Beautiful Stars-final project

I got my title and didn't love it. I thought it sounded generic and not that creative. Although, my title was not the best, I loved my rhythm and I had a great set of notes. I learned to be okay with the title and have enjoyed making this piece. It reminds me of the complexity of vastness of the stars. So much is unknown, and because they are unknown they are more alluring and unpredictable. I am not the best at the piano so the recording is not incredible. but I am sure that if someone who is way better at piano played it with the sheet music it would sound pretty. I really enjoyed creating this piece and am proud of what I have accomplished.


Recording:
https://youtu.be/ekdFFakmFaA

I am struggling at adding the sheet music. It is on sibelius.

Fast Car-Tracy Chapman

OBJECTIVE OBSERVATIONS - 

• What is the time signature?

The time signature is 4/4.

• What is the tempo?

It is upbeat, but not super fast. It is a nice relaxing jam and gets a bit faster. 

• Does it sound mainly major or minor?

It is major.

• Does it sound composed or improvised?

It is very repetitive and definitely composed. 

SUBJECTIVE OBSERVATIONS - 

• What is the song’s purpose?

The purpose is to invoke memories and to give someone hope to have a dream. 

• Does the song take you on a journey?

It reminds me of a story of regular old people thinking of hopes and dreams and a bigger life. 

• What is the mood of the song? How does it make me feel?

The song is hopeful and passionate sounding. It makes me feel positive. 

• Describe the tone of the singer(s) or main instrument(s)

There is drums, guitar, and piano as far as I can hear. The singer is relaxed and has a lot of control of his style. 

CONCLUSION -

Yes, I really like this song. It is relaxing and hopeful. I almost don't like the part that picks up and gets a little louder. If it stayed relaxed the whole song I would like that a lot. 

Biscuit Town

OBJECTIVE OBSERVATIONS -

• What is the tempo?

The tempo is slow, but it has a beat more in the background that is a little more upbeat.

• What is the dynamic range (loud, soft…)?

It stays the same dynamic most of the song. It is not super loud and not super soft. 

• What instruments do you hear? Or does it sound synthesizer/computer-generated?

There is a lot of crazy production going on and there is a drummer and a bassist and a pianist and a saxophonist. 

• Does it sound composed or improvised?

It sounds composed, but almost like it was made up through improvisation. 

SUBJECTIVE OBSERVATIONS -

• What is the song’s purpose?

The purpose is to showcase production and cool sounding things that one would normally not listen to or think of to play. 

• What is the mood of the song? How does it make me feel?

The mood is relaxed, but focused feeling, almost like meditation. 

• If you had to classify the genre or style, what would it be?

The genre is a weird mix of jazz and weird production stuff. 

• Describe the tone of the singer(s) or main instrument(s)

The singer is very relaxed and just saying/singing whatever comes out of his mouth. The instruments seem to follow the voice and are what the song is mainly focused on.b

CONCLUSION -
I have never liked his music. I think he sounds like he has some weird speech impediment. It doesn't make me feel anything good, it makes me feel confused almost. I also can appreciate the song because of the quality of the production and the young age of the artist.

Cora's jingle about tevas

https://youtu.be/xHRHwBUjunM


I decided to make a commercial about tevas because I wear them all the time. I imagine people in a commercial walking up a grassy hill, just off from a hike. They all pull out their instruments and organic foods to play music and enjoy a picnic in their comfortable and freeing shoes. I wanted to make it sound like a bunch of people making up a song as they go. The original idea was very hippy and very natural sounding. I added instruments slowly to help it build as the people on the hill join in. I like the plain, relaxed sound. It makes tevas sound like shoes you can just chill in.

spooky goblin tune

https://youtu.be/lBPaWA2LEP8

The Sweetest Gift-Piano Guys

OBJECTIVE OBSERVATIONS:

• What is the time signature?

It is 4/4.

• Does it sound mainly major or minor?

It is major. 

• If there are lyrics, what are they about?

It's about Christmas and a guy that has a broken heart, because someone he loved passed away.

• Does it sound composed or improvised?

It is definitely composed. The voice follows the strings and piano. 

SUBJECTIVE OBSERVATIONS:

• What is the song’s purpose?

The song is meant for you to reminisce on those that have passed during the holidays. It is making death seem happy and not seem like the end. 

• Does it remind me of anything or evoke any memories?

It reminds me of a religious setting, or a Christmas setting. 

• Describe the tone of the singer(s) or main instrument(s)

The singer sounds a bit country. He scoops but has a low, pretty resonance to his voice. There is piano and either a viola or a cello. 

• Does the title and/or lyrics compliment or contrast with the music? To what effect?

