Culture

This past week I have had the pleasure of having a foreign exchange student stay with my family. Having her around is a blast. It's like having another sister. We have done so many fun things and gotten to show her many American traditions and activities. 

She came to America in hopes of learning about our culture, and she has. At the same time, we have learned a ton about her culture in Japan. One thing that I picked up on was their music, being a huge music lover myself. I have noticed that she hums a lot in dead time. Nothing recognizable to me. I asked her what she was humming, and she told me it was a song that is Japanese. I thought this was pretty neat. 

I also have heard her sing in the shower. My room is right across from the bathroom, so I could hear a bit.  Not super loud, but loud enough that I could hear. From what I could make out, it was Japanese. I did not ask what she was singing, because, well, that's awkward.  I assume that it was a pop song in their language. I found this to be neat, because it was something we do here, with our own songs. 

The most cultural thing that I observed here was observed by the whole school. On the second day they were shadowing students, they performed at a school assembly as a form of introducing themselves to the school. They performed a dance to Japanese music while wearing a Japanese smock. It was really neat to see them all together. 

They perform every year when a group comes, and I always thought that it was a dance that they were taught here. This year, I got the chance to ask what the dance was. It is a traditional Japanese dance that they do to bring good fishing seasons. This makes sense when you look at the smocks and see that they have water, like an ocean. 

This learning experience was really cool to me. I love learning about culture, and music is my favorite. It shows me, and everyone that music is used in different cultures for different reasons. It makes me wonder how other cultures see our music and how we use it. Obviously we don't have songs to premiere fishing and rain, but more for entertainment. But is it more than this in other people's opinions? 

Will They Still Be Around?

Something that happens way to often in this generation is one hit wonders. Artists put out amazing songs, maybe a couple, toss out an album, go on tour, and that's it. They're washed up. Don't know what I mean? When was the last time you heard a Jesse McCartney song? Or Ashley Tisdale? Yeah, they were big for a while, and then they weren't. 

Most artists of our time are like this. They are huge now, and they have everything going for them. But it's just a matter of time before they stop making music and fade into our distant memories. I feel that this happens because they are only in it for the money, and the fame. Once they have made enough money to be set for life, and have had their 15 minutes in the spotlight, they are okay with just coasting through life, having a cool story to tell. 

But look at some of the artists from the past that are now legends and icons. Look at the stars that still influence music today. Michael Jackson, Madonna, Queen, Def Leppard, Aerosmith. These are artist and bands that our generation still know and love, even if we weren't around in their time. We can recognize their songs, sing along, and jam out like they belong to our generation. Our parents remember seeing them and seeing them in concert or on TV. They are the true fans. They get the chance to claim them. 

Who from our generation will live on to be remembered forever? I could see Bruno Mars sticking around. He had a lot of diverse songs and is constantly evolving with the times. Justin Timberlake is another that I could see being remembered, although he hasn't done much recently. He has songs that when they come out, they last a long time. I personally think Taylor Swift will be the new Madonna, still touring and putting out albums when she is 57 years old. She has made a lasting image for herself, and everything she releases is huge. I guess only time will tell. I'm either exactly fight, or way off base. 

The Charts

Ah, yes. The sweet sound of competition. Nothing like rubbing Number One in the face of your competitors. 

Okay, not really. "The Charts" refers to a wide variety of ranking systems for music. This is based on popularity and other factors, and ranks songs compared to others, hence the competition.  Artists don't actually compete though. They put out the best song they can and hope that it makes it to the top. If this happens, it's a confidence booster, as well as popularity and accomplishment. Having a #1 song is big for an artist. That's what every artist or band dreams of doing when they are working their way to the top. 

There are many different types of charts. Some rank singles, or plain songs. Others rank entire albums. Having a #1 album is slightly more prestigious, but both are huge accomplishments.  The list that most people pay the most attention to is The Billboard Hot 100, which ranks the top 100 songs in the country. They do this on a weekly basis, considering new and older songs. Some other charts done by Billboard break music into genres, gender, or groups vs. solo artists.   Other charts include the iHeartRadio Top 100 countdown, which is a chart that will count down the top 100 songs on the radio. There could be differences from chart to chart based on how they determine their decisions. 

Having a high ranking song is one thing, maintaining it is another. Some songs only appear for a week, others stay on the chart for months at a time. This depends again on how popular the song continues to be. Sometimes a song will stay on the charts, but it will continue to rise to the top. After peaking at a high point, it might slowly, or rapidly fall again as other songs rise and make their way to the top. 

