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A Musical Web!

Cool (West Side Story)

This song is so much more than the audio recording. It has to be viewed as a full performance with the musical's actors and dancers otherwise you will never appreciate it the way Leonard Bernstein intended for you to, I'm positive. The full scale choreography with that goes along with the lyrics and melody is so impressive. The way each of the dancers move mirroring one another is so in sync. You can really feel the movement of the rhythm and the musical notes in their steps, and watch their bodies reflect each instrument played in the song. I loved reading that West Side Story is one of the only musicals to be directed by a choreographer. That fact is very evident in this performance in particular. 

I can absolutely hear the Latin, jazz, classical, and rock influences in this song. I especially loved the jazz aspects. The orchestra in the background gets louder and more dramatic as the song progresses, which makes for a much more exciting dance performance and song. The strings and the saxophone are my favorite aspects of the score. They bring so much life and drama to this ensemble. I also love that the characters are snapping their fingers throughout the song. It adds another instrument all together because the combined sound of their snaps creates a light beat for the rest of the orchestra to follow. It is so exciting to listen to the back and forth between the soft snaps without and other background music, to the full scale orchestra. This was one of my favorite listening logs to do!

Maple Leaf Rag by: Scott Joplin

This song is so light and lovely to listen to over and over. I realized after listening to it again today, that one of the reasons I am so drawn to this piece is because I used to learn and play a lot of Joplin’s music on the piano when I was younger. I learned how to play "The Entertainer” early on as a kid, long before this class, and long before I understood who Scott Joplin was and why he was so significant. 

The piano in “Maple Leaf Rag”sounds so upbeat and exciting throughout the song. This is not only one of my favorites, but it is one of the first and most influential ragtime hits. Scott Joplin gained tremendous success for this song and you can tell why by listening to it. The melody is catchy and makes you want to dance or move around, and never stop. The quick-paced rhythm is is a classic example of typical ragtime patterns. The syncopation of the melody on the right hand, higher notes, compliment the left handed steady playing of the lower notes very well. It grounds the composition of the song, and is one of the things that makes ragtime so satisfying to listen to. It’s crazy to imagine that this style of music was once a national craze, without any lyrics! 

The Murder (Psycho)

This song makes me cringe every time I hear it. I appreciate it more now that I know that those high pitched screeching noises are coming from a violin, and played by a man who was classically trained at New York University and Juliard. However, I can't listen to it more than a few times because it makes me so uncomfortable. Even re-listening to it now for this final exam post, I couldn't hear it more than once!

I could completely see this being a shocking piece to have had composed during the time period it was released because it is still shocking to listen to to this day. I have never seen Psycho to it's full extent, but this scene is extremely famous so of course everybody knows this song and the images of black and white blood spiraling down the shower drain. The many layers of the strings in this song are helpful in adding to the anticipation. I like the lower sounding bass level strings the most, but that is probably because they provide relief to my ears after hearing the opening! You can tell as this song progresses that something violent or extreme is happening in the beginning, and as the song slows and hits lower notes, whatever it was has ended. The lower notes being played are less aggressive and come off as more sad and accepting of defeat. This is without a doubt a classic piece that isn't necessarily something that should be performed on a stage, but is perfect for the cinema, and perfect for Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho.

The Imperial March (Star Wars) by: John Williams

I think most of us have heard the Imperial March in some context atleast once in our lives. This is an iconic score that creates the perfect amount of thrill and anticipation. With it's slow build ups in the strings and the quiet flutes (my favorite part), leading into the strong and powerful brass section that carries the famous melody we all know, this song could create a cinematic masterpiece through sound alone. 

I think the drum section (and symbols especially) compliment the melody perfectly. It creates the marching sound of an army, which Darth Vador (the central character this was created for) leads in the Star Wars films. As the song progresses, it gets more complex, with more variation in the way that the chorus is played, adding more instruments and more build up. However, for the most part this song repeats the same melody over and over again. That isn't a problem because the melody is so powerful, but I like that the song as a whole differentiates each repetition of that melody. I would love to see this performed by a live orchestra! I've only ever seen it played in the background of the movies, and that is amazing, but I think that this song is fantastic and would be so exciting to see performed by a team of extraordinarily talented musicians live! In my opinion, John Williams is a musical genius.

