Why Do We Need Music? A Dive Into Music and Your Health.

Everyone listens to music, even if we don't realize it. Music is everywhere! When you are in the grocery store there's usually some fun pop beats playing, when you make a call and you are put on hold you hear the dreaded hold music and when you play your favorite beats on the speaker. Music is everywhere almost all the time. We often put on music to focus, get hyped up, clean the house or just set the vibes for the day. On average per week people are choosing to listen to about 20.7 hours of music. With this constant input of sound we have to wonder, how does music affect us?

For years humans have used music as forms of expression. From birthdays, weddings, funerals and house cleaning, music has provided us with ways to express and manipulate our moods accordingly. Music is so woven into the human experience that it often serves as a form of connection to others. Songs can strike up memories of loved ones or a time that was long ago. This form of connection is crucial for humans. 

Have you ever listened to a song and it has taken you back to a moment in time? For me the song Big Black Car by Gregory Alan Isakov. When my dad was sick in the hospital before he died this song was often on repeat. My dad didn't know the song, it wasn't something he had shown me it was just a song I enjoyed at the time. The overall softness of the song gave me a level of comfort that I needed. The soft plucking of the banjo and the slow crescendo and decrescendo of the singer's voice provided me with an overall sense of calmness that I needed at the time. I revisited this song when writing this piece and found these lyrics and they really have stuck with me.

 “Well time has a way of throwing it all in your face

The past, she is haunted, the future is laced

Heartbreak, you know, drives a big black car

I swear I was in the back seat, just minding my own” 

The “big black car” in this song to me is the hearse that transported my dad. My dad died rather unexpectedly, I was minding my own when my whole life got turned around. To this day I can't really listen to this song without feeling the way I felt two years ago. I am transported to a time that has already come and gone, however the song still encapsulated the feelings I had. This song can bring them back to surface with just one listen. My past is haunted with all of the great memories of my father and my future is laced with all of the what if’s and the persistent thought of how my dad should still be alive. 

On the flip side there are songs that automatically make me happy when I hear them. They elevate the experiences I am having ten fold. Even if things aren't going totally right and being an adult sucks. Nothing lifts me up more than Ain’t It Fun By Paramore. While the lyrics aren't necessarily the happiest, the use of marimba gives it a fun youthful flair. Since the tempo is 104 and the key is in E, the song is perceived as fun. 

Ain't it fun, ain't it fun?

Baby, now you're one of us

Ain't it fun, ain't it fun?

Ain't it fun?

This song perfectly encapsulated the translation from childhood to young adulthood. You want to be independent but you still need help from your parents. You are stressed with all the new things you have to do but you love the taste of freedom . This song is a perfect coming of age story that I feel like most can relate to. 

While music and songs can remind you of the past, make you excited for the future and make the present moment more fun to be in, it also can help with your overall health. A 2016 study showed that music can help decrease your overall stress, anxiety, depression and blood pressure. Music has also been shown to help you navigate your feelings and make them easier to talk about. FInding those who have similar experiences or love the same kind of music helps build communities, lessening isolation and the feelings of loneliness. Music can also be a quick and easy pick me up. Listening to happier music helps improve your mood. 

I think something that is lesser known but is so helpful is music therapy. “Music therapy uses a variety of music-based interventions that are chosen based on their potential therapeutic benefits. This could include songwriting, guided imagery with music, and even music performances.” During music therapy, clients take an active role in creating music that is special and helpful for them. Music therapists have helped make lists of the types of music and how they can help our health. Classical music can provide a soothing escape from worries and stress. Jazz music is stimulating and soothing, distracting you from negative thoughts and then prodigy a soothing effect. Finally nature sounds like a nice mental retreat to support mindfulness. 

Music is all around us, all day, everyday. If you leave your house there's going to be music somewhere. I would encourage you to really deep dive into how your music choices affect you in your day to day living. What feelings do you feel? Do you notice a change somewhere in your body? Has your stress been loweder? Music is way more than just a bunch of sounds smushed together, music tells stories, preserves the past and is ever evolving. 