The voice compliments the instruments very well. It gives a soothing feel. They are playing harmonies that are soothing and easy to listen to. 

CONCLUSION:

I have never been a huge fan of this type of music. I can appreciate the mood it can bring into a room, but I don't love the music. I don't like the overdramatized voice and cheesy chords. 

Cartoon Flirtation

When I started writing this song, I knew that it would end up sounding a bit childish and like one of the beginner songs that beginning pianists play, but I was alright with this. If it was going to sound childish why not paint a childish story. As I wrote the song I realized it sort of sounded like someone begging someone for something whilst using all different tactics. In my head, I imagine an over the top, desperate younger aged cartoon character trying to court a pretty young girl that he likes. She is not reciprocating though. At the beginning of the song, I imagine him being all cutesy and hoping that she might say yes to a kiss or a hug. Then she walks away and he chases her when the notes go down the scale. Starting in measure seven the boy is getting kind of annoying and incessant. He is tapping on her shoulder, chasing after her, and she will not stop walking away. She finally turns around to give him a little more of a chance to see if he is worth her time, but he just goes back to the annoying, childish flirtation at the beginning of the song. With the the ascending notes, she again turns and walks away, and he follows running after her. Where the coda picks up is where the boy gets even more desperate. At this point he is begging and she has stopped walking and is giving him all the reasons she does not like him. He continues to beg and then with the last ascending note section, she says her final no. The boy is very discouraged and sad. The second chord in measure sixteen is him looking after her as she walks away for the last time. He still likes her, but knows she will never like him. I thought that it would be a cute little song for an over exaggerated cartoon, hence the name Cartoon Flirtation.

https://youtu.be/N1C1TvetwJo

Alaska-Maggie Rogers

OBJECTIVE OBSERVATIONS 

• What is the dynamic range (loud, soft…)?

It is mostly soft the whole song and gets a little louder with the choruses.

• Is there a refrain/chorus or a repeating motif or melodic or rhythmic gesture?

The chorus repeats a lot and keeps that repetitive few notes and rhythms the same throughout the song.

• Does it sound composed or improvised?

It is composed because it was recorded in a studio and planned ahead. 

• What time period and/or country did this music come from?

It has a very modern sound. I am gonna guess it's from America or England. 

SUBJECTIVE OBSERVATIONS 

• What is the song’s purpose?

The purpose seems to be to relax and just enjoy a song that you don't have to pay much attention to.

• Does it remind me of anything or evoke any memories?

It reminds me of summer and relaxing. 

• What is the mood of the song? How does it make me feel?

The mood is very laid back and relaxing. 

• Describe the tone of the singer(s) or main instrument(s).

She is very free and not pushing as she sings. 

CONCLUSION 

• Do I like it? 

Yes, I would like it in the background of someplace, but not as much for listening intently. I enjoyed the relaxed vibe and calming tones. The singer had a very chill voice. 

Restless Sea

OBJECTIVE OBSERVATIONS 

• What is the time signature?

It is 4/4 and the low beat is on 1 and 3.

• What is the dynamic range (loud, soft…)?

It goes back and forth between loud in the choruses and it gets quieter in the verses. 

• Is there a disernable form? (AB, ABA, Verse/Chorus/Bridge…)

It goes verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, chorus and then it goes out into the end. 

• Does it sound composed or improvised?

It is definitely composed because of all the extra noises added in to go with the voice. 

SUBJECTIVE OBSERVATIONS 

• Does it remind me of anything or evoke any memories?

It kind of has a high school essence to it. It reminds me of high school in general and being "young."

• What is the mood of the song? How does it make me feel?

The mood seems chill. It gives a laid back feel. Something you would listen to and not focus a ton on.

• Describe the tone of the singer(s) or main instrument(s)

The singer is giving off sort of a pop or indy vibe. He is a very modern singer and sounds similar during the whole song, a very trained voice. 
• What is the song's purpose?

I think it is there to create a relaxing vibe for younger people. It keeps a steady repetitive beat which is appealing to the masses. 

CONCLUSION 

• Do I like it? 

Not really.

• Why or why not?

I could enjoy it as background music, but not really as a song I often listen to. 

I didn't really like it, but I can appreciate the chill, laid back vibe off the song. It is great music for thinking or talking over. 

