When I was seven years old, my father bought me an iPod Nano for my birthday. I loved music and it was the perfect gift. The odd thing about it was that the only music downloaded on the iPod was the “old people music” my dad liked. There were two-hundred songs by artists ranging from The Beatles to Billy Joel. One artist, above all others, had the most songs by far on my iPod – Frank Sinatra. In fact, my dad is quite obsessed with Frank Sinatra. He would always preach to me about the good old days of music when artists had beautiful voices and sang about meaningful things. “Nowadays, few singers have real talent. I want you to find me a person with a voice like Frank’s,” my father would challenge me. It’s safe to assume that Frank Sinatra’s …show more content…
When I did finally give Sinatra a shot, I realized he had so much more to offer than his Christmas album revealed. His smooth, confident and powerful voice somehow inspired me. Unlike other modern and provocative music, his music was very relaxing; this felt like an important attribute. While all the other kids would listen to Flo Rida and Britney Spears, I would be indulging in Sinatra’s classics. More importantly, with me becoming a new fan, Sinatra became something my dad and I could bond over. Of all his songs, “That’s Life” quickly became my favorite. As an impressionable child, its lyrics reflected many important life lessons that I embrace today. The lyrics inspired me through pivotal times in my …show more content…
In sixth grade, I was challenged academically for the first time. Until then, I never studied for math. When I received my first report card, my math grades were lackluster. My confidence in my favorite subject was waning. I questioned if I should even be in advanced math. Despite this, I remembered that the lyrics in “That’s Life”preach that sometimes, “You're riding high in April, shot down in May / But I know I'm gonna change that tune / When I'm back on top, back on top in June”. Instead of feeling sorry for myself, I just had to step it up and study more. Again uplifted by Frank, I brought up my math grade and math remained my favorite subject. Ultimately, this song taught me to be resilient and
When music was still new and developing, it was something that you could just dance along to, not worrying about the lyrics or the meaning of a musical piece. Today there are concept albums like The Antler’s Hospice, with a whole story behind it.
The year was 1966 Frank Sinatra was at the peak of his career. There he stood on the stage in the Copa Room at the Sands Hotel and Casino in front of Count Basie and his Orchestra recording what is considered the best album of his career. The album “Sinatra at the Sands” would be his first album recorded live to be released and the album would achieve gold in sales. Sinatra was in his environment, a cozy salon style venue with an enthusiastic crowd in Las Vegas. The album was recorded by Reprise and the label engineer was Lowell Frank and produced by Sonny Burke. Reprise had formerly recorded two other albums: “Sinatra-Basie” and “It Might As Well Be Swing” with Sinatra and Count Basie, but it was their performance at the Sands Hotel that would promote both performers carriers beyond what either one of them were able to do on the own.
Many people in show business are viewed as role models in our society. Many of these people are just regular men and women that are placed high on a pedestal simply because they can sing or act, hence, becoming all the more famous. Although he was famous and popular in the entertainment world for almost four decades, Frank Sinatra was a singer and actor that had a side to him that not everyone knew. He hid behind the facade of an entirely happy, successful performer, when, in reality, he had many problems that the public was not even aware of. Some of these problems are the same that the average person faces day to day, but many went far deeper than trivial troubles. Some of these specific quandaries had to do with hidden aspects of his personal relationships, hidden connections with criminal elements, and other unknown aspects of his life.
For much of the 20th century, African-American citizens had been disenfranchised throughout the South and the entire United States, they were regarded as inferior second-class citizens. Despite efforts to integrate society, the political and economic systems were meant to continue the cycle of oppression against African-Americans, throughout the south and indirectly yet ever present in the north. These laws of segregation, otherwise knows as Jim Crow laws, applied to almost every aspect of southern American society, including sports. During this time period, African-American athletes had to resort to second class organizational leagues to play in, this included the famous baseball player Jackie Robinson. Much of this institutionalized racism
Evan Nave writes: “I was / too busy calculating my / mortality to bother solving / for the value of x.” (lines 15-18). In these few lines, someone can easily think of a time when they were in school and they had other things on their minds besides the actual subject of school. It can be difficult for students to focus on the subject of school when they are facing personal problems in their daily lives. Students are often forced to disregard personal problems or face the consequences of their grades suffering because they brought their issues along with them to school. In our education system, there is not any room for a student to bring their personal lives with them once they enter the doors of the institution. The poem, “17” by Evan Nave
If one were to look back into the world’s history, one would find that an important and consistent element is the world of music. Music has presented itself in various forms throughout its spread and through our identification of its magical realm, people have been fortunate enough to come across a means of relation. Whether it is blues and reggae or rap and pop rock, there is music out there for everyone. Music can serve as a stabilizer for some, a relaxant to others, and to many a form of inspiration.