This class has really changed how I listen to music. I will often be in the car with my significant other and I will talk about different elements of music. It is overall just fun to have the extra knowledge to think about music in a more critical way. I no longer “just like” this song. I can often pinpoint why I like this song and what elements I enjoy. It is nice to be able to extend my vocabulary and my learning so I can share with others.

references

Childs-Young, L. (2023, December 11). IFPI’s global study finds we’re listening to more music in more ways than ever. IFPI. https://www.ifpi.org/ifpis-global-study-finds-were-listening-to-more-music-in-more-ways-than-ever/#:~:text=We’re%20listening%20to%20more%20music%20than%20ever.,songs%20per%20week%20in%202023.

How music can improve your mental health. The Jed Foundation. (2024, January 5). https://jedfoundation.org/resource/how-music-can-improve-your-mental-health/

Levinemusic. (2023, May 10). Music and mental health. Levine Music. https://www.levinemusic.org/about/news/music-and-mental-health/

Sierra, C. (2024, November 15). Power of music enhances mental well-being. Heal Treatment Centers. https://healtreatmentcenters.com/mental-health/power-of-music-in-mental-well-being/

Music and the Fictive Dream: The Last Five Years

 

One afternoon I walked into my choir class and our teacher told us that today we would be watching The Last Five Years. It was the end of semester so usually the class periods were filled with watching movies. Watching this movie adaptation of the musical was life changing for me. I literally recommend this to anyone I meet. 

    The musical The Last Five Years was originally an off broadway musical in 2002, that went on broadway and in 2014 was turned into a movie. This musical was written and composed by Jason Robert Brown. The story is told in a non-linear fashion. Cathy tells the story of their five year relationship from end to beginning, while Jamie tells it beginning to end. Jamie and Cathy are both in their early twenties, and are living in New York City. Jamie is a rising writer and Cathy is a struggling artist. 

    Throughout the musical there is very little dialogue, the majority of the story telling is through the songs. The story touches on the highs and lows of their relationship, the good, the bad and the ugly. The highs of Jamie becoming a published author to the lows of him cheating Cathy. Everything from the sweet honeymoon phase of a new relationship to the bitter ending of the divorce. 

    The work I want to touch on is called The Next Ten Minutes. This video is from the movie adaptation from 2014, starring Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan, directed by Richard LaGravenese.

    I chose this because I feel like it is such an important part of the musical. This song takes place in the middle of the story. This is the only part of the musical where both sides of the story intersected, where both sides of the story are happy and content. The song takes you through their engagement and their wedding. It is also the only song in the whole musical that they are singing to each other and not about the situation. The song talks about how they are both mutually excited for their future together, talking about spending the next million summers together. This is one of the only times we will see both people happy and excited to be together. Since the stories are told from opposite timelines, you are usually seeing one person being upset or another. However in this one split second (or 8 minutes) you see both of them feeling happy and excited for their future together. 

    In this song the music starts off soft and airy, it feels like you are walking through central park with them. As time goes by and we get closer to the wedding the music crescendos during their wedding, signifying how important this moment is for their relationship. At the end the music becomes softer again as they settle into their new lives together. It takes you through all the emotions of starting a new and what should be an exciting part of a relationship. 

    I think one of the big social commentaries we can take away is that there are always two sides to the same story. This musical takes that to the new extreme of watching it play out from two perspectives over two different timelines. As the outsiders looking in it can feel hard to watch a relationship unravel not once but twice. However this shows how many different ways a relationship can go south. Each song shows a new aspect of their relationship and how it affected them long term. While this musical takes place over the course of 5 years I wonder if the problems that they were having would have stayed the same or changed? 

     I think that this musical is filled with a ton of loss and heartbreak. Constantly flipping between two emotions, it can be a roller coaster at times. The song The Next Ten Minutes allows the audience to take a break and feel how the main characters felt for just a moment. Happy, in love and ready to take on the future.

references

Anastasia Brown - Dreams of the Screen. (2024, April 18). The music of ’the last five years’ - analysis and Review. Medium. https://anastasiabrownn.medium.com/the-music-of-the-last-five-years-analysis-and-review-2d63d0a2569b

Poliandro, R. (2021, February 17). The last five years - relationship analysis. Medium. https://itsonlyintermission.medium.com/the-last-five-years-relationship-analysis-62e1a75928ed

Role of the Performer: Pentatonix

 

The acapella group Pentatonix got their start in 2011. Three friends from Arlington Texas auditioned to be in the show “The Sing-Off”. When Scott, Kristen and Mitch learned that in order to be considered a group they need five members they recruited Avi and Kevin. In the end, or should I say beginning they won season 3 of the Sing-Off. 

