Music Essays (Examples)

Music & Cognition Music Is a Fundamental

Music & Cognition

Music is a fundamental element of human culture that has been in existence nearly as long as humans have existed. Most people who listen to and appreciate music can personally attest to the power or influence music has. We listen to certain songs or types of music to reinforce or change our moods. Each person knows what songs will bring on a rush of memories or sensations that are unique to that person's life and experience. What many people may not be aware of is that the influence and power of music is more than affective; the effects of music on the brain and on people generally have been proven to be scientific. There is substantial scientific research, both from the social sciences and the hard sciences that clearly demonstrate the power of music on the brain, with specific respect to cognition. The paper will explore and analyze how the effects of music on cognition with reference to some of the scientific evidence available as well as reference a real life example of the capacity of music to assist & rebuild cognition in Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.

Giffords is the third woman to ever have been elected…… [Read More]

Music Anastasia the Music in Anastasia Movies

Music

Anastasia

The Music in "Anastasia"

Movies are remembered either for their stories, plot, characters or music. It is the challenge for the director and producer of the movie to make effective use of as many aspects of the movie as he can. The cartoon and animated movies normally are remembered for their graphics and fantasy. Music adds to the fantasy of a movie. Anastasia is one such movie that offers a complete entertainment to children. While some think that the movie did not end well (Anastasia (1997) plot summary, 2012) others believe that despite the fact that the movie fantasizes life a lot, it can be recommended to the children so that they can differentiate between life and a movie.

Anastasia

Anastasia is a fantasy as a princess as well as the movie. Her story has a great impact on the movies as well as the Russian culture. Although the records were opened decades after her family execution telling that she was executed too, the story became a strong plot for the movies. Anastasia belongs to the family of fantasy tales pictures as drama film animated music tale. It was produced in 1997 by Fox Animation Studios. The movie…… [Read More]

Music Has Always Been an Important Part

Music has always been an important part of my life. From the time I was a little boy into my adolescence and through my teenage years, music was my companion whenever I could put my headset on and not get in trouble for listening to music. My good times were accompanied by music and just like my friends, music was there when I wasn't doing so well. In fact music does connect a time and a place for me in my life.

Music I associate with my childhood: Mostly I was into hip hop as a kid. My parents were into various music, some standards like Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald, and they were into some rock music from the sixties and seventies. But when I was nine years old I remember listening to a hip hop tune by 2 Pac called "Keep Your Head Up." The beat of course was what kids got into and learned to dance to. In 2 Pac's song he gave encouragement to a young boy my age: "The glow that the sun gets / Right around sunset / Helps me realize / This is just a journey / Drop your worries / You are…… [Read More]

Music Voice Borders John Coltrane's Innovation Exemplified

Music Voice Borders

John Coltrane's Innovation Exemplified in the piece "In a Sentimental Mood"

"John Coltrane's brief career was one of constant evolution and the innovations of each period of his development have had ramifications for the playing of virtually every contemporary jazz player;" Coltrane's level of innovation was unprecedented, and still is to this day (Baker 1990 p 11). He is now one of the most well-known artists in Jazz music in general, yet he did not always embody the traditional styles of his day. Although there are some clear similarities between "In A Sentimental Mood" and the overall genre, the piece most often stands out as one of great innovation and change; Coltrane's implementation of complex chord changes and progressions, along with incorporating international themes within the piece, prove the song to be incredibly unique when compared to the overall genre in general.

The song itself is am impressive piece of musical synergy between the different instruments used. John Coltrane performed using his soprano saxophone along side Duke Ellington, creating the masterpiece that is "In A Sentimental Mood" in 1962. The most impressive part of this entire piece is often thought of that it was recorded in a…… [Read More]

Music Industry and the Internet

Music and the Internet

in order to accommodate these specifications in the number of pages requested (though the paper is 9 1/2 pages as it stands), the paper has utilized ANALYSIS in the article and the discussion section, thereby combining article summary with analysis of sources and thus putting the second point given by the professor "Then write a separate discussion the issue as a whole…" into a proper context

-however, as this paper is a model, it CANNOT be utilized as your own, so please consult the terms and conditions above for proper citation methods

Music and the Internet:

A Shift in Tradition; A Shift to Technology

Many advances in technology have changed the current living population's life, especially in developed countries. These include better food, better medicine, and better connectivity with the rest of the world. Yet perhaps one of the most important things, especially in these Westernized countries, has been the improvement of finding and enjoying entertainment in a variety of mediums, at a higher quality. Film, for example, is not only in color but also in HD (high definition). Cooking shows show simmering pots, for instance, that televisions now render so vivid, one can almost smell…… [Read More]

Music and Politics -- the

In his book Lynskey notes that during George W. Bush's administration, when Bush made anti-war people angry by invading Iraq, Neil Young sand "Let's Impeach the President." Earlier in his career Neil Young responded to the killing of four students (by the National Guard) in Kent State in 1970 by writing the protest song, "Ohio," which was performed by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. Lynskey called it a "masterpiece" or protest that was full of "…fury, grief, and topical precision" (Wilentz, p. 3).

Lynskey contrasts the protest songs of Bob Dylan with Phil Ochs, which involves a massive amount of lyrics and music from the Sixties and Seventies. The author explains that Ochs was more of an in-person activist than Dylan, showing up at various anti-war rallies, and while Dylan's classic protest songs like "Masters of War" and "Only a Pawn in Their Game" far surpassed Ochs' "preachier material," Ochs made a name for himself in the peace movement with songs like "I Ain't a-Marchin' Anymore" (Wilentz, p. 4).

