really into this song had I been exposed to it as a kid, with both its lyrical context and the overall sound. I can easily see (or hear as the case may be) why this song gained such popularity. I almost feel like I missed out not hearing this when it came out. Maybe its because lacking cable growing up, I did not have MTV. I'm not bitter or anything...
Next was "Like a Virgin." I was left unimpressed, as I am whenever I hear this song. I get that it was innovative for the day, but her voice sounds so unrefined to me, as does the musical arrangement. This seems to be a prime example of marketing techniques and the age of video helping an artist overcome lack of talent.
"Sweet Dreams" took me back, for though it was not my favorite at the time, it was another song that one could not help but know. Reading about the less than ideal conditions in which it was recorded seems to emphasize the trend in American pop of an artist or group coming from obscurity, producing something new, either because of circumstance or by choice, and being "discovered" and heralded as something so unique, when the artists were usually not quite so sophisticated, or went to great lengths to make the lack thereof be overlooked.
I found trouble identifying "Jump" by Van Halen as a heavy metal tune, even to this day. I find it more appropriate to label it as a heavy metal artist that experimented with another genre. It was successful, there is no questioning that, but this to me is not heavy metal, if for the same reason as so many other songs tend to get classified into their respective genres; instrumental timbre. I enjoy this song, and appreciate what it did to further vernacular music, but it's not heavy metal when the synth is such a prominent element of the song.
My main impression of "night of the Living Baseheads" encompasses a few different viewpoints that I was not expecting. I found that I did not get such a bad "vibe" from this style of music as I did when I originally listened to it, proving the time honored tradition of new music being repulsive to the mainstream until much later. I also was intrigued by the message that it portrayed.
The thing I found most interesting was Snoop Dog's proclamation of arrival in "What's My Name?" It's interesting because of the amount of recycled themes and sound he used made that a most boastful claim, in addition to his (and the song's) reception.
"Holiday in Cambodia" was only unique in my mind (and ears) in that it helped to show the progression from punk rock to hardcore punk rock. Though it was a song I was not familiar with, the sound did not surprise.
Finally "Doo Wop (that Thing)" did in fact provide a nice alternative to the negativity of most hip-hop and rap of the era, and I can easily see how the feminist empowerment of Lauryn Hill could have reached many a young woman at the time. It's sound was not all that much different from other hip-hop to my ears, but that might come in time as I try to familiarize myself with more in order to be learned enough to teach aspect of it.
Prince's "When Dove's Cry" is a strange little tune. The text analysis revealed many points that I might not have caught or even realized without it, since I am not familiar with this tune. To read the all the vocals are from the same person, many run through varying levels of digital effects, was quite astounding! So many timbres and vocal qualities! This would make for an interesting experiment when working with students and their compositions. This would need to be done at a higher educational level perhaps, but it would be interesting to see what the result would be with students attempting both the melody and a predetermined number of backing vocal lines. The other thing that struck me was the absence of the bass line, which did not seem so obvious until I read about it in the text. It indeed created a very open sound, unlike what appears to be an evolution of sorts going in the other direction over the years.
Then unto Nirvana, a song "Smells Like Teen Spirit" I have heard many times. I have always been drawn to a number of the guitar and vocal hooks, like the "Hello, hello" line and the open guitar strings being played at the beginning. I think I always liked this because of it was a nice crossover of pop music construction with heavy metal sound. As a teenager, this was an angry song that I loved to rock out to, without it being quite suck an "evil" sound that much of the heavy metal of the day was producing.
I went on to listen to "Walk This Way" mainly because I love Aerosmith and do not ever remember this song with Run-D.M.C. I liked some of the early hi-hop/rap that was emerging, but did not listen to it often. This was great! I could envision myself getting really into this song had I been exposed to it as a kid, with both its lyrical context and the overall sound. I can easily see (or hear as the case may be) why this song gained such popularity. I almost feel like I missed out not hearing this when it came out. Maybe its because lacking cable growing up, I did not have MTV. I'm not bitter or anything...
Next was "Like a Virgin." I was left unimpressed, as I am whenever I hear this song. I get that it was innovative for the day, but her voice sounds so unrefined to me, as does the musical arrangement. This seems to be a prime example of marketing techniques and the age of video helping an artist overcome lack of talent.
"Sweet Dreams" took me back, for though it was not my favorite at the time, it was another song that one could not help but know. Reading about the less than ideal conditions in which it was recorded seems to emphasize the trend in American pop of an artist or group coming from obscurity, producing something new, either because of circumstance or by choice, and being "discovered" and heralded as something so unique, when the artists were usually not quite so sophisticated, or went to great lengths to make the lack thereof be overlooked.
I found trouble identifying "Jump" by Van Halen as a heavy metal tune, even to this day. I find it more appropriate to label it as a heavy metal artist that experimented with another genre. It was successful, there is no questioning that, but this to me is not heavy metal, if for the same reason as so many other songs tend to get classified into their respective genres; instrumental timbre. I enjoy this song, and appreciate what it did to further vernacular music, but it's not heavy metal when the synth is such a prominent element of the song.
My main impression of "night of the Living Baseheads" encompasses a few different viewpoints that I was not expecting. I found that I did not get such a bad "vibe" from this style of music as I did when I originally listened to it, proving the time honored tradition of new music being repulsive to the mainstream until much later. I also was intrigued by the message that it portrayed.
The thing I found most interesting was Snoop Dog's proclamation of arrival in "What's My Name?" It's interesting because of the amount of recycled themes and sound he used made that a most boastful claim, in addition to his (and the song's) reception.
"Holiday in Cambodia" was only unique in my mind (and ears) in that it helped to show the progression from punk rock to hardcore punk rock. Though it was a song I was not familiar with, the sound did not surprise.
Finally "Doo Wop (that Thing)" did in fact provide a nice alternative to the negativity of most hip-hop and rap of the era, and I can easily see how the feminist empowerment of Lauryn Hill could have reached many a young woman at the time. It's sound was not all that much different from other hip-hop to my ears, but that might come in time as I try to familiarize myself with more in order to be learned enough to teach aspect of it.
Thursday, February 13, 2014
Listening Journal Week #6
I decided to start this week again with the required listening list, since it was shorter. Not a bad week when I get to listen to "Stairway to Heaven" as part of class! I cannot remember the last time that I have heard this song from beginning to end, though I've heard small parts of it recently. Through study in this course and the analysis in the text, I have a new appreciation for the combination of stylistic elements that this song uses going from an almost folk-rock style, to more heavy rock, with a subtle yet steady increase in tempo, evolution of musical timbres, and rhythmic intensity that build pressure as the song carries on that belie the initial impression of formal simplicity (which is also proved wrong as the song moves forward.) There is a lot of potential to teach students elements of musical composition with this song because of this skillful techniques being employed.