Why We Love Repetition in Music

Observations:

Repetition is interesting to me because when we first hear a song that is so repetitive, we hate it. Eventually, as time goes on we learn to enjoy the song more and more because it is pounded in our head. I always say I don't like a song or something, but then I start to hear it everywhere I go and I find myself humming it or singing along with it. It is so cool that our minds are able to think ahead a few notes when we sing. I love how advanced our minds our when it comes to music and we we psychologically relate to it so much. I truly think that anyone can learn to appreciate any kind of songs. They may not ever enjoy it, but in order to truly have an opinion you have to understand the music and at the very least appreciate the reasons for other people liking it. Repetition is such an interesting concept, because every single human is swayed by it. 

Victor Wooten-Music as a Language

How is music like a language?
It is like learning a language. We learn to speak it and are fluent in it and enjoy it, before we learn the basis. We learn it perfectly before we learn the fundamentals. Music is something we should become fluent in before we start thinking so incredibly technically.

What do you think about Wooten's idea that music...
I like this idea. So many kids start playing instruments and end up hating it or wanting to quit. With language a child eventually has a sincere desire to be able to communicate and say what they want or express how they feel. If one uses this with music, the desire for playing will be much more about communication instead of the technique of it. I think it would work well, because it gives the person more of a want and a love for the instrument and almost an absolute need to learn it to be able to communicate rather than just learning it for the sake of knowing and instrument.

What could he mean by saying, "there are no wrong notes?"
I think he is talking about how people personally play music is their own voice. With language again, there are so many ways to pronounce things and none of them are wrong, it just matters how you learned. There are no wring notes because everything that is played is you getting better and learning what your own sound is.

Picture with Garage band song

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-u9ZxLFgNec

My picture is in Cape Coast, Ghana Africa. The first thing I think of when I think of Africa is drums. The fast beats and the hollow sounding drum instrument. When I went to Africa I was awoken every few nights in the early morning by the priest at the diocese playing his drums. I added the beach noises for obvious reasons. The waves are a constant purr throughout the day and you can hear them everywhere. The jazz/blues chords I added in represent me there in a sort of way. I came to Africa so unfamiliar with everything. When I got there, I was still me, but I learned to jive more in my own way with the people.

White Riot-The Clash

OBJECTIVE OBSERVATIONS - 

• What is the tempo?

It is 4/4 time. 

• What instruments do you hear? Or does it sound synthesizer/computer-generated?

The electric guitar and drums are most prominent, along with the vocals. 

• Is there a refrain/chorus or a repeating motif or melodic or rhythmic gesture?

It is very repetitive during the chorus, there seems to be almost no verses. 

• Does it sound composed or improvised?

It is definitely composed, because of the repetitiveness and how the instruments play together.  

SUBJECTIVE OBSERVATIONS -

• What is the song’s purpose?

The song's purpose is for fun and dancing. It is about giving people something to dance to that they can enjoy. 

• Does it remind me of anything or evoke any memories?

For some reason it reminds me of doing "the pony" over and over again. It has that back and forth sort of beat. 

• If you had to classify the genre or style, what would it be?

The genre is punk. The guitar sounding the way it does is very "punk" sounding. 

• Describe the tone of the singer(s) or main instrument(s)

The tone of the singer is loud and he does not move his range very much throughout the song. The instruments keep with the same rhythm basically the whole song. 

CONCLUSION -

• Do I like it? (yes/no/so-so/not sure…)

Yes! I like the song! I like how it is upbeat and just makes you want to dance. I would definitely listen to it in the car or sometime when I am getting excited about something or am happy. The repetitiveness does get a bit annoying, but it keeps the song catchy and easy to dance to because you definitely know what is coming next.

Who Is It?-Bjork

Objective Observations
1: Does it sound composed or improvised?
It sounds composed because of the specific beats compared to the singer.
2: If there are lyrics, what are they about?
She seems to be singing about letting herself go, especially from the things that have been holding her back, she seems angry.
3: What is the time signature?
I think it it is 4/4
4: What instruments do you hear?
A good amount of computer generated sounds that I don't know the names of.

Subjective Observations
1: What is the mood of the song? How does it make me feel?
It is very harsh and a bit dark. It makes me feel like there is something that needs to be done and nothing will get in the way.
2: Describe the tone of the singer?
She is very heavy and deep sounding. She sings with a very raw sound, she just lets out whatever she feels inside as she sings.
3: Does the song take you on a journey?
The song starts and ends with only instrumentals and I think it made almost a thought period before and after where the singer was thinking about what she was going to sing and what she had just sung. The song feels like thoughts of a person.
4: If you had to classify the genre or style?
I think it is more Indy pop because of the raw sounding voice of the singer, and the computerized sounds.

Conclusion 
Do I like it? Why or why not?
I can appreciate it, but I have never loved Bjork. I love the sound of her voice, but not the computerized instruments. The whole song feels so heavy and it doesn't leave me in a mood or emotion I enjoy.