I encourage you to look at the charts from time to time. See how artists are blossoming and growing, or how they are slowing fading to the back, then shoot right back to the top with a new singe or album. It's something that I find amusing to watch. You might too. 

Duets

 Two people singing in one song? Pretty common for a band. But what happens when two solo artists sing a song together? Well, sometimes it's purely magical. 

When you hear an artist that has a strong voice, you get goosebumps and chills and you can't stop listening to them and it's just wow. You are listening to their newest song for the first time and just as the second verse hits, it's a new person singing? What? Wasn't this a Pink Song? Now Nate Reuss has joined in? What sorcery is this? 

No, Pink did not join fun. as a second lead vocalist. The two are singing a duet. They are putting together two amazing voices to create an amazing song that will leave you begging for more. Artists often to this to create a more powerful effect with listeners, like the song I've been referencing above. (Just Give Me a Reason, Pink and Nate Reuss. Great song, linked here!! ------> http://youtu.be/OpQFFLBMEPI ) This song is talking about how she thinks he has changed, and wants a reason. He is responding that he has no clue what she is talking about, and wants a reason for her thinking. This could really be two songs on their own. But being in the same song, it makes so much more sense.  It's also a neat dynamic to see, hearing the two practically have a conversation with each other about it. 

Some other reasons artists might record a duet with another artist is to grow their fan base, get some more inspiration, or to change up their sound a bit. They are a way to help artists grow as a person, as well as in their style. By having another person on the track with them, it could force them to have to change their style. (Doing a country duet with Katy Perry will never work out. Sorry Luke Bryan, you might have to go a little more pop if you want this one to work out.) It also grows their fan base. If all the Katy Perry fans listen to the song, they might hear Luke Bryan singing, like his voice, and start listening to him more. The same goes both ways, making it a win-win situation. 

Most duets I have heard are between a male artist and a woman artist. This could be because of the bigger difference in vocal ranges and tones, or simply because there is more opportunity for song topics between a guy and a girl. I think it would be interesting to hear a bit more same gender duets. Getting Adele and Taylor Swift could be interesting. (SO MUCH HEARTBREAK!)

Duets are very fun to listen to. But not all duets are going to work out well, such as the Luke Bryan-Katy Perry example above. I mean picture that. Neithe can I. But done right, they are perfect. 

Studio vs. Live

Sometimes when you buy an album, the same song will appear twice.  This can be because of a couple different reasons.  One of the most common is because one is live.  It was recorded at a concert or performance, and put on the record.  Sometimes they have a special guest or a partner that is featured on the live track, or it is one of their more popular songs, usually a ballad, or slow song.  They put this on there as a way to show off another element of their sound, and in my opinion, as a way to get you to want to buy tickets to a show.

Many people don't like the live version of a song as much.  They think the quality is bad, and that its horrible.  They don't realize how much work it is to be on a stage under hot lights, moving around, and having thousands of people staring at you.  You would be a little nervous too.  Another element that goes into performing live is the fact that nobody is perfect.  Hitting and holding notes can be hard, and when they're complex, it's not always going to sound the same.

The biggest difference between the live version and the one that you usually hear playing, is the studio.  When an artist writes a song, if they want to put it on an album, they go into a recording studio.  They stand at a microphone and sing their song.  If they mess up, or they don't like the way it sounds, they can re-record that part.  Artists often spend hours upon hours in a studio, perfecting their sound.

Another big reason that it never sounds the same when it's live, is editing the sound.  They can make a pitch higher, or they can clean up the instruments to make it sound clean and perfect.  No matter how much a person practices, they will not be able to play the right rhythms at such a high speed every single time, sometimes even at all.  Instead, they have somebody with a computer go in and edit or make the sound.

I do not like that artists do this to make themselves sound better.  I think that it ruins the idea of talent.  If we have a computer system to make people sound good, they don't have to have much talent to be famous.  I do understand that sometimes, to make a song perfect,  and have just the right effect, you need things to be cleaner.  It's a "shades of grey" thing for if it should be used or not.

It's important to remember that when something is live, the artist has one shot.  They have one try to do it, there's no rewind in real life, and there is no trying again.  Keep this in mind as you listen to an artists live tracks, performances, or concerts.