In conclusion, it is fascinating to see how music and politics -- from slavery days to the anti-Vietnam war and civil rights in the 1960s -- have played an important role…… [Read More]

Music a Pioneer of Electronic Music and

Music

A pioneer of electronic music and the godfather of ambient, Brian Eno has always recognized the importance of the studio as a compositional tool. In 1979, Eno delivered a lecture entitled, "The Studio as Compositional Tool" at the New Music America Festival in New York City. Since then, Eno has written about the subject of the role of the studio in musical composition as well as recording. For Eno, the studio is not necessarily a static entity. Eno reportedly set to sell his studio in 2005, because he was "fed up" with it because, in his words, "all this equipment is sitting around looking at me and expecting me to use it," (Eno, cited by Tingen, 2005). The statement may seem ironic, given Eno's celebration of the studio as a compositional tool. However, taken in context of Eno's career and his being influenced by minimalist composition, Eno's assertion that the studio was impeding his creativity seems appropriate. According to Eno, "complexity arises out of simplicity," (cited by Tingen, 2005). Even a laptop can provide a full studio for a composer. A studio need not be a large, dedicated room with fancy gadgets, amps, and five guitars. The studio does…… [Read More]

Music in Early Childhood I Watched the

Music

In early childhood, I watched the shows on PBS like Sesame Street. I can still remember the songs that permeated my living room, teaching me how to count and spell. I do not know all the formal titles of the songs, but I can sing them almost all by heart. Elmo's songs, the alphabet songs, songs about everyone making mistakes that is okay: Sesame Street taught me a lot about social norms, music, counting, spelling, and words in Spanish, too. These early childhood lessons were instrumental in helping me grow as a person. Although I rarely if ever hear these songs now, I feel warm and happy inside when they come to mind. The Sesame Street songs reflect my childhood experiences because I had a happy childhood, in which learning was encouraged by my parents. Watching educational shows was a big part of my childhood.

During adolescence, it was a time of rebellion and finding my own voice. Therefore, it was suitable that the music I started to gravitate to was the music of rebellious generations prior to my own. At first, I got into listening to the Beatles. This was because my best friend's older brother had a…… [Read More]

Music Has a Powerful Influence

Lyrics like these could be depressing but are instead used to convey a strong message of personal growth and empowerment. The repetition of the title line, "I will survive" suggests increased self-esteem. Ultimately, the lyrics of "I Will Survive" encourage self-actualization, the peak of Maslow's needs hierarchy.

Getting out of an abusive relationship does require a great degree of courage. The individual had once invested his or her self-esteem into the relationship, depending on the other person not just to meet the needs of sexual intimacy but also love, approval, and even financial security. Breaking free from the bondage of abuse is a step towards self-actualization, an empowering moment that affirms independence and personal power. Beyond the theme of abusive relationships, "I Will Survive" can apply to almost any life situation, which is why the song has uplifted so many listeners. Even those who do not listen to all of the lyrics except for the title verse can listen to the song to get through difficult times in their lives.

The way that Gaynor phrases the lyrics, and the intensity of her voice encourage listeners to build upon their personal reserves for motivation, courage, and strength to survive whatever catastrophes…… [Read More]

Music and Psychology the Power

It has been established that in fact the infant is aware of sound from the 24th week. " in the sonic foreground of this sound environment is what has been described within the literature as a 'rhythmic "swooshing" of the blood as it rushes through the placental vessels" (Collins and Kuck, 1990, p.24).

Some of the most significant findings about the affect and importance of music on the human mind can be gleaned from research on early child development and the role of music. This can also be extended to research into the "... relationships between an adult's personal history and musical preferences" (Bunt, 1994, p. 131).

There are many studies in the field of child developmental psychology that link music to growth and development of the young mind. Van Der Linde, (1999) notes that "Plato remarked as early as 300 BC that music was the most powerful educational aid... Children have a natural inclination to sing and play, and these activities form a vital part of their development" (Van Der Linde, 1999, p. 610).

As many other studies have noted," Babies and small children find music and play almost inseparable activities" (Bridges, 1994, p. 36).

With regard to the…… [Read More]

Music Therapy it Has Long

However, this was when the musical elements that were so deeply rooted into my belief system, into my very soul started to appear and I began to clearly recognize that it was possible to pursue the existence of something even stronger and deeper in the world of art, more specifically in the world created by sounds.

Possessing both a keen ability to observe and a very strong aptitude to recall images from memory, I identified the two forces to support my belief that there was something more that would drive me toward the pursuit of self-satisfaction and career enhancement. As the ability of my piano students grew, I noticed that what was happening was much more than simply learning how to interpret a musical piece by Bach or a sonata by Handel. It was the expansion of their emotional and psychological expression as a whole. Something was blossoming; it was extremely expansive, sensitive and creative. I started to carefully watch what I said and how I said it, out of fear that perhaps my remarks would wound the musicians' sensitivity, personal privacy and individualism.

I was like a turtle with its hard and protective shell, which only dares to show…… [Read More]

Music and Personality

Music & Personality

Music has been acknowledged to be a universal form of communication. Even with the barriers of language, music allows the sharing of feelings, thoughts, and meanings. Research is finding that it can be an invaluable tool of communication, education and therapy for those with special needs or disorders. Music is recognized to be able to evoke profound emotions, but modern technology is only just discovering how many of these responses are actually a result of powerful physical and physiological effects various aspects of music has on the human body. (Hargreaves, 1997, 1999)

The importance of music also stems from the fact that it plays an increasingly significant role in the lives of the average modern individual. Each of us is surrounded by music targeted at us from radio, television, films, advertisements, the internet, and various other commercial devices produced by technology. It is no longer a distinct aspect of cultures and traditional rites, but rather a part of everyday life. It affects our moods, and infiltrates the thought processes which shape our identities and behavior. (Hargreaves, 1997, 1999)

The idea of personality and self has evolved over the years to now being described as, 'something which is…… [Read More]

Music and Mind Music Research

The two aspects that were least convincing were: one, the highly technical passages (241) that explained in esoteric narrative how the brain functions (e.g., it didn't offer coherence to the study at hand to learn that "…the general neurobiological centers for sensory pain are the sensory cortex and the thalamus"); and two, explaining that because only 52% used music to both relax and distract themselves from the pain it must be because "most participants had developed their own ways of listening to music" was a very obvious and simplistic statement (everyone everywhere has his or her own style of listening to music).

