Friday, September 27, 2013

September 27, 2013


How to Review Music

  1. Pick out the instruments and look at them separately

  1. guitar
  2. bass
  3. drums
  4. vocal
  5. keyboards (synths)
  6. odd additions - or subtractions ie Black Keys - no bass

Special note - vocal is the sell for most bands

  1. Lyrics - this is a HUGE part of the song from a listener’s perspective (for many)
  • some bands really focus on brilliant lyrics - some have ridiculous lyrics
  • the lyrics can work with the music to create something new and powerful
  • think about what lyrics are really saying and meaning
  • there are all kinds of meanings that we may not realize until we dig in 
  • for your review, pick something that HAS meaning

  1. the parts of a song - the music itself

  • intro - verse - bridge - chorus - middle 8 (solo) - chorus - bridge - chorus - refrain
  • some parts of a song are better than others - some parts are more exciting
  • how do these parts help? change? make better? worse? etc
  • breaking the song down

  1. What else? The context
  • where does this song come from? 
  • influences
  • what does it remind you of? 
  • what does it do musically - genre?
  • the artist’s experience, life, style, look, etc

  1. Your experience
  • your response
  • your emotions
  • your actions
  • remember things from elsewhere? 

  1. Level 4
  • symbolic elements
  • time, tempo, deeper musical structures
  • comparison with other, similar artists and styles (contrasts)
  • include a comparison with other songs by that artist
  • trends and patterns across an album
BLog - in general - intro to you through media - summative
news sourcing - formative
News articles a summative 

profiling music artists (Jazz-Blues)
profiling music artists (50s-60s)
same for 70s

Music Project - a presentation about the genre of your choice - summative
prezi? keynote? blog? tumblr? something else? 
at least 2 artists from that genre
songs, styles, history, changes over time, connections (to other artists, styles, genres, time periods, etc)
reviews go here

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