Thursday, July 16, 2015
Review of Music Appreciation
Going into this class I knew I would like it because I went in loving music. Sometimes they were long nights but they were all worth it! I loved learning about the music aspects I did not previously know before because it made me really appreciate it that much more. I loved having Mrs. Mills because the passion she has for music really shows through and it makes the class even more fun. It also helped me understand the new material! I liked the music journals every week because I liked to listen to what other students in the class listen to and I liked to hear what they thought of my music choices. Most of the other music from other students in the class I have not heard of before and now I appreciate those bands as well too. This was a very fun summer class and I am glad it was with this group of people. I hope you all have fun during the rest of this summer!!
Friday, July 10, 2015
Week 7 Music Journal
For my week 7 familiar music I chose to do "DNA" "Move" and "Wings" by Little Mix, "On My Way Up" by Drew Chadwick, and "Believe" by Shawn Mendes. "DNA" was one of the first songs I heard from Little Mix. At the beginning the musicians use a music box sounding technology and they use this sound to incorporate it in with the song. They make it sound like a heart beat with is one of the main ideas of the music video. The first singer to come in is the British singer, Perrie, who has a wide range. She can sing relatively low like her solo part in this part of the song and sing very high later. The singer's melody has a background sound that is used again by technology to make sounds. They use some drums to make the beats during this point. The next singer Jade has a solo and her voice has a middle range sound, she does not usually sing too high or too low. The chorus is then sung. After the chorus, Jesy comes in with her solo. Personally, I do not like the tone color of her voice. The sound is not easy for my ears to listen to. She is probably the weakest singer of the group. I do not like the vibrato that she does with her voice, it sounds disgusting to me. The next singer is Jade again who leads into the chorus again. This time, the chorus sounds louder adding to the variation of the song. They also add more bass sounding instrument or technology to build on top of the original sound. The next singer is Leigh-Ann, she also has a middle range voice but she can sing relatively low and high, not as high as Perrie's voice though. At 3:11, the girls each sing a different note and build on top of each other to produce chords. The highest singer is Perrie. At 3:24 the listener can really hear Perrie's voice and how it has a wide range. Little Mix like to use technology instruments to enhance their sound. In "Move" they use a technology instrument to start or to introduce the voices. The chorus in this song is catchy and I like the upbeat and bass of the song. The song has a lot of little instruments to make it sound better. This song has a lot of variation and I like it a lot. "Wings" is the first song I have ever heard from them. They use a bass instrument to keep the beat while they sing the introduction. This song has a fun upbeat as well. They also add in clapping to make the song sound different. They also sing different notes and build on top of a bass note in this song too. Perrie takes the top note again because her voice range is so wide.
"DNA" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3h-lLj3xv4
"Move" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwD4eJGxPc4
"Wings" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOQDsmEqVt8
"On My Way Up" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_g5NA_5TnQ
"Believe" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZMYO_iT-r0
For my week 7 unfamiliar music I chose a song that was suggested on YouTube. I only listened to the first three songs. The title of the first is "Sonata in F ." The song starts with a simple piano melody accompanied by a string instrument, maybe a violin. The piano melody is relatively simple with a few ornaments such as grace notes. The tempo picks up speed at :55. A new melody is played accompanied by the piano and the melody is played by the violin. Then the melody is given back to the piano and they repeat the first section or the first melody. At 1:55 a third melody is played. This one is more busy and a repeated note is played while the other hand has the melody, the violin is still accompanying. Grace notes are still being used as ornaments. The piano melody is pretty and simple here. A scale is played then a chromatic scale to transition to the next section which is the reoccurring melody by the piano, the violin still accompanying. The piano plays a melody imitated by the violin right after. The piano then sound like it is almost in a minor key in a little part of this section. The dynamic level here is soft. The second movement is then started after a short pause. This movement is raised up a dynamic level and the piano has a faster tempo as well. The violin plays increasing speed and volume notes to increase the intensity of this section. The next melody played has notes being played on different octaves. Then the melody is softer but still has a faster tempo. The melody is passed between the bass and treble clefs. This melody is still at a fast tempo and at 6:00 the dynamic is loud then gradually decrescendos. This piano part is really busy. The single note melody is played again. The second song of the collection is " Andante & Allegretto in C." This song has the same instruments being used, the piano has the melody and the violin accompanies nicely. The two instruments sound good together and make the song sound classical. The piano's melody is soft but decrescendos even more then crescendos again in the next few measures. The melody is busy and at a fast tempo and slowed down immediately. The violin and piano pass the melody and accompaniment to each other. The next section is set at a faster tempo. The third song is called " Andante in A & Fugue in A minor." The beginning of the song is slow yet has increasing speed in a few parts. The piano has the melody with no accompaniment to start. The violin comes in as the accompaniment. The melody is passed to the string instrument and the piano plays the accompaniment. The piano plays a section and the violin imitates the melody. The piano player adds ornaments such as grace notes and trills again to make variation and a more interesting sound. Scales are used a lot to transition to a new section.