"Oye Como Va" is also one I cannot recall the last time in which I heard the song in its entirety. After reading the analysis, I realized that I may not have heard this version in quite some time, since radio stations frequently cut the solos, which account for about half the tune! I've heard this covered quite a few times, so all the rhythmic elements ton include the instrumentation are comfortably familiar, and another surprise is how accurate many cover bands that I have heard are to the original, which either shows that this is an easy song to emulate, or it is reflective of the dedication of the groups practice to create an "authentic" cover.
"Psycho Killer" was not a song I think I have ever heard before, but I understand why the unique singing style and lyric development combined with the riff resembling a sort of funk/disco ripoff helped this song and group to become popular. The minimalistic approach is also audibly evident, and it obviously worked during the era.
On to the elective listening, I started with "Crocodile Rock." In this day and age, most people of my generation know Elton John. What surprised me was the fact that the most recognizable section of it was the short chorus when he sings "Laaaaaa, la la la la la." I was surprised to learn this song hit #1, in comparison to other songs of his that I feel exhibit more musical complexity and skill, but I get the point that it is representative of his style.
The unique song of the the strumming of the guitar immediately sets "Love's Theme" apart as both 70s and disco-ish when listening to it. I had not know that this was purely instrumental. TO be honest, I was not super familiar with this individual tune to begin with, for it sounds like a cross between the theme from Love Boat and 70s cop drama soundtrack! I guess that shows that the style is both familiar and engrained in my memory despite any particular interest or experience in the style, indicative of pop music's power over people and culture in general.
I went on to some classic John Denver. It was interesting to see the mild controversial aspect of this song being almost too happy. Country was never my favorite style, but I can see how this piece gained popularity, and it would easy to emulate for students trying to learn popular style. I can envision students playing along with this recording (improving or harmonizing with the melody) much the same way as the instrumentalists do in this recording.
"Good Times" was simple, with an emphatic beat that never let up, making it very good for disco dancing. Other than that, it seems lackluster to me, and I personally believe good music (even for dancing) requires more than just a simplistic construction and obvious steady beat.
I went from that to "The Message" because I was intrigued to hear an ancestor of rap and the beginnings of hip-hop. To me it sounded very similar to songs of the 80s with relatively slow "rapping" that is extremely clear and understandable. With this new, honest interpretation of the situation of life on the streets, presented in this manner, it makes sense how this grandfathered both new styles and artists.
I finished by listening to first The Eagles, then "Pedro Navaja", and was not really surprised by anything with the text's analysis, and could easily hear the disillusionment of the 1970s within their sound, though I may not have always consciously identified that before. "Pedro Navaja" was very weird for me. I was listening to it, not understanding the language (though following allowing with the text analysis I was aware of the meaning), and finding it very catchy, almost happy. It it very dichotomous that it could have such a strikingly happy sound and melodic content, with such gritty lyrics. Even though it seemed to get a little more abstract musically and harmonically as it went on, it still retained an overall happy feel up until the end.
Interesting and in at least one scenario confusing music this week...
"Oye Como Va" is also one I cannot recall the last time in which I heard the song in its entirety. After reading the analysis, I realized that I may not have heard this version in quite some time, since radio stations frequently cut the solos, which account for about half the tune! I've heard this covered quite a few times, so all the rhythmic elements ton include the instrumentation are comfortably familiar, and another surprise is how accurate many cover bands that I have heard are to the original, which either shows that this is an easy song to emulate, or it is reflective of the dedication of the groups practice to create an "authentic" cover.
"Psycho Killer" was not a song I think I have ever heard before, but I understand why the unique singing style and lyric development combined with the riff resembling a sort of funk/disco ripoff helped this song and group to become popular. The minimalistic approach is also audibly evident, and it obviously worked during the era.
On to the elective listening, I started with "Crocodile Rock." In this day and age, most people of my generation know Elton John. What surprised me was the fact that the most recognizable section of it was the short chorus when he sings "Laaaaaa, la la la la la." I was surprised to learn this song hit #1, in comparison to other songs of his that I feel exhibit more musical complexity and skill, but I get the point that it is representative of his style.
The unique song of the the strumming of the guitar immediately sets "Love's Theme" apart as both 70s and disco-ish when listening to it. I had not know that this was purely instrumental. TO be honest, I was not super familiar with this individual tune to begin with, for it sounds like a cross between the theme from Love Boat and 70s cop drama soundtrack! I guess that shows that the style is both familiar and engrained in my memory despite any particular interest or experience in the style, indicative of pop music's power over people and culture in general.
I went on to some classic John Denver. It was interesting to see the mild controversial aspect of this song being almost too happy. Country was never my favorite style, but I can see how this piece gained popularity, and it would easy to emulate for students trying to learn popular style. I can envision students playing along with this recording (improving or harmonizing with the melody) much the same way as the instrumentalists do in this recording.
"Good Times" was simple, with an emphatic beat that never let up, making it very good for disco dancing. Other than that, it seems lackluster to me, and I personally believe good music (even for dancing) requires more than just a simplistic construction and obvious steady beat.
I went from that to "The Message" because I was intrigued to hear an ancestor of rap and the beginnings of hip-hop. To me it sounded very similar to songs of the 80s with relatively slow "rapping" that is extremely clear and understandable. With this new, honest interpretation of the situation of life on the streets, presented in this manner, it makes sense how this grandfathered both new styles and artists.
I finished by listening to first The Eagles, then "Pedro Navaja", and was not really surprised by anything with the text's analysis, and could easily hear the disillusionment of the 1970s within their sound, though I may not have always consciously identified that before. "Pedro Navaja" was very weird for me. I was listening to it, not understanding the language (though following allowing with the text analysis I was aware of the meaning), and finding it very catchy, almost happy. It it very dichotomous that it could have such a strikingly happy sound and melodic content, with such gritty lyrics. Even though it seemed to get a little more abstract musically and harmonically as it went on, it still retained an overall happy feel up until the end.
Interesting and in at least one scenario confusing music this week...
