Personal Playlist and Its Meaning

Introduction Every individual has had an experience of listening to music depending on their emotional disposition, values they uphold, preferences, or beliefs; they like the imagery created by music or not. Often are the times one’s music preference is associated with their trait. The kind of music an individual listens...

The Daughter – Home: Song Analysis

The last few years have been a severe challenge for me concerning many aspects of life. In this case, emotional struggles and overall mood were the main reason for trying to find solace in expressions of creativity, such as music. Particularly strong in this matter, I remember the song this...

Researching of Music of the Caribbean

Summary Caribbean music is a bright and profound celebration of the island culture. Its history is rooted in the region’s history, making up a complex melting pot of genres, with the most prominent including salsa, reggae, calypso, and reggaeton, among others. A complicated reflection of its past, the region’s music...

Parents Music Resource Center in the United States

There are always people with either unconventional or conservative views when it comes to subcultures and other preferences. For example, Parents Music Resource Center is a group created in 1985 in the United States, whose primary purpose has been to condemn the immorality and aggression of rock music, claiming that...

Hip-Hop & Shakespeare: The TED Talk

The TED Talk video with the British MC and a hip-hop scholar Akala presented an exciting look at the legacy of William Shakespeare. The speaker offers the audience and the viewers to participate in a quiz where he delivers a line, and people have to guess whether it is by...

A Midsummer Night’s Dream Overture by Mendelssohn

Music was not majorly affected by Romanticism until the advent of the 19th century. German composers took the forefront when it came to Romanticism in music, with Beethoven, Schumann, Brahms, and Mendelssohn making sizable contributions. Symphonic poems, which struck a connection between music and literature, were familiar to Romantic composers...

Contemporary RnB (Rich & Beautiful) Music

Introduction The genre of RNB appeared across the Southern areas of the United States in the 1940s, featuring electric guitar, piano, and drum sounds. Numerous blues musicians were able to release their new music specifically in the South, where the level of appreciation in regard to blues and derivative genres...

Impact of Colonization on Dance

In the history of humankind in the period after the era of great geographical discoveries, there was a page that today is called shameful. It was a whole era called colonialism. Advanced developed States seized newly discovered territories in order to exploit their natural resources and the peoples living there....

Rhythm: The Essential Element of Music

Analyzing music, people recognize seven basic elements: harmony, timbre, melody, dynamics, texture, form, and rhythm. Music is often described as an art, science, unity, or continuity, as a complex entity consisting of numerous components working to create a balanced whole. However, I suppose that we could distinguish the most important...

The Ballet Dancing History and Special Features

Introduction During the dance masterclass, I ended up learning the basics of ballet, namely warm-up, arm, and leg positions. In ballet, these aspects are essential. The entire masterclass was conducted by choreographer Brittany Cavaco, who seemed to me to be quite an attention to detail, which makes it possible to...

Dance Activities and Morality in Bangladesh Society

Munjulika Tarah’s article explores the connection between dance activities, morality, and social context in Bangladesh society. Bangladeshi women often must give up their dancing careers after marriage due to objections from in-law relatives. The objections are sourced in the profound context of historical events where women dancers were often associated...

The Difference Between New Orleans and Chicago Style Jazz and Swing Style Jazz

Both New Orleans and Chicago styles greatly contributed to the development of jazz music in the 19th and 20th centuries. The common thing that unifies New Orleans and Chicago Style is the significant impact of individual solos, less relaxed music, and 19th-century Black ethnic music motives (Encyclopædia Britannica, n.d.). Discover...

Shamanic Dancing, Los Seises, Spanish Fandango, and the Jig: A Comparison

Introduction This research paper highlights similarities and differences between four dances: the dancing role of the shaman, Los Seises, Spanish Fandango, and Jig. It analyses the history and geographical context in which the four dances were born as an essential part of their artistic content. It also focuses on the...

“Crazy” Song Performed by Willie Nelson

One of the songs I listen to often is “Crazy,” performed by Willie Nelson. The song was written by Nelson, but it was originally recorded by another singer, Patsy Cline. Nevertheless, I like this version and think that it is a staple of Willie Nelson’s style. The first term I...

Tap Dance: History and Personal Attitude

Dance Dance is a rhythmic set of steps and body movements that matches the speed and flow of music. Dance exists in many forms, including tap, ballet, hip-hop, jazz, ballroom, and contemporary (Franks, 2021). The thrill that comes along with various types of dance captivates me. The liveliness that is...

Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony: Concert Review

Introduction Concerts of classical music performed by contemporary orchestras tend to target a specific audience. However, some of the performances are outstanding and not limited to individual viewers due to musicians’ high professionalism and world recognition. As a concert for review, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony will be considered by the Chicago...

“Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra” Composition by Benjamin Britten

Benjamin Britten Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra is both a study guide and a musical masterpiece. It combines the harmonious sound of many instruments and their unique tonalities. The significant components are woodwind, brass, percussion, and strings. The first category is based on flutes, oboes, bassoons, and clarinets. The...

African American Musical Styles and Its Influence on the American Culture

Introduction Discussing the African influence on American music in its glory and variety is an interesting, if not educative, task. The African American music influence has become so central to American music that none would exist without them. The African people are the earliest non-indigenous inhibitors of what would become...

Franz Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody No.2

Franz Liszt is an Austro-Hungarian composer who started his career as a performer. At a young age, Liszt heard Gypsy music and Hungarian folk that later majorly influenced his work. Liszt is named as one of the most authentic romanticism representatives and is often highlighted for his work as a...

One Direction Band and Its Impact on Music Industry

One Direction is a boyband from the United Kingdom that was formed in 2010. The current group members are Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Liam Payne, and Louis Tomlinson. The former member, Zayn Malik, had left the band in 2015. Since 2016 the group went on indefinite hiatus, after which each...

The “Ulay Oh”: Music Video Analysis

The music video for the song How I became the bomb of Uwe Laysiepen (stage name Ulay) went viral by showing the reunion of two former lovers. Marina Abromovich, who is an artist, made a performance where she sat on a table with strangers and looked into their eyes for...

Franz Schubert’s “The Lovely Maid of the Mil” Song

The song cycle originally called “Die schöne Müllerin,” which is translated as “The lovely maid of the mil,” is written by German composer Franz Schubert. The composer was fascinated with folk songs and scenes and tried to reveal and increase their significance in Germany’s culture through this cycle, which imitates...

Inti Illimani’s “El Aparecido” and Mapfumo’s “Nyarai” Songs

Songs “El Aparecido” and “Nyarai (Be Ashamed)” are examples of how the citizens of South America and Zimbabwe demonstrate their response to political and social changes. In “Nyarai,” traditional musical features are an 8-beat melodic cycle, the polyphonic interplay of bass and guitars, improvisation, and insistent articulation by percussionists (Schechter...

Romantic Era: Repertoire of the 19th and 20th Century

Introduction The romantic period refers to the period between 1820 and 1900, the period during which musical compositions included “the use of large ensembles, extreme emotions, and wild orchestration” (Romantic Period – Music from 1820 to 1900, n.d). The word Ballet is of French origin. Though historical studies show that...

Johann Sebastian Bach’s Sacred Cantata BWV 29

Introduction The sacred cantatas constitute a significant part of the scope of the music of the era of Baroque. The music that worshiped God and his creations in instrumental and vocal pieces aimed at praying the Creator. Being predominantly church music, sacred cantatas were constructed in strict form and under...

“Free to Be”: A Jazz Concert Review

The concert ‘Free to Be’ revolves around freedom, its joys, and its sorrows. The big band arrangement does the hard bop justice and sounds American to the core. The concert asks the listener to consider what freedom means to them and the people around them, and what it took to...

Hawaiian Dance: Hula Dance Styles

Introduction Hula is the Hawaiian dance type that is accompanied by a chant or a song as the other best alternative. The Polynesians developed this form of dance in the Hawaiian Islands when they settled there. The accompanying song is known as “mele” and Hula dance dramatizes it (Tater, 1993)....

Josquin Des Prez’s Musical Career and Works

Introduction Though famous as contemporary musician details about his life and his compositions are not well documented. He was considered to be one of the most important composers of music during the renaissance period. He has been confused with many other contemporary musicians. Josquin des Prez was born in the...

Jazz Music: Comparison to Music in Previous Eras

Introduction Music as a form of art has been heard by different people and cultures all over the world in different genres and languages. Jazz is a musical art of American origin that dates back to the twentieth century from an influence of European and American music traditions. It uses...

Music Listening: “Firestone” Song by Kygo

The composition “Firestone” is performed by Kygo, who is its composer, featuring Conrad Sewell released in December 2014 (“Kygo – Firestone ft. Conrad Sewell (Official Video)”). The song belongs to the genre of tropical house, which has been perceived as a sub-genre of deep house. The reason for listening to...

Exploring Gangstagrass: The Fusion of Bluegrass and Hip-Hop

Gangstagrass is a bluegrass/hip-hop band that mixes elements of traditional bluegrass music with hip-hop beats to stress the thematic similarity of lyrics in both genres. In the band’s song Long Hard Times To Come, the following lyrics are recited by the guest hip-hop performer TONE-z: “Hook the car up–hit the...

Reggae Music and Its Aspects

Introduction Reggae is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the 1960s. Nowadays, the term encompasses the contemporary popular music of Jamaica and the international Jamaican diaspora. Among the primary influences that shaped the genre are traditional mento as well as American jazz, rhythm and blues, and African folk...