Violin Sonatas Playlist Mix
"DNA" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3h-lLj3xv4
"Move" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwD4eJGxPc4
"Wings" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOQDsmEqVt8
"On My Way Up" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_g5NA_5TnQ
"Believe" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZMYO_iT-r0
For my week 7 unfamiliar music I chose a song that was suggested on YouTube. I only listened to the first three songs. The title of the first is "Sonata in F ." The song starts with a simple piano melody accompanied by a string instrument, maybe a violin. The piano melody is relatively simple with a few ornaments such as grace notes. The tempo picks up speed at :55. A new melody is played accompanied by the piano and the melody is played by the violin. Then the melody is given back to the piano and they repeat the first section or the first melody. At 1:55 a third melody is played. This one is more busy and a repeated note is played while the other hand has the melody, the violin is still accompanying. Grace notes are still being used as ornaments. The piano melody is pretty and simple here. A scale is played then a chromatic scale to transition to the next section which is the reoccurring melody by the piano, the violin still accompanying. The piano plays a melody imitated by the violin right after. The piano then sound like it is almost in a minor key in a little part of this section. The dynamic level here is soft. The second movement is then started after a short pause. This movement is raised up a dynamic level and the piano has a faster tempo as well. The violin plays increasing speed and volume notes to increase the intensity of this section. The next melody played has notes being played on different octaves. Then the melody is softer but still has a faster tempo. The melody is passed between the bass and treble clefs. This melody is still at a fast tempo and at 6:00 the dynamic is loud then gradually decrescendos. This piano part is really busy. The single note melody is played again. The second song of the collection is " Andante & Allegretto in C." This song has the same instruments being used, the piano has the melody and the violin accompanies nicely. The two instruments sound good together and make the song sound classical. The piano's melody is soft but decrescendos even more then crescendos again in the next few measures. The melody is busy and at a fast tempo and slowed down immediately. The violin and piano pass the melody and accompaniment to each other. The next section is set at a faster tempo. The third song is called " Andante in A & Fugue in A minor." The beginning of the song is slow yet has increasing speed in a few parts. The piano has the melody with no accompaniment to start. The violin comes in as the accompaniment. The melody is passed to the string instrument and the piano plays the accompaniment. The piano plays a section and the violin imitates the melody. The piano player adds ornaments such as grace notes and trills again to make variation and a more interesting sound. Scales are used a lot to transition to a new section.
Violin Sonatas Playlist Mix
Friday, July 3, 2015
Week 6 Music Journal
For my week six familiar music I chose "Black Magic" by a British group called Little Mix, "Wild Heart" by another British group called the Vamps, "Gotta Be Me" by Ross Lynch and Maia Mitchell, "I Knew You Were Trouble" and "22" both by Taylor Swift. "Black Magic" starts with the four girls singing together for an introduction. They use claps and a bass kind of instrument to hold the beat for the introduction. The next section is a solo by a girl named Perrie. She is singing at a middle range during this section but she can sing very high sometimes, she has a wide range of a singing voice. The next solo singer is a girl named Jade. She usually sings the middle range in their songs. Next, a girl named Leigh-Anne has a lead in to the chorus. The sound of the song is a kind of light hearted song and has a positive message. The girls use their magic to help a nerd to get some girls. After the chorus, the last singer in the group named Jesy has a solo. She also has a middle range voice, maybe an alto. They sing the chorus again after her solo. Around 2:34 the song has a different sound where all the background music is taken out except the percussion and claps again. A guitar is added soon after that. Around 2:50 it almost sounds a cappella but it is not because I think that I hear a light guitar instrument in there somewhere. After this section they use the percussion to transition to the next section which is the chorus again, but they change it a little bit for a little bit of variation. The very last thing the listener hears at the end of the song is one of the singers singing a cappella because there is no accompaniment behind the singer's voice. "Wild Heart" starts with a guitar playing the main melody throughout the whole song. The lead singer comes in with the first verse of the song. He has a sort of raspy quality to his voice. At :24, a guitar plays soft chords to transition to the chorus. The chorus is a little louder than the previous section. The guitar and drums are accompaniment for the singers. At :52, a guitar is used to transition to the next section which is another verse. The percussion is used throughout the whole song to keep the tempo steady and upbeat. Around 1:56, the backup singer comes in with a little section of the song. Although he can sing relatively high, around 2:04, the listener can tell that the backup singer has a sort of strained sound to his voice from his solo. At 2:09 the singers sing a cappella while they are clapping to keep the tempo steady or the same. The guitar comes in again around 2:15. Then the drums come in joining the guitar at 2:23. The chorus is repeated again. After the singer sings the last verse, a guitar chord is played and the song is over.
