In Despina Markakis’ presentation she finds a connection between music and animal cruelty. Despina found that many animal welfare organizations use music to connect with people and their cause. Examples of these groups are Music Against Animal Cruelty, and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals or (ASPCA). These groups use lyrics, background music, and musicians to perform for their charity. The first song she uses as an example is “Behind the Mask” by Goldfinger which speaks out on animal liberation and radicalism in the animal liberation movement. The second song she uses is “Exotic Animals Suite: I. Exotic Birds” by Mark Dal Porto which uses woodwinds to recreate bird noises.  

If I wrote about this topic the music I would choose would be “In the Arms of an Angel” by Sarah McLachlan, and “Get Off My Back” by Bryan Adams. The first song is connected to the infamous ASPCA commercial about neglected animals needed for adoption. The commercial uses the sad lyrics of wanting to be cared and loved for to convince people who watch the commercial to help these animals. The most musically interesting moment would have to be the very beginning because as soon as you hear it you might tear up a bit. The second song is less well known and is used in the movie “Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron.” The song is used in the part of the movie where Spirit, the horse, is trying to be tamed by the ranchers who captured him. the entire time spirit is bucking them off not wanting to be tamed by them. The song is supposed to show the unwillingness of the horse and the cruelty he is put under. The chorus is full of energy and emotion that can only be described as anger and frustration. 

I am part of the Roman Catholic Church, and music has been a part of my religion since medieval times. Gregorian chant was what was heard in medieval Catholic churches and was the first music to be written down using an early form of staff notation, which modern musical notation is descended from (Unit 11 Reading Packet pgs. 11-12). This monophonic music was used as a way to pray to and worship God. Nowadays the Catholic Church uses psalms and hymns as a way to worship God and the Saints with music. Other ways that music is used in the Catholic Church is by expressing someone strong belief and trust in the faith. Certain music is also used for certain occasions such as a wedding or a funeral that ties into God as well. A piece of music associated with the Catholic Church is the song “One Bread One Body.” This hymn is sung throughout the portion of church where communion is given to the congregation. The hymn uses a syllabic text setting sung by a choir and the congregation. It is common to hear an organ, or a piano being played throughout the hymn. The hymn is meant to express how we are all one in the same with our Lord and how we should be brought together because of Him.

The one and only concert I have ever been to was a Queen tribute band called Almost Queen a few years back. They performed Queen songs with are in the genre of rock. The concert took place in an inside concert theater. The stage was placed in the middle with seating all around. The concert was a surprise for me and my cousins that were visiting from Tennessee near the end of the summer. The performers dressed just like the original Queen band did in the 80’s. The audience and I dressed casually, some in Queen shirts. The performers would sometimes interact with the audience, with both sides singing lyrics back and forth. The reformers would move around the stage especially the one who resembled Freddie who danced and moved around the stage the most. The audience would whoop and cheer and sing along through the entire performance, which is exactly what I expected because I did the exact same thing. This performance was very similar to the one we saw in class with Khalid said. Everyone was singing, dancing along, swaying to the music, and having their phones out to take pictures and video. Both performances showed life and excitement. 

In the first article the author believes that on the night of the premiere of “the rite of spring” a riot took place in the theatre. Because of the unnatural choreography and music, the audience of the theater showed clear hate shouting and throwing objects onto the stage. Some reports say that the police were called, and that people were kicked out of the theater. In the second article the author argues about what happened at the premiere. Many of the first-hand accounts came from people sitting on the balcony who might have been overwhelmed by the music projected to them. The dancers’ stomping movements were inspired by dances in Siberia, these exotic dancers were translated into humor of the European dance halls which caused people to laugh. There were no accounts of physical violence only verbal assault against the people laughing. Because of the dynamics between upper and middle class and various cultural backgrounds, things got a little heated. The play had five encores at the end of the night. Many of the rumors had started because of miscommunication. I believe if I was there the night of the premiere, I’d be a little confused but would have enjoyed the uniqueness of the music and choreography. 

The song “Come Together” was originally by The Beatles in 1969 as an opening song in the Abby Road album. John Lennon originally wrote it as Timothy Leary’s campaign song to run for governor of California. Although the campaign failed the group still decided to use the song. This ran The Beatles into legal trouble against Leary who was upset that they were using his campaign song, as we know the Beatles won and kept the song. The lyrics of the song can seem nonsensical due to the slang used in the song. The song describes each member of the band about what they are like and what they enjoy. In 1978 the group Aerosmith did a rock cover of the song, with it becoming an extremely popular cover of the original song. Both songs are similar with each keeping the same melody and lyrics. The tempo keeps an easy pace, with a homophonic texture to the song. At (2:00) in the original version it goes into an instrumental section. In the cover, Aerosmith uses more electric guitar and drums. The lyrics are sung harsher and there is more energy. Even with the slight differences the song still holds the same energy and meaning, It’s just in a different kind of voice. 

A piece of music technology I have chosen is the drums. Drums are a type of membranophone, a category of instruments where sound is produced by a stretched membrane. The drums’ purpose is to keep the appropriate beat for the song or piece of music it is being played in. To do that a drummer, or percussionist, must hit the drumhead at the correct time in the song to create the beat or melody of the song. Other ways percussionists use the drums are by hitting the rim of the drum, hitting both the rim and the drumhead at the same time, or using a different item other than a drumstick to hit the drum like a brush. All these methods can create different sounds on the drum. But some people have not always used drums to keep a song in time, but instead used it to walk or march in time to the beat of the drum. I have played the drums for a little over 9 years now, giving me extensive experience with this technology which I enjoy using very much. An example of a piece of music using this technology is Van Hale’s “Hot for Teacher.” The song immediately starts with only the drums setting a fast pace for the music and an overall tone making the song energetic and fun to listen to.

One of my favorite songs to listen to is “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” by Tears for Fears. Tears for Fears is an English pop rock group, started by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith in Bath, England in 1981. The song came out on March 22, 1985, in the “Songs from the Big Chair” album. They were immensely popular in the 80’s all over the world and are still active and well loved by many today. The “pop rock” genre, that this song is placed in, is a genre of rock music that does not focus on attitude, but more on professional songwriting and recording craft. The song’s rhythm is set at an easy medium pace, where you can tap your toe to the beat while walking down the street. The homophonic texture of the song is beautifully arranged with the song starting with a simple two-layer harmony that leads to the percussion and the lyrics of the song. “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” has such an easily discernible sound, mostly due to its popularity, that I can recognize the second the song starts. A part of the song that sticks out to me is a little passed the halfway mark in the song at around 2:30. They put an echoing effect on the guitar solo that pared well with the changing dynamics and consonant harmony to the song.  

The classical period of music takes place between 1750 and 1820. From what I know this era is known as a time of “enlightenment” and life gravitating towards reason, science, and individual rights. New instrumental genres of symphonies and string quartets started in this era. The middle class began to grow more, which meant an increase in demand for more public concerts outside of the usual churches and courts. Some of the well-known composers of that time are Franz Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Ludwig van Beethoven. In the textbook, they state that “In music, composers of the early classical period discarded complex textures, learned compositional techniques such as fugal imitation, and grandeur in favor of transparent textures, a single melody supported by a subordinate accompaniment, and somewhat superficial sentiments.”

What interests me the most about this historical period is the life and death of Mozart. I always found him interesting as a composer of the time. I l relistened to some of Mozart’s music since he was in the “Major Figures in Music” list. His music is what I expected to hear with the classical era. It’s easy to listen to and recognizable and holds plenty of emotion in each music piece.