Tag: music

A Song for a New Season

Josie Faith Leave a comment

Hello, all. I hope everyone had a wonderful break and a period of rest to focus on yourselves and your own happiness. Personally, this last month or two has followed quite the learning curve for me. The pandemic and other aspects of my life really got to me last semester, but I came to the realization over the holidays that the world doesn’t control how I feel. We make our own happiness. For the first time in a long time I feel as carefree and excited about life as I did when I was a kid. This song is a tribute to that feeling: I call it “I Am. Again.”

VERSE ONE:

Let me tell you a story
About a time in my life
When everything finally felt
Like it was going right
And my dreams they all seemed
Just one more flight of stairs away
Then I got my heart broken
But I tried to be brave

CHORUS:

I let myself be a kid again
Chasing fairytales and booking flights to places I’ve never been
Cuz life isn’t long and we don’t know when it’ll end
And sometimes you can’t wait around for your prince to step in
I am a kid again

VERSE 2:

Now I’m driving round the country
Making friends along the road
Just kicking it and trying shit
And never doing what we’re told
And if the car breaks down or we get lost
We’ll find another way
Sleep beneath the stars in a thousand parks
Watching night turn into day

CHORUS:

I am a kid again
Chasing fairytales and booking flights to places I’ve never been
Cuz life isn’t long and we don’t know when it’ll end
And sometimes you can’t wait around for your prince to step in
Oh I am a kid again

BRIDGE:

Thought no one would want me with all these bruises on my conscience
Took me 5 months to even start making progress
Now I look in the mirror and I don’t recognize the person
Staring out back at me yeah cause she looks happy

CHORUS:

I am a kid again
Chasing fairytales and booking flights to places I’ve never been
Yes I am a kid again
Chasing fairytales and booking flights to places I’ve never been
Cuz life isn’t long and we don’t know when it’ll end
And sometimes you can’t wait around for your prince to step in
Oh I am a kid again

Looking Forward: 2021

Lucy Freeman Leave a comment

Happy Friday, everyone!

I hope you’ve enjoyed a relaxing couple of weeks off. I’m taking the time to soak up this last week with my roommates before the semester starts.

I arrived back in Ann Arbor a couple of days ago and I have to say it feels like a different place than when I moved here three and a half years ago. Businesses have closed down, the movie theaters are still dark, restaurants and bars are limited to take-out-only. When I walk down Main Street, I no longer see lines for concerts at The Ark or jazz at the Blue Llama. And while I would love to sit in Hill Auditorium and see a Gerswhin show, I know that all of this is to protect our community. 

The past semester felt dark, at times, especially being so rooted in performing arts, but this blog has been a shining light. It has allowed me to speak with some incredible people and hear hopeful stories of how the arts are surviving on campus. I’ve been in awe over the creative ways that academic departments, student organizations, and campus resources have adapted to the challenges this year has presented. They have not only found a way to continue their missions amid a global pandemic, but many have addressed students’ mental health and wellbeing as well as critical social justice issues. We have shown up for one another, and that is a beautiful thing. 

This blog is all about looking towards the future, and the new year is all about that prospect. Of course, we know that 2021 is not a fresh start that will magically solve all the world’s problems, but that doesn’t mean that we cannot also recognize the hope that this year brings. So let us hope that 2021 brings us more community, more creativity, and more compassion. I am so looking forward to having new conversations with resources and organizations on campus, and to hearing how students are “looking forward” this year. 

Til’ next week, 

Lucy

P.S. If you have any suggestions for organizations/people I should interview – please leave me a comment below!

Art Biz with Liz: Ending 2020 with Classical Music

Elizabeth S Leave a comment

What “normal” aspect of life on campus do you miss the most? Game days? Studying in Hatcher? One of the things that I miss the most about a “normal” school year at the university is the vast array of live performances. The COVID-19 pandemic led to the closure of concert halls, theaters, and opera houses across the country. Those on campus were not excluded, and it’s been strange to walk past Hill Auditorium and think about its emptiness.

2020 was a tumultuous year. Still, there were plenty of inspiring performances throughout it that demonstrated artists’ dedication to keeping their art forms going. Shutdowns sparked a flood of videos across the internet that showcased determined singers and musicians, both amateur and professional, performing from their homes. The shift towards online was not only encouraged but necessary as online viewers became the only audience. With grace and determination, live performances became synonymous with livestream, a moving reminder of the flexibility and unity needed to survive trying times.