This research article relates well with Oliver Sacks' story of Dr. Tony Cicoria (pp. 3-6) who began craving piano music following the lightning attack he had endured. The power of music to heal people -- and move people into new and friendlier consciousness -- is not a new concept, and yet there is new evidence emerging all the time about the various strategies and models used to help people through music. The research in this article adds to Sacks' story (pp. 8-10) of Salimah M. who became "addicted" to her car radio (and other musical sources) following surgery.…… [Read More]

Music Education Over the Past

W. Bardeen.

Johnson, R. (2006) What's New in Pedagogy Research? The American Music Teacher v.

Lecanuet, J.-P. Granier-Deferre, C., & Busnel, M.-C. (1988). Fetal cardiac and motor responses to octave-band noises as a function of cerebral frequency, intensity and heart rate variability. Early Human Development, 18:81-93

Lorch, C.A., Lorch, V., Diefendor, O and Early, P.W. (1994). Effect of Stimulative and Sedative Music on Systolic Blood Pressure, Heart Rate, and Respiratory Rate in Premature Infants. Journal of Music Therapy 31: 105-18

Lynch, M.P, Short L.B, and Chua, R.. (1995): Contributions of Experience to the Development of Musical Processing in Infancy. Developmental Psychobiology 28

377-98.

Malyarenko, T.N., Kuraev, G.A., Malyarenko, Y.E., Khvatova, M.V., Romanova, N.G., & Gurina, V.I. (1996). The development of brain electric activity in 4-year-old children by long-term sensory stimulation with music. Human Physiology, 22: 76- 81.

Schellenberg, E. Glenn. (2006) Long-Term Positive Associations Between Music Lessons and IQ. Journal of Educational Psychology, 98(2): 457-468.

Scott, L.K. (2004) Early childhood brain development and elementary music curricula: are they in tune. 18(1)

Strickland, S.J.(2001) Music and the brain in childhood development. (Review of Research. Childhood Education 78(2)100-104.

Winner, E., & Hetland L. (4, March 1999). Mozart and the S.A.T.'s, New York…… [Read More]

Music of Civil Wars Civil

During the 1960's and 1970's, this would influence how the public was viewing various political events as well as their underlying meanings. This is significant, because the questioning of society would play a role in helping to redefine the issue of: civil rights during the 1960's and the meaning of equality. As this was a medium, for helping to push these changes from within. This is when tremendous shifts occurred, with most people supporting the views of the music they listen to. (Berkin, 2009, pp. 678 -- 679)

Cuba

Cuba is a combination of different forms of music including: Spanish and African. This is because the country is a mixture of both cultures. As a result, it is often seen as form of entertainment and pride. While at the same time, it is used as a way to illustrate various political, social or economic changes that need to occur. An example of this can be seen with the music of Alejandro Catula. As, he would combine: Spanish style sounds with various African tempos. This created a one of a kind jingle that people enjoyed listening to. At same time, he would incorporate various freestyle lyrics and techniques to highlight his…… [Read More]

Music Violence

Music Violence

The violence in music debate rages on across the mass media of America. Television, magazines, newspapers, and of course the radio blast the commercial marketing of popular music with one wavelength, while simultaneously reprimanding the creators and listeners of this music for their negativity. It is a violent world that we live in, and this violence is reflected in the art that we create. Some people argue that the world today is significantly more violent now than it was in decades and centuries past. It is also said that the violence in our art may in fact be the root cause of the violence in our society. Both popular and alternative music is filled with lyrics about violent events, and the music itself, according to some people, causes violent reactions in the brains of certain people. However, history has shown that it has always been a violent world, and that while the face of violence and the means by which that violence becomes part of the lives of different people changes and evolves with each generation, the core essence of violence does remain. This violence, which would be considered by some people to be the fatal flaw of…… [Read More]

Music Therapy According to Gary

Music in the therapeutic context is, as Ansdell puts it, "neither pure feeling nor pure form," (128). Rather, music opens the door for a dialogue and communication between client and therapist that might otherwise never occur.

As with any form of creative expression, music ultimately depends on an audience. Otherwise, music cannot be used in a therapeutic setting because the medium is instrumental in helping the client "to get beyond this bubble of self," (126). Yet while the creator, or in the psychotherapeutic setting, the client, is undoubtedly using the medium of music for self-expression, the therapist should take care not to over-speculate about the "product." Music can be a symbolic "language of feeling," as Langer explains, but that language of feeling could take years to decipher (221). If the therapist infers that a drone piece created by the client denotes sadness then the therapist infers too much and does the client a disservice. Rather, the role of the music therapist is to provide an open setting in which therapist and client can communicate in non-verbal ways. Non-verbal communication is essential in some therapeutic settings, such as with clients who are catatonic, autistic, or otherwise emotionally inexpressive.

Music transcends the…… [Read More]

Music Instruments Help Grades During High School

Music in High Schools

Psychology Research Project

Examining the Effects of Music Education in Various Students

Children are often encouraged to undertake creative activities in order to improve their imagination and achieve a balance between studying and relaxing. One creative activity is to partake in music education. Music is one field in which a student can be as creative as he or she desires, for there is no limit placed on how much or how loudly one can play his or her instrument. Music classes, though structure, encourage these facets, and keep students on their creative toes, and therefore are vitally important for the development of children.

There have been many studies on this topic, especially in light of many schools cutting their music education programs. Most of these studies have proven, beyond a doubt, that music education helps students in many ways, including with development of certain parts of the brain. This research aims to describe these studies in further detail, as well as to find the relationship between the number of music lesson that students take and academic performance. If a positive relationship exists, as the studies state, there are possible chances to design lessons that effectively help…… [Read More]

Music in Society

Music in Society

The impact of music on the presidential campaign song

Music has influenced both written and verbal forms of discourse in our society since our nation was founded. The most significant of these has been music's influence on political campaigns and speeches. The advent of the 'campaign song' has had a tremendous impact on political campaigns since President Washington was in office.

The political sect of our society is often demonized. Music has made politics more fun, enjoyable, and at times humorous. Music is a universal language all in its own. Despite ones career, education, or place in society, everyone in our society is familiar with certain traditional songs - such as "Row, Row, Your Boat."