Music During the Vietnam War: An Intangible Weapon

American music during the 1960s decade was often associated with the combat zone and the military. Songs were mirroring the nation’s current mood, reflecting common pain, disapproval, and lack of conformity with the political decisions the leaders of the country were taking. Although this music was initially written to express...

Cultural Shifts: The Impact of Trap Music on Latin American Women

Introduction Being an art form, music, in general, and songs, in particular, serve as not only the means of self-expression but also as the tool for representing a range of social issues. The elaborate use of sound techniques, the choice of words, and the expressivity of a singer allow expressing...

Matshidiso “Tshidi” Florence Mholo: Afro-Pop Singer

Matshediso “Tshedi” Florence Mholo (born September 27, 1976) is one of those South African women who project confidence, strength, and genuine talent and find themselves in harmony with the multiple challenges the world poses. An outstanding Afro-pop singer, a mother, and a person of sagacity, she has earned the reputation...

Jazz Music and Its Role in Society

Introduction Jazz is a music genre that is difficult to define. It is a type of music that heavily uses musical elements such as ragtime, blue notes, brass band tradition, European harmony, swung note, syncopation, polyrhythms, and improvisation (Baskerville, 2009). Jazz gets its appeal from the blend of different musical...

The Clarinet History, Manufacturers and Composers

The average person has no idea that the clarinet is not an example of a musical instrument that traces its origins from ancient times. They will be surprised to know that the clarinet was invented in the beginning of the 18th century. Nevertheless, less than a century after its invention...

Early New Orleans Jazz Piano Styles

Basic Overview of New Orleans Jazz New Orleans is considered the birthplace of traditional jazz music. It dates back to the 20s of the past century, right after the end of the World War I. This popular music style is usually performed by small group of 5-8 people that is...

Music Artist Tupac Shakur

Introduction Tupac Shakur was an American artist who had great influence on the hip-hop genre of music in the United States. He was born in 1971 and died in 1996 at the age of 25 (Johnson and McQuillar 3). His notoriety is evident from the number of records sold before...

Evolution in Modern Indian Music

Introduction The Republic of India is the second most populated country in the world and the seventh-largest geographical area. A multitude of ethnic groups with distinct cultural traditions, languages, and dialects comprise the South Asia subcontinent, and such a factor is reflective in the music. Rich and diverse, Indian folk...

Claudio Monteverdi’s Life and Work

Introduction Claudio Monteverdi has been an essential figure in the development and evolution of Renaissance music. The Italian composer is often addressed as the person who majorly contributed to the establishment of the opera genre, which, later on, dominated the Baroque art scene. Needless to say, his unorthodox approach to...

The “Bad Habits” Music Video by Ed Sheeran

One of the most famous music videos on YouTube is Ed Sheeran’s clip for the song Bad Habits, which in just one year has collected more than 450 million views. In the video, the performer Ed Sheeran is in a bright and shocking image, and the song itself tells that...

Music and Its Impact on Cognition and Emotions

Everyday activities like going to school, drinking coffee, working out, and occasionally even sleeping involve listening to music. People frequently choose music based on their feelings. When people are joyful or sad, they will listen to different types of music. People do this because music has the power to alter...

Ava Max’s Song “Not Your Barbie Girl”

Introduction “You can’t touch me there, you can’t touch my body” is a line sung by Ava Max on her most popular track, Not your Barbie girl, by which she supports women’s rights (Ava Max, 2018, 00:10-00:14). I support fighting for gender justice and equality, but this phrase and the...

Philosophizing About Music and Emotions

The main abstract question about music and emotions is how music communicates feelings. This question is extended to how and why emotions are experienced in reaction to music, the worth of those experiences, and why we seek out music that makes us feel negative emotions like despair. According to Hesmondhalgh...

Classical Music Pioneers: Haydn, Mozart, Albrehc

Joseph Haydn was born on March 31, 1732, in Austria. Haydn’s father was a wheelwright and His mother worked as a cook before she was married. The musician’s career was primarily natured by his cousin, who took notice of his musical gifts and took him in for training (Clark et...

The ‘Hallelujah’ Song by Leonard Cohen

Music, like any other compulsive work, causes emotions and communicates powerful information to the audience. It is more than words and the instrumentals that accompany it and writers appreciate the texture and flow of phrases. On the other hand, the listeners decide on the music that goes with their personality...

Joseph Haydn’s Symphony No.101

Description of the Music In his classical style of music released in 1793 and titled Symphony No.101, Joseph Haydn displays artistic skills evident by the incessant quavers in the second drive. Haydn uses movements with complementary structures, time signatures, key signatures, tempo, and themes to deliver contrast, variation and repletion...

Johann Sebastian Bach’s Biography and Contributions

Johann Sebastian Bach is regarded as one of the greatest musicians in the history of humankind. He was born in Eisenach, Thuringia, Ernestine Saxon Duchies, on March 31, 1685, and died in Leipzig on July 28, 1750 (Emery and Marshall). Bach was the last child of Johann Ambrosius Bach, the...