While Pentatonix has a few original songs they are absolute pros at making acapella covers of popular music. Some of my favorites are God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen and Mary Did You Know? . As a theater kid and choir kid I was and still am obsessed with Pentatonix. In order to sing acapella you have to have incredible control of your voice, not to mention all 5 of them having to have that control. In order to sing acapella we look for a clear tone of voice, your pitch and your breath control. In typical choirs you have multiple people singing the same notes with you so there is room for error. However in this setting they are incharge of themselves. A lot is riding on their own individual performances as well as how they perform as a whole. The blending has to be perfect so it will sound how they intended it to be.

I think that the Pentatonix have a really important role as the performer, to expand our understanding of what music can look like. I think acapella is so fascinating. When you listen to music we often focus on the instrumental parts. Citing how much we love the piano or the guitar or the drums. When you are acapella your voice is the instrument. It really gets to show off how amazing the human voice can be. How it can morph and change to fit the song. I often forget that they are singing acapella and I have to relisten because my brain thinks that there's instruments, when in reality it is all the voice. As performers they bring light and a new sound to familiar and unfamiliar songs. 

Pentatonix are still making acapella covers. On their youtube they updated their cover of Bohemian Rhapsody.

References

Alan Sculley, Last Word Features. “Pentatonix.” The State Journal-Register, State Journal-Register, 7 Aug. 2019, www.sj-r.com/story/entertainment/music/2019/08/08/pentatonix/4516136007/. 

Greenburg, Zack O’Malley. “Pentatonix: Everything You Need to Know about the World’s Biggest a Cappella Act.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 30 June 2016, www.forbes.com/sites/zackomalleygreenburg/2016/01/05/pentatonix-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-worlds-biggest-a-cappella-act/. 

 

A Musical Trip To Mexico

 

    Ranchera music is a popular genre of music from Mexico that takes its name from the ranch lands on which the style was originally performed. Ranchera first began appearing during the Mexican Revolution around 1910. It can also be referred to as canción ranchera and is a cornerstone of traditional Mexican music. The lyrics heavily focus on love and patriotism. They evolved during the 10-year revolution to reflect more of the political climate at the time in Mexico. These songs were often used in movies during the 40's-60's.  Ranchera music uses a viriaty of instruments like guitars, trumpets and accordions and of course thier voices. The most celebrated ranchera singer in the world is the legendary Vicente Fernandez.

    Ranchera compositions typically incorporate rhythms inspired by waltz, polka. As all great things do the genre has evolved with time, by starting to incorporating folk and country music. Some notable songs and performers are José Alfredo Jiménez who stands out as one of the most influential composers, renowned for his impassioned love ballads and themes of heartbreak. More modern day artists are Jhon Alex Castaño and Paola Jara. 

References

Cabrera, Iliana. “Rancheras: A Passionate Traditional Mexican Music Genre: World Music Central.” World Music Central | Your Connection to Traditional and Contemporary World Music, Including Folk, Roots, Global Music, Ethno and Crosscultural Fusions, 1 Apr. 2024, worldmusiccentral.org/2024/04/01/rancheras-a-passionate-traditional-mexican-music-genre/.

“Donquijote.” Don Quijote, www.donquijote.org/mexican-culture/traditions/ranchera-music/. Accessed 28 Oct. 2024.

Ilich, Tijana. “Traditional Musical Styles That Make Mexican Music Unique.” LiveAbout, LiveAbout, 15 Apr. 2018, www.liveabout.com/music-of-mexico-son-ranchera-mariachi-2141530.

“Latin Roots: Ranchera.” NPR, NPR, 18 Oct. 2012, www.npr.org/2012/10/18/163197150/latin-roots-ranchera.

