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week 12 blog

  UPTOWN FUNK Bruno Mars Uptown Funk was released in November of 2014 by Bruno Mars. I decided to do my blog post about this song because not only have I heard it on the radio and other streaming places, but I also played it with my band in high school! This was in our 'pep band' binders that we played at both football and basketball games all the time. The song starts out with clapping on beat and a deep voice, then a guitar comes in and the chorus begins. The entire song is a very happy and upbeat song, keeping listeners entertained and intrigued. I like that the clapping is lifted for a little bit and then comes back throughout random times in the song. There is also a brass band in the main chorus of the piece that has fun beats, I like it! The lyrics to the piece have a hip-hop type style and work choice, but is appropriate for most listeners. I think this song was most likely written for a teenage audience, but again is appropriate for most listeners. The song is played a...
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week 11 blog post

 "GONE COUNTRY" ALAN JACKSON I had never heard this song, but I have recently been listening to more and more of Alan Jackson's music. I enjoy the stories that are included in the older country songs, while new country songs often do not capture this. I like the background music specifically in this piece. The song starts out with a simple guitar chord progression, then drums and other string instruments are added. I like that it starts out so simple, then things are added in as the song goes on and on. The guitar stays relatively the same throughout the piece and I like that it is one thing that stays the same.  I also like that his voice matches this underlying chord progression perfectly. He sings about 'going country' and how it can change someones life. It starts out by talking about a girl, then the second verse is about a boy, buying boots and moving towns. I like the 'small town feel' that this song almost gives off, and how relatable it can feel. ...
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week 10 blog post

 "JUMP" Van Halen This is a song that automatically sends me back to my childhood after even the first few beats. When I was growing up, my dad would take my brother and I skiing on the weekends and we would always listen to songs from this time period. This song is very unique all the way through. I think it would easily surprise a new listener right off the bat with its' cool introduction. The intro of this piece is unlike any other song I have ever heard, and would have been especially cool in this time as it is a completely new idea. It starts out with an electric feel, maybe a keyboard? It is very hard to describe, but anyone who has heard the song before could easily recognize it from the first measure. The lyrics of this piece are very simple and do not have too big of an impact on the piece, at least in my opinion. It is a "pump-up" type song as it is very upbeat and has a major or happy feel to it. If I had to guess, I would think this song was written ...
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Week 9

  Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain Willie Nelson This song has a country tone to it, but still upbeat and has some electric guitar parts. The lyrics have a sad, slow tone and pace but the electric guitar helps keep this upbeat and going. The band is very simple in the background, maybe a base and acoustic and electric guitar. The singer has a very simple voice as well, which matches the tone being created by the band or instrumentation. The singer uses twang and a country feel or voice to match the instrumentation as well. I like how well the voice of the singer is able to match with the band and join together to make a slow but connecting song. The lyrics of this piece are relatable to all those in distance from loved ones or feeling lonely. I think this song was written for a more mature audience, but can be enjoyed by all ages of audience due to the overall simplicity. My favorite part of this song is probably the lyrics and the tone of the singer because I have always enjoyed ...
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Week 8

25 or 6 to 4 Chicago As soon as I saw this song I knew this was the one I wanted to write my blog post about this week! This is not usually my genre or 'stream' of music that I listen to on my own but I played this song in band in junior high so it has stuck with me! Some parts of this song that I like are how well the lyrics match with the band. I obviously practiced and replayed this song a million times for the class, so hearing how well the lyrics match with the original band is very cool. I also like how the time or beat changes quite a bit in the piece, keeping listeners attention the entire time. In the middle of the piece, there is a big 'jam session' or solo session of the guitar but it is not necessarily an improv solo from what I can hear.  All in all I think this song is both fun to play and listen to, it brings me right back in time. I think it was most likely written for the young adult and teen audience at this time and has stuck with that generation as t...
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Week 7 Blog Post

What'd I Say  Ray Charles  This song is a new song to me, I had never heard it before. I was surprised by the long intro and 'vibe' of the song. The introduction is an only instrumental introduction that lasts for nearly the first minute of the piece. After the first minute, the singer comes in and has a very unique voice. In my opinion, I do not think his voice matches the tone that the band puts on in the introduction. After a little while, some more singers come in to join the main male singer and this balances out the piece well. I think these other singers (mostly in the background) help balance out the band and his voice so that everything blends much better. The second group singers are hard to understand as they are mostly in the background, but they do add to the noise. One thing I noticed about the piece is the increase in volume throughout the entire song, it just keeps being added and added. I think this is a cool part to the song because listeners can't get...
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Week 6

  You Can't Hurry Love The Supremes  I just chose this song because I thought it was new and I had never heard it, but I totally have! This piece was played in my calculus class my senior year during our 'work time' like everyday haha! I love this piece because the background music and the singer's voice go together so good. The song has had happy feel to it and is very upbeat. I like that there are many repetitions between the different verses which makes it an easy song to listen to and follow along with. This is one piece that you can recognize just off the bat, right from that first few beats of the piece. This song starts with just percussion, then the band comes in with a high instrument (like an alto saxophone or trumpet). After that beat, the singer comes in and joins the band. The singer remains the big part of the song for the rest of the song, but does allow the band to also crescendo and decrescendo. I like the dynamics and repetition in this piece as well. ...
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