Rhapsody in Blue by: George Gershwin

This is one of my all time favorite classical pieces to listen to. As a child I watched Fantasia 2000 every road trip my family ever went on. I think that Rhapsody in Blue will always remind me of the big city because of the way Disney illustrated this classic piece. Its interesting to then read about Gershwin being inspired by the 'steely rhythms' of the train, and of the 'vast melting pot' of America at the time he was composing this. 

One of my favorite things about this song is how different it is at so many parts. Its long, and that allows for so much variation between sections of the orchestra. I love the piano solos, which I now know are played by Gershwin himself, and the fact that each instrument seems to take a turn showing off what it can bring to the table. I also love that the rhythm of this piece flips back and forth between fast paced and slower. While the sound gets slower, it sometimes gets softer too, and I imagine someone crouching down and hiding. Just when it gets to the quietest moments, BANG! The brass section blares and you are startled back into reality. Its pretty obvious that this is a full orchestra telling a story through music. The song is so dynamic and beautiful, it will always be exciting to listen too.

A musical web definitely connects many genres and pieces of music we have studied over the course of this semester. Music is very fluid, and no new piece of music can ever be created (especially today) without having slight influences from performances before it. As many genres of music are being developed, they are continuously evolving from variations of other styles before their time.  One of my favorite things about music (that I think is important to mention now) is that there are thousands of different sub categories and styles within larger genres. So many musicians are so unique in their sound, it’s hard to peg any one artist with an umbrella genre, especially today. 

Looking back, I think Rhapsody in Blue could easily connect within the musical web with Scott Joplin’s Maple Leaf Rag, and many of his other ragtime pieces. Of course the two are similar because of they feature the piano, but I think their similarities truly lie within the light heartedness of the way they are played. Rhapsody in blue has a very long, up and down, story telling-like way of piano playing. However, at many points during this song the piano is used to create an exciting and up beat moment that has a similar overall sound to Joplin’s happy ragtime. Another artist I could connect would be Blind Lemon Jefferson’s Prison Cell Blues and Hank Williams’ “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry”. Country and Blues are another example of genres that have evolved a great deal over the years and had significant influences on one another. Early country, like with Hank Williams’ style can be a lot slower and more emotional like Blues typically is. Both of these performances include slow rhythms with the strumming of the guitar, and an equally as slow singing style. The lyrics from each song also pull from stories of personal struggles with each of the artists. 

There are so many examples of connections within the musical web. With my featured Listening Logs, you can hear the same style of jazzy brass in West Side Story’s Cool, in many swanky and exciting parts of Rhapsody in Blue. You can easily compare John William’s genius way of scoring Star Wars, always to fitting perfectly with the mood of the plot and character(s), to Bernard Herrmann’s thrilling and terrifying mood of his strings that was a perfect match for it’s scene in Pyscho. I think music styles and artists will always have connections with one another when you break it down to the individual song level. That’s one of the many things that makes music so great! I have learned a lot of lessons from this class during this semester, and that is definitely one of them. Many of the things I’ve learned will probably stick with me forever, but I can’t thank you enough for reminding me to slow down and try to understand and appreciate a song in every possible way. 

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Mumford and Sons, I Will Wait

On Saturday, September 16th, at around 9 pm, I attended a Mumford and Sons concert at the popular Atlanta music festival, Music Midtown. I had never seen this band perform before, but I had always heard great things. To put it simply, I was blown away.

This is a photo of my sister and I inside one of the tents where they sold drinks and food (my dad was working). We climbed up on the fence for most of the concert and watched from above the crowd. It was a very fun night! 

The atmosphere of this festival was pretty amazing. The temperature had cooled off a bit by the time Mumford and Son’s started their set, which was a relief because it had been very hot and sunny all day. Also because of that, there was a sense of relief and relaxation early on in their set list. The venue was a very large park in Midtown, Atlanta so way in the back of the field (away from the mob at the front of the stage) people were on picnic blankets and sitting on the grassy hills with their friends and family.