It only seemed fair to end 2020 by listening to the art that I have greatly admired throughout the pandemic. Since the start of my college career, I’ve been grateful to Arts at Michigan, the University Musical Society (UMS), and friends I met on campus for introducing me to the magic that is live classical music in the form of professional quartets, orchestras, and more. I remember seeing the Takács Quartet with clarinetist Anthony McGill, for example, at the Rackham auditorium in April of my freshman year. Yesterday, I watched and listened to the Takács Quartet again, only this time through a special reprise of a UMS digital presentation that was available for streaming through December 31st. Listening to the emotional drama unfold in Price’s String Quartet No. 2 in a minor (Mvt. ii) and the dizzying array of timbres in Debussy’s String Quartet in g minor (Mvts. iii, iv) seemed like a fitting end to 2020. Whatever next year brings, I wish you health, happiness, and *hopefully* a live concert or two.

Check out the UMS website to read more about digital presentations being offered this season.

Bits and Pieces

Josie Faith Leave a comment

I’ve had a rough week or so in terms of writing anything good enough to deem worthy of finishing. So instead of posting a full song this week, I’ve decided to post a few bits and pieces I’ve written down in the last few months.

Some are sad, some are happy. The styles are all different, and I’m not sure exactly what the tune to some of them are yet. But there is a certain beauty in an unfinished song. They’re in their ‘poetry’ stages. So, here you go:

 

#1: (a song for the seasons)

Wake up blanketed in white
stars like tiny twinkling lights
and I’m finally home
porch is dusty striped with snow
air is biting bitter cold
and I’m finally home

And I open shutters wide
should I run, should I hide
Is it finally time

It’s another barely merry Christmas

 

#2: (a song for fading feelings)

What do I say when the feelings all fade
But I promised you my forever
What do I do when I said I’d stay true
But in all my dreams I’m not tethered
You’re all I have, and I know that
What my heart wants, is what it once had
How do I stay when I feel I must stray
Is my only choice now or never

Every new night I add to my lies
And I weave a new stupid pattern
With every word sent and every word meant
My bond to you has but shattered
You’re who I’ve got I want whom you’re not
I need to hold on but everything’s wrong
What do I say when it all fades to gray
And everything’s gone that once mattered

 

#3: (A song for the towns we call home)

Small town small minds
Not too many passersby
Crazy girls simple lives
Its home
Big fields bigger dreams
Everything is as it seems
Stuck there till seventeen
That’s home
Then we leave and we see what the real world says
About us small town home grown women and men

You tell em where you’re from just by naming a state
All they’ll nod like they know but they don’t what to say
And everywhere you go everything is strange
Like what are you doing here?
You try your very best to be a part of this place
But in the end you’re 2000 miles away
And deep inside a part wishes you’d stayed
Home home.

 

#4: (a song for MY town I call home)

I was born in a town
where the greatest place around
was the Culvers on the side of highway sixty
And our idea of a getaway
Was a 40 minute drive away
To the shores of the Great Lake out in Milwaukee

 

#5: (religious, but my attempt at a song of lament)

Oh Father how I feel like old Jerusalem
Once full of people and the vibrant lives they shared
Now like that silent city I will weep away my sorrows
and it’s more than one small single soul can bear

The tears are streaming faster as I count the names of friends who’ve turned their backs as they have carried on their ways
Now like the silent city I will find no rest tonight
for my mortal heart is once again betrayed

What is a Hook?

Josie Faith Leave a comment

This week’s post is going to be a bit more informational than creative. As I’ve been messing around with my own music in the past few months, I’ve been trying to experiment with a specific aspect of my songs: the hook. Though ‘the hook’ is usually singular when people talk about it in reference to songwriting, in all honesty a song can have one, three, four, or fifteen hooks depending on what the artist is going for.

But what does this term mean? Why is it so important?

Most people associate the hook with a song’s chorus. This can be true, but it isn’t always the case. Examples of hook-y choruses can be found in many modern pop songs–these are the ones you hear on the radio and for some reason can’t get that one line out of your head. Hint: that’s probably a hook. A classic for me growing up was “We are Never Ever Getting Back Together” ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WA4iX5D9Z64 ) by Taylor Swift. The “never ever ever ever”s repeat multiple times throughout the song and stick in your head for hours after listening to it. They’re interesting and memorable enough where the song becomes something you want to listen to again. They’re also relatable for many teenagers who’ve gone through similar situations to the one Swift is describing in her lyrics. This is crucial for a lyrical hook.

But hooks don’t have to be lyrical. There are musical and rhythmic hooks as well.