Tin Pan Alley in the Music Industry Context

Tin Pan Alley is a part of Manhattan that was the center of the music industry from the end of the 19th century till the middle of the 20th century. It started to grow approximately in the second part of the 1880th due to the popularity of piano music and...

Tejano as a Musical Genre of Texas and Mexico

Introduction “Tejano” is a musical category originating from the Texas-Mexican border region. As part of a marketing campaign in the 1990s, Tejano was created as a musical genre to promote folk-influenced and popular songs like baladas, cumbias, and polka-rancheras. With the success of musicians like Selena, El Grupo Mazz, and...

Traditional Dance in Immigrants’ Lives

Introduction Different traditional cultures are forms of the primary self-organization of the human community. With confidence in inextricable unity with the community, a person gains a sense of security and belonging in traditional culture. As a vital part of the culture, dance promotes unity with society and the appearance of...

Features of “The Marriage of Figaro” by Mozart

Music can be defined as a composition of sounds created by diverse musical instruments or people’s voices, computers, or a combination of these tools. It is a multinational phenomenon; therefore, sometimes, it helps break language barriers and stereotypes and unite people from various nations or cultural environments. The power of...

Hozier’s “Take Me to Church” Song Analysis

The song “Take Me to Church,” to which the singer owes his success, poignantly narrates about deep and devoted love. Its songwriter, Hozier, constructed the song by solely using metaphors and comparisons to talk about two different but parallel notions. For instance, the unambiguous meaning of the composition lies in...

Songwriting Process and Its Main Phases

Writing a song does not follow a specific structure, and while some songwriters adhere to a semi-formal or formal process, others tend to work randomly. However, it must be pointed out that using the latter approach to songwriting often results in less predictable outcomes. The lack of or limited success...

Monterey Jazz Festival on Tour Review

The music group that performed in the video is called the Monterey Jazz Festival on Tour. It is a band that consists of “six of the fastest-rising stars in jazz” (Monterey jazz festival on tour, 2019, para. 1). In 2019, they “join forces for the first time to celebrate the...

Beethoven: The Greatest Composer of the 18th Century

Beethoven is a crucial figure of classical music in Classicism and Romanticism, one of the most performed composers in the world. Although Beethoven lived half of his life in the 18th century, he is a new age composer. A witness to the great upheavals that redrawn the map of Europe...

Program Notes on Classical Music

Introduction Classical music can never grow old-fashioned as long as it is too complex to be related to a particular epoch. For centuries, both musicians and audiences have gained inspiration from the beauty and sentimentality of instrumental melodies. The strains of classical instruments can wake a full continuum of emotions,...

The Difference in Career of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven

Viennese Classical period was the time that introduced the greatest compositors in classical music. Unified by the patronage system and its consequences, Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven have different career development scenarios. Starting with Mozart, it is commonly known that his career started exceptionally early on tour throughout Europe (Tommasini, n.d.)....

Takht and Dabke as Part of Musical Heritage

My family’s musical heritage Since my early childhood, my parents and especially my grandparents have taught me that music is an essential part of our culture. I agree with them because growing up, I have realized how much it influenced my identity. That is why I knew what music they...

The Culture of Music Consumption: The Changing Trends and Indie Label Management

Abstract The nature of music industry has created a scenario where only management savvy indie labels ends up successful in the music marketing. Management dilemmas associated with production and marketing of music are critical for any successful indie label. This report explores the link between modern sales techniques and consumption...

The Beatles Band’s Strategic Musical Evolution

Introduction The Beatles created the aura of rock music in the US through their classical masterpiece releases that revolutionized rock and roll to the enchanting genre it is today. The musical characteristics of a song are the features that captivate the target audience and ensure it maintains its competitive edge...

Two Genres of Music: Rap Music and Jazz Music

Similarities Both genres of music once became a symbol of the protest of their time (Gioia 23). They were created by African-Americans who faced daily oppression and struggled to survive in a hostile system. Both genres were born as a way of entertainment (Gioia 20). Music became a language trough...

Patriotism in Music: Patriotism and Nationalism in Music Education

Music changes alongside new generations and their views, reflecting the crucial ideas and issues within the society of that time. Patriotism in music can be seen as detrimental for all nations as its effect on the morale and attitude towards national ideas and views can not be underestimated. Moreover, patriotic...

Analysis of Songs’ Main Topics

“La Rage” The song La Rage by Keny Arkana explores different political and socio-economic aspects at both a national and international scope. The three main themes that can be picked from the song are politics, rage, and humanity. Politics The political topic is expressed both in terms of words used...

How Music Affects Juveniles

Introduction Music has remained a common source of advice and entertainment to millions of listeners across the globe. Individuals can rely on it to explore emotions, emerging ideas, and trends in their respective societies. Some young people identify music as a sign of expression and rely on it to acquire...