The band was dressed well, somewhere in between business casual and swanky late night jazz club musician. By the time their show was an hour in, people were lit up with excitement. You could see it in the way the crowd moved as a whole. Because Cari (my sister) and I were seated higher up on the fence, we could watch the crowd swaying and jumping up and down together as one during some of the crazier upbeat performances. It was honestly an incredible sight. 

Mumford and Sons has never been one of my favorite bands, but this night was special because seeing them live made me respect and appreciate their talent so much more. Marcus Mumford, the lead singer, had an incredible voice and presence on the stage. One of my favorite songs he did was called “I Will Wait”. This song builds and builds with excitement, giving the crowd so much energy, and making everyone on stage start dancing and playing their parts as hard as they can. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGKfrgqWcv0

This link is an example of their live performance of this song a few years ago at the Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado. The performance they did at Piedmont Park this past September was similar, but with a much larger crowd. 

Mumford and Sons combines aspects of alternative rock, folk, and bluegrass in their music. One of the reasons their live performances are so great is because every member of the band knows how to sing and play so many instruments. They have a stand up bass, a banjo, piano, drums, electric and acoustic guitars, and even a fiddle sometimes. The picking techniques that Marcus and his bandmates are capable of is truly so incredible to see in person. They are very talented musicians. A lot of their performances pick up the rhythm and intensity towards the end of the song, like with “I Will Wait”. It’s sort of their signature style. The strumming and picking is usually pretty complex when you hear all of the instruments overlap in sound. What makes the song even more audibly satisfying is the harmonies in their singing voices. This band has four main members, and during many of their songs, all four of them sing together in harmony like an a cappella group. This is fairly common in folk and blue grass genres, but Mumford and Sons has made this another trademark for their sound. “I Will Wait” in particular has a lot of harmonies during the verses and chorus. The chorus of this song doesn’t follow the typical patterns with lyrics. It repeats the same line “I will wait, I will wait for you” four times. Some people might call this repetition lazy or annoying, but this is one of my favorite parts about the song. 

The lyrics for “I Will Wait” are very powerful. As with many of their songs, this one tells a story. The lyrics are emotional and filled with beautiful metaphors. I would call this song a “Native Ballad” because it was composed in America, but it follows many traditional sounds and styles of Anglo-Celtic ballads. It also has a poetic form given it’s natural rhyme scheme and rhythm. I think the melody to this song in particular is very catchy and well balanced. This song is very emotional and inspiring to me, and to so many of their fans. When the melody picks up speed and the chorus comes around, especially the last time in the song, the energy of the crowd is hard to explain. When I saw this song performed with my sister, it was one of those moments that makes you so happy to be there, in the moment, experiencing it with all of these people at the same time. 

The end of the show, as it usually is, was the best part of the concert. The band had fireworks and streamers flown into the air when they played their final song “The Wolf’. The lights were flashing and going in crazy directions, and people we're cheering so loud! This was an amazing experience to have had with my sister, especially at an outdoor venue so close to where we grew up! It’s a memory I will always hold on to. 

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How John Williams Transformed Music in Cinema

In my opinion, John Williams is a musical genius. 

Born in 1932 in New York, Williams was raised by a jazz percussionist, Johnny Williams, his father. His family moved to Los Angeles, California while Williams was in high school, and Williams ended up attending college at the University of California, Los Angeles where he studied classical music. After college, Williams spent a brief time in the Air Force, where he directed the marching band in his free time. When he returned home, he entered the Juliard School where he studied classical piano. 

Today, John��Williams has won 23 Grammy awards in his career. He has been nominated for 50 Academy Awards and is the second most nominated individual for these awards after Walt Disney. That makes him the most nominated living person ever! It seems like every big blockbuster hit from the past 6 decades had some essence of Williams involved. E.T., Harry Potter, Indiana Jones, Star Wars, Superman, Jaws. When I think back, every single one of these movies has a famous theme song that most everybody can hum the tune of off the top of their head. Williams is also very well known for working closely with acclaimed director Steven Spielberg. When the two met in 1973, neither had made it big in Hollywood yet. Williams wrote musical scores for Spielberg’s very first feature film, and the two of them won Oscars two years later for ‘Jaws’, a film which brought back the popularity of classical orchestra music in film, thanks to Williams. For the next few decades, it seems like every time Spielberg was working on a big film, he wanted only the best to score it. He knew who the best was. 