Sunday, February 9, 2014
Listening Journal Week #5
So I started off this week trying to go for the assigned listening examples, and I could not find "Please Please Me" at all! Not on the Itunes tracks that were downloaded, nor on the Spotify playlist. I resorted to YouTube, and was able to find it there, but was already aggravated by that point. The song was interesting, and I could see the interesting rhyming scheme and wordplay going on, but it did not sound like anything special, which is possibly why it did not attain popularity at first, until they became mega stars. My technical issues did not improve with "A Hard Day's Night." This put me in a better mood, for I know this song very well. I've always loved the connection that I and really anyone could get from the lyrics, and the melody is just fantastic! Both the beginning and the end a very interesting with the hook of the guitar strumming at the beginning and the fade out at the end, something that has not really been heard in the listening excerpts up to this point in the class.
The technical issues continue, but so does musical quality of the excerpts with "Yesterday," a song that everybody should know. The more I listen to these pieces the more I readily hear the Tin Pan Alley forms coming across, but that insert such depth of lyrical content and subtlety of other musical elements like chordal accompaniment, and lingering moments on both words and notes. It's quite stunning when digging into it. It gets even more obvious in "Eleanor Rigby." The are many unsettling jumps where the form seems to skip a few beats and the use of orchestral instruments like cello to provide such an uptempo and forceful bounce without the use of any percussion or guitar, instruments we expect from rock, is both enticing and disturbing, despite my familiarity with the song.
Moving on to The Beach Boys and "Good Vibrations" show the parallel musical evolution this group was taking at the same time as The Beatles. Listening to this I am struck by the constant shift of employment of new hooks. This is necessary because as stated in the analysis the form is a little ambiguous, so it gives the feel of many different songs rolled into one and a sort of response or foreshadowing (I honestly do not know which) of the counterculture movement in America with many of its musical themes and melodies.
"Like a Rolling Stone" by Bob Dylan is not a song or artist I am very familiar with, though of course I've heard the name, I'm not so naive to as never heard of him, but not to the extent of many other artists within these chapters. My first reaction was it sounded like my mom's type of music, for this folk rock style is just her genre. I found the keyboard tone very unique, and also completely appropriate to the overall "feel" that is trying to be presented. His voice is also strikingly powerful, as if it is commanding respect by the truth within the inflection of phrasing that is presented.
I then moved onto the elective listening, starting with "You Can't Hurry Love." I choose this because of the readings, which helped shed light on how much of a controlled process the musical production of this group and other Motown artists were in terms of professionalism, quality, and deliberate appeal. I wanted to listen to this song, even though I already knew it, to let this new information help dictate my appreciation for the song, and I can see how this polished refinement of both lyrical content and form could become so popular.
Then I went to another artist that I do not consider myself familiar with, Eric Clapton and "Crossroads." I was immediately surprised that I was not more familiar with the guy, as the the underlining guitar riffs seem like so much other early rock that I am found of. I love music like this that is obviously meant to put the skill of the performers to the forefront!
I then went to listen to "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag" by James Brown, and did not realize I knew this song. I know James Brown, but song titles do not always stick with me, and on this one I've always listened to the band and flavor of singing rather than the lyrics. I found it a little vindicating that the analysis in the text did not take a lot of time discussing the lyrics either! I could not agree more that this is an experience of rhythmical patterns and the groove of minimization that implore the listener to just fit themselves in the groove and enjoy it, rather than try to connect too deeply with the meaning and content. That would almost get in the way in the song.
I decided to finish by listening to "Be My Baby" which put everything I had read over the week about Phil Spector into perspective. I did know his songs! And I also barely recognize the names of the groups associated with him, but I sure know his songs. Very full walls of sound are present here and a different kind of clean polished sound than Motown. Without hearing it I would not have been able to fully conceptualize this difference, but I get it now. I could describe it, but it did not really reach the core until I heard it.
I'm loving where the progression of this course is taking us through popular music history in America. Such cool stuff but now I am getting more well rounded through the elements and listening being presented in terms of my understanding, which will hopefully transfer over into future teaching.
The technical issues continue, but so does musical quality of the excerpts with "Yesterday," a song that everybody should know. The more I listen to these pieces the more I readily hear the Tin Pan Alley forms coming across, but that insert such depth of lyrical content and subtlety of other musical elements like chordal accompaniment, and lingering moments on both words and notes. It's quite stunning when digging into it. It gets even more obvious in "Eleanor Rigby." The are many unsettling jumps where the form seems to skip a few beats and the use of orchestral instruments like cello to provide such an uptempo and forceful bounce without the use of any percussion or guitar, instruments we expect from rock, is both enticing and disturbing, despite my familiarity with the song.
Moving on to The Beach Boys and "Good Vibrations" show the parallel musical evolution this group was taking at the same time as The Beatles. Listening to this I am struck by the constant shift of employment of new hooks. This is necessary because as stated in the analysis the form is a little ambiguous, so it gives the feel of many different songs rolled into one and a sort of response or foreshadowing (I honestly do not know which) of the counterculture movement in America with many of its musical themes and melodies.
"Like a Rolling Stone" by Bob Dylan is not a song or artist I am very familiar with, though of course I've heard the name, I'm not so naive to as never heard of him, but not to the extent of many other artists within these chapters. My first reaction was it sounded like my mom's type of music, for this folk rock style is just her genre. I found the keyboard tone very unique, and also completely appropriate to the overall "feel" that is trying to be presented. His voice is also strikingly powerful, as if it is commanding respect by the truth within the inflection of phrasing that is presented.
I then moved onto the elective listening, starting with "You Can't Hurry Love." I choose this because of the readings, which helped shed light on how much of a controlled process the musical production of this group and other Motown artists were in terms of professionalism, quality, and deliberate appeal. I wanted to listen to this song, even though I already knew it, to let this new information help dictate my appreciation for the song, and I can see how this polished refinement of both lyrical content and form could become so popular.
Then I went to another artist that I do not consider myself familiar with, Eric Clapton and "Crossroads." I was immediately surprised that I was not more familiar with the guy, as the the underlining guitar riffs seem like so much other early rock that I am found of. I love music like this that is obviously meant to put the skill of the performers to the forefront!
I then went to listen to "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag" by James Brown, and did not realize I knew this song. I know James Brown, but song titles do not always stick with me, and on this one I've always listened to the band and flavor of singing rather than the lyrics. I found it a little vindicating that the analysis in the text did not take a lot of time discussing the lyrics either! I could not agree more that this is an experience of rhythmical patterns and the groove of minimization that implore the listener to just fit themselves in the groove and enjoy it, rather than try to connect too deeply with the meaning and content. That would almost get in the way in the song.
I decided to finish by listening to "Be My Baby" which put everything I had read over the week about Phil Spector into perspective. I did know his songs! And I also barely recognize the names of the groups associated with him, but I sure know his songs. Very full walls of sound are present here and a different kind of clean polished sound than Motown. Without hearing it I would not have been able to fully conceptualize this difference, but I get it now. I could describe it, but it did not really reach the core until I heard it.
