Opinion of Video Clips

1.  "People Will Say We're in Love" from the film Oklahoma, in my opinion, very much had the nature of a certain form of poetry.  I know that we have all been told time and time again that poetry does not have to rhyme, but a lot of it does.  This was my first signal that the song was a form of poetry, but also the small lines and some were repeated quite a few times.  Especially the title of the song, "People Will say We're in Love."  Poetry usually does have one repeating line, but then again so do a lot of songs that are not a form of poetry.  I think it either can or can't be just depending on how you want to interpret it, but in my opinion, it is very much like poetry.  This is; however, very acceptable as lyrics to a song.  As stated in the book, this is diegetic, or source music, which is part of the action on screen and thus audible to the characters in the story.  It is also considered a leitmotif due the musical theme being associated with the specific characters.

 

2.  The knowledge of Billie Holiday's troubled life would have had a big effect on the impact of this song.  Even today, people will take what they know of a singer's life, and try to distinguish whether or not they believe the song was written about the singer.  I can almost guarantee, that upon reading her autobiography, and then hearing this song, most people came to the conclusion that this song was written due to heartbreak.  That may or may not be the case, but this is what others would assume.

 

When it comes to Chris Porter, I believe it just depends on who is listening to the song. So many listen to music for different reasons.  Some may not have to have a profound understanding of his sexual preferences in order to have their own understanding and enjoyment of the song.  Others on the other hand, especially due to the era, may listen very closely and be confused without knowing this information and would then begin to speculate.  I don't think it matters one way or the other because it was his song and his preferences, but it would depend on the listener as to whether or not knowing his preferences were important.

Annotated Bibliography

The annotated bibliography was very worrisome for me because I have never had to do one before.   I have had to do several bibliographies and works cited pages, but never an annotated bibliography.  I actually enjoyed doing it and it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be.  I thought that it would be VERY time consuming and it was somewhat, but not so much that it was impossible to complete.  I think it gave me a good opportunity to do some early research and figure out where I could find that research.  I found it interesting because it enabled me to add several avenues to my research that I had not thought of before.  I had initially just wanted to work on copyright laws alone, but now that I did the annotated bibliography I want to also explore the digital age of copyright laws.  There wasn't much that I didn't enjoy about doing the annotated bibliography.  I think the only thing that put me off in the beginning was that I hadn't officially started my paper, so it was hard to say what sources I would be using.  Every other bibliography I have done has been at the end of the research paper itself.  I do think; however, that this helped to prepare me, but I worry that I won't be able to stick to that 100% and hopefully do not have to.  Other than that, I thought it was a great experience that will prove to be very helpful in the future!

Three Topic Ideas

These are the three ideas that I have been thinking about the past few weeks.  I think all of them are pretty good ideas and are ones that I could easily find sources for.  I hope to get some good feedback and ideas that I can incorporate into my project!



Music Copyright Laws-

The wonderful professor for this course actually helped to give me this idea the very first week of class:) I work for Attorney General's Office and I plan to attend law school, so I think this would be a good research project for me and I have several resources at work (including smart attorneys!).  I would like to do this so that I can check Into the specific copyright laws along with checking into some questions that I have always had.  Such as the new "Anaconda" song that is now using lyrics from the old song "I Like Big Butts" by Sir Mix A Lot.  This has happened in quite a few songs and I think it would be interesting to find out the process for using lyrics from other songs.  


The Affect of Today's Music on Our Youth-

I think this is a major concern for a lot of people, especially parents like myself.   A lot of the lyrics in songs today are very negative and explicit.  When I was younger I used to think that it was silly to think that music could change one's behavior, but now that I am a parent I can see where people worry that it may affect their child's actions.  Especially children who are more susceptible and tend to follow the lead of others.  I would also like to go back as far as possible and see if this was a problem of the past as well and if so when it began and with what music genre.


Combining Music Genres-

I used to love county music and I actually still do, but I feel that country music is not really country anymore.  It's turned into a kind of pop county, which is not for me.  I like pop and I like county, but I do not like them together.  I either want to hear one or the other, not both at once.  I feel that lately this has happened with a lot of the music we listen to and I'm not sure of the reason.  If I chose this topic I would explore all the music genres this is happening in, how society feels about it, and what's causing it, whether it be a broader audience or just a decision making issue. 

My Culture

 

My post will probably be a little odd because, as awful as this seems, I am not exactly sure what my culture is.  I know what language I speak, what my religion is, what my beliefs are, etc., but I really am unsure about how to define my culture.  I have lived in West Virginia my whole life and I grew up in a Christian family.  I believe that God must be put first in my life and I also believe in doing good deeds.  I believe that karma is very real and that we will be rewarded for how we treat others, in this life and in the next.  Treating everyone equally and doing good deeds for others always makes me feel amazing.  I guess you could say that my culture is one that revolves around God and doing good deeds for others. 

 

     I have actually never heard of this group or of this song, but I went on a search to find a song about being confused about who you are.  I cannot relate to the sadness and darkness that they express, but I can relate to being confused about who I am culture wise, as I am sure a lot of others can as well.  The song was written to express teenage angst about life becoming frustrating and confusing.  It basically shows a lot of scenes regarding dysfunctional families, and to this I can relate, which can in turn cause confusion about who you are.  I believe this sums up a lot of people and how they feel about their culture, especially in this day and age.  We take that stuff for granted nowadays and don't much pay attention to who we are and what we came from.  The band members include David Desrosiers who plays bass guitar, Sebastian Lefebvre who plays guitar, Chuck Comeau who plays the drums, Jeff Stinco who plays lead guitar, and Pierre Bouvier who plays bass guitar.  It is most obvious that the band's instrumentation consists of mainly drums and guitar. 