Jackie Robinson overcame many struggles in life such as being included in the civil rights movement, facing discrimination, and he achieved being the first black man in major league baseball. He was born on January 31, 1919 in Cairo, Georgia on Hadley Ferry Road. It is a blue-collar town of about 10,000 people. Jackie Robinson became the first black player in the major leagues with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Even though he achieved this major goal he still had trouble getting there. He and his siblings were raised by his single mother. Jackie attended Muir High School and Pasadena Junior College. He was a great athlete and played many sports. He played football, basketball, track, and of course baseball. He left school in 1941, worked as an athletic director and played semiprofessional football for the Honolulu Bears before being drafted to the Army in 1942. While he was in the army he became close friends with Joe Louis. The heavyweight used his popularity to protest about the delayed entry of black soldiers. Two years later he got the honor to be second lieutenant in 1943. After an accident where he refused to sit in the back of an unsegregated bus, military police arrested Robinson. A duty officer requested this and then later he requested that Jackie should be court martialed. Since this happened Jackie was not allowed to be deployed overseas to the World War II. He never saw combat during the war. Jackie left the Army with an honorable discharge.
songs and musicians, and the effect their short lives and music can have in our society.
In this essay I will attempt to decipher how Frank Sinatra changed music. I will try to understand what made his music so different, unique, and genuine that we still worship him like a god today. In addition, I expect to discover how he changed as a person over his five decade career. I want to analyze who he associated himself with, assuming the possibility that these people had an effect on his music and persona. I believe that while his music changed as did his personality. I trust that when Sinatra originally started singing with the glee club of Demarest High School, he had no idea of where his life was heading, nor the legend he was going to become. Thus, as his fame progressed and evolved so did his music and disposition. In my own opinion, there is no one archetypal Sinatra song or album; honestly I don’t even believe that there is even one true Frank Sinatra style. His five decade career seemed to divide into three distinctive eras. Nonetheless, in order to reflect on one’s life we must start from the beginning.
Finally, this assignment has shown how music can be updated to suit different generations. Through the process of evaluating both songs, and comparing the two, one could say that the differences in the second song help refresh the first version. Although others may remark ‘old is gold’.
...ath to dominate their field and branch off into other dominating sub-genres. Those genres, especially in the 1920’s, created the foundation of what we see today in the 21st century. The genres and the creativity produced in these decades were accompanied by entertaining dance and shows that provided the people with a comfortable diversion from their outward life. In addition, music remained a way of spiritual and fun release of the mind and energy. With the radio acting as a distribution center for music, it became a national pastime in which it still ranks number one today for it’s easy access and reaching fields. In conclusion, although the 1920’s saw the birthplace of what is generally known today as the foundation of modern music, the 1970’s matched innovation and creation in the industry which is why music is still a staple in the lives of many people today.
Elton john has been claimed “the Liberace of rock and roll” (8) for his spectacular show of music, imagery, outward flamboyancy and artistic passion. Originally born Reginald (Reggie) Kenneth Dwight, Elton Hercules John started his first band at 14 (2) and has continued to set a foundation for American pop music for 53 years. Elton’s music is distinctive in its ability to draw attention of listeners with his original combination of sound (2). The songs written both by Elton and lyricist, Bernie Taupin (3) were premeditated to give both a rhythm and undertones of sentimental value. The decline of rock and roll in America allowed for Elton john to succeed.
Let’s flash back in time to before our college days. Back to then we had lunch trays filled with rubbery chicken nuggets, stale pizza, and bags of chocolate milk. A backpack stacked with Lisa Frank note books, flexi rulers, and color changing pencils. The times where we thought we wouldn’t make it out alive, but we did. Through all the trials and tribulations school helped build who I am today and shaped my future. From basic functions all the way to life-long lessons that helped shape my character.
“Every time I close my eyes blowing that trumpet of mine—I look right in the heart of good old New Orleans... It has given me something to live for.” Louis Armstrong also known as "Satchmo" was born on August 4, 1901, in New Orleans, Louisiana. He was an African American who was abandoned by his father when he was only an infant. He lived most of his live in a neighborhood known as “Back of the Town” nick name “the Battlefield”. Louis had a very poor family growing up. His grandmother Josephine Armstrong had to take care of him and his younger sister because his mom, Mary had to work hard in order to provide for the kids. When Louis turned five, he moved back to his mother.
Hopkins, C. (Sept 15, 2010) Stevie Ray Vaughan – Day by Day, Night after Night: His Early Years. Retrieved for this paper Apr 3, 2010 from, ISBN 978-1-4234-8598-8