I think one of the reasons John Williams’ musical scores are so successful is because they are specifically written and catered towards the character or characters they are about. Each is unique and exciting in it’s own way. Some are spooky, and eerie like Jaws with its simple yet creepy slow deep notes played on the piano and the strings. It builds with incredible intensity, making your heart automatically race!

When he talks about some of his most influential theme songs, John Williams has a fairly simple view. He was quoted in an article written about him in Variety Magazine saying “Everything was written in the service of some film function. That’s as far as my creative thinking would have gone. You never write a theme for a movie thinking, ‘this will live forever’. 

http://variety.com/2016/film/spotlight/john-williams-afi-1201792072-1201792072/

I think in this particular interview John Williams is being very humble, but at the same time, his success has been measured on a global impact scale. That must be crazy for one man to think back and reflect on. He is passionate about music and composing, and passionate about film. His hard work paid off, and is so inspiring for me, and many generations of film lovers to come. 

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Soundtrack for a Revolution

“We have had worse than this, we can endure”

This was a fascinating documentary film to watch. It digs deep into segregation and the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 60s. One of the best aspects of the film is the interviews provided with many famous Civil Rights leaders, actors, musicians, etc. There are people of all ages, but the most interesting to me are the stories told by the older generations of African Americans. They tell of first hand encounters they had during this time period, which is unbelievable to hear. For extreme segregation and racism to be a part of everyday life, it seems like a century ago when I think about it now. The reality is that there are many many people alive today that experienced it within their lifetime. 

This documentary reflects on the powerful music that moved many people during this social revolution. Many African Americans were inspired by older negro spiritual songs, and revisited them for the civil rights movement. Music will always be able to empower and motivate people because not only can it can bring them together, but it can get your blood pumping! Many of these songs were already songs of protest and rebellion, so they fit the emotions of the crowd perfectly. One quote I loved from this film came from Rev. Harold Middlebrook; “Music was our way of communicating, and singing was our way of expressing inner emotion-- When the movement comes, being that there is that spiritual quality ---- you take that which has expressed your innermost feelings over the centuries and you use that as a vehicle to express the suffering and emotion that you feel at this given time”

A lot of the music was practiced within churches, in a gospel genre. The songs would have a lot of traditional gospel qualities, but would also be heavily “call and response” based. The lyrics could be tossed around the crowds of people, bouncing off of one another’s emotion and suffering as Rev. Middlebrook said. These songs could then be carried into the streets during many of Dr. Martin Luther King’s non-violent protests, where people could sing as they marched, and feel united through music. The strength and courage it must have taken to stand together and take action like this, is absolutely remarkable. Dr. King and so many other activists were able to create a massive movement from scratch. These people changed the reality of their present day, when it seemed like there was a barrier in every direction they turned. The music that was rehearsed and performed during this time period is so historically powerful, it will inspire people forever. 

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Stereotypes in the Media

This is an issue that is very important to me. Gender and Racial equality are heavily discussed in the media today, and for good reason. The average woman is still getting paid less than the average man, and additionally hold fewer leadership roles in the majority of the work world. The same goes for African American men and women. The reason we find so many popular songs today that are diving into social issues like these, is because these issues are not being fixed! We need music to act as an “agent of change” because as much as the public is aware of social issues, we still need something to push us into taking action. 

As I mentioned in one of my discussion posts this module, the stereo types for black men and women in Hollywood are still out there. It isn’t outwardly racist to make a black woman play, the outrageous, funny, loud, mad woman. 

(Example: Glee’s character Mercedes Jones)

But it feeds into the stereotype in a not very subtle way. The problem with this? Labeling. Not every African American female is loud and ridiculous, and they definitely don’t want everyone in the world assuming they are. And it’s not just role-casting, it’s also about the importance of their role in the script. Often times minorities are cast as the “friend” the “sidekick” or the person who’s sole purpose is to give comic relief, and some sort of variation from the main plot. Many women (of all races) are still often cast with lower importance. According to a study I found published through Huffington Post, “Across all platforms, women on screen were more likely to play “personal life-oriented roles,” while men on screen were more likely to play “work-oriented” roles.” Meaning women on average can be found playing the “mother” or the “wife” more often then they are found as the protagonist, or productive character in the middle of the action. According to this article, this is likely a product of the real world gender bias in employment, as most of the people creating these characters and storylines are men writing from a male perspective. 

