Renzo Piano

The Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto was written for western style orchestra and features a solo violin played using some Chinese techniques. This piece retains the Chinese flavor but however to some extent. The reason why I have chosen this question and this piece is because as a violinist, I have the interest in how the violin in The Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto is a western instrument, but however it is still able to capture some of the Chinese style. In this essay, I will be comparing…

“But you can vanquish the demons only when you yourself are convinced of your own worth”(181). Author, Adeline Yen Mah, shares the horrors of her childhood growing up as an unwanted daughter in the autobiography Chinese Cinderella. The first years of a child’s life are the most crucial in shaping the person they will become. For young Adeline Yen Mah, these defining years shaped her into a strong, intelligent women despite her poor upbringing. The novel Chinese Cinderella by Adeline Yen Mah,…

Whiplash: A Path of Self-Destruction Whiplash directed by Damien Chazelle, perfectly entails the journey of one’s self-destructive path to greatness. Set in a modern day music school, Andrew Niemen, an ambitious jazz drummer wanting to become “One of the greats” is met with an opportunity to join studio band with a well-known teacher Fletcher. A psychological mind warfare ensues between the two with Fletcher pushing Andrew to his limits ultimately setting him on his path of self-destruction.…

Lennon literally wrote this song in one brief morning on a Steinway piano. He described the genre as a piano ballad in a rock category. Rather than sitting down on a chair contemplating about life, Lennon attempted to declare the freedom of hunger, agony, religion and from politics. Perhaps, lyrics in a song could be the most powerful device in speaking through people’s heart. He wanted to leave the contemporary world living and competing for money and fame. The idealistic and political mind…

According to Floyd, “summertime” was the opening song written by George Gershwin for his folk opera porgy and Bess in 1935 which was an easy lullaby (218). Summertime was an aria and it is somewhat attributed to Ira Gershwin. The song became a well-liked hit and to a great extent recorded jazz standard and its lyrics written by Dubose Heyward who is the author of novel porgy. This song was been labeled as on the classics by many and to a large extent a xenophobic minstrel by others. Regardless…

Count Basie was a swing big band leader who began playing piano in the 1920s. He was born in New Jersey, and took stylistic influences from New York musicians such as Fats Waller (Yanow 155). He rose to prominence as a part of the Bennie Moten Orchestra, and then led his own orchestra after Moten’s death in 1935 (Yanow 155). As a bandleader, Count Basie was able to develop his own innovative style that significantly influenced the way jazz developed past the 1940s. His band was one of the top…

Without the black or white keys on a piano, the sounds created will never be rich nor harmonious. Just like the keys, everything in life comes in duos. Without one another, the other can’t exist because together, duality forms a whole. Similarly, energy is needed during the day, but inactivity is necessary during the night to recharge. No human would survive deprived of warmth in the cold, but none would exist either if left without coolness in the heat. What may seem as opposite forces are in…

We Didn’t Start The Fire was one of the most powerful songs in 1989, written by no other than Billy Joel. The number one hit mentions some famous events between the years of 1949 and 1989. In 1949 was when the singer was born and in 1989 was when the song was released. We Didn’t Start The Fire was nominated for record of the year at the Grammy Awards and was also number one in the United States at that time. But that’s not all the song was noticed for. The hit was known for it’s strong message…

For this final project, several classmates and I have assembled an eight-part vocal ensemble, accompanied by a pianist. We have chosen a piece that also has eight-parts, to add variety and layers on the basis of each vocal part. This piece we are performing as an ensemble is titled “Weep No More,” arranged and composed by David N. Childs, and adapted from a poem by John Keats. David N. Childs is a well-known freelance composer of music, with his ideology being, “music has the power to transform…

Written Assignment #2 The legendary producer Phil Spector is most famous for his creative technique of overdubbing an orchestra size group of musicians. The ensemble would include, “ five or six guitars, three or four pianos, and an army of percussion, including multiple drum kits, castanets, tambourines, bells, and timpani — to produce a massive roar” (Kemp, 2001). Spector would combine the sounds and amplify them by adding substantial amounts of reverb (Sewell, 2014). Developing what would…