The political world has simply capitalized on the fact that people are fond of songs. Even people who do not enjoy politics like songs. Music is used to communicate ideas to the masses. Just as singers and songwriters use music to convey their messages, politicians use it to convey their political ideas in a way that is not droll or condescending.

As Napoleon said, 'music of all the liberal arts, has the greatest influence over the passions, and is that to which…… [Read More]

Music Female Artists Have Been

"

From there, Franklin's career skyrocketed. Her notoriety and status as "Queen" is evident in the high-profile performances she made at events like the funeral of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., where she sang "Precious Lord," a Gospel song ("Aretha Franklin," n.d.). She sang at the 1968 Democratic National Convention, the funeral of fellow gospel singer Mahalia Jackson, and at two Presidential inaugurations: those of President Bill Clinton and President Barack Obama. President George W. Bush gave Aretha Franklin the Presidential Medal of Honor (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, 2013). Her music has appeared in movies, too. Aretha Franklin has gone on to win nearly twenty Grammies, and yet her tenure as Queen is independent from mainstream recognition. She would be the Queen of Soul if she won no Grammies at all.

Aretha Franklin has reigned supreme with the undisputed title of Queen of Soul; there is no other soul, R&B, or gospel artist that even comes close or who would dare to contest the title. Franklin bridged the gap between white and black audiences with her music, which is one of the reasons why she is an American icon. Her music is accessible to all, as it is…… [Read More]

Music What Music Do You Associate With

Music

What music do you associate with childhood? How did/does this music make you feel? How do your choices reflect your childhood experiences?

Music that is associated with childhood has special significance as it not only contributes to the mental development of the child but also reminds one of the happy memories of the childhood. Even the research shows that the music that a child hears has influence on him throughout his life and introducing children to various rhythms can make their experiences positive. (Bilhartz, Bruhn and Olson, 1999) The music that we hear mostly during our childhood is rhymes and lullabies. The one lullaby with which I associate my childhood is "Twinkle Little Star." Its music sounded very sweet and always cheered me up and still brings back memories of the happy days of my childhood. One important part of my childhood involves getting introduced to the stars in the sky. I still remember that when I was a kid, I used to sit on a terrace looking at the beautiful stars while my grandmother sung this rhyme to me. I used to count the twinkling stars and still remember the joy and excitement of doing that. I was…… [Read More]

Music Appreciation Describe the Characteristics

In other words each music performance is different and the impulsiveness of each performance confirms the concept of indeterminate music.

6) Describe an Indonesian Gamelan. (Textbook p. 282-283)

It said that Debussy, when he heard the Indonesian ensemble called gamelan was surprisingly delighted at its diverse and delicate timbers, and decided to use the elements in the impressionistic sound which he was working at developing.

The gamelan, a distinctive Indonesian orchestra consisting mainly of percussion instruments, primarily metallophones (metal keys suspended over a bronze or wooden frame and struck with a mallet) gongs and drums. Accompanied by string and wind instruments for good effect is a widely respected theme. With drums regulating the tempo and rhythm, while a part of the instruments engage in playing melody, others add finesse and the gongs intervene methodically at phrase and section endings to notify the formal structures of a composition. The visually spectacular effects of this music from Java or Bali have attracted rave reviews from the Western World.

Between the Javanese and Balinese gamelan the latter is considered to be a richer and more satisfying experience. The gamelan music is known for the pairing of differently tuned but similar instruments, each tone…… [Read More]

Music Appreciation Stravinsky the Rite

The piano plays quick octaves and the urgent bass motive portrays an intense wild ride. This strong galloping is also being formulated by the piano's triplet rhythm which allows for the development of the dramatic storyline's urgency.

5. ) There are four different characters in this piece: the Narrator, the father, the son, and the Erlkonig. Although Schubert uses one singer to portray and sing all of the four parts of the characters, the listener is able to quite clearly differentiate them from one another. The son is sung in the high register in a minor key with dissonant harmonies. On the other hand, the father is sung in low register while the Erlkonig is sung in a coy with pleasant and soft melodies in the major key.

6. ) There are two ways that Schubert builds momentum in his piece. The first way is by using the bass as a method of demonstrating the galloping horse. Every now and then the tones range from low to high and back to low again, insinuating the nervousness felt by the father and the son as they are running away from the Erlkonig. The second way that momentum is built is by…… [Read More]

Music in the 21st Century Was Accused

Music in the 21st century was accused of being increasingly derivative and irrelevant. Interest in individual performers, in the era of iTunes, was being relegated to the sidelines as teens assembled their own 'mixes' rather than sought to embrace the output of an individual artist. It was said that the era of the great soloist and the great musical concept album was dead. With her first album The Fame in 2008, Lady Gaga changed all of that and silenced the industry's critics. Yes, she is frequently outrageous and provokes controversy for her attire as well as her voice. But underneath all of the glam and glitter, Lady Gaga has proved that she a unique mix of vocal talent, showmanship, and social activism. She has also generated a huge following on Facebook and Twitter. Lady Gaga's fans do not simply download "Poker Face," "Telephone" and "Born this Way" online. They love Gaga, and follow her every word and move. She calls them her 'little monsters' -- her code name for people who are unafraid to be different and weird, as she says she was in high school.

Lady Gaga's meteoric rise to fame illustrates the American dream: if you work hard,…… [Read More]

Music Therapy Has Become More

This is particularly the case in elderly patients who suffer form various debilitating diseases and conditions, where it has been found that music therapy produces positive outcomes.… [Read More]

Music Enjoyment Some of the

From the research I know he was a ladies man. In Joan Peyser's book (The Memory of All That: The Life of George Gershwin) it is 1927 and Gershwin is discovered in bed with one of the attractive women from a show he and Harry Richman were working on. Caught with his shirt and pants still in his hand, Gershwin offered: "Mr. Richman, what can I say to you? I'm waiting for a streetcar?" (Peyser, 2007, p. 136).