"Black Magic" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkElfR_NPBI
"Wild Heart" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aPxHpcP66s
"Gotta Be Me" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WU2QMdYnUfY
"I Knew You Were Trouble" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNoKguSdy4Y
"22" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgFeZr5ptV8
For my week six unfamiliar music I typed in classical music on YouTube and a fifteen minute song came up titled "Piano Sonata No. 11 in A Major, K. 331: I. Andante grazioso" by Dubravka Tomšič. The beginning of this song is simple and sounds familiar to something I have heard before, but I have never heard this song before. The simple piano melody is repeated many times in the beginning of the song. A new lighthearted melody is played after the first melody is repeated twice. Then the first melody is played again accompanied by lower chords. Another quicker section is played, using some chromatics. The tempo is sped up in the next section. Then, a right hand melody is played accompanied by left hand chords. This song is pretty. A section is played with one note played over and over as other notes are being played around the note being repeated. After a pause, a faster tempo is played with a right hand melody again with the left hand accompanying the melody. The melody is at a quick pace and the right hand moves quickly playing fast notes. Grace notes are added to the melody to make it sound more pretty and full. Trills and grace notes are both used a lot in this piece to enhance the sound. A different sound is played at 4:10. The same melody is played by both hands, one octave higher and the other an octave below the other one. This part almost has a minor sound to it. To transition to the next section, staccato notes are played in the bass clef. The next part sounds similar to the part before. Next, the first section of the group is repeated. Around 5:19 a pretty melody is played on the treble clef. The left hand accompanies the melody with the same note being played at equal time intervals. The pretty melody is played again this time accompanied by left hand chords instead of a single note being played over and over. I really enjoy this melody, it is simple and pretty at the same time. It is calming to listen to. The next section sounds a little different than the previous section. Some chromatics are used again. Staccato notes are played and then a repeated high note. A chromatic is used to run smoothly from one measure to the next measure. Bass clef chords are used to accompany the right hand melody. Trills are used again to make the song more pretty. A high note is a reoccurring motif throughout the entire song. As are trills and chromatics. A dissonance is played followed by a consonance or a resolution. The next section is much faster and more involved. The tempo is picking up speed as this part is being played. Scales are used to move the song along. The song sounds much more busy than the previous sections. It is almost a relief to have some variation in the tempos. There were more slow sections than the last fast one. After the piano song is over, a trumpet song is next. The song is introduced by a regal sound of triads with the different parts of the trumpets. The percussion accompanies the trumpets. Then, the French horns play the melody accompanied by the percussion. Then the trumpets take the same melody very grand sounding. The percussion are used to emphasize different beats. The woodwinds take the melody next accompanied by trombones and other low brass and the percussion. Then the bells play accompany with the other percussion while the trumpets play the melody again. The brass plays another triad from the lowest note piling on higher notes. The trumpets play really high notes accompanied by the percussion. The French horns have a beautiful line through the trumpets melody and come through very nicely. The ascending triad is used again with percussion accompanying.
"Piano Sonata No. 11 in A Major, K. 331: I. Andante grazioso" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpS51wFRmaM
"Black Magic" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkElfR_NPBI
"Wild Heart" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aPxHpcP66s
"Gotta Be Me" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WU2QMdYnUfY
"I Knew You Were Trouble" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNoKguSdy4Y
"22" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgFeZr5ptV8
For my week six unfamiliar music I typed in classical music on YouTube and a fifteen minute song came up titled "Piano Sonata No. 11 in A Major, K. 331: I. Andante grazioso" by Dubravka Tomšič. The beginning of this song is simple and sounds familiar to something I have heard before, but I have never heard this song before. The simple piano melody is repeated many times in the beginning of the song. A new lighthearted melody is played after the first melody is repeated twice. Then the first melody is played again accompanied by lower chords. Another quicker section is played, using some chromatics. The tempo is sped up in the next section. Then, a right hand melody is played accompanied by left hand chords. This song is pretty. A section is played with one note played over and over as other notes are being played around the note being repeated. After a pause, a faster tempo is played with a right hand melody again with the left hand accompanying the melody. The melody is at a quick pace and the right hand moves quickly playing fast notes. Grace notes are added to the melody to make it sound more pretty and full. Trills and grace notes are both used a lot in this piece to enhance the sound. A different sound is played at 4:10. The same melody is played by both hands, one octave higher and the other an octave below the other one. This part almost has a minor sound to it. To transition to the next section, staccato notes are played in the bass clef. The next part sounds similar to the part before. Next, the first section of the group is repeated. Around 5:19 a pretty melody is played on the treble clef. The left hand accompanies the melody with the same note being played at equal time intervals. The pretty melody is played again this time accompanied by left hand chords instead of a single note being played over and over. I really enjoy this melody, it is simple and pretty at the same time. It is calming to listen to. The next section sounds a little different than the previous section. Some chromatics are used again. Staccato notes are played and then a repeated high note. A chromatic is used to run smoothly from one measure to the next measure. Bass clef chords are used to accompany the right hand melody. Trills are used again to make the song more pretty. A high note is a reoccurring motif throughout the entire song. As are trills and chromatics. A dissonance is played followed by a consonance or a resolution. The next section is much faster and more involved. The tempo is picking up speed as this part is being played. Scales are used to move the song along. The song sounds much more busy than the previous sections. It is almost a relief to have some variation in the tempos. There were more slow sections than the last fast one. After the piano song is over, a trumpet song is next. The song is introduced by a regal sound of triads with the different parts of the trumpets. The percussion accompanies the trumpets. Then, the French horns play the melody accompanied by the percussion. Then the trumpets take the same melody very grand sounding. The percussion are used to emphasize different beats. The woodwinds take the melody next accompanied by trombones and other low brass and the percussion. Then the bells play accompany with the other percussion while the trumpets play the melody again. The brass plays another triad from the lowest note piling on higher notes. The trumpets play really high notes accompanied by the percussion. The French horns have a beautiful line through the trumpets melody and come through very nicely. The ascending triad is used again with percussion accompanying.