I'm loving where the progression of this course is taking us through popular music history in America. Such cool stuff but now I am getting more well rounded through the elements and listening being presented in terms of my understanding, which will hopefully transfer over into future teaching.
Sunday, February 2, 2014
Listening Journal Week #4
Great stuff this week. Not only is the recording quality obviously getting better as we pass through the decades, but in my opinion also the skill of artistry. This is readily apparent in the very first of the required listening examples. Frank Sinatra's voice is so skillfully delicate, it is a little wonder as to why he rose to such popularity and was able to continue his career for so long. Just reading about his attempts to learn and become better, and the amount of shows he was able to sing in one week in quite astounding.
The first elective listening I did was to Perez Prado's Mambo #5, mainly because I remembered David Ignacio's version, which starts of using the words "Ladies and Gentlemen, this is Mambo #5." I was just interested in seeing if there were any similarities, and to my relative surprise, much of the rhythmic, harmonic, and melodic components are strikingly similar. Obviously the recording in the listening example does not have vocals, but in comparison to the amount of takeaways that the Ignacio version used, I choose to overlook it as a fairly small element that was added in the newer arrangement. In an effort to stay up-to-date and current, one could hardly expect that vocals would not be added.
Going back to the required listening "Choo Choo Ch'Boogie" was a song I just loved. It's another one of those songs that I feel like I've heard before at some point, but not really sure if I have. Partly because of how the jump blues style is audibly a precursor to certain artist's early rock 'n' roll. I do not consider myself the most learned individual especially in the popular music genre, but I was surprised that the name Louis Jordan did not ring a bell for me. It's not surprising with its straight forward form of 12-bar blues and 8-bar chorus and lyrics that were familiar to many that it became the first successful version of rhythm & blues.
Another piece I had to listen to was Muddy Waters, just because, and it did not disappoint. This has always been one of the concepts of what blues is in my mind, very possibly because I'm a Chicagoan and this is Chicago electric blues style. The extremely clearly defined call and response sections, where the call section in the ensemble is the exactly the same line, while the vocals are musically very much the same with just a few changes in lyrics is just so simple, but as the text states "gritty" it has always appealed to me.
"Hound Dog" was another song I chose to listen to based on a previous conception of what I thought it would sound like. I was expecting the Elvis version (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MnmIVBSZYM), especially with us getting into the rock 'n' roll era, but I was surprised when I listened and read the text indicating it was a blues song and that this version by "Big Mama" Thorton preceded the Elvis version. I would say that it is an equal if not superior version, maybe just in the fact that it is always a point of contention for me to change an original if it was so good to begin with. The fact Elvis did a new version so soon afterwards is also surprising to me, even though after all the reading it shouldn't be, since there appears to be a long standing tradition of doing covers and arrangements on popular music of the day, to capitalize on its success.
I next listened to "Shake, Rattle, and Roll," both the original by Joe Turner and the cover by Bill Haley and the Comets, which only accentuated the thoughts of the previous paragraph. yes, there were some lyric changes, and the style was a little different, slightly more up-tempo, with more guitar than saxes, but wow! It amazes me that one would reach such heights in comparison to another version so close in succession. I cannot say I like one better than the other, they are similar, but different, just like most cover bands today. I guess it just goes to show how dominating racial bias still was in those days.
Then I listened to "Maybellene" by Chuck Barry, and other than the tempo, which admittedly really does have a significantly faster tempo than songs we have listened to in this class, it doesn't seem like a song that should have had any more success than other songs of the era. That points back to popular music in general though, in which a group or artist can rise to stardom very quickly just based on something slightly new, a niche that had not been reached in the general public yet, for one reason or another.
Listening to "Long Tall Sally" seems to be in direct contrast to the above, in which it is very obviously something new. Granted, for its time, and even now, it was a bit over the top, but that's why so many liked it, it flagrantly showed off something that had not been done before, and in this case I am not surprised at all. So what's the difference between Little Richard and Chuck Berry? I hesitate to say, but it would seem that this difference comes from savvy marketing, and businessmen who knew when to jump on something new.
Elvis and "Don't be Cruel" is almost exactly what I expected, with the exception that his voice is a little higher in this recording than I would have imagined. I was waiting for the chance to listen to Elvis in this week's listening excerpts, and I found myself experiencing something new, gotta love that! I guess I am just not as familiar with Elvis as I thought I would be from the constant saturation we experience with his music even today.
Finally I listened to The Coasters doing "Charlie Brown" another song I recognized. I've never really thought about why I liked it before, but after the analysis it seems so obvious. The silly style sax solo, great for portraying a class clown which the lyrics are about (which also appeals to kids, going back to the first time I heard this song as well being when I was a kid), and elements like the artificial high voices that for me are reminiscent of Alvin and the Chipmunks!
We have now been getting into more music I recognize and have actively enjoyed in the past, so this week was fun, and I cannot wait until the next!
The first elective listening I did was to Perez Prado's Mambo #5, mainly because I remembered David Ignacio's version, which starts of using the words "Ladies and Gentlemen, this is Mambo #5." I was just interested in seeing if there were any similarities, and to my relative surprise, much of the rhythmic, harmonic, and melodic components are strikingly similar. Obviously the recording in the listening example does not have vocals, but in comparison to the amount of takeaways that the Ignacio version used, I choose to overlook it as a fairly small element that was added in the newer arrangement. In an effort to stay up-to-date and current, one could hardly expect that vocals would not be added.
Going back to the required listening "Choo Choo Ch'Boogie" was a song I just loved. It's another one of those songs that I feel like I've heard before at some point, but not really sure if I have. Partly because of how the jump blues style is audibly a precursor to certain artist's early rock 'n' roll. I do not consider myself the most learned individual especially in the popular music genre, but I was surprised that the name Louis Jordan did not ring a bell for me. It's not surprising with its straight forward form of 12-bar blues and 8-bar chorus and lyrics that were familiar to many that it became the first successful version of rhythm & blues.
Another piece I had to listen to was Muddy Waters, just because, and it did not disappoint. This has always been one of the concepts of what blues is in my mind, very possibly because I'm a Chicagoan and this is Chicago electric blues style. The extremely clearly defined call and response sections, where the call section in the ensemble is the exactly the same line, while the vocals are musically very much the same with just a few changes in lyrics is just so simple, but as the text states "gritty" it has always appealed to me.