Classical Ballet and Modern Dance: Swan Lake vs. Night Journey

In the Swan Lake dance, there is a significant number of dance elements of energy, space, and time. The dimension of the dancers’ movements is simultaneously deep, wide, and high. Their tempo changes from quick to slow, and the energy of the dance is rather delicate and strong. It is...

A Musical Performance by Music From China

China is a distinctive country, and this is evident in all its spheres, including musical culture. In traditional Chinese culture, an important place is given to music that sounds like “ye” in Chinese. However, the concept “ye” means not only musical art but also art in general and everything beautiful,...

“Follow the Leader” by Eric B. & Rakim

Introduction “Follow the Leader” is a hip-hop song by an American rap duo Eric B. & Rakim, the stage names of Eric Barrier and William Griffin. Released in 1988, the song was critically acclaimed and is still considered among the most prominent and influential compositions produced by the rap duo....

The Pelageya Group’s Live Concert in the US

“Pelageya” is a Russian folk group named after its front singer’s name. In 2016, the USA witnessed a big live concert of “Pelageya” that lasted about 1,5 hours. Their music makes the audience feel part of a subculture that arose among the fans of Tolkien and other elven fantasy with...

Technology Influence on the Art of Dance

At the beginning of the XX century, great artists like Kazimir Malevich reinvented visual art, as it was believed there were no other directions it could evolve to in a conventional manner. It is doubtful that contemporary art has given up the idea of the importance of the form and...

Case Law Analysis: Intellectual Property

The following is a presentation of a legal case most relevant to the current operations of the Wixen Music Publishing company. Though the case of White-Smith Music Publisher Co. v. Apollo Co was tried in 1908, its outcome still affects the music industry. Apollo Co, a mechanical piano manufacturer, was...

Madonna as a Controversial Artist of the 20th Century

One of the prominent controversial artworks of the 20th century related to sexual revolution and women empowerment is a song called Like a Virgin performed by Madonna in 1984. The name of the song alone led to the establishment of versatile conversations and arguments in the conservative American society of...

42nd Street Musical by Stewart and Bramble

If you want to learn about some secrets of show business, you need to watch the brilliant musical 42nd Street. This musical was written by Michael Stewart and Mark Bramble in 1980. The production under consideration was performed by the Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts in 2013...

Music Listening Journal Blog: Song Review

Life So Right “Life So Right” is a song written and performed by a talented young woman from Holland, Mariska Baars. She has been singing since 2002 under the pseudonym “Soccer Committee.” Almost all of her songs, including “Life So Right” belong to the genre of lowercase. This music genre...

The Britain Music of the 1960s

Introduction Music forms an integral part of any culture’s tradition and practices. In the 1960s, a new tradition in the music industry emerged in Liverpool and London that would transform Britain’s culture forever. The influence these two distinct regions provided the emergence of several bands and songs that became sensational...

Music Distribution: Defining Distribution Channels

Every commodity ends up in the hands of the user who is the consumer of the particular good or service. However, in some instances, a product may have to go through intermediaries before it finally gets to its end user. Intermediaries are normally used by companies for the purposes of...

Music and Mathematics Relationship

Introduction There are a lot of speculations concerning the relationship between mathematics and music. The best dimension thou in which an individual can comprehensively understand the relationship between these two subjects is in participatory of both entities. Without participating it would be difficult to blend and understand the two subjects....

Hip-Hop Influence on American Popular Culture

The sphere of hip-hop influence on American popular culture is constantly extending, involving new forces and new interpretations. Previously hip hop was considered to be exclusively the culture of the oppressed and marginalized Afro-Americans, but at the present moment the racial and social boundaries are defied and such prominent hip...

Instrumental Suite in the Baroque Period

Introduction A suite is a musical instrumental masterpiece that consists of a series of changing movements or a series of dances of related keys or it’s a collection of pieces related to each other. In addition, instrumentals refer to a kind of music produced by the use of musical instruments...

Jazz Music History and Appreciation

Major arts are structured, created, and developed in the context of a medium. The standards vary depending on the type of art. Music is one type of art that uses sound medium in its foundation, progression, and arrangement. All music types have specifications in which they are developed. Precise characteristics...

Louis Spohr, a Conductor of the Nineteenth Century

Louis Spohr was a prolific German composer, violinist, and conductor at the beginning of the early nineteenth century (Weyer M, 1980). He was born in Brunswick in 1784 in Germany. Louis Spohr was considered to be one of the finest composers of his time. His parents were also musicians; his...

Dance Movement Therapy Review

Introduction Dance Movement therapy belongs to the category of Creative Arts therapy among alternative therapies. The term ‘dance movement therapy’ refers to the use of movement in improving the mental and physical health of a person. Dance therapy centres around the notion that the body and mind are interconnected, and...