"Piano Sonata No. 11 in A Major, K. 331: I. Andante grazioso" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpS51wFRmaM
Friday, June 26, 2015
Week 5 Music Journal
For my week 5 familiar music I chose "All Night" and "Smile" by R5, "Can We Dance," "Last Night," and "Oh Cecilia" by The Vamps. I wanted to choose a live version of "All Night" because R5's lead singer sings really good live. He can sing really high but also has a low range, kind of raspy voice. It is also really great how a listener and watched can tell that R5 really loves what they are doing onstage. "All Night" begins with a piano introduction with various chords. Then the guitars come in to accompany the singer along with the piano. The texture here would be homophonic. The main singer sings the melody and the other instruments play the accompaniment. When the chorus approaches, the listener can feel it because the drums and piano get louder to crescendo a little to present the first word of the chorus which is pretty loud. Around 1:25 the listener can hear the raspy kind of quality to the lead singer's voice. The piano has continuous changing chords through the whole song. The melody has many skips especially into the chorus, that is a big leap. This song has many dynamic changes. "Smile" starts off with a guitar melody along with the percussion. The drum set keeps the tempo in the beginning of the song. R5 is an interesting group because four out of the five members are related. The drummer is a friend of the family's. The music video for "Smile" is kind of fun because they do everything backwards, it is fun to watch. The guitar and percussion accompanies the singer's melody throughout the song. The chorus again is about a forte volume level. R5 apparently likes to have loud chorus'. At 2:05 the volume goes from loud to soft almost instantly. After the singer sings the soft part, the drums come in to introduce the next section of the song. The next section is the chorus a bit louder this time than the times before. This song also has many dynamic changes. "Last Night" starts with the band singing together a simple melody. The drums transition into the beginning of the first verse. The drums accompany the singer while he sings the melody. The guitars also accompany the singer's melody. A piano also plays along with some chords. Around 2:46 they only sing and clap, they take out the instruments and I'm not sure if this would be considered a cappella because of the clapping. This goes until the end of the song. "Can We Dance" starts with a kind of fast melody with a piano accompanying with chords. The drums come in and have a little solo until the singer starts again. The guitar comes in along with the drums accompanying the singer. A trumpet is also added to help support the melody. The other singers sometimes harmonize along with the lead singer while he sings the melody. The drums keep the tempo upbeat. They repeat the chorus towards the end. "Oh Cecilia" starts with the singer along with some percussion instrument. Then the drums and guitars come in. This song is a cover. The music video is a funny video to watch. They are pretending to be stranded on an island. Singer Shawn Mendes is featured along with the Vamps. Around 2:52 they sing without any instruments other than the percussion. They sing the chorus again a little louder this time with the guitar accompanying. This goes to the end of the song.