Buying Concert Tickets

This morning, I woke up, got ready to leave, and on my way out the door, I had some time, so I got out my phone and looked at Facebook.  I saw that a couple of my friends had posted as being interested in a concert at the McGrath Amphitheater.  The group is Walk the Moon.   I knew one of their songs, and it was my favorite song for summer, and I continue to love it when I hear it.  I decided that I was interested in it, and that I would try to get tickets.

During my third hour class, I got on the ticket website, got a pre-sale code from the event page on Facebook, and bought tickets.  Just like that.  I had asked somebody to go with me, and they were in the same boat.  Know a song or two, but beyond that it's foreign to them.  As the day progresses, I find myself getting more and more excited for the concert, which is still six months away.  I keep listening to their music and I love it.  I cannot figure out how I never knew about them before.

I have two very different standpoints on what I just did.  Part of me highly suggests doing this.  Just decide to do it.  You'll open up to new types of music right away, because to go to a concert you want to know the music you will her, so you can get more into it.  This is what makes the concert amazing.  You can sing and dance along with the artists and performers, the crowd, and everybody.  It's so much fun.   You will listen to that artist or group a lot, but you will also hear other groups.  It's just natural for that to happen.  You also open up to a new crowd of people.  Different types of music attracts different crowds, so you will see a whole new side of your world.

It's also a horrible idea to buy tickets to a concert without knowing anything about the group but a song or two.  You are spending a lot of money on tickets.  And often they are hard to resell.  What if you start listening to their music and you dislike them, excluding the couple songs you do know?  The songs that you know could be a groups "odd songs," or songs that are different from anything else they make.  You have just wasted your money on concert tickets to a concert for a group that you don't like.  

I personally have never been to a concert that I didn't like, because often times you get into the scene and everything just happens.  It's easy to get into the crowd, and you just kinda forget that you don't actually know or like the music.  You become a fan for the two or so hours that you are in the arena.

I'll leave the final choice up to you, whether you want to buy tickets to a concert because you can or not.  I don't think you'll be disappointed if you do, and you're smart about it.    

Free Spirit Music

I've been listening to some new music lately.  It's a band that isn't well known, but has a song that most people might know.  It's called "Shut Up and Dance," by Walk the Moon.  The first time I heard this song, I fell in love.  It was something that I could sing to, and dance around in the small, restricted seat of my car.  When I think about it, the memories that come to mind are summer drives, windows down, just cruising.  No rush, no cares, just being free.

I've lately began getting more into some of their other stuff, and all of their music is just as free.  It's loud and everywhere, and it makes you want to move.  I can picture this music playing at a party and everybody just gets into it.  I have really fallen in love with music like this as I continue to experience new songs and groups.

This type of music just lifts a person up.  It makes you happy, and all your cares just melt away instantly.  I am confident that when I need a burst of energy, I can listen to music with this style, and I will get so much more done, but not if it's homework or studying.  It would have to be chores, or tasks like that.  If I were to listen to it while studying, I would be too tempted to get up and move that I would get nothing accomplished.  

Free spirited music makes time move slower.  It it just seems like the only thing happening is you.  It's upbeat and fast, and nothing outside your earbuds or speakers is really happening.  I think that everybody could benefit from listening to free spirited music here and there.  It takes stress away and gives you a break from reality.  You have a period of at least two minutes that you can do whatever you feel like.  That's what this style of music does.

Often you might not sing because there is so much going on in the song that the lyrics get covered up.  That doesn't mean you can't sing along, it just makes it harder, I know from experience.  I think the busyness is what makes it so free and chill.  It mirrors your, or at least my thoughts, and clears my head afterwards.

Another perk of free spirited music is that it's not the cookie cutter pop music that gets played on the radio all the time.  You have to actually go looking for it.  This doesn't take much time, start with on band, and most music websites such as Pandora, Spotify, and even YouTube will give you suggestions to what you would like.

Here are some links to YouTube videos of Walk the Moon Songs.
Shut Up and Dance
Anna Sun
Tightrope
Feel free to check them out, and explore even further!

Ambiance

As I have said before, music is everywhere.  One thing I didn't mention, and have noticed lately is ambiance.  Ambiance is defined as the character and atmosphere of a place.  Music plays a big role in this.  It adds an aspect that you don't really think about.  You don't realize it's there until it's gone.

Think about going to Starbucks.  You walk in, you order your Grande White Chocolate Peppermint Mocha, sit down at a table, and just hang out for a bit.  You might be with friends, or studying, maybe even just people-watching.  You don't think about it, but you hear the soft music.  It's not the today's hits that you just turned off in your car.  It's more alternative, not well known, but still good.  It could be considered "hipster" music, but isn't that what most people think of when they think of people that sit in Starbucks?  Having this mellow music sets the mood, and makes the experience complete.

