One of my favorite songs is Vienna, by Billy Joel. I like the message of slow down, you have your whole life. After the second verse there is an interesting accordion solo. The piano runs going down keeps it interesting while still building anticipation for the second line of the chorus. The short rests make the rhythm interesting. The vocal flourishes at the end of each verse provide a smooth transition into the chorus or next verse. The instrumentals do a good job of keeping the listener in…
In order to develop musicality, my own musical interpretation, my time was spent listening to renderings of the songs planned to perform and developing the theory and knowledge necessary. I spent hours listening to others to stimulate my creativity. In India, I had the opportunity to go to concert…
Pore over the tune titles on rapper Ludacris' 2015 collection, Ludaversal, and a few topics rise that are apparently custom-made to cutting edge Acura. "Grass is Always Greener" could depict Acura's deserting of storied nameplates like Legend and Integra for alphanumerics; "Not Long" could allude to its conviction that a seat in the full-extravagance pantheon is practically around the bend; and "Brute Mode" could be a gesture to the up and coming NSX supercar. In actuality, the collection's…
metronome. I passed the screening audition. Fast forward a few years, during high school. I now had to audition for my school’s drumline. My instrument of choice was the tenor drums. I was told that since there were many students with more experience than I had, it was likely that I would not make that spot. But I was also told I would make some instrument, regardless if I made tenors or not. So, I concluded it was at least worth a shot. But not just any shot - my best shot. In the weeks…
When looking through the history of the guitar, it’s impossible to deny the impact that Gibson has had on the instrument. Gibson is a prestigious brand with humble roots. Founded primarily as a mandolin manufacturer by Orville Gibson in 1902, it went on to become one of the largest and most recognizable brands in the music world. Being a brand with an extremely long legacy, Gibson has always been a participant in innovation. The list of inventions and contributions that Gibson has made to the…
Track1: The Firebird, finale 1. The first few minutes of this piece are pianissimo, and I must say I enjoyed the extreme softness in the beginning of the symphony. As I was listening I noticed the crescendo throughout the piece until about one minute and thirty four seconds. Then the orchestra was playing pianissimo again for just a few seconds. I then heard another crescendo. I think this lasted throughout the rest of the symphony. I did notice the end of the piece went decrescendo for just a…
feeling is light and happy. A slight rolling in the percussion builds excitement. The music goes back and forth. One end is a grand rolling of percussion, strings, trumpets and the other end is soft strings and graceful pieces of solo woodwind instruments. The music swings into one of its grand crescendos then the music slowly peters…
oboes, clarinets, basset horns, bassoons, horns and double bass. The first movement largo-molto allegro began with the clarinets and oboes producing a slow, loud tempo that produced a sad melody. However, with progression the tempo increased as the instruments played in unison. The oboes produced a distinct offbeat tone of short sounds of loud pitch. The second movement, Menuetto – trio, the clarinets began in a loud, soft pitch. The oboes and horns soon followed providing support. In the third…
What is sheet music? Is it a magical piece of writing that only musicians can read and that allow them to play their instruments like experts? No, sheet music is just a form of musical notation, be it written by hand or printed. Normally sheet music is like its other printed kin in that it is usually found printed on paper. Before paper was a readily available medium parchment was the medium of choice. Now in the computer age "sheet" music is also readily available online as well. One of the…
and overwhelming depression. The piece starts of softly, with a single instrument playing most of the melody. Moreover, the melody itself is in the minor key, giving the music a sad quality, and it moves upwards in scale in a conjunct manner, so the music does not feel anxious, just sad, like a longing ache. After this section, there is a brief period of respite, where the melody becomes more complex, with several instruments coming together and playing an upwards and slightly more hopeful…