"All Night" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoY9JQH4BTw
"Smile" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tV6bzk3_6c
"Last Night" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLyHSOXhZhY
"Can We Dance" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqSww10eeKw
"Oh Cecilia" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COwkCW38J54
For my week 5 unfamiliar music I chose "Cool Change" by Little River Band and "Blue Shades" by Frank Ticheli. "Cool Change" is a kind of laid back song with a slow tempo and soft voice. The piano accompanies the main melody of the singer. There may also be a bass playing the first beat of the measures. This song is very soothing. Around 1:18, a second singer comes in with the first singer. The two singers harmonize with each other so this would be homophonic texture because they are singing the same note but the second singer is supporting the first singer. Around 1:50 many more singers come in and sound like a choir, the choir has another melody along with the first singer. This would be polyphonic texture. Around 2:38 a saxophone takes the melody and plays by itself along with percussion and a bass accompanying it. The singer comes back in with the piano again. Then the drums transition to the chorus again. There is a little bit of dynamic change in this song although the song overall is relatively soft. I have heard Frank Ticheli before, but never this song. "Blue Shades" starts off with the French horns loud than getting softer. The clarinets come in along with other instruments in the band. A lot of instruments have a louder part then go to the background as others take over. Around :53 the clarinets have the melody only for a short period of time. Then the trumpets and flutes and oboes play together. The percussion have some parts as well. The brasses really present the brassy sound really well with the little parts they have in there as well. This song is very showy of all the instruments known for qualities. There is a lot of trumpet loud staccatos. The clarinets play a melody along with the mallet percussion instruments. Around 2:55 the instruments have a descending line. The trumpets are using mutes which add to the sound of the piece. Then the saxophone and high woodwinds have some fun parts. The tempo is a fast tempo. Around 3:56 the clarinets have staccato along with other high woodwinds while other instruments have the main melody. The bass clarinets keep the fast tempo while other instruments play the melody. I usually like most of Ticheli's music, but this one is not my favorite. Around 5:35 the French horns have high glissandos. The tempo is slowed after that. Around 6:04 a low woodwind maybe a bass clarinet again has a solo. The dynamic level is brought up again at 7:33. Then it is brought back down with sudden loud excerpts the tempo is fast again. The clarinets have a really high melody line. At 9:42 the dynamic is really loud only to get louder towards the ending. The percussion keep the fast tempo. At 10:01 the instruments have a quick ascending line. High woodwinds are holding on at the end and some percussion sound ends the piece, it sounds like a coin being scraped on a gong maybe.
"Cool Change" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bKwRW0l-Qk
"Blue Shades" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbkR_y_QMnw
"All Night" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoY9JQH4BTw
"Smile" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tV6bzk3_6c
"Last Night" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLyHSOXhZhY
"Can We Dance" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqSww10eeKw
"Oh Cecilia" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COwkCW38J54
For my week 5 unfamiliar music I chose "Cool Change" by Little River Band and "Blue Shades" by Frank Ticheli. "Cool Change" is a kind of laid back song with a slow tempo and soft voice. The piano accompanies the main melody of the singer. There may also be a bass playing the first beat of the measures. This song is very soothing. Around 1:18, a second singer comes in with the first singer. The two singers harmonize with each other so this would be homophonic texture because they are singing the same note but the second singer is supporting the first singer. Around 1:50 many more singers come in and sound like a choir, the choir has another melody along with the first singer. This would be polyphonic texture. Around 2:38 a saxophone takes the melody and plays by itself along with percussion and a bass accompanying it. The singer comes back in with the piano again. Then the drums transition to the chorus again. There is a little bit of dynamic change in this song although the song overall is relatively soft. I have heard Frank Ticheli before, but never this song. "Blue Shades" starts off with the French horns loud than getting softer. The clarinets come in along with other instruments in the band. A lot of instruments have a louder part then go to the background as others take over. Around :53 the clarinets have the melody only for a short period of time. Then the trumpets and flutes and oboes play together. The percussion have some parts as well. The brasses really present the brassy sound really well with the little parts they have in there as well. This song is very showy of all the instruments known for qualities. There is a lot of trumpet loud staccatos. The clarinets play a melody along with the mallet percussion instruments. Around 2:55 the instruments have a descending line. The trumpets are using mutes which add to the sound of the piece. Then the saxophone and high woodwinds have some fun parts. The tempo is a fast tempo. Around 3:56 the clarinets have staccato along with other high woodwinds while other instruments have the main melody. The bass clarinets keep the fast tempo while other instruments play the melody. I usually like most of Ticheli's music, but this one is not my favorite. Around 5:35 the French horns have high glissandos. The tempo is slowed after that. Around 6:04 a low woodwind maybe a bass clarinet again has a solo. The dynamic level is brought up again at 7:33. Then it is brought back down with sudden loud excerpts the tempo is fast again. The clarinets have a really high melody line. At 9:42 the dynamic is really loud only to get louder towards the ending. The percussion keep the fast tempo. At 10:01 the instruments have a quick ascending line. High woodwinds are holding on at the end and some percussion sound ends the piece, it sounds like a coin being scraped on a gong maybe.