“Evoking Sound: Fundamentals of Choral Conducting” by Jordan

James Jordan, in his book Evoking Sounds, Fundamentals of Choral Conducting 2nd edition, gives an overview of how music creators can allow their music to “speak” to the right audiences. In chapter 23, the author explains that there are four main phases that have to be considered when creating memorable...

The Impact of Korean Pop on the Global Culture

Introduction Music has been an important part of culture throughout the centuries. Korean pop or K-pop is a term used to describe popular music performed by Korean bands or solo artists. It has become a global phenomenon, gaining widespread popularity outside Korea and affecting the global culture. Currently, K-pop is...

The History of Charlie Parker

Charlie Parker was one of the outstanding jazz musicians, who brought the unique rhythms and performance into the world of jazz. However, his uniqueness caused him many troubles as he was a heroin addict and mentally ill. Events that led to the addiction, his place of origin, and details of...

“Memphis” Musical Theatre Production

The musical “Memphis” is a story depicting a disc-jockey (DJ ) who preferred music that was associated with the African-Americans, and thus his vision was unpopular among other DJs or radio producers. The central theme of this plot and the idea for this story is based on the real-life story...

Mozart’s Requiem Mass: Exploring Music History

Introduction Requiem is the last uncompleted work of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the prominent composer, and a funeral mass written in the canonical Latin text. The writing was finished by the disciple of Mozart, mainly by Franz Xaver Süssmayer. Requiem is one of Mozart’s most famous works, the creation history of...

The Effect of Music on Serial Short Term Memory

Abstract To find out the effect of background music on short term memory, an experiment was carried out on two groups. This was to investigate the hypothesis that background music when played during cognitive processing would disrupt the participants’ level of concentration for the memory recall test compared to the...

Historical Context and Evolution of Opera and Instrumental Music

Opera Aiming at restoring the Greek drama, Peri and Caccini, the members of Bardi’s camerata, introduced the notion of opera. Still, it was during the Baroque period that opera received proper attention and became a particularly elaborate work of music, singing, dancing and design. The notions of opera seria (drama)...

Prelude in E Minor by Frédéric Chopin

The principle of unity and variety can be applied to various musical works. This paper is aimed at discussing the way in which this principle can used to discuss Frédéric Chopin’s Prelude in E minor. It is critical to focus on such aspects as dynamics, timbre, and musical ideas included...

Belly Dance in Russia

Introduction Foreign dance classes have become popular in Russia since the collapse of the Soviet Union (Radchenko 1). Many young women and men have started to practice foreign dances for professional reasons or just for fun. In Russia, Belly Dance, Irish Dance, Indian Dance, Flamenco, and Swing Dance have become...

The Song “Drifting” by Andy McKee

Sound The unique aspect of the song “Drifting” by Andy McKee is that even though he is merely using a simple string guitar he is able to derive a gamut of different tones from a single instrument (Drifting, 1). There is no singing, no overly elaborate background music, no wailing,...

An Analysis of “Dreaming with a Broken Heart”: A Poignant Dance of Heartbreak

Introduction “Dreaming with a Broken Heart” is an expressive and heartrending postmodern dance presented by Twitch and Kherington, two remarkable dancers with adroit technical skills and a comprehensive understanding of the choreography. This dance, created by Stacey Tookey, was performed on the well-known dance contest program “So You Think You...

The Jazz Music Movement: A Listening Journal

Charlie Parker, known as Yardbird, is one of the most significant music innovators in the 20th century because he brought bebop and influenced many musicians and the entire jazz movement. He became a famous figure in the mid-20th century because he made jazz rely on virtuosic techniques, fast tempos, and...

Music in Films: The Psychology in Film Music

Often, music plays the role of a mood transmitter of a cinematic picture and sets the tone. “Dexter Opening Theme” throughout the introduction, despite its ease, builds tension and suspense. Hence, quite upbeat, joyful music plays against the background of the morning routine of the main character (Ramanjiah, 2011). It...

The Future of American Music: Music Industry

The history of music between 2025 and 2050 can be described as a shift toward more simplistic song recording and release. In 2025 the music industry was still less accessible to aspiring musicians due to the importance of recording technology and studios, which were not affordable to many. However, many...

The “Hamilton” Musical and Its Significance

Introduction In 2020, a video version of the acclaimed Broadway musical Hamilton was released on Disney+. It was invented by the actor, singer and composer Lin-Manuel Miranda – and he also played the main role. The plot is based on a real biography of an American politician, reformer and finance...

Music as a Multifaceted Cultural Phenomenon

Art is inseparable from the history of humankind’s cultural development. It was present and accessible even at the dawn of civilization, considering the evidence such as cave paintings and others. The ability to express thoughts and feelings not only through speech and gestures contributed significantly to the evolution of society...

