Church music, 78's dropping from the hi-fi, my grandmother's soothing lullabies, my much older brother crooning a song by the platters, there has always been music in my life a backdrop of my life; always present insinuating itself into my mind and thoughts.
The first recording that I saved enough money to buy was "Downtown" by Petula Clark, which I proudly showed to my brothers whose soulful R&B tastes were not in the least bit impressed. Undaunted and unaware that I misplaced my soulful roots, I continued listening to and enjoying the tunes played by Cousin Brucie on a static filled AM 77 WABC. When the teenagers took over the basement, heavy bass and saxophones filled the air.... And Sunday morning church music filled both the house of worship in the morning and the house of John Taylor for the rest of the day. I found that it really didn't matter who was in charge of the turntable or radio dial, I could sing along (unfortunately terribly out of key) with whatever came out of the speaker and love every minute of it.
Along with adolescence came some earning power and a personal sound system allowing me a little more discretion in musical interests. I could choose the music to which I listened; I could buy the records I wanted and did not have to rely upon others for my listening pleasure. Despite the fact that I was in control, my history guided me and my choices included rhythm and blues as dictated by my older brother, but also the gospel of the Harmonizing Four and Mahalia Jackson were included in my shopping cart from time to time. I remained true to the trendy music of the top forty stations and was excited by Sgt. Pepper and the other unique sounds of the time but the crooning of Frank Sinatra also seemed romantic enough to give it a try.
Somehow my eclectic tastes continued as I found appreciation for Laura Nyro and Jerry Garcia. It seemed as if all music was great in some manner. There was always something about it that could captivate me; some note or lyric that would engage me enough to want to own it and to want to listen to it time and time again. Music became very important to me. A certain riff, certain lyrics, the sound of a voice could bring a big smile to my face or tears to my eyes.
Attention Getter: When I was 12, my father bought many albums of American music and played them on car, and it was the first time I got to know different types of American music. I liked rock by Bon Jovi, and pop by Whitney Houston, but the one I loved the most was a lively and lovely music, the country music.
...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.
Teenagers were a new species at the beginning of the 1950's. Before then, adolescents in America had traditionally gone to work to support their family or to start their own family as soon as they were old enough. However, the years of post-war prosperity and the expansion of suburbia provided teenagers (who were too young to remember the scarcities of the Depression and the war effort) with plenty of leisure time. At the same time, advances in technology made vinyl 45's cheap and easily accessible to both artists and listeners. White teenagers bought up pop hits coming off the Billboard 100, although many who were listening to black radio stations preferred rhythm and blues tunes which were always played by black performers. In fact rhythm and blues was pretty much used as a synonym for black music. Chuck Berry was one of the first black musicians to do well with a white audience. Because of his middle class background, his energetic performing style, and his youth-associated lyrics, Chuck Berry broke through the race barrier and became one of the first "rock stars."
The top 40 charts help establish a standard of what would be played on the radio and after ASCAP and the Orion hearings ended the Payola period of rock and roll. ASCAP, “mounted an attack on rock n roll” (Brackett, 131). With all the lawsuits and early rock and roll artist like Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry not performing their music lead to a decline in the late 1950’s of rock and roll. The youth of America was highly influenced by what was played on the radio and how the artist were perceived and viewed by others in society helped bring the advancement as well as the later decline of rock and
Music helped me realized that i am an auditory learner and helped me become a better multitasker what with musical, school work, and ski team happening all in the same season. Learning new pieces has always been a great experience for me and i’ve loved every
Since the earliest days of human civilization music has been a key tool for communication of stories which carried emotions through them. If we think back to our youngest years of life music has surrounded us whether it was from our parents singing us lullabies or from some sort of toy that played music we can say that musical melodies have helped shape or lives one way or another. Once we start growing up and figuring out who we are our musical preferences change; some people like classical and some like punk. We start to befriend people who like the same music as us and eventually we may attend a musical event. Our lives somewhat revolve around the music that we listen to.
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.
After many of World War II’s harmful effects, the 1950s served as a period of time of musical change that reflected the dynamic of society as well as the traditional norms and values. Many factors contributed to this transformation. For example, the civil rights movement heightened many racial tensions, and the music produced consequently manifested this tension in itself. Rock-n-roll and R&B music universalized music typically associated with African-Americans, and many African-American musicians gained fame; however, as with any relatively-widespread success, there were many musicians as well who missed their opportunities due to the same racial segregation. While “radical” genres such as R&B and rock-n-roll laid the foundation for music future forms of music, the standard pop, jazz, and country music adhered to traditional values, and thus continued to maintain popularity amidst phenomena such as the Elvis craze.
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.
My sister, Jo, and I are both highly musical and love music, but our opinions of excellent music are contrasting, which can cause issues when trying to pick what is going to play on the radio. I prefer the old school sound such as jazz, bluegrass, and classical music while Jo prefers techno, pop, and punk rock. Though our personal preference on music seems trivial, it in reality, shows the type of culture we prefer. I am a lover of culture and classical thinking. I am a reader; I
have always had an unexplainable affect on my life. Music seems to have the ability to
Music is one of the most fantastical forms of entertainment. Its history stretches all the way from the primitive polyrhythmic drums in Africa to our modern day pop music we listen to on our phones. It has the ability to amaze us, to capture our attention and leave us in awe. It soothes the hearts of billions, and it is so deeply rooted in my life that it has touched my heart as well. Everyday I walk to the beat of the song stuck in my head and hum along to the melody. For me, to listen to music be lifted into the air by the hands of your imagination and float around for a while. You forget about your worries, your troubles and find peace within the sound. Every chapter in my life is attached with a song. Every time I listen to a certain song, thoughts of my past come flooding back
Music, a form of art, made up of unique and special sounds containing elements of pitch and rhythm can powerfully soothe one’s soul. Firstly, there are different types of music, and each has its own features. These sounds and features are what I admire in music because to me it creates a new form of communication to one’s consciousness. It stimulates our mind and gives it a sense of harmony and peace through the hardships that life poses for us. As a kid, I would always listen to music from any genre, deciding which genre would complement me the most as I grew older. In middle school, I remember going on the computer and finding a website/program where I could make my own beats. From that day on, I spent countless of hours each day making sure the tune sounded proper and pleasurable for my ears. At first, it wasn’t good, but eventua...
“Mary had a little lamb, little lamb, little lamb; Mary had a little lamb, whose fleece was white as snow.” For centuries “Mary had a little lamb” has become one of the most universally recognized nursery rhythms since being published in 1830. Centuries later it is still one of the most popular songs of the world. Merriam Dictionary defines music as “the science or art of ordering tones or sounds in succession, in combination, and in temporal relationships to produce a composition having unity and continuity.” With that in mind, music is found everywhere. Whether it’s in the Great Wall of China to the jungles in Africa, music is found everywhere. The main purpose of this paper is to show that music is in fact a universal language by comparing music with other official languages, showing how music influences emotions and how music literacy and emotions helps people understand music as a language. In order to fully execute my purpose of proving that music is a universal language, I will be focusing on using personal experiences, researching articles and specific musical examples from class.
Music has always been a big part of my life. Music is not just a bunch of melodies, rhythms, and vibrant sounds. It is a comfort to me. The lyrics of a song challenge my intellect and the rhythms and beats affect my emotions. Music understands me when people don’t. At times it takes me back to an event in my life or even in history. Both consciously and subconsciously my mind remembers the emotions that are attached to a certain song. It can make me feel on top of the world or the complete opposite; music can change the atmosphere and also set the mood. Music has power over my human soul. It soothes it. I cannot imagine not having music to listen to. It is a powerful force and my love for it is incredible.