"Cool Change" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bKwRW0l-Qk
"Blue Shades" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbkR_y_QMnw
Friday, June 19, 2015
Week 4 Music Journal
For my week 4 familiar music I listened to "Feelin' Right" by Emblem3, "Tenor and Baritone" by H. Lane Wilson, and "Choreography" by Robert Sheldon. I first heard "Tenor and Baritone" when I went to my little sister's friend's senior recital. The video I watched was not them, the video I watched was just what showed up when I typed in Tenor and Baritone. I really enjoyed this when they played it live because I could tell what each singer's vocal range was. Sometimes the texture is monophonic because they sing the same notes at the same time (ignoring the piano). With the piano's accompaniment and the singer's harmony, the texture is polyphonic, the listener hears two melodic lines from the singers and accompaniment from the piano. Around :31, the tenor sings first and the baritone imitates the first singer. I also like the piece because it is meant to be humorous and the two guys in the video and the two guys who performed it when I saw it live make it very fun to watch and listen to. Around 1:04, the piano transitions the singers into their solo parts with the tenor starting. The tenor has a very nice higher note range. The song is basically the tenor saying he has the best voice and the baritone saying he has the best voice and the listener gets to make the decision in the end of whose voice he or she liked better, it is simply the listener's opinion. Some people like a higher tenor voice and some like a lower baritone voice. This song is actually what helped me remember the three male voices, tenor, baritone, and bass on the test. The tenor is shaky on some points of his solo, but he still does a nice job of giving an example of a tenor sounding voice. During the two singer's solos, the texture is homophonic, the singer has the main melody while the piano accompanies the singer. Following the tenor voice's solo, the two harmonize together and the next section to happen is the baritone's solo. The baritone voice's solo starts at around 2:55. He also has some shaky notes, but that may be because he might be nervous, but he also does a good job of presenting of how a baritone's voice should sound. Following the baritone voice's solo, the two singer the chorus again, the texture again is sometimes polyphonic or homophonic. The texture is polyphonic when both voices sing different parts and have different melody lines. The texture is homophonic when the are harmonizing with each other with the piano as accompaniment. From my choice of this week, my two favorites would have to be "Tenor and Baritone" and "Choreography." I first heard choreography when my high school band sight read it. It did not sound very pretty the first time I heard it because it was sight reading, but I knew it had potential. My band played this song when we vacationed at Disney Universal Studios in Florida during the summer. The French horns have a very fun part in this which may be the reason I loved it so much, because it was fun to play. The piece of music begins with the French horns playing eighth notes and then other parts of the band come in shortly after. The lower woodwinds come in right after the French horns make their entrance. I can also hear the bells playing the melody along with the horns. The saxophones take the same melody. The clarinets and trumpets join in after as well. It is an interesting idea because the melody is passed along between instruments. A tambourine keeps the beat upbeat and fast. Around :47 the horns have a descending line. The horns start a new melody accompanied by the low woodwinds. The horns have a beautiful line throughout the whole piece. The first melody returns and cymbals are used. The clarinets and flutes then continue with a slower tempo. Then a trumpet has a very pretty solo. The song has a more broadening feeling around 2:29. This feeling lasts until 4:20 where the horns take the eighth note again. The percussion is used to keep the rhythm. The rhythm picks up again to the ending.
"Feelin' Right" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13-6CUfvtAg
"Tenor and Baritone" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjR5KdEiIfI
"Choreography" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrpDG2lbGfE
For my week 4 unfamiliar music I choose "William Tell Overture" by Rossini. The piece of music starts with a relaxing slow violin line then the music gets passed to a lower string instrument that I cannot place. The violin continues the melody with the strings accompanying the violin. The percussion section also accompanies the strings. Around 1:34 the violin is imitated by another string instrument. They both having moving melody lines. At 2:54 a high woodwind plays staccato notes and a bassoon imitates the line. A few instruments later, a horn plays the same line. It is being passed from instrument to instrument. There is a crescendo up to 3:54 with the whole orchestra. The brasses are very prominent here as well. The high woodwinds have descending scales. The percussion is keeping the rhythm, the tempo. The song goes quiet again around 5:27. The melody is played by an oboe and a flute plays in the background. The trumpets have the famous melody of William Tell at 8:23. Other brasses accompany the trumpets. The strings take the melody with the percussion accompanying. Then, the melody is passed to the upper woodwinds. The tempo picks up speed using the percussion to keep the tempo fast. Around 9:20 the band continues to play the fast tempo. Then it slows down. The brasses crescendo with cymbals to keep the tempo.
"William Tell Overture" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zet0Gl-3Egk
"Feelin' Right" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13-6CUfvtAg
"Tenor and Baritone" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjR5KdEiIfI
"Choreography" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrpDG2lbGfE
For my week 4 unfamiliar music I choose "William Tell Overture" by Rossini. The piece of music starts with a relaxing slow violin line then the music gets passed to a lower string instrument that I cannot place. The violin continues the melody with the strings accompanying the violin. The percussion section also accompanies the strings. Around 1:34 the violin is imitated by another string instrument. They both having moving melody lines. At 2:54 a high woodwind plays staccato notes and a bassoon imitates the line. A few instruments later, a horn plays the same line. It is being passed from instrument to instrument. There is a crescendo up to 3:54 with the whole orchestra. The brasses are very prominent here as well. The high woodwinds have descending scales. The percussion is keeping the rhythm, the tempo. The song goes quiet again around 5:27. The melody is played by an oboe and a flute plays in the background. The trumpets have the famous melody of William Tell at 8:23. Other brasses accompany the trumpets. The strings take the melody with the percussion accompanying. Then, the melody is passed to the upper woodwinds. The tempo picks up speed using the percussion to keep the tempo fast. Around 9:20 the band continues to play the fast tempo. Then it slows down. The brasses crescendo with cymbals to keep the tempo.