Rhetorical Triangle Assignment: “In The End” by Linkin Park

Music is a powerful medium capable of conveying highly impactful messages. Modern rock is especially noteworthy for its combination of electronic sounds and important social meanings. Linkin Park is one of the most recognized rock bands in the world. Although it has produced a substantial number of memorable songs, In...

Haitian Compas Music and Its Crossover Crisis

Introduction The culture of Haiti is a unique mixture of old traditions and new influences, coming together to create a complex and distinct national image. Haitian music has been affected by individuals who lived on the Caribbean Island before the colonization. It is comprised of a broad scope of influences...

“Le Galop” by Henri Duparc: Key Characteristics of the Composition

The French composer Henri Duparc, born in 1848, planned to connect his life with jurisprudence as a child. He usually destroyed his early work when dissatisfied with aspects of his style or with the work itself. In 1868 Henri Duparc’s Five Melodies for voice and piano was published, his first...

‘Ring Shout’: the Beginning of Many Roads

‘Ring shout’ was a common dance of Black American plantation slaves. It included moving around in a circle in a counterclockwise direction, chanting, handclapping, or praying in the process (“African American Spirituals.”). Other elements of ‘Ring shout’ were calls, cries, and rhythm. The dance is believed to be a form...

Music Industry, Its Impact and the Future

A person cannot exist without any form of art. It helps people express their emotions, reflect the passage of time, or be a way of self-expression. Many musicians, creating music, earn their living. This work aims to examine the impact of the global music industry on the United States, the...

The History of Punk Documentary Analysis

Introduction The punk subculture represents a broad spectrum of sociopolitical and artistic ideologies and forms of expression stretching back to at least the 1950s. Primarily, it has represented itself as a youth culture, with the primary means of expression through style, popular music, and the media. It is notable that...

Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 Performance by Valentina Lisitsa

The Lassan, with its short but powerful entrance, is the first section of Lisitsa’s composition. Despite beginning with the C-sharp main triad, C-sharp minor quickly becomes the home key. She modulates easily from here on out, notably to the tonic and relative majors. The Friska is the second section, which...

A Musical Comparison of Beethoven and West

Every historical era has had its genius musicians who could exert a meaningful social influence. Such artists not only created musical works with a creative function but were also crucial historical figures of their time. However, a parallel comparison between the geniuses of past and present times may seem challenging...

Blues: Historical Origins and Modern Significance

It may be difficult to deny the significance of creativity in people’s everyday life. Any manifestation of humans’ creativeness may lead to art origin. Music does not make an exception since this kind of art may inspire, unite and influence people. Composing and performing music makes it possible to absolutely...

Altering Traditional Sonata in Mozart’s Symphony #41

The symphony starts with the same measure length as any other Mozart’s creation, but there is a difference that can be spotted right away in the case of Symphony #41, which is the playing time that does not go in hand with measure counting. It would take a soloist 11...

Negative Effects of Drugs on Voice

Vocal maintenance presents one of the prominent aspects of the singer’s career. Maintaining the right state of the throat and vocal cords, in particular, is necessary for the signers to control their voice’s sound and quality. The main recommendations require providing additional attention to various health concerns that can affect...

The “Moon River” Piece by Henry Mancini

The piece Moon River, written by Henry Mancini, and arranged by Billy Byersis, is performed by the ensemble of the U.S. Army Jazz Ambassadors. There is no leader or conductor in this ensemble, but the soloist is present – it is Sgt. Maj. Kevin Watt on flugelhorn, who performs the...

Traditional Colombian Music and Instruments

Introduction It has long been recognized that many countries, ancient and modern, have their style of music, or at least try to impose a national stamp on this art. The Republic of Colombia is fortunate to have fascinating and intriguing music themes, recently featured in Emilio Murillo’s songwriting and the...

Why Is Impressionistic and Expressionistic Music So Hard to Understand?

Composers have always aspired to the new and unknown. In any era, some musicians kept up with the times and, under the influence of new art trends, revealed and invented their ways through musical means of expression. Expressionism in music is a reflection of the human soul. Expressionism rejects any...

Gary Davis: “Death Don’t Have No Mercy”

Death is inevitable for everyone on the planet, and sooner or later, it will come to every home and take away all who are loved by the human heart. The song is a terrible embodiment of the variability of life, the sudden possibility of decease at any moment; this part...

The Transmission of Dance Techniques

In this discussion post, I would like to provide my understanding of transmission and dance from the provided sources. First of all, the transmission of dance techniques, as discussed within the article by Anthea Kraut, can be summarized as a way of cultivating particular movement patterns through replication (Kraut). Through...

Beethoven’s Innovations and Their Influence on Romanticism

Beethoven’s music is influential primarily based on the transitional role that his musical work played during the classical music period and the commencement of the Romantic period. According to Horton (2018), Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany, in 1770, during an era when Bach, Mozart, and Haydn dominated the music...