Now think of going to your favorite "themed" restaurant, like a Mexican restaurant or a southern themed steak house.  You don't go in and hear classical music playing, or no music at all.  Hearing the Mexican music in a restaurant that is Mexican themed  makes the experience more complete.  It makes it feel like you are in Mexico, eating authentic Mexican food.  This makes the restaurant more real.  At a southern style steakhouse, you always hear country music playing loud and proud.  This isn't because the owner loves country music, it's because having country music playing in a restaurant that has southern themes makes sense.  It again completes the experience, and rounds out the satisfaction.

Another place we hear a good example of ambiance music is at sports events.  When you go to a sporting event, you often hear music playing while the athletes are getting armed up and pumped up, and while people are finding their seats, or maybe getting a quick snack.  You hear fast tempo, upbeat songs, a bit harder than what is most popular.  It wouldn't make sense to be playing slow, soft love songs or ballads.  That won't add to the experience, and it won't get the players pumped up.

Ambiance is a crucial part of a setting, and music accounts for, in my opinion, the biggest part of that.  You don't pay close attention to the music, it's a more subconscious awareness.  You're busy doing other things, and you can't just turn off your ear, but because your busy, you most likely don't pick up on it.  It sets the atmosphere into perfect balance, creating the perfect ambiance for a specific setting.

Pep Band

I write this as I sit in my school gym at a basketball game. No, I'm not a spectator, I'm not here for the game. I'm here in the band. I sit here thinking about posts I can write, and what better to write about than what I'm doing right now? 

A pep band is the band that comes to the sports events and plays music during time-outs and half time, as well as between quarters and before and after the game.  Our job is to pep up the crowd, and get them to have even more fun. Hence the name, pep band. 

We don't play our traditional band music. We are given flip folders of music and are expected to turn them in at the end of the night. This folder is our lifeline. We don't get a chance to practice them, except for the approximate hour we have before we go into the gym. The music is more current and well known pieces, which makes it more fun for the crowd to listen to. They actually recognize the music, which helps to get them pepped up. This also helps with us not being able to practice it that much. We can recognize the tune, which makes it easier. 

A major aspect of a pep band is the drumline. They play cadences, which is a tune played only on the drums. This is my favorite part.  In my opinion, they have more energy and just sound clean and sharp. It could be that I know the percussionists and how rowdy they can be, and that's where I get the energy, but I love it. From watching the crowd, they do too. We hear the crowd and fellow students yelling props to the drummers all the time. They love it. 

The two sporting events we go to are football in the fall, and basketball in the winter. At football, we don't play often, but part of that is that we don't get many opportunities. We are on the field at halftime, and there isn't a real break for us to play in otherwise. At basketball, we are usually able to play our whole folder aat least once, sometimes having to reseat a couple of our favorites. There isn't much other entertainment when the clock is stopped, so we fill in the gaps. 

The band works hard to put together a pep band. It may not seem like we do a lot, but playing music in the spot is difficult. Sometimes, even though our job is to engage the crowd, we don't get appreciation. We are just taken for granted. Next time you hear the pep band and it makes you bob your head or tap your foot, make it a point to thank the band when you get a chance. We love having the praise. 

Tribute Bands

Who doesn't love some classic old bands? Who could forget the greats, like Def Leppard, Aerosmith, or REO Speedwagon? These bands influenced how music has come to be today. Most people know them, and are fans of their songs, without realizing it. 

Because time has passed, and things happen in life and time, classic bands often can't tour anymore. Sometimes members have passed away, or bands have broken up and gone their separate ways, other times they're just to old to do it like they used to. These bands still have huge fan bases, and they bring people back to their younger times. They also make younger audiences more cultured to amazing music. 

This is where tribute bands come in. These are bands that come together and essentially pretend to be the actual band. They work hard perfecting a bands music, their image, their performance traditions, and the iconic points to their work. They then go on tour and, if done right, it's like watching the actual band when they were in their prime. 

Sometimes it works out perfectly. You can't tell the difference between the original and the tribute band. They have the same sound, and they have the perfect image. Going to a show takes you back to the 70's and 80's, like a time machine. 

Other times, things don't go as well. The band isn't able to capture the right sound, or they change it up in a different way. They try to modernize the band, an it fails. It simply ruins the music, the image, and the history. This is very disappointing to see, and often die-hard fans get very upset. It's disrespectful to the band, as well as the fans. This type of tribute band often doesn't last very long. 