"William Tell Overture" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zet0Gl-3Egk
Friday, June 12, 2015
Week 3 Music Journal
For my week 3 familiar music I chose "Hotel California" by the Eagles and "Head over Heels" by Wesley and Keaton Stromberg. Keaton and Wesley are the two brothers from Emblem3 but they weren't in the band when they were this young yet. Wesley starts the song out by a monophonic guitar melody line. He comes in singing and Keaton harmonizes with him by singing notes that are leaps higher or lower than Wesley. Around 1:07 Keaton imitates Wesley's last line he sung. They sing the chorus again and Keaton continues to harmonize with Wesley through the whole song. They harmonize really well together and it is really cute and nice that they can sing together because they are brothers and music probably brings them closer as brothers. Around 2:03 Wes stops playing and the two finish out the song by simply singing together still harmonizing. Hotel California begins with a homophonic guitar having the main melody and a bass accompanies with single notes in the background. Then a similar melody is repeated before the singer begins. Then the singer starts. The singer and the background music without the guitar is homophonic. But, then the guitar melody from the beginning is also present so the singer and the guitar could possibly be counterpoint polyphonic. I don't know if that is correct because the singer is heard more easily than the guitar. After that, the chorus is sung using harmonies. Around 1:51, the line, "Such a lovely place" is imitated. A different verse is sung using the same guitar and background music. The song is using dynamics throughout. Around 3:37 it is somewhat quiet and then crescendos a little bit. There is an instrumental around 4:55 where the guitar has the main melody and accompanied by other instruments like the percussion and bass. The instruments take the song to the end.
"Hotel California" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NTqZ347TKY
"Head over Heels" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAVwmAYnPXs
For my week 3 unfamiliar music I chose "An American Elegy" by Frank Ticheli. I know of Frank Ticheli from being in band and playing his music, however, I have not yet heard of "An American Elegy." It begins with what sounds like wind instruments. I may hear an English horn in there and some clarinets as well. The soft sound beautifully crescendos to a cymbal crash and the melody is played by some brass with the trumpets included. The French horns take the melody at around :57. Along with maybe a bass clarinet or a low woodwind instrument. The song is very slow moving around this point. A saxophone plays along with the melody. The flutes join in and play the melody and then it is passed down to a lower wind instrument. The same melody is being repeated or imitated during this section. This song, although it is beautiful, I feel like it is too slow for my taste. I think I would get bored going this slow for the majority of the piece. Around 4:25 the clarinets crescendo with the melody. An oboe then takes the melodic line. Then, clarinets accompany the oboe. The trumpets come in with a more broad feel. The trumpets crescendo up to a suspended cymbal roll at 5:15. And bass drum at 5:23. A saxophone has a solo at 5:32 accompanied by high woodwinds like the clarinets. The clarinets pass the melody to the flutes and oboes. The flute have a pretty line along with a French horn solo at 6:27. The band as a whole crescendo at around 7:02 with a bass drum and cymbal crash. At 7:04 the majority of the band play the same music at the same time sounding monophonic. A saxophone takes over with the melody accompanied by low wind instruments. Then a trumpet has a solo at 7:47 accompanied by other instruments. The band crescendos at 9:08. Near 10:07 there is another solo by a French horn with clarinets supporting. A low chord is played to end the song.
"An American Elegy" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIIKdBYfmlo
"Hotel California" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NTqZ347TKY
"Head over Heels" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAVwmAYnPXs
For my week 3 unfamiliar music I chose "An American Elegy" by Frank Ticheli. I know of Frank Ticheli from being in band and playing his music, however, I have not yet heard of "An American Elegy." It begins with what sounds like wind instruments. I may hear an English horn in there and some clarinets as well. The soft sound beautifully crescendos to a cymbal crash and the melody is played by some brass with the trumpets included. The French horns take the melody at around :57. Along with maybe a bass clarinet or a low woodwind instrument. The song is very slow moving around this point. A saxophone plays along with the melody. The flutes join in and play the melody and then it is passed down to a lower wind instrument. The same melody is being repeated or imitated during this section. This song, although it is beautiful, I feel like it is too slow for my taste. I think I would get bored going this slow for the majority of the piece. Around 4:25 the clarinets crescendo with the melody. An oboe then takes the melodic line. Then, clarinets accompany the oboe. The trumpets come in with a more broad feel. The trumpets crescendo up to a suspended cymbal roll at 5:15. And bass drum at 5:23. A saxophone has a solo at 5:32 accompanied by high woodwinds like the clarinets. The clarinets pass the melody to the flutes and oboes. The flute have a pretty line along with a French horn solo at 6:27. The band as a whole crescendo at around 7:02 with a bass drum and cymbal crash. At 7:04 the majority of the band play the same music at the same time sounding monophonic. A saxophone takes over with the melody accompanied by low wind instruments. Then a trumpet has a solo at 7:47 accompanied by other instruments. The band crescendos at 9:08. Near 10:07 there is another solo by a French horn with clarinets supporting. A low chord is played to end the song.