Question #3: Music is far, far more than entertainment. A soft playing of Pieces (8) for Piano, Opus 76, by Johannes Brahms is the healing salve that helps a widow relate to the passing of her 88-year-old husband of 58 years. The Piano Sonata in E Minor D. 566 by Franz Schubert is the ideal theme to be played respectfully in the background as a new artist shows her latest abstract art in a downtown gallery. Asking what music means to a person is a way of opening up "the part of the brain to do with feeling and sensation," writes Mary Butterton. Every person hears different things in music. And music while brings the same "shapes and sounding textures" to every…… [Read More]

Music in Society Asking Whether

..it has to affect people in predictable ways regardless of particular circumstances" (Linton pp). However, music, says Linton isn't like that because one listener might hear the opening E-minor chorus of the St. Matthew Passion and become grief stricken, while someone else might become bored, and another might find that piece incomprehensible (Linton pp). According to Linton, listening to a particular kind of music does not throw listeners into a trance any more than heavy metal music turns its listeners into sociopaths (Linton pp).

However, even Linton back-stepped a bit when he revealed that there was one area of life in which music apparently had the ability to affect people's behavior, grocery shopping (Linton pp)! Several studies reveal that faster paced music tends to make American shoppers walk down the aisles more quickly than slower paced music (Linton pp).

Apparently Holloway believes that society can be transformed by the cultivation of the right kind of music, just as Plato believed a return to the older kind of music would be instrumental in reinstating the ancient virtues, while Linton believes this is just not going to happen, period (Linton pp).

Would Woody Guthrie have become a legend had it not been…… [Read More]

Music Education or Cross Platform

Aristoxenos, two centuries after Pythagoras released his model, sought to discredit the standing theories held by Pythagorean devotees. In his works, he established that numbers are not relevant to music, and that music is based on perception of what one hears, not any mathematical equation. Descartes as well as Vincenzo Galilei (Galileo's father) both also discredited the music-to-math theories that formed the revolutionary basis for Pythagoras' music work, but not on the basis that music and numbers are unrelated. Rather, Galilei in particular figured that the tension of a string compared to the pitch made by that string should be the variables to create the sound ratio, not the length of that string. "Using weights to vary the tension of a string, he found that the above mentioned intervals arise for ratios of 1:1, 1:4, 4:9, and 9:16 respectively. These ratios as different from those found for length; they are more complex, and don't agree with the importance that the Pythagoreans gave to numbers from 1 to 4." (De Cheveigne 2004) the debate between followers of Pythagoras and followers of Galilei (and the many others who have contributed conflicting pitch theories) is symbolic of the questions in music theory that…… [Read More]

Music Producers

Music Producers

Biographical Introduction: Teo Macero

Producers work behind the scenes and are the unsung heroes of music. While some producers receive public notoriety like Brian Eno and George Martin; others like Teo Macero remain known mainly to music scholars and serious audiophiles. In 2008, when Macero died, The New York Times ran an obituary with the tagline: "Teo Macero, 82, Record Producer," as if readers would need that crucial bit of vocational data. Indeed, Macero is best known for his work on Miles Davis's masterpieces Kind of Blue and Bitches Brew. He was also a composer, whose approach to music takes into account the big picture rather than attention to minute detail.

Macero was ahead of his time. He incorporated electronic effects and electronic media in ways that made Bitches Brew as momentous and groundbreaking an album as it is. The embrace of new technology is therefore a hallmark of Macero's style. He "used techniques partly inspired by composers like Edgard Varese, who had been using tape-editing and electronic effects to help shape the music," and turned those techniques into his own by applying them to jazz (Ratliff, 2008). Jazz had previously been squarely within the acoustic domain. Even…… [Read More]

Music a Survey of Culture

Since the valuation of a God had been essentially devaluated, what was to be the source of revaluation in the modern world? No answer could satisfy Ives, for his society saw no return to the societal standards and beliefs of the age of Bach, which gave explicit valuation to all things, especially music -- as seen in Bach's mastering of counterpoint. Schoenberg's inverted counterpoint is the antithesis of that old world Germanic culture -- and it is no surprise that Schoenberg settled in America -- all things being equal, and, in a sense, equally meaningless.

In conclusion, what was once considered light and understood, orthodox, hierarchical, and whole -- in terms of both Western culture and Western classical music in the time of Bach -- had, by the time of Ives and Schoenberg, drifted into a kind of relativistic self-importance/self-worthlessness that had no moorings whatsoever. Notes and attitudes shifted without purpose -- only so as to be heard, or vented, in a sense. The discipline and exacting technique of Brahms -- who represented the apex of classical Romanticism in music -- found relief in the melodic and harmonic counterpoint of Bach and the elevated rhythms of Beethoven. Yet, to the…… [Read More]

Music Michael Tilson Thomas the

I especially appreciate the opportunity to place musical compositions and composers within a historical context. Placing music within a historical context illuminates some of the variables that characterize a piece like "Rite of Spring." Understanding the cultural, political, and military events taking place during the composer's lifetime is essential to understanding the music. Although analyzing classical pieces can prove difficult because of shifting time signatures, counterpoint, and layering of sounds, I am now much more able to distinguish between different styles and composers. The course content has awoken my mind and my ears to rhythms and melodies and I look forward to exploring Western classical music more in-depth. For example, pieces like "Rite of Spring" have made their way into movies and therefore continue to have an impact on musical culture.… [Read More]

Music History Baroque vs Classical

E's Music Classroom: Musickit, 2007). The exposition tends to be less resolved, atonal, and discordant in sound. The form was used to create a more open structure than the Baroque fugues or rondeau forms.

What types of works commonly use this form? Sonatas (obviously) symphonies, and string quartets all make use of the three-part sonata form, although some have more elaborate variations than others, depending on the length of the piece.