We all know that nobody can ever do it like the greats. Nobody will never be able to repeat the dynamics the original band had. Not everybody has the iconic features that work together in perfect harmony. No matter how much we wish we could, we can never go back in history and see the band perform in their prime. Yes, there will be other iconic bands that will be around forever, or what seems like forever. But there will never be a repeat of the past. We should continue to pass down the albums, preserve the history, love what we still have, and sometimes, just appreciate the effort tribute bands put in, no matter the result. 

Song Breakdown: Love Yourself

Upon hearing the title of this song, I thought it was going to be a really pretty song about how important you are to the world, and how you should love yourself, instead of wishing you were different. I thought we were going to see a new side of the mature Justin Bieber. I thought it was going to be a very inspiring song that would boost people's self esteem and benefit the entire youth generation. 

I was wrong. 

When I heard it for the first time on the radio, I remember my jaw dropping. I was just thinking "What?" the whole time. It was completely unexpected, and about the second chorus I noticed that "love" in the title and lyrics was meant to be another, not so nice word. I realize now that it is a very relaxed break up song. 

The beat and music behind the lyrics is very simple and repetitive. I believe that Bieber does this to show that he's not upset, and he doesn't have to show off. He is happy now, and he is chill with the situation. He also states in the lyrics that "he didn't want to write a song." He could also be using the soft and simple music and background because he didn't want to put the effort into making an amazing and complex song for someone he cares so little about. 

The lyrics are pure savage. It's all him saying "I never really liked you. You were a terrible person. I'm not hurt that you're gone."  He says that she got into clubs using his name, meaning that she used him and his fame. Another point in the song says that she didn't like his friends, and the problem was her, not them. This shows that he is true to his friends, and that she came second to them. This is pretty respectable in my opinion.  The lyric that, in my opinion, puts the nail in to coffin is "My momma don't like you, and she likes everyone."  This lyric stands out to me the most.  To me, in a relationships parent approval is huge, and his mom didn't like this girl. That meant a lot, considering there isn't a person she doesn't like.  I find this comical. 

I think this song was shocking to a lot of people. I recall hearing on the radio a man calling in to request this song. (Yes, a man requesting Justin Bieber. Times have changed.) When asked why this song, he said "I'm a three time cancer survivor."  I'm pretty sure he had the same thoughts as me. 

Moral of the story here, don't judge a song by its title. 

A Look Into Their Life

Writing songs, in my opinion, is amazing. I highly respect artists that write their own songs, and also people that write songs for artists to sing. More so the artist writhing themselves, but both are still highly respectable. An artist already puts their self out there for the world to criticize. Writing their own songs puts themself out there completely, not just their image. When an artist writes their own songs, they let the world into their life to see what they think. What they're going through. Everything about them. 

Writers that write for artists to sing do the same thing, but they aren't as highly criticized for it. They still go through hard times, or have neat things to say about love, but they aren't out in the public eye to be followed. They aren't criticized about every little thing they do. They put their life and emotions out on the line, but it's not as hard as a famous artist doing it. I also think we need to remember that just because someone sings about it, doesn't mean they did it. Artists often have someone that writes songs for them, or collaborates with them to write songs. So just because they have a song that sounds like their significant other cheated on them, doesn't mean it actually happened. At the same time, don't completely write off everything. So gets do write their own stuff, just not all the time. 

Writing music gives listeners a look into an artist's life. You can learn a lot about a person by what they sing about. Sometimes you can see it very clearly, or comet ones you have to read into the meanings of words. Sometimes songs are deep, like how much they loved someone, or how we should make a difference in the world. Other times, it's shallow meaning songs that have nothing behind them, like "Thrift Shop" for example. It's s great song, but it's meaningless. 

The beautiful thing about music is that not only do you get to hear the emotions of a person by them saying it in the lyrics, but you can also hear it. You can hear the music being fast or slow, loud or soft. You can hear the way artists emphasize words, and sing them. You know what they are feeling, and if they're good, you can feel it too.  You can often relate to what an artist is dealing with, because they are real people too. They have family, they have a job, they have errands, they are busy too. They just get to travel the world and have millions of dollars sitting around too. 

Next time you listen to a song, thing about the emotion of the artist. How they're dealing with problems, or how happy they are. Think of them as a person, look into their life. See things through their eyes. That's what they want to accomplish.