 

The Evolution of Emo Music

 

  

 When I think of fall, flannels, vans, and warped tours I think of emo music. Let's take it all the way back to a time before warped tour and between the time when vans became a brand of shoes. Imagine this, It's 1983 and the band Rite of Springs has emerged from Washington DC playing one of their hit songs For Want Of . This is the start of the genre of emo music. Emo music is a branch off from post hardcore, or punk rock. In the beginning many bands who gained the title of being “emo” rejected the idea of their music being called that. This created tension in music spaces between hard core, emo and pop rock. While the term did not necessarily stick in the 1980’s it did set the scene for what is to come. ” People called this music “emo,” as in “emocore,” as in “emotional hardcore.” In the nineties, indie bands with more interest in melody continued exploring similar lyrical territory, and people called their music emo, too, even though it didn’t really sound the same.” 

    The second wave of emo music took place in the 1990’s. It started to spread out from the west coast and across the country, but hitting close to home in the midwest. People have described midwest emo as ”an era that captured the hearts and minds of a global youth, with a generation of teenagers quickly becoming enamored with emo’s woeful sound. Defined by an emotional intimacy between bands and their fans, emo became a fully-fledged underground movement” During this time we got bands such as Joan Of Arc and Nada Surf and American Football. 
    Third wave of emo came out of the 2000 with myspace, skinny jeans, guyliner and black box dyed hair. The lines of what “sounds emo” is blurred even further “fusing their scrappy punk chops and withering lyricism with a sense of melody and pop structure”. Bands that are still popular today like Fall Out Boy, Panic at the Disco, My Chemical Romance and Paramore. A lot of emo music purists hate to believe that this era of music is still emo however this is when the genre really started to take off. 
    Fourth wave…so what now? Emo music has taken two distinct paths. One path going down the more earlier traditional route of emo music. Bands like Modern Baseball and La Dispute have music similar to the original 1990 emo music. While the other path has gone more pop and mainstream with an emo twist like Willow Smith's song Transparent soul. 
    One of the best things about emo music is that it has evolved overtime, enough that there are subgenres. However while the music might sound different, the same over all lyrical concepts are the same. Emo is truly just short for emotional and every wave has shown how they can have differences but still fall under the same category. In the beginning it is often rough sounding with loud drums, fast guitars and an overall “scratchy sound”. Today it can sound like smooth electric guitars and synth. Emo is an overall umbrella term for emotional music and as it continues to evolve we will see new trends and sounds.
references
 

Baker, Peter C. “When Emo Conquered the Mainstream.” The New Yorker, 28 July 2023, www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/when-emo-conquered-the-mainstream.

Connick, Tom. “The Beginner’s Guide to the Evolution of Emo.” NME, 31 Mar. 2021, www.nme.com/blogs/nme-blogs/emo-wave-guide-evolution-2302802.

Dawkins, Bryana. “From MCR to MGK: The Evolution of Emo and Its Subgenres.” Tastemakers, tastemakers, 17 Apr. 2023, www.tastemakersmag.com/features/emo-evolution.

Mullen, Matt. “The Secret History of Emo Music.” Interview Magazine, 8 Dec. 2017, www.interviewmagazine.com/music/secret-history-emo-music.

Music Analysis two

    The song that I chose this week is called North by Sleeping at Last. This song is on the album Atlas: Year One that debuted July 8th of 2014. Sleeping At Last is a primarily one man show by a man named Ryan O'Neal from Wheaton, Illinois. I think that his music is perfect for a cozy, fall day.

    The tempo of the song is 85 BPM. It runs 4 minutes and 19 seconds and its in the key of G. Its a very nice slow song. My favorite times to listen to this song is during the fall/christmas season. That time of year is very cozy and slow, people are slowing down to focusing on family more and the air is nice and crisp it just feels like a slower time of the year. The main use of piano makes this peace so beautiful.  I think the tempo really help set the tone for the song. 

    Lyrically this is one of my favorite songs. It talks about creating and home and a family with the people that you love. If you have family that you care about you are rich in love. It makes me so excited for the future, to have kids and own a home. Put my roots down some place. This song evokes a lot of emotions with the lyrics O'Neal has written. 

" We will call this place our home

The dirt in which our roots may grow

Though the storms will push and pull

We will call this place our home

We’ll tell our stories on these walls

Every year, measure how tall

And just like a work of art

We’ll tell our stories on these walls"

    

    The timbre of this song comes from the piano and followed up by some violin. In this song the piano produces a very full and rich sound that I think is perfectly paired with the meaning and lyrics of the song. The piano really helps the song move along but also pause when needed in order to leave space for savoring the moment. The violin tops off the piece and makes it sound magical. 