Mozart

Wolfgang a. Mozart was a master of virtually every form he embraced as a composer. His symphonies and sonatas paved the way for Classical music, as he adopted the innovations of Hayden in the symphony form and made these innovations more flexible and expressive. He was also a master of the operatic form in comic works such as "The Marriage of Figaro" as well as dramatic works like "Don Giovanni." He moved opera away from the more somber themes of the earlier era, and made the operatic stage more realistic and passionate in its musical depiction of human emotions. He showed that comic opera could be great art and great music. He was also a master performer and created many small-scale works for chamber orchestras as well as…… [Read More]

Music of the 1960s Whenever

In "The Times They Are a-Changin'," released in February 1964, he encapsulated the spirit of the times, and issued a timely warning to the older generation to accept the changing times or be drowned in a youth-inspired social revolution. (McWilliams, 32)

While Dylan was introducing protest folk music in the mainstream popular music in the early 1960s, bands such as "The Beatles" had captured the imagination of the Western youth on both sides of the Atlantic. By accepting the influence of each other's music in their work, these artists revolutionized Western popular music. The power of such music in shaping the direction of the youth culture was immense. It spread the message of peace, love, racial and gender equality and challenged the hypocrisy of the existing social order.

Not all aspects of the sixties music were positive. Many of the sixties rock musicians adopted a hedonistic lifestyle and indulged in excessive drug use and casual sex. Much of the psychedelic rock music of the late sixties was created under the influence of drugs such as LSD or described the acid trips. Several prominent rock stars such as Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, and Jimmy Hendrix died tragically young due to drug…… [Read More]

Music Association Music and Personal Association What

Music Association

Music and Personal Association

What music do you associate with childhood? How did/does this music make you feel? How do your choices reflect your childhood experiences?

There is not much that I can recall about my childhood in detail. My memory tends to be unreliable at best. That is why I find it so incredible that the music of the Beatles remains a vivid and constant presence in my memories. Indeed, even before I remember knowing that red means 'stop' or green means 'go,' I knew all the words to "Yellow Submarine." It was almost as if I was born with the melody to "Hey Jude" in may head. In fact, since my parents were such devoted listeners to the Beatles, I have little doubt that this was the soundtrack to my gestation.

The constant presence of the Beatles would have an indelible impact on me. There are few songs in their catalogue that don't send me into a spiral of nostalgic feelings. "Help" reminds me of an old house that I lived in with my family and moved out of when I was six. The opening strains of the tune conjure fragmented pictures of a place that…… [Read More]

Music the Men Behind the

Suddenly Western Music no longer needed to follow all the old rules. Just as the abstract painters dispensed with the traditional canon of art at just the same time, so also men like Bartok and Stravinsky take a fresh look at what constituted good music.

According to Bartok, the aesthetic success of this new homophonic-polyphonic music would depend upon the "harmonic entity" that results from the rise and fall of the "horizontal line" formed by the many discrete tone patches.... "an architectonic or similar scheme is not absolutely necessary; the construction of the line born out of the different degrees of intensity that are inherent in the tonal succession would be completely satisfactory," and by his likening of such constructions to works written in prose rather than verse (Gillies, 2000, p. 55)

Stravinsky too made his own way in the musical world. Working alongside Diaghilev and his Ballet Russes he created a whole new art form, one that was traditional, patriotic, and unpredictable all at the same time. The Twentieth Century saw the shattering of traditional points-of-view. Stravinsky, who lived through most of that century, was part of that change. His music, like that of Bartok, broke new ground, and…… [Read More]

Music Therapy Music Has Been

The shaman's use of animal language, or pre-literate languages, and other ritualistic methods of communication, like music and drumming, have parallels in the 'different space' created by the therapist in his or her office. In therapy, different forms of communication, the formulaic 'text' of conventional analysis, the release of drumming, or rhythmic pounding, and music play therapy for small children may be used to help the patient touch base with his or her emotions. But while the shaman channels the stories of others, as a tribal storyteller who uses different forms of communication for a collective, therapists help patients tell stories about their daily live struggles on an individual basis.

For example, sometimes patient's life stories are ineffectual, like 'I am a failure' or 'my mother never loved me.' (Hart, p.203) Although the therapist provides a kind of objective voice, and directs the person's speech, even the environment of the therapeutic room though alternative forms of therapy, the therapist does not enter into the shamanic trance, where he or she lets go of the body attached to the self, and returns, often with the aid of music, nor does the patient seek to come back seeking insight for anything other…… [Read More]

Music Since 1900 a Survey of Three

Music Since 1900

A Survey of Three Works by Ives, Schoenberg, and Barber

In the film Legend of 1900, Tim Roth plays an orphan who grows up aboard the SS Virginian, where he becomes a virtuoso piano player, whose styling rivals the greatest Jazz pianists of the early twentieth century. The Italian film is supposed to represent the impermanence of art and the cheapness of capturing a live performance on a record. However, what cannot be achieved in the film is actually achieved by the film, as the New Orleans jazz artist is surpassed by the glorious skills of an orphan who has spent his entire life aboard a steam liner. What it says is that music may be recorded, but what is even greater than the recording is the music itself and the story that inspired it. This paper will compare and contrast three different works of musical art of the twentieth century show how they have influenced my own and other works of the modern era.

The year 1900 is significant not only because it is the name given to Tim Roth's character in Giuseppe Tornatore's film, but also because it marks the beginning a century that essentially…… [Read More]

Music the Evolution Musical Notation

Fake books with jazz notation might look as if they are intended for amateurs. However, although beginners may use the simplified notation to practice music, the fake book's original intention was to provide a stepping-stone for a musician or an ensemble to create their own, unique rendering of the music. Thus jazz notation reflects the stress in this musical tradition upon the musician or the band's individual style. The musician, rather than the composer is the star, when using jazz notation. Rather than attempt to slavishly recreate a performance from the past, which is impossible, as every audience, every musical context changes from night to night, jazz notation empowers the musician to create a living and vibrant performance on the stage, with his or her fellow musicians. ("Fake Books," Wikipedia, 2006)

Fake books and jazz notation originated with illegal transcriptions of overheard music, although most fake books today copyrighted with the permission of the artist. The original fake book transcribers were not trained musicians, however, merely persons who had overheard or played a particular song they liked and wished to improvise from the tune's base. The books began with music 'of the people' and were designed for musicians who were…… [Read More]

Music Few Popular Music Stars Today Are

Music

Few popular music stars today are as colorful as Lady Gaga. Recently on tour, Lady Gaga is again making the headlines. In South Africa, a group of churches has been organizing protests against Lady Gaga's performances, and even just her presence, in the country. Among other complaints, the South African Council of Churches claims Lady Gaga's visit "could lead to an exponential growth of Satanism," (Engelbrecht, p. 1). For others, Lady Gaga is a welcome presence in the popular culture because she spreads the message of gender equality and positive gender "performativity," (Horn, p. 1). Lady Gaga is like a female "drag queen" and therefore sends a good message about tolerance of gender and sexual identities. Finally, Lady Gaga exemplifies the way social media can be used to promote popular culture and allow for greater fan interactions and control over content. Given that Lady Gaga is associated with Satanism, gender, and social media, few people view Lady Gaga as a pure musician. Lady Gaga is a controversial pop music star because she is a performer, even more than she is a musician.