"Hound Dog" was another song I chose to listen to based on a previous conception of what I thought it would sound like. I was expecting the Elvis version (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MnmIVBSZYM), especially with us getting into the rock 'n' roll era, but I was surprised when I listened and read the text indicating it was a blues song and that this version by "Big Mama" Thorton preceded the Elvis version. I would say that it is an equal if not superior version, maybe just in the fact that it is always a point of contention for me to change an original if it was so good to begin with. The fact Elvis did a new version so soon afterwards is also surprising to me, even though after all the reading it shouldn't be, since there appears to be a long standing tradition of doing covers and arrangements on popular music of the day, to capitalize on its success.
I next listened to "Shake, Rattle, and Roll," both the original by Joe Turner and the cover by Bill Haley and the Comets, which only accentuated the thoughts of the previous paragraph. yes, there were some lyric changes, and the style was a little different, slightly more up-tempo, with more guitar than saxes, but wow! It amazes me that one would reach such heights in comparison to another version so close in succession. I cannot say I like one better than the other, they are similar, but different, just like most cover bands today. I guess it just goes to show how dominating racial bias still was in those days.
Then I listened to "Maybellene" by Chuck Barry, and other than the tempo, which admittedly really does have a significantly faster tempo than songs we have listened to in this class, it doesn't seem like a song that should have had any more success than other songs of the era. That points back to popular music in general though, in which a group or artist can rise to stardom very quickly just based on something slightly new, a niche that had not been reached in the general public yet, for one reason or another.
Listening to "Long Tall Sally" seems to be in direct contrast to the above, in which it is very obviously something new. Granted, for its time, and even now, it was a bit over the top, but that's why so many liked it, it flagrantly showed off something that had not been done before, and in this case I am not surprised at all. So what's the difference between Little Richard and Chuck Berry? I hesitate to say, but it would seem that this difference comes from savvy marketing, and businessmen who knew when to jump on something new.
Elvis and "Don't be Cruel" is almost exactly what I expected, with the exception that his voice is a little higher in this recording than I would have imagined. I was waiting for the chance to listen to Elvis in this week's listening excerpts, and I found myself experiencing something new, gotta love that! I guess I am just not as familiar with Elvis as I thought I would be from the constant saturation we experience with his music even today.
Finally I listened to The Coasters doing "Charlie Brown" another song I recognized. I've never really thought about why I liked it before, but after the analysis it seems so obvious. The silly style sax solo, great for portraying a class clown which the lyrics are about (which also appeals to kids, going back to the first time I heard this song as well being when I was a kid), and elements like the artificial high voices that for me are reminiscent of Alvin and the Chipmunks!
We have now been getting into more music I recognize and have actively enjoyed in the past, so this week was fun, and I cannot wait until the next!
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Listening Journal Week #3
Once again some interesting selections, for various reasons.
Starting with the required listening excerpts, "St. Louis Blues" is of course known to many. What I found most interesting in this selection was the insight that the text gave into the era in which it was released, revealing that until many songs were both published and recorded, a tune might have many possible variations as opposed to one or two versions being considered the standard. Seeing how both Handy's published music combined with artistic license was taken with Bessie Smith to create the version in which we consider the most "authentic" is quite interesting. Also hearing Louis Armstrong again just helps to cement in my mind his legacy in that time period, for he seems to be on quite a few of the recordings we as a class are blessed to be listening to.
I liked the Fletcher Henderson piece if only because of how much it showed his impact on the rise of swing, especially since I never remember hearing his name before. Going on to see how his arrangements were so central in many other groups, like the very next piece with Benny Goodman (one of my all time favorites as a clarinet player), was quite eye opening for me. His style fits right in with all the other examples, though the sound is a little more rough and nasal as opposed to the more rounded fullness of other examples in the era, like the Benny Goodman piece. What I was mildly surprised at in "Taking a Chance on Love" was Benny Goodman's tone. It was a little more open and less refined than I remember on other recordings, yet still not once loosing the polished control of a master I have always idolized. In "Paper Doll," a piece I do not believe I remember hearing before, I still found myself thinking I've heard it before. Maybe because it has been used somewhere in the background of a commercial or movie. Maybe because it has elements of form and harmony that sound sentimental and invoke the thought that I'm supposed to recognize it, even if I have never heard it before. I know there are other pieces described in the text meant to portray such feeling, but I was not expecting it with the group by the Mills Brothers. After reading the text analysis first, I was also expecting a different sound, more like in "Black Snake Moan." Evening looking back at the era years and years later, with the, I find myself falling into the trap of stereotyping.
As for the other required piece, "In the Mood" also surprised me for two reasons. First, I never believe I have heard cow bell in that piece near the end before! How is it when we have period recordings like this and I have never heard or played it like that before? Secondly, the background riff of the saxophones was not nearly as accented as I have been drilled to perform it. I find it perplexing that such a standard chart can have been modified so drastically by the majority of ensembles playing it today while attempting to be authentic.
The first of the elective listen I did was, as you may have guessed, "Black Snake Moan." I chose it simply because of watching the movie some years back, and wanting to know what music inspired the title of that film. The song, in all its grittiness, did not disappoint. I did not seem to mind the irregular and sometimes absent sense of a beat, in fact I hardly noticed it begin so enthralled with the imagery and feeling evoked by Blind Lemon Jefferson.
I also listened to Jimmie Rodgers sing "Blue Yodel No. 2" and was struck with how familiar with the yodel sound was to a song in the movie "O Brother, Where Art Thou" and after some research quickly discovered that the track I was thinking of entitled "In the Jailhouse Now" was written by Blind Blake and, you guessed it, Jimmie Rodgers! The style and pitches used in the yodel was almost the same a couple times.
Listening to "Caravan" I was surprised at how mysterious this version one was compared to version I have heard and played in the past that were much more "in your face." Other versions I have done have the percussion section, and I mean a full section, playing and much more robust and consistently on every beat driving pattern instead of this more every other beat pulsation demonstrated in this recording. "New San Antonio Rose" did not sound like what I expected at first, but when the vocals entered it began to take shape. I guess I just did not have a good mental construct of what to expect from western swing, with so many musical elements and style converging to make this piece come to life. The semi-mariachi style trumpet line was unexpected, even using the text analysis as a guide, and the rhythmic groove that was established while still having elements of big band swing was quite unique. The final selection I listened to was "Brazil" which made me feel like I should be in a Vegas showroom, but I enjoyed hearing this early version.