    Dynamically the song is very soft. The piano doesn't reach a loud volume and neither does the singer. This is very intentional. This song is supposed to feel very cosy and home like. When I hear this song it sounds like fresh baked cookies, lit candles and soft lighting. Making the song to be able to play in the background. "Musical artist Sleeping At Last produces calm music perfect for a lazy afternoon of relaxing or studying."

    The texture in the song really help move the story along. It feels very smooth and concise. The repeating chords emphasize the constant meaning behind the song, while the violin chords comes in and adds on the layer of emotion.

Citations 

Key & BPM for North by sleeping at last - tunebat. Available at: https://tunebat.com/Info/North-Sleeping-At-Last/7HQCXYyaBmhugyRDvy4V7m  (Accessed: 03 October 2024).

Review: Musical project sleeping at last (2024) Los Angeles Times. Available at: https://highschool.latimes.com/hs-insider/musical-artist-review-sleeping-at-last/ (Accessed: 02 October 2024).

Sleeping at last – north (2024) Genius. Available at: https://genius.com/Sleeping-at-last-north-lyrics (Accessed: 02 October 2024).

 

 

Music Analysis 1 : Scott Pilgram vs My GPA

Fall is one of my favorite seasons. We are creeping to cooler weather, pumpkin spice, football and my favorite music genre- pop punk specifically a subgenre called midwest emo. One of my favorite pop punk bands is Mom Jeans. and one of my all time favorite songs by them is Scott Pilgrim Vs My GPA. There isn't a ton of information on the band itself or the song, however I will give you a general overview of midwest emo. Midwest emo is not about the location it is more about the sound and lyrics. "Midwest emo is kind of like a ‘boys who are sad’ type of sound...being associated with a yearning for nostalgia. Midwest emo is pensive.” Growing up in the midwest and now as an adult, I always find myself drawn to the genere around the same time ever year. I think its the nostalgia of being a teenager and missing the simplicity of being young.

    Scott Pilgram VS my GPA came out June 3rd 2016 on the album best buds. The song is in F# major 4 minutes long, 168 bpm and follows a 3/4 time. One review says "With only acoustic guitar and Butler’s vocals, it’s intriguing and grabs you from the first chord. As the song progresses, trumpet and drums are added, creating a wonderful background for Butler’s lies, repeating the lines “I’m happy here” and “I sleep well alone now.” The transition from soft the loud is wonderfully done and brings this album to an emotional peak that is well worth the wait."

   The lyrics in the song paint the story of a failed relationship. Talking about all of the reasons they didn't get along like , smoking too much and not liking each others friends. The second verse dives into how the singer has accepted that the relationship isn't working out. Using "our old place" as a metaphor for their relationship he talks about how they shouldn't get back together because it would most likely end up in the same situation. The outro of the song is the repeated line of "I sleep alone now" that reiterates that the singer has moved on.

    The range and melody in Scott pilgrim vs my gpa is not very broad, however I feel as this is intentional. The song sounds like someone who is sad over a break-up, its almost whiney and almost monotone, as if a friend was telling you the details of a break up and you can tell they are still upset about it. However at the end of the song the lead singer does what sounds like a very distant yell when he says "I sleep alone now". This can be heard over the singers very monotone singing. The gutair plays the same chords over making this feel familiar and helps you focus on the story thats being told. 

References

 Key & BPM for Scott Pilgrim V. My GPA by Mom Jeans. | Tunebat, tunebat.com/Info/Scott-Pilgrim-V-My-Gpa-Mom-Jeans-/0hBMssKd1e2FLXM46XaXJb. Accessed 27 Sept. 2024. 

“Mom Jeans. Best Buds.” Sputnikmusic, 2016, www.sputnikmusic.com/review/75598/Mom-Jeans.-best-buds/. 

Opinionsdesk, and Irene Moran. “Opinion: Midwest Emo Music: A Debate.” The Pitt News, 5 Feb. 2024, pittnews.com/article/186084/opinions/opinion-midwest-emo-music-a-debate/.