The author gives examples, “Across platforms, a “startlingly high” percentages of shows employed zero women behind-the-scenes: 97 percent had no women cinematographers, 85 percent had no women directors, 75 percent had no women editors, 74 percent had no women creators, 67 percent had no women writers, 23 percent had no women producers and 20 percent had no women executive producers.”

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/tv-gender-stereotypes-boxed-in-report-2017_us_59b814cce4b02da0e13cac47

I know that change takes time, and slowly we are seeing more and more minorities defying their typical roles in the media. But social progress needs action and publicity to continue on. Now is not the time to put on the brakes, but a time for us to work together to move forward because yes we are getting better, but we are not even close to where we need to be to reach societal equality.

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History of the Blues

The documentary provided for our class teaches about the origin and progress of the classic music genre: The Blues. Like many styles of music, the blues is a reflection of the time period, and hardships of the people living at that era. The Blues started around the time that the slaves were freed by Abraham Lincoln, and the Civil War came to an end. The south couldn’t accept defeat, and as a result severe racism and mistreatment of former slaves was extremely common. Freed slaves struggled to find decent work and many could not support themselves at all. As this lifestyle became more and prevalent in the south, the emotional, drawn out, story-telling style of Blues singing came to the surface. 

When I listen to the singing style provided by many artists throughout the documentary, I can really hear the pain and emotion in their voices. The narrator goes into the long history of the blues during different sections of the movie. He describes the many hardships that African Americans faced during the early days, but also how these conditions did not improve for many many years. It’s interesting to hear the context for the blues while the movie’s images from the time period are fading into each other, juxtaposed with the sad blues music in the background. The combination of all of these aspects of the film really make you feel like you can understand (as well as anyone on the outside can) what it might have been like for a person writing and performing these songs. The raspy rough sound of the performer’s singing voices tell of a person who has been going through hard times, long days, and personal struggles. 

The imagery, as I mentioned earlier is dissolving and overlapping into one another throughout the entire film. The way this is done is quite powerful to watch and one of my favorite parts about this documentary. Towards the middle of the film, as the blues progresses with more instruments, I particularly enjoyed the overlapping of the live performances. The trumpet players, the close ups of the strumming of the banjo, the clarinet, and even the piano are shown overlapping at the same time, and sometimes even flipped back and forth with more imagery from the early 1900s. These instruments reflect the some of the jazz roots of the Blues. As this music genre progressed, it became more of a full stage, multi-instrumental performance. More instruments were added, and they often times replaced the melodies of the singing voices, rather than simply adding to the background of a singer. As far as it developed, most musicians kept to the harmonic and musical structure of 12 beats. As mentioned in the documentary, the blues was one of the pillars of jazz music during this time period, and has stayed relevant and influential to many music styles to this day.

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My Thoughts on Amazing Grace (Film)

“Amazing Grace” was a very interesting to film to watch. The song “Amazing Grace” has so much history, and has thousands of different interpretations. I loved the way the film continued visiting different people all over the world to hear their version of the song, and what this song means to them. The family in Kentucky stood out to me because of their nostalgic family connection with “Amazing Grace”. One woman said that whenever she hears hymns being sung by the family or at church, she can't help but start to tear up and she doesn't know why that happens. Another man at the family reunion said that he has known the song for as long as he can remember, sung by both his father and his mother to him when he was a little boy. I think thats probably true for many people around the world, although we may not realize it. Songs with such a wide reach of recognition are always going to make you feel connected with people, which is one thing that is so great about “Amazing Grace”. 

I think for me personally I prefer the more rural- folk versions of the song. The ‘song leader’ Dewey Williams from the South Alabama was extremely moved by the song, and I love his slow rhythm and deep voice when he performs it. You can tell that he also gets pretty emotional when he sings “Amazing Grace” in the way he sings it to his singing group at the church. “When I sing Amazing Grace, I can’t help it it just do somethin to me” he says in the film. I love that! I love that it’s his 91st birthday and he has listened to and sang this song since he was a little boy. 