Starting with the required listening excerpts, "St. Louis Blues" is of course known to many. What I found most interesting in this selection was the insight that the text gave into the era in which it was released, revealing that until many songs were both published and recorded, a tune might have many possible variations as opposed to one or two versions being considered the standard. Seeing how both Handy's published music combined with artistic license was taken with Bessie Smith to create the version in which we consider the most "authentic" is quite interesting. Also hearing Louis Armstrong again just helps to cement in my mind his legacy in that time period, for he seems to be on quite a few of the recordings we as a class are blessed to be listening to.
I liked the Fletcher Henderson piece if only because of how much it showed his impact on the rise of swing, especially since I never remember hearing his name before. Going on to see how his arrangements were so central in many other groups, like the very next piece with Benny Goodman (one of my all time favorites as a clarinet player), was quite eye opening for me. His style fits right in with all the other examples, though the sound is a little more rough and nasal as opposed to the more rounded fullness of other examples in the era, like the Benny Goodman piece. What I was mildly surprised at in "Taking a Chance on Love" was Benny Goodman's tone. It was a little more open and less refined than I remember on other recordings, yet still not once loosing the polished control of a master I have always idolized. In "Paper Doll," a piece I do not believe I remember hearing before, I still found myself thinking I've heard it before. Maybe because it has been used somewhere in the background of a commercial or movie. Maybe because it has elements of form and harmony that sound sentimental and invoke the thought that I'm supposed to recognize it, even if I have never heard it before. I know there are other pieces described in the text meant to portray such feeling, but I was not expecting it with the group by the Mills Brothers. After reading the text analysis first, I was also expecting a different sound, more like in "Black Snake Moan." Evening looking back at the era years and years later, with the, I find myself falling into the trap of stereotyping.
As for the other required piece, "In the Mood" also surprised me for two reasons. First, I never believe I have heard cow bell in that piece near the end before! How is it when we have period recordings like this and I have never heard or played it like that before? Secondly, the background riff of the saxophones was not nearly as accented as I have been drilled to perform it. I find it perplexing that such a standard chart can have been modified so drastically by the majority of ensembles playing it today while attempting to be authentic.
The first of the elective listen I did was, as you may have guessed, "Black Snake Moan." I chose it simply because of watching the movie some years back, and wanting to know what music inspired the title of that film. The song, in all its grittiness, did not disappoint. I did not seem to mind the irregular and sometimes absent sense of a beat, in fact I hardly noticed it begin so enthralled with the imagery and feeling evoked by Blind Lemon Jefferson.
I also listened to Jimmie Rodgers sing "Blue Yodel No. 2" and was struck with how familiar with the yodel sound was to a song in the movie "O Brother, Where Art Thou" and after some research quickly discovered that the track I was thinking of entitled "In the Jailhouse Now" was written by Blind Blake and, you guessed it, Jimmie Rodgers! The style and pitches used in the yodel was almost the same a couple times.
Listening to "Caravan" I was surprised at how mysterious this version one was compared to version I have heard and played in the past that were much more "in your face." Other versions I have done have the percussion section, and I mean a full section, playing and much more robust and consistently on every beat driving pattern instead of this more every other beat pulsation demonstrated in this recording. "New San Antonio Rose" did not sound like what I expected at first, but when the vocals entered it began to take shape. I guess I just did not have a good mental construct of what to expect from western swing, with so many musical elements and style converging to make this piece come to life. The semi-mariachi style trumpet line was unexpected, even using the text analysis as a guide, and the rhythmic groove that was established while still having elements of big band swing was quite unique. The final selection I listened to was "Brazil" which made me feel like I should be in a Vegas showroom, but I enjoyed hearing this early version.
Sunday, January 19, 2014
Listening Journal Week 2
Once again an interesting week of listening examples to review.
Though the recording quality of "Castle House Rag" was not stellar, it provided insight into to early days of recording. To put yourself back into that era as a listener it poses interesting questions like how much interpretation did particular listeners do internally while listening to recorded music like this? Did they mentally change the sound to reflect what they assumed it would sound like before hearing it live? Did those who never had a chance to hear music like this live before the mass movement to urban areas have the conceptualizations do even to this? An obviously upbeat and energetic song, I can easily see how this song, in addition to the others in Europe's repetiore could have helped propel this group to popularity. I listened to some other versions including this one by the Crown Syncopators, just so I could get a better feel for what the bass, harmony, and percussion lines were really about since in Europe's recording the percussion was very "boomy" that just stewed everything together burying most of the other lines the majority of the time, especially the bass and harmony lines. This provided a nice clear version to pick out the numerous lines, though most in this version are covered by the piano. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghMBChYGgbA
This interesting version provides another era recording that seems a little clearer, thus making it more of a nice middle ground recording, and it is just a fun listen, you'll see why... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldIxu4XYtLk
I've always enjoyed "Tiger Rag" but this recording opened my eyes a little about the racial segregation of the times and how some groups claiming to be authentic, proclaiming so even within their own group name (the Original Dixieland Jazz Band), while actually providing a slightly watered down version of the product they were peddling to get audiences to support them. Hearing "dipper Mouth Blues" by the Creole Jazz Band and King Joe Oliver was a great compliment in the text to show some of the difference, and I admittedly learned something new in the readings this week when I discovered that he was a mentor to a young Louis Armstrong. Hearing Louis in his early days where he was not the leader and hearing the proficiency of his mentor was fascinating to me.
I feel I have heard "East St. Louis Toodle-Oo" before (it's a song that is pretty hard to forget in my estimation with it's unique trumpet growl and somber mysterious feel), but as someone not familiar with jazz, I cannot recall exactly where. I feel as though it might have been in a movie sometime...
The listening examples that helped explained the very simplistic form of Tin Pan Alley songs and demonstrated some early crooners starting with Gene Austin were also enlightening. I find it surprising, even in the age in which he became popular, that he reached the level of success that he did, when by today's standards his vocal skill would be considered average. The clarity of the recording helped I have no doubt, as did his skill to use the relatively new microphone. I find that this trend continues on today, where substandard performers gain enormous popularity just because they know how to market themselves or the producers help them to introduce something new and innovative to audiences, and as long as the quality is "good enough" than the gullible will crave more.
In comparison, I can easily see how Bing Crosby, with the team of Irving Berlin, would gain popularity. A noticeable step up, he was much more elegant with his vocal prowess, adding nuances that are still appreciated today. Maybe it was the result of audiences becoming more educated through Austin's many recordings, that they were ready and able to appreciate Crosby's skill more, but that would not explain why we still go through similar situations in music today. I am not trying to downplay the importance of being a good entertainer, for I find that to be an integral part of performing music, but it still confounds me that this trend of average musical talent becoming so successful.