One of the ways Lady Gaga is a performer is by staging elaborate and expensive stadium shows,…… [Read More]

Music Since the Band Exploded Onto the

Music

Since the band exploded onto the scene in 2005, the White Stripes have wooed casual listeners and hypercritical audiophiles alike. Founded by Jack White, the White Stripes have received much critical acclaim and the most affectionate form of flattery, too, which is imitation. For instance, Vancouver, Canada band the White Blood Cells is "a pair of balding Irish guys who only play White Stripes songs," (Lucas, 2012). Usually cover bands are tributes to rock's greats such as Led Zeppelin. The fact that the White Stripes already have cover bands dedicated to them shows how much of a mark they have made on music. Yet it has been difficult to classify the music of The White Stripes. Using the term "rock" music is overly general. Therefore, the best classification of The White Stripes has been, to date, the term "garage rock." Garage rock refers to a sub-genre of rock music that has a raw and edgy sound and which is produced in order to retain that sonic feel, and is characterized by texture, distortion, and intensity. The White Stripes fit that bill. Moreover, the White Stripes were founded in Detroit, which was home to legendary garage rock sounds from the…… [Read More]

Music History

Music

Medieval, Baroque, and Renaissance music share core features and elements in common, while also revealing poignant differences that highlight aesthetic, geographic, social, and technological changes. Religiosity, simplicity of instrumentation, and monophic choral qualities characterize early medieval music. Vocals grew increasingly polyphonic toward the late Middle Ages. Renaissance music can be listened to as a sonic and cultural bridge between the medieval and Baroque periods. Instrumentation became more complex, and yet compositions remained religions in tone and relied on a select number of instruments. The Baroque witnessed a flourishing of creativity rooted in the technological advances in Renaissance instrument production and also in the social sensibilities that characterized the era.

Early medieval music bore witness to the intense religious fervor that permeated social life. This can especially be witnessed in the compositions of Hildegard von Bingen. For Hildegard, melody and voice are central elements, as hymns and antiphons comprised a large part of her corpus of compositions. Chanting is monophonic, but accompanied by instruments including harp, organ, and tambourine. French medieval composer Machaut also relied on monophonic elements in vocals. Yet Machaut also helped introduce a polyphonic sound into religious music, as can be heard in Messe de Notre Dame.…… [Read More]

Music Video PSA Music Videos

Because of the enormous popularity of Snoop Doggy Dogg's "Gin and Juice" single, the proposed video will be based on a similarly styled rhythm and blues-based hip-hop song entitled "The Power of Youth." Thematically, "The Power of Youth" will not resemble "Gin and Juice," but the overall rhythm and style will. Vocals will include a choral background and familiar song structure that will grab young listeners and include all demographics. Instead of gangsta rap lyrics, the lyrics of "The Power of Youth" will concentrate on life on the streets, poverty, gender inequity, and other issues relevant in the upcoming election.

Visuals used in the music video will parallel the lyrics and theme. Instead of scantily clad ladies, ordinary women will be featured to promote Barack Obama as president. Skillful editing will interject footage of Barack Obama working in Chicago with disenfranchised African-Americans into the music video. Revealing the roots of income disparity will also require the use of subtitles that directly mention corporate salaries and paybacks, comparing those numbers to the salaries of teachers, small business owners, and other working-class Americans. Footage will include Americans of all racial backgrounds to engender sympathy among viewers of multiple backgrounds. Imagery of small…… [Read More]

Music the Concert I Attended

However, at the same time, the Dominican Republic is also a Hispanic speaking island and thus the Latin influence is also heavy in their version of Reggae and other musical tastes. Finally, as the band grew up in the Bronx, their musical background was also heavily influenced by the growth of American style hip-hop, which grew up out of the Bronx area. This diverse, mixing pot of musical heritage was combined by the band Aventura to create the unique musical character of Bachata.

Overall, I found the Avnentura Kings of Bachata concert to be of high quality and highly entertaining. Watching the band perform on stage shows you how much they care about their music and how much they enjoy performing it for their fans. These facts bring a high level of energy to their show, which I found captivating. The band played their songs at a fast, energetic pace with little breaks to the music. This kept the audience moving and interested throughout the entire show.

My favorite piece, as most likely the favorite piece of a majority of the concert goers, is Aventura's smash hit, "Obsession." The reason this is my favorite song, and one of the band's…… [Read More]

Music My Cousin Is Ten

What is this?" I finally asked my girlfriend, who looked like she was in rapture. Her eyes were closed as she swayed to the music.

She smiled and opened her eyes. "It's Celine Dion!"