My favorite quote from this film is probably “You get so much more out of the song when you relish the notes and savor the tune”. If you think about that quote, it helps you understand why so many interpretations of this song are sung in a slow and dramatic way. I think it’s sad that music culture has changed so much over the years straying away from this style of singing. We still see emotional performances of songs, but most popular styles of music are much faster paced, and less about the details of each note and lyric. Personally I have always connected more with slower songs. I don’t think that style will ever totally die out, just because we as human beings connect so well to it. And for that same reason, I don’t believe “Amazing Grace” will never be forgotten. 

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The History of Country Music

Early country is very rural and rustic. A lot of times it was referred to in some form or another as a ‘string band’, meaning all of the musical instruments (guitar, banjo, mandolin, fiddle, etc) were string instruments. A lot of the early hits had a simpler melody with more of a folksy sound. Hank Williams is one of the founding fathers of country music, and he helped transition country music away from its “hillbilly” image as his songs became more popular. He was a very talented musician, and known as a songwriting machine. Today there are not as many “country” artists who have the same sound, but I would say that is because country now has many sub-genres in the music world. One of my favorite bands “Old Crow Medicine Show” is a country string band with a folky-blue grass sound. Their songs could surely be derived from masters of early country like Hank Williams. 

This song “Big Time in the Jungle” is a perfect example of a classic country string band. They have a banjo player, several acoustic guitars, an upright bass, harmonica, and a fiddle. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xf1GWubgn0

Another song that has early country roots is “I’ll Fly Away”. Originally written as a gospel song by Albert E. Brumley, I wanted to include it because it has been covered by so many folk and country singers since its original release, including the Kossoy Sisters in the 1950s. It was most recently covered by contemporary country artists like Allison Krauss & Gillian Welch. The more recent versions of this song stay fairly true to the older country interpretations. It is usually sung with beautiful harmonies and many string instruments in the background. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNqpWMg_m0E

If I was to compare modern “radio country” to old timey artist like Hank, it would be a lot more difficult to find similarities. They best way to trace contemporary artists back to the roots of country music is through their southern accents, there acoustic instruments (which are less and less common) and their lyrics. The most common country music today, is more in the sub genre of country- pop. However, there is still success in slower, acoustic, more down to earth songs that tell a story like in the old times country days. Kenny Chesney is an southern country artist who has a lot of slower acoustic hits. One of my favorites it called “You and Tequila” . It is a love song, with small accents of country-rock, but contemporary country song nonetheless. The lyrics are beautifully written, and reminiscent of how important songwriting was to earlier artists.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8XkLrErSHw

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Muddy Waters

Muddy Waters was one of the most iconic Blues musicians of the mid to late 20th century. He is often called the “father of modern Chicago blues”. Born McKinley Morganfield in Mississippi. He was discovered by Alan Lomax in 1941 and recorded for the Library of Congress. Two years later he headed to Chicago to become a full time musician. He worked in a factory by day, and played at clubs and opened for live shows at night. Muddy Waters bounced around the music scene for another few years before gathering any fame He picked up the electric guitar in 1944 to try to amplify his sound for large audiences. 

Around 1946, Waters was signed to then Aristocrat Records, but it wasn’t until 2 years later, when the Chess brothers changed their name to “Chess Records”, that Muddy Waters became a household name with his classic hit “Rollin’ Stone”. Since then dozens of his records have become blues classics and have been covered by many rock and roll artists. “The Rolling Stones” even named their band after the song “Rollin’ Stone”. 

My favorite songs by Muddy Waters are:

“Baby Please Don't Go”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EOwNItKOyo

"Mannish Boy”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32YQYJuxyn0

“Rollin’ Stone”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5RwNit_HUw

Mannish Boy might be one of the most famous blues tunes in history, and for good reason. I love the simple short melody that repeats itself over and over. The slow beat, and rhythm of the harmonica bass and guitar allows for Muddy Waters to tell a story into the mic; slow, and rhyming, but not your typical singing voice. This unique aspect of the song is what makes Muddy Waters so great. The slower aspects of his blues singing are classic blues, but mostly because he contributed to making this style standard. His slow story-telling singing style and simple melody is evident in Rollin’ Stone as well. This song was released shortly after Waters started playing the electric guitar, rather than acoustic. As per usual, his guitar riffs and chord progressions are played brilliantly. 