As for the last two (though one is doubled) recordings of "April Showers" and "I Got Rhythm," I thoroughly enjoyed both. "April Showers" to show how performers (or at least those with ambition) try to reinvent themselves or their songs, or keep things the same because that's what their audiences want. Using the innovation of the microphone to "spice" an old tune up, just a little, I believe is a work of genius, and a process that continues to this day, though today many groups go the other way and perform acoustically, without electronic enhancement, to create the new flavor to their old standards. In both tunes, it is very easy to see how very simple, yet preplanned techniques of syncopation and form, can help to create memorable songs that will appeal to large audiences. This can be very useful in teaching composition to students, and for the upcoming song writing project in this class. These are techniques that I have noticed in many songs I have been listening to on the radio and in this class. AABA form, or a variant of it, is everywhere! One cannot seem to escape Tin Pan Alley song form in popular music, even today, so I would be remiss to ignore that fact when working with students and composing songs myself.
I said it last week and I'll say it again. I hope that all the future listening assignments in upcoming weeks are as interesting as these last two have been, because I certainly believe I am learning a lot, and I find it extremely interesting!
Though the recording quality of "Castle House Rag" was not stellar, it provided insight into to early days of recording. To put yourself back into that era as a listener it poses interesting questions like how much interpretation did particular listeners do internally while listening to recorded music like this? Did they mentally change the sound to reflect what they assumed it would sound like before hearing it live? Did those who never had a chance to hear music like this live before the mass movement to urban areas have the conceptualizations do even to this? An obviously upbeat and energetic song, I can easily see how this song, in addition to the others in Europe's repetiore could have helped propel this group to popularity. I listened to some other versions including this one by the Crown Syncopators, just so I could get a better feel for what the bass, harmony, and percussion lines were really about since in Europe's recording the percussion was very "boomy" that just stewed everything together burying most of the other lines the majority of the time, especially the bass and harmony lines. This provided a nice clear version to pick out the numerous lines, though most in this version are covered by the piano. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghMBChYGgbA
This interesting version provides another era recording that seems a little clearer, thus making it more of a nice middle ground recording, and it is just a fun listen, you'll see why... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldIxu4XYtLk
I've always enjoyed "Tiger Rag" but this recording opened my eyes a little about the racial segregation of the times and how some groups claiming to be authentic, proclaiming so even within their own group name (the Original Dixieland Jazz Band), while actually providing a slightly watered down version of the product they were peddling to get audiences to support them. Hearing "dipper Mouth Blues" by the Creole Jazz Band and King Joe Oliver was a great compliment in the text to show some of the difference, and I admittedly learned something new in the readings this week when I discovered that he was a mentor to a young Louis Armstrong. Hearing Louis in his early days where he was not the leader and hearing the proficiency of his mentor was fascinating to me.
I feel I have heard "East St. Louis Toodle-Oo" before (it's a song that is pretty hard to forget in my estimation with it's unique trumpet growl and somber mysterious feel), but as someone not familiar with jazz, I cannot recall exactly where. I feel as though it might have been in a movie sometime...
The listening examples that helped explained the very simplistic form of Tin Pan Alley songs and demonstrated some early crooners starting with Gene Austin were also enlightening. I find it surprising, even in the age in which he became popular, that he reached the level of success that he did, when by today's standards his vocal skill would be considered average. The clarity of the recording helped I have no doubt, as did his skill to use the relatively new microphone. I find that this trend continues on today, where substandard performers gain enormous popularity just because they know how to market themselves or the producers help them to introduce something new and innovative to audiences, and as long as the quality is "good enough" than the gullible will crave more.
In comparison, I can easily see how Bing Crosby, with the team of Irving Berlin, would gain popularity. A noticeable step up, he was much more elegant with his vocal prowess, adding nuances that are still appreciated today. Maybe it was the result of audiences becoming more educated through Austin's many recordings, that they were ready and able to appreciate Crosby's skill more, but that would not explain why we still go through similar situations in music today. I am not trying to downplay the importance of being a good entertainer, for I find that to be an integral part of performing music, but it still confounds me that this trend of average musical talent becoming so successful.
As for the last two (though one is doubled) recordings of "April Showers" and "I Got Rhythm," I thoroughly enjoyed both. "April Showers" to show how performers (or at least those with ambition) try to reinvent themselves or their songs, or keep things the same because that's what their audiences want. Using the innovation of the microphone to "spice" an old tune up, just a little, I believe is a work of genius, and a process that continues to this day, though today many groups go the other way and perform acoustically, without electronic enhancement, to create the new flavor to their old standards. In both tunes, it is very easy to see how very simple, yet preplanned techniques of syncopation and form, can help to create memorable songs that will appeal to large audiences. This can be very useful in teaching composition to students, and for the upcoming song writing project in this class. These are techniques that I have noticed in many songs I have been listening to on the radio and in this class. AABA form, or a variant of it, is everywhere! One cannot seem to escape Tin Pan Alley song form in popular music, even today, so I would be remiss to ignore that fact when working with students and composing songs myself.
I said it last week and I'll say it again. I hope that all the future listening assignments in upcoming weeks are as interesting as these last two have been, because I certainly believe I am learning a lot, and I find it extremely interesting!
Saturday, January 11, 2014
Listening Journal Week 1
This was a fascinating introduction to American popular music! So much of the listening helped to provoke very interesting ideas that I would have never expected.
Take "Long John" by Lightening Washington and fellow convicts for instance. I and countless other American children have been taught about work songs being tied to African American slavery, to include imagery about heading to freedom, many times tied to religious connotations and in turn conveyed many similar aspects and sometimes probably synonymous to black spirituals as described by Starr/Waterman. The scene being depicted could be interchanged between slave and prisoner, since those two terms are so much alike in themselves, and that is what strikes me. To ignore this fact is not something I ever consciously did, but I never really connected this before at the forefront of my mind, and it immediately grabbed my interest in listening when reading the analysis in the text, partly due to the fact that the example of a work song had been done at a prison. Recording did not exist at the height of slavery, and even though sharecroppers were around after the invention of the phonograph, it seems poignant to me that this example exists to show how the style continued to thrive, with little evolution, over such a period of time.