"An American Elegy" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIIKdBYfmlo
Friday, June 5, 2015
Week 2 Music Journal
For my week 2 familiar music I chose "I Really Like You" (3:27) by Carly Rae Jepsen and "Aquarius (Let the Sunshine in)" (4:49) by The Fifth Dimension. The first time I heard "Aquarius" was when I was young and my family and I went to a rock musical in Chicago called "Hair." When I heard the song in the play, I instantly liked it. Now, I can't listen to it just once, I always find myself replaying it every time I hear it. The song is introduced by flutes and played with possibly another woodwind instrument that kind of echoes the first part but plays higher up. Then, to move the song along some percussion instrument is holding the beat. The singer comes in around :16. Around :36, more singers join and harmonize with the first singer by singing notes that are leaps higher then the first singer. Then another percussion instrument is used, a tambourine could be used in there somewhere. I also think there is a string instrument in there as well, maybe a bass keeping the tempo up. Then, a new slower theme is sung that has a different sound then the first melody. The second melody uses a percussion instrument maybe a snare drum and a string instrument, the bass. Also, male voices are heard more along with the female voices. The song is held together by the constant playing of the bass guitar when the singers are resting. The first melody is repeated. I think this may be an instance of a sequence being used in the song, but I'm not sure. I absolutely love how the highest female voices are joined with the lower female voices, it makes the chords sound more rich and complete. Some trumpets are also accompanying the voices around 2:15. The song takes a slower turn and the melody is taken over by the trumpets. Then, the voices take on another different singing part. It kind of has a swing feel with the percussion and guitar. The trumpets join in again with the same melody. The third singing melody is then repeated until the end.
"Aquarius (Let the Sunshine in)" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06X5HYynP5E
"I Really Like You" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DSHRazDpVc
For my week 2 unfamiliar music I chose "Hold back the River" (3:55) by James Bay and "World without You" (3:44) by Hudson Taylor. My younger sister suggested these two songs for me. I was going to write about the James Bay song, but the guitar melody at the beginning of the Hudson Taylor just caught my attention and after listening to the songs, I realized I liked Hudson Taylor's song better. I like the simple melody of the guitar at the beginning of "World without You." The guitar sounds really nice accompanying his voice throughout the whole song. The first guitar melody continues to play when another guitar part accompanies it with chords. I think that a bass guitar is also added when the singer comes in for the second time. Some type of percussion instrument is added that sounds like a shaker where the player would move their hand in a circular motion to move the beads along the metal circular surface of the instrument. The singers then repeat the chorus changing a little bit of it by harmonizing with each other around 2:44. The singers harmonize by singing notes that are leaps away from each other. One singer sings higher then the other to harmonize as well. The guitar plays small chords to end the song. The James Bay song just doesn't catch my attention. It doesn't seem to have too much dynamic changes and that makes the song a little less interesting. I like how "Hold back the River" sounds at 2:54 and on, but still the beginning just doesn't catch my attention and I don't really like the beginning of the song.
"World without You" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a14A1LULO20
"Hold back the River" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfZBJD8zYOo
"Aquarius (Let the Sunshine in)" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06X5HYynP5E
"I Really Like You" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DSHRazDpVc
For my week 2 unfamiliar music I chose "Hold back the River" (3:55) by James Bay and "World without You" (3:44) by Hudson Taylor. My younger sister suggested these two songs for me. I was going to write about the James Bay song, but the guitar melody at the beginning of the Hudson Taylor just caught my attention and after listening to the songs, I realized I liked Hudson Taylor's song better. I like the simple melody of the guitar at the beginning of "World without You." The guitar sounds really nice accompanying his voice throughout the whole song. The first guitar melody continues to play when another guitar part accompanies it with chords. I think that a bass guitar is also added when the singer comes in for the second time. Some type of percussion instrument is added that sounds like a shaker where the player would move their hand in a circular motion to move the beads along the metal circular surface of the instrument. The singers then repeat the chorus changing a little bit of it by harmonizing with each other around 2:44. The singers harmonize by singing notes that are leaps away from each other. One singer sings higher then the other to harmonize as well. The guitar plays small chords to end the song. The James Bay song just doesn't catch my attention. It doesn't seem to have too much dynamic changes and that makes the song a little less interesting. I like how "Hold back the River" sounds at 2:54 and on, but still the beginning just doesn't catch my attention and I don't really like the beginning of the song.
"World without You" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a14A1LULO20
"Hold back the River" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfZBJD8zYOo
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)