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The Band

As I mentioned in my discussion post, when I think about family and music, I think about my dad. My dad and I have a very special relationship through music. When I was about 7 years old my dad decided to buy himself a guitar and start practicing it. Around the same time I took my first piano lesson with Mrs. Lucky, a 90 year old woman who lived down the street from us. As she taught me, my dad taught himself. He practiced every day in his office after he got home from work. I loved listening to him. When we moved back to Atlanta from Raleigh, my dad got back together with all his old friends. Since he had returned with new skills, he started to get together with some of his friends to hang out and “jam out” in our basement. They got together every couple weeks, then every week, then eventually multiple times a week. At some point along the way they added a drummer, which my mom could not STAND. 

One year after we had returned to Atlanta, my dad and his friends had put together a whole band. He had found his new passion. They would practice two  times a week or more if they could all get together, and I would sneak down a couple steps of the stairwell to spy and listen to the music. I could also hear the  music through the air vent in my room upstairs (which I loved to fall asleep too). On the band’s off nights, my dad would go downstairs to “the band room” and listen to the recordings from the previous nights, playing along to them on his guitar. This whole situation was so special and romantic to me at the time. I thought I had the coolest dad in the world. 

The best part is, the older I got, and better I became at guitar and piano, the more I was able to participate. Now instead of spying and sneaking around I can actually sit down and play songs with them.  Today, it makes me sad that I can’t go downstairs at night and listen to recordings with my dad, but theres nothing like coming home for the weekend and trading new music we've found while we've been away. Family and music go hand and hand in my life, and I think I’ve been very lucky to have experienced music the way I did while growing up. 

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Introduction

Hi! My name is Ellen Elizabeth Ericson.

I am a senior at the University of Georgia studying Mass Media Arts and Studio Art. I originally am from Atlanta, Georgia. I grew up there and graduated in 2014 from Grady High School in the Virginia Highlands. I love this city for many reasons and feel very lucky to have been brought up there. 

One big reason Atlanta is one of my favorite places is music scene within the city. I have been to dozens of concerts at various different venues growing up and each of them was a unique experience. One of my favorite shows from my memory was the Grouplove concert I went to in high school, housed at one of the oldest most beautiful performing arts centers in the city, the Tabernacle. I went to this show with two of my best friends and we had an incredible time. We love this band because of the pop/dance style and the catchy lyrics. This show was especially fun because I knew almost every word to every song.

One thing to know about my music style is that I get a lot of my base level of interest from my dad. When I was 10 he gave me his old classic iPod as a gift. This iPod had over 10,000 songs on it and featuring many styles of music but mainly classic rock. I also grew up listening to mix cd’s he would make me featuring songs by Bowie, the Rolling Stones, Wilco, Donna the Buffalo, Cake, the Beatles, Bob Marley, Led Zeppelin, Yes, the Talking Heads, Scissor Sisters, and many more. I’m not sure if my dad is the reason I like these genre’s the most, or if I got lucky and ended up liking the same type of music as him, but either way these artists have a huge impact on me to this day. 

These days I would have to say I can’t decide on a favorite band, but maybe a top 5 or top 10.... in no particular order. Everyone says “I like all music” but it;s never actually 100% true. I do like a wide range of artists, and will switch back and forth depending on my mood. However, at the end of the day you can always tell a difference between the groups of bands I fall back on and the groups that someone else will. 

Here is a list to get a sense:

Wilco

Coldplay (up until Viva La Vida and no further)

Beyonce

Grace Potter & The Nocturnals

Radiohead

The Rolling Stones

Led Zeppelin

The Avett Brothers

Dr. Dog

David Bowie

Dave Matthews Band

The National

Tame Impala

***The top 3 would probably be Coldplay, Beyonce, Wilco... if I had to choose...

Here are a few of my all time favorite songs:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4V3Mo61fJM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKNxeF4KMsY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8XFFTWwSvY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7in-9E3ImQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5h0qHwNrHk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2c2ezycK4M

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDIz4talyQk