Another point that is prominent after doing the required listening is the stark difference between recordings of the same tune. Take "Soldier's Joy" from the old time music section. The regularity of the Skillet Lickers performance (with a bass line and clearly defined sections not to mention the added vocal line) in contrast to the much more almost slurred version (due to only being one instrument) of Tommy Jarrell was more profound than I was expecting going through the listening from one to the next, despite having read the text analysis direct before listening to each one. After listening to the Skillet Lickers version I found myself envisioning an arrangement for my small woodwind group, for it's upbeat and fun, but could also be utilized in unique ways when my ensembles goes to do school performances to do educational outreach, where we are expected not only to entertain, but to provide multiple facets of musical value for the students to learn beyond just showing skill as a performer. Then there are the two versions of "La Cumparsita" where I discovered that I recognized the tune only after beginning the audio for the Fransisco Canaro instrumental version. That is the version I have grown up considering to be the tango style. It was so eye-opening to discover that the version by Carlos Gardel was so indicative of early tango performance.
I was very intrigued by hearing mariachi performance of "La Negra," which I believe would be extremely useful in the instruction of "La Fiesta Mexicana" by H.Owen Reed for concert band. The third movement "Carnival" (after a few minutes) goes directly into a similar version of the tune and in this example it would seem that the director made sure to try and get the student to implement a more authentic performance in accordance to style from the gritos (yells) that are used and heavy use of wide vibrato by the trumpets. Start at about 16:05 in the recording https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EviV1lvCTi0 to see this in action. Did he play an original version of the song for the students first? That is unknown, but if I were to get back up in front of a concert band of high school students studying this piece for performance, I believe using this original version as performed by Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitian would be extremely useful, in addition to using more realistic techniques of the study of popular music, avid listening and imitation, regardless of the fact this may not be considered popular music today.
"Jeanie With the Light Brown Hair" was revelatory simply because of its connection to the television show I Dream of Jeannie. I honestly assumed before listening to this song that the television theme would have utilized more musical elements and motives even if drastically changed to the original. After intent listening it seems as if there are a couple moments when the original may have influences the theme but only for a few extremely short arpeggiated sections where diminution was utilized in the theme. With so very little to latch onto though in terms of musical material, I might just be imagining it and looking for something that is not there. It might very well be that the only similarity is the use of the first line as the name of the show.
Of the rest of the listening: Old Time Music ("Barbary Allen"), "Coo Coo," "Stack O'lee," "Enigue Nigue," and "After the Ball," the only one that I felt more than just a superficial appreciation of was "Barbary Allen." I found it obvious how much English influence there was in the piece through the British ballad tradition, but I could readily make out through the use of dialect how it has been adapted over time. I also agree with the text in which it describes her tone as "beautiful, and haunting" though I am not sure I concur with the description of "unaffected." There are moments when I heard very subtle slight distortions in her tone. This is not a bad thing however, I found it to be quite necessary in order to comply to the quintessential American style that she (and others) had adapted the song to.
If all the upcoming weeks of this class contain such interesting content in both the reading and the listening, this should prove to be a very interesting, fun, and enlightening course!
Take "Long John" by Lightening Washington and fellow convicts for instance. I and countless other American children have been taught about work songs being tied to African American slavery, to include imagery about heading to freedom, many times tied to religious connotations and in turn conveyed many similar aspects and sometimes probably synonymous to black spirituals as described by Starr/Waterman. The scene being depicted could be interchanged between slave and prisoner, since those two terms are so much alike in themselves, and that is what strikes me. To ignore this fact is not something I ever consciously did, but I never really connected this before at the forefront of my mind, and it immediately grabbed my interest in listening when reading the analysis in the text, partly due to the fact that the example of a work song had been done at a prison. Recording did not exist at the height of slavery, and even though sharecroppers were around after the invention of the phonograph, it seems poignant to me that this example exists to show how the style continued to thrive, with little evolution, over such a period of time.
Another point that is prominent after doing the required listening is the stark difference between recordings of the same tune. Take "Soldier's Joy" from the old time music section. The regularity of the Skillet Lickers performance (with a bass line and clearly defined sections not to mention the added vocal line) in contrast to the much more almost slurred version (due to only being one instrument) of Tommy Jarrell was more profound than I was expecting going through the listening from one to the next, despite having read the text analysis direct before listening to each one. After listening to the Skillet Lickers version I found myself envisioning an arrangement for my small woodwind group, for it's upbeat and fun, but could also be utilized in unique ways when my ensembles goes to do school performances to do educational outreach, where we are expected not only to entertain, but to provide multiple facets of musical value for the students to learn beyond just showing skill as a performer. Then there are the two versions of "La Cumparsita" where I discovered that I recognized the tune only after beginning the audio for the Fransisco Canaro instrumental version. That is the version I have grown up considering to be the tango style. It was so eye-opening to discover that the version by Carlos Gardel was so indicative of early tango performance.
I was very intrigued by hearing mariachi performance of "La Negra," which I believe would be extremely useful in the instruction of "La Fiesta Mexicana" by H.Owen Reed for concert band. The third movement "Carnival" (after a few minutes) goes directly into a similar version of the tune and in this example it would seem that the director made sure to try and get the student to implement a more authentic performance in accordance to style from the gritos (yells) that are used and heavy use of wide vibrato by the trumpets. Start at about 16:05 in the recording https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EviV1lvCTi0 to see this in action. Did he play an original version of the song for the students first? That is unknown, but if I were to get back up in front of a concert band of high school students studying this piece for performance, I believe using this original version as performed by Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitian would be extremely useful, in addition to using more realistic techniques of the study of popular music, avid listening and imitation, regardless of the fact this may not be considered popular music today.
"Jeanie With the Light Brown Hair" was revelatory simply because of its connection to the television show I Dream of Jeannie. I honestly assumed before listening to this song that the television theme would have utilized more musical elements and motives even if drastically changed to the original. After intent listening it seems as if there are a couple moments when the original may have influences the theme but only for a few extremely short arpeggiated sections where diminution was utilized in the theme. With so very little to latch onto though in terms of musical material, I might just be imagining it and looking for something that is not there. It might very well be that the only similarity is the use of the first line as the name of the show.
Of the rest of the listening: Old Time Music ("Barbary Allen"), "Coo Coo," "Stack O'lee," "Enigue Nigue," and "After the Ball," the only one that I felt more than just a superficial appreciation of was "Barbary Allen." I found it obvious how much English influence there was in the piece through the British ballad tradition, but I could readily make out through the use of dialect how it has been adapted over time. I also agree with the text in which it describes her tone as "beautiful, and haunting" though I am not sure I concur with the description of "unaffected." There are moments when I heard very subtle slight distortions in her tone. This is not a bad thing however, I found it to be quite necessary in order to comply to the quintessential American style that she (and others) had adapted the song to.
If all the upcoming weeks of this class contain such interesting content in both the reading and the listening, this should prove to be a very interesting, fun, and enlightening course!
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