Really?" I had heard of the Canadian superstar but had never heard any of her songs. I also closed my eyes and let the music wash over me while we danced. I listened closely to the lyrics: "Somehow ever since I've been around you / Can't go back to being on my own / Can't help feeling darling since I've found you / That I've found my home." Like most of the songs being played by the band, the lyrics reflected the romantic mood of the moment and of the momentous occasion. I looked over at my cousin and his new wife. They were smiling at each other and I could almost see the love flowing between them. As a result, I have never been able to dissociate the Celine Dion song called "I You Asked Me To" from my cousin's wedding. The song has taken on a deep personal…… [Read More]

Music Art and Literature

Music, Art, Literature Trends

From impressionism to pop art, jazz to hip hop, science fiction to beat poetry, artistic, musical, and literary expressions have varied considerably between 1870 and 2005. The period between the end of the nineteenth century to the current day can be generally described as the modern and postmodern eras. The beginning of the modern era, during the final decades of the nineteenth century, coincided with the Industrial Revolution. Along with fascination with modern technology and optimism for the future came simultaneous disillusionment. However, modern technological advancements have made such widespread creativity possible. Social and political trends have also influenced creative endeavors, and vice-versa. Art, music, and literature are more accessible and more possible to create than they ever were in the past. The modern era has been characterized by an overall flourishing of the expressive arts, but some trends have a more lasting significance than others. For instance, the most significant artistic trends that have occurred between 1870 and the present day include impressionism, cubism, abstraction, art deco, poster, and pop art. The most significant musical trends of the modern era include blues, jazz, rock and roll, electronica, and hip hop. Finally, the most significant literary…… [Read More]

Music Concert Review Orchestra Houston

This was particularly true with the masterful oboe and bassoon dialog and the grand finale -- more than hinting with classical harmony of the structure and order of the Viennese universe.

Harbison -- Another short and enjoyable piece, masterfully done featuring the HSO's brass section. This is brass playing of the highest degree -- perfect pitch, blended coloration, interesting harmonic structures, and, after the Mozart finale, one is forced to think, "how far we've come in combining harmony and structure." I am not quite sure this is evocative of a Houston landmark, but it is evocative of the power of music to celebrate and rejoice.

Poulenc -- Being a fan of the Mozart and Verdi Requiem Masses, the Poulenc takes one's breath away in its truly celestial harmonization. I sometimes wonder why composers put a soprano voice into their word (e.g. Mahler), it seems as if it is just a way to get larger and more complex tonality; but this is not the case with Poulenc. The soprano is not a soloist, but a part of the orchestra featuring the human voice. One need not know the words, or the title, to feel Poulenc's particular harmonization in eliciting such reverent…… [Read More]

Music Handel's Messiah Hallelujah Chorus Handel's Messiah

Music

Handel's Messiah: Hallelujah Chorus

Handel's Messiah was composed in 1741 and was first performed in 1742. Handel's Messiah was composed in the Baroque period.

An oratorio is a religious work that follows a similar structure to that of an opera but was not considered an opera. Whereas operas were written for the common performance, they were not permitted to be performed during the period of Lent. During this time, the church permitted oratorios instead, works that did not use any characters and that focused upon Biblical themes. In this instance, the entire oratorio focuses on Jesus Christ as Messiah.

An aria or da capo aria is a solo portion of an opera intended to show off the virtuoso abilities of the singer. Arias typically follow a specific form. In the Baroque period arias followed an AB or later an ABA structure. Most arias were performed by a solo voice and accompanied by harpsichord and possibly cello.

The aria "Ev'ry Valley" in the oratorio uses word painting to match the text with its imagery. The text begins with the phrase, "and ev'ry mountain and hill made low. In order emphasize the word mountain, there is a leap from high F.…… [Read More]

Music Review I Am in Complete Agreement

Music Review

I am in complete agreement with Stephen Thomas Erlewine's review of Madonna's album Like a Prayer. First, Erlewine states that the album is "her most explicit attempt at a major artistic statement." One of the reasons why Like a Prayer is a major artistic statement is that Madonna seems more mature in this album than she did in previous ones. For example, the subject matter of her songs, including the title track, is more deeply personal than it was on albums such as Like a Virgin. Moreover, on Like a Prayer, the "material girl" becomes a woman. In songs like "Promise to Try," she creatively expresses herself to members of her family and is no longer just singing about herself. Like a Prayer is "her most explicit attempt at a major artistic statement" because Madonna is stretching her own boundaries and refining her image. A second reason why I agree with Erlewine's review is that he notes "the kaleidoscopic variety of pop styles" evident on the album. In fact, this is one of the main reasons why I also appreciate Like a Prayer. For example, no two songs sound alike: the title track has a gospel feel to…… [Read More]

Music the Influence of American

Today many mainstream popular artists have Rhythm and Blues influences. In addition some artists fluctuate between signing R&B and pop music. Although there are often distinctions made between the two genres R&B is definitely a type of popular music that has been greatly influenced by all of the above Genres.

Rap music or hip hop is also a prime example of the influence of African-American Music on popular music. Rap music actually comes from the ancient art form of poetry. The original intent for rap was to tell a story -- provide a narrative. Within the context of African-American folk tradition storytelling is extremely important -- the griot is important. Griots are the keepers of the oral traditions -- the storytellers. According to Powell (1991) "To the accompaniment of drums or other percussive instruments, griots entertain and educate their audiences by reciting tribal history and current events. Their performances are often embellished by satirical asides, proverbs, jokes, praise and ridicule." Rap is often reflective of this tradition.

Hip hop has influenced popular music not only in America but throughout the world. This influence can be seen in the plethora of collaborations between rappers and popular artist and even country artist.…… [Read More]

Music an American Popular Music

" Instead of those key lines, a wailing voice suggests that prayers for love remain unfulfilled. The stress is on lines like "without a dream in my heart, without a love of my own," as the wailing replaces the rest of the chorus. Elvis's "Blue Moon" is truly blue: filled with sadness and unfulfilled longing.

To enhance the reinvented theme of "Blue Moon," the instrumentation is stark. Throughout the recording, only a bass and a drum accompany the sultry vocals. The effect is clearly and intentionally that of a cowboy song. The rhythm of both the bass and the drums convey a horse gently trotting, carrying its lone rider through the Wild West. Evoking cowboy movies and mystique is one way the arrangement sends a far different message than the one that Rogers and Hart had intended. In Elvis's version, the male vocalist is totally, utterly alone. He is a lone cowboy, and the instrumentation enhances Elvis's interpretation. The confluence of cowboy music, a lone male vocalist, and the lack of fulfillment in the rearranged lyrics makes Elvis's version of "Blue Moon" like a different song.

When Rod Stewart and Eric Clapton cover "Blue Moon" five decades later, their version…… [Read More]