     As I said before, this piece doesn't exactly express my culture, but explains that I am confused about my culture.  I believe this is the case for most people today, so it could be an expression of culture for many.  I wish I could've been more specific, but this is definitely something that I have to look into and learn and not something that I can make up in an evening's time.  Honesty is the best policy!
     

Least-Favoite Genre of Music

    I pretty much enjoy any gene of music, but I would have to say that my least favorite would have to be heavy metal.  I have never understood the need for a lot of yelling and screaming when it comes to music.  Music, in my opinion, should be beautiful and harmonious.  I hate to say that I completely dislike the music because I don't.   It just isn't my favorite to listen to when I am looking for some good and soothing music to listen to.  An example of a heavy metal band is Metallica, and again I actually like Metallica, but they aren't one of my favorites.  Metallica got their start when Lars Ulrich made James Hatfield an offer that would've been hard for anyone not to take.  There was no actual band until a couple others (Ron McGovney & Dave Mustaine) joined and "Metallica" was formed. 

 

      Again, my reasoning for not being too crazy about this genre of music, is the yelling and screaming.  When I listen to music I like a lot of harmony and even a little falsetto.  I also enjoy, when I'm in the mood, to hear music that has a little bit of bass.   There are times when heavy metal contains a little bass, especially during  a ballad section, but it's mostly just very loud.  Which is odd, because I do like my music loud, I just like to understand what I'm listening to.  I like music that contains lyrical enunciation and heavy metal, in my opinion, is void of that.  

     There isn't a whole lot that I don't like about the social/emotional background of heavy metal or heavy metal bands.  They are people just like the rest of us.  It's just their choice in expression that doesn't really fit my musical criteria.  Every genre of music can fit our culture considering that each and every one of us are different.  Their style of music may not fit my definition of good music, but it could fit that criteria for someone else.  One of the great things about today and today's music is that we are one big mix of cultures.  It doesn't seem that any one culture stands out in today's society.  

 

     There is no sense in my being too defensive about it because as I said, I do not completely dislike the music.  There is no genre of music that I feel this way about; I enjoy them all.  However, I do feel that their lyrics should be more enunciated to give the listener more of a "lyrical understanding."  I like to not only hear the words to the music I'm listening to, but relate to them on some level as well.  

My Favorite Live Performance

STRAIGHT NO CHASER

CHARLESTON, WV 2012

  I had never heard of Straight No Chaser until 2012 when I was unexpectedly asked to attend this live concert with a cousin of mine.  The concert was here in Charleston at the Clay Center. They were absolutely amazing to me considering the fact that they use no music and have amazing harmony! They started out as just "some guys" at Indiana University and from there they took off! They started out just kind of playing around and not taking themselves too seriously, but then realized their YouTube videos had gotten over 20 million hits along with getting TV appearances and being asked to do some holiday albums.  They were just 10 guys who liked to hang around with one another and loved to sing.  

As I said before, the harmony in the music is just amazing.  And that's just it, IT IS MUSIC! Even though there are no instruments! That to me was  just astounding.  Their singing provided a descant that made the fact that there was no music almost forgettable.  I didn't even realize it until the show was almost over.  They mostly imitate other music, so there is no particular genre, but for the most part they imitate pop music.  This was my favorite performance, but ALL of their videos are my favorite.  I think hearing how they mimic the musical talents of others is part of what makes their music so powerful.  I get chills every time I listen to them.  One of the performers was most definetely a crooner, which made it hard not to fall for him. He actually signed autographs afterward and I said, "You are just so cute, I have talked about it all night."  Of course he didn't realize my cousin was, well..my cousin! So he replied, "I'm sure he loves hearing that!"  Of course I tried to explain that he was not my boyfriend, but the moment was kind of gone.  Anyhow their music was pure consonance to the soul and I never tire of hearing it.  I hope everyone reading this takes the time to watch the videos and enjoys them just as much as I do!

Intrroduction

     My Name is Stacy McGhee and I am from St. Albans, WV.  I currently live in Charleston and work for the WV Attorney General's Office.  I have been with the AG's office for 2 years now and just recently got a promotion.  I have a 7 year old son named Andrew with my fiancé' whom I have been with for 10 years. My major is Marketing and my plan is to go to law school after I graduate from WVSU.  I have had all the Art courses that I need, so I really am just taking this class to expand my knowledge in music.  I am hoping that it will be a fun and knowledgeable class that I look forward to every day!  As far as musical experiences go, I was in a Gospel Group when I was in Junior High School.  I have sang all of my life and would love to learn to play musical instruments in the future.  I don't so much have concerns about this class as I just hope that it meets my expectations.  As I said, I don't need it so I am just hoping that it helps me to achieve the knowledge I am expecting to get from it.  I am passionate about music, reading, learning the ways of marketing and the law.  I love to listen to music, READ READ READ, and I love learning more about the law every day. I am pretty excited about this course and I hope that I was correct in choosing it.