A great example of a musical/rhythmic hook is the classic Queen song “Another One Bites the Dust.” Though I could not repeat the lyrics back to you word for word, I can immediately identify this song if it comes on in a restaurant or supermarket or wherever else. The bass line is iconic and functions as a hook within itself. It is recognizable, reproducible, and helps a listener identify the song within seconds. ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVIbCvfkO3E ) Other examples of songs with rhythmic or musical hooks include: “Sweet Caroline,” (BUH BUH BUH) and “Mamma Mia.” These both have specific musical passages which are catchy and memorable.

Hooks can be produced with percussive beats as well. The best example I can think of off the top of my head is “We Will Rock You.” ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tJYN-eG1zk ) There’s a reason Queen is such a successful music group. Their hooks–lyrical, melodic, rhythmic–are all fire. Each song stands apart from the others in a good way and is interesting within itself.

Many record labels encourage artists to focus on adding multiple hooks to a song. Lyrical hooks are the first step–you need words which people will relate with and catch themselves singing on their way to work. But the other types of hooks are just as, if not more, important. They are the small musical passages which will have a song stuck in someone’s head even when they don’t know the words. They’re not quite sure when they even heard the song, but because of the different hooks at play, it will be hard for them to forget it.

Art Biz with Liz: Spotify’s 2020 Wrapped

Elizabeth S 2 Comments

The past few days, my social media feed has been inundated with posts of people’s 2020 “Spotify Wrapped.” For those unfamiliar with them, Spotify Wrapped recaps offer data on the songs and podcasts that users listened to throughout the past year, including their most-played songs, top genres, and more. Users can see how many minutes they spent listening to content, how many new artists they discovered, and how they ranked compared to other Spotify users. For example, Spotify’s recaps may let an individual know that they were in the “top 5%” or “top .5%” of listeners of a specific artist or band over the past year. Overall, Spotify’s 2020 Wrapped aims to let users “see how they listened in 2020,” share their music habits with friends, and review the art that helped them get through the past whirlwind of a year.

Just as this data suggests, pop and show tunes are my favorite types of music to listen to. I’m surprised that classical didn’t make the list, but for those who may not know, bow pop is considered the combination of pop music and orchestral string instruments.

I admit that seeing everyone else’s sparked interest in my own Spotify Wrapped. While I didn’t share my results on social media, I’ll provide some of them as examples of this year’s features. Some results were expected, like my top genres. Spotify also included information about top songs. For me, my top song was “Heart of Stone” from Six (a musical that I happened to write a blog post about). This song can be attributed to themes of steadfastness, endurance, and patience, which were important to me during 2020. Indeed, Spotify lists user’s top song as the “one song that helped you get through it all.” Additional information on the top song includes when they first started listening to it and its total streams, which is new to 2020’s Spotify Wrapped.

The 2020 version includes a slew of new features, including personalized playlists, quizzes, and options for customized social sharing. This year, Spotify Premium users can also earn badges. I earned a “pioneer” badge, for example, for listening to a song before it hit 50,000 streams. I began paying for Spotify premium once I entered college, as my Spotify usage increased with all the hours spent studying and streaming music. I normally don’t pay for these kinds of services, but I was enticed by the student discount and the convenience of all kinds of ad-free albums, playlists, and more available at my fingertips. The time spent listening to music has only increased throughout this past year, and it is interesting to see the data in a condensed, colorful format.

Seeing RADWIMPS on this list surprised me, but that’s what I get for listening to the Your Name movie soundtrack on repeat.

Inside the Spotify app, you can find your personalized recap for 2020 by scrolling down to “2020 Wrapped” and tapping “see how you listened in 2020.” While it can be monotonous clicking through Instagram stories to see the same content over and over, it’s interesting to see what type of music others enjoy. Additionally, it can be an opportunity to check out new genres, artists, and more based on your friends’ selection. Besides looking at the pre-configured Spotify Wrapped, you can also visit friends’ profiles and see a combination of public playlists and the artists they follow.

While this post may seem like a Spotify advertisement, the popularity of Spotify and its “2020 Wrapped” goes to show how important music is to many. Spotify’s emphasis on the chaos of 2020 is a bit cheesy, but it holds some truth in how music has helped many get through the past year. While we may not be able to attend concerts and other performances, technology and increasing online accessibility allow us to still enjoy and appreciate our favorite songs and artists. Recapping our listening habits encourages us to reminisce about the art that has helped us cope with the loneliness of quarantine and craziness of the COVID-19 pandemic.