Jazz Musician Comprehension: John “Dizzy” Gillespie

Jazz is a popular style of music originating from a blend of blues and ragtime. There are many outstanding musicians that shaped the history and development of music. One of them is John “Dizzy” Gillespie, who invented the contemporary trumpet playing in jazz. According to Ulven (2020), Gillespie was a...

Aspects of Zydeco Music

Zydeco is a musical form that evolved in the southwestern areas of Louisiana in the early 20th century among the Creole and Cajun cultures. Zydeco is a musical style created by combining French folk music, African and Caribbean rhythms, and creole songs. In the 1980s, there a revival in South...

Traditional and Contemporary Music in Africa

Traditional West African music displays intricate rhythmic and metric patterns through singing, dance, and instrumental music. Classical West African music neither separates music as a distinct art form of sound, nor rhythms as a distinct art form of time, as is common in the West and the Caribean. Conversely, the...

Singer Gloria Estefan’s Biography

Gloria Estefan is a famous American singer and songwriter who is originally from Cuba. Estefan gained worldwide fame and success as well as contributed to the popularization of Latin music. Gloria has recorded fourteen studio albums with her songs, many of which have taken the first lines in the world...

Whether Music Distracts Students or Helps Them

My thoughts about the term paper began with The Invisible Gorilla reading by Chabris and Simon (2010) assigned this week. The authors in the article report various other researchers’ studies and their experimental findings on attention, perception, intuition, memory, etc. (Chabris & Simons, 2010). The author focuses on how sometimes...

Pathos, Ethos, and Logos in Mean It by Lauv and LANY

Introduction The modern music industry is so vast and developed that it offers music and music videos for all tastes. The song that the author of this work has chosen to analyze is Mean It. The singers are Lauv and LANY. The author believes that the genre of this song...

The Idea of Robert Frost’s Poem “Nothing Gold Can Stay”

The poem “Nothing Gold Can Stay” by Robert Frost is only nine lines long, but the author discusses complex topics through it. In early spring, the golden buds appear on the trees, but soon their color fades. Then flowers bloom, but they also soon turn into fallen leaves, reminiscent of...

Bach’s “Little” Fugue

Bach’s Fugue in G minor, commonly referred to as “Little” Fugue, is an organ piece and one of the composer’s best known fugues. Right from the beginning, the listener can distinguish four voices that enter the melody and continue to play throughout the work. The voices used in the piece...

Music Appreciation: A “Great” Composer

  The Baroque The classical era Which historical period? The Baroque period represents Western music composed between 1600 and 1750, following the Renaissance and leading up to the classical era. The term is borrowed from the Portuguese language and means an oddly shaped pearl. The music during this period was...

The Beatles’ Masterpiece: “Let It Be”

Music surrounds people from the day they are born. It triggers feelings and emotions, influencing mood, and sometimes acting as a pacifier. The lyrics accompanied by the tune are an incredible creation. Music significantly impacts peoples’ minds and sometimes represents a melody filled with lyrics and a sacred message. Such...

Music as a Reflection of History Since the 1960s

Music is inextricably connected to the context within which it is produced, with the inter-relationships between music, culture, and society being studied extensively throughout the decades. In cultural customs, music is among the core features of social celebrations, such as weddings. In social life, music serves as a tool for...

“Spring” by Vivaldi

Listening to the recording of “Spring”, first movement, by Vivaldi is an extreme pleasure for many individuals, and I am one of them. The chosen instruments perfectly imitate natural sounds, provoking the required emotions and causing the necessary effects. For example, violins are used to imitate a delightful birdsong and...

Biography of Johann Sebastian Bach

The magnificent German composer who wrote his works during the Baroque era, Johann Sebastian Bach, has been respected for centuries for his stylistic innovations and musical complexities. He had an impressive musical pedigree and served as organist in the early 18th century, producing such famous compositions as “Toccata and Fugue...

The Passenger Opera Analysis

The Passenger by the composer Mieczysław Weinberg is the opera based on the autobiographical book of the same name by the Polish writer Zofia Posmysz. The libretto was written by the Russian music critic Alexander Medvedev. The opera has been praised by critics for its stunning music, and at the...

How Music Reinforces Stereotypes?

The contemporary entertainment world is mostly covered by music from renown artists all over the world such as Michael Jackson, Ja Rule, 50 Cent, Rihanna, Shakira, Celline Dion among others. Places of entertainment such as the discotheques or clubs play the role airing music from these artists to listeners. Moreover,...

Landscape Depicted in Pastoral Symphony by Beethoven

Introduction Beethoven is one of the most successful classical artists. His symphonies such as symphony erotica have remained relevant for a long time. Nature and natural landscape were important to classical and romanticism artists. Beethoven’s love for nature and natural landscape is especially featured in his sixth symphony, Pastoral symphony....

Beethoven’s Personality and Music

Music, just as any other art is the reflection of the soul and inner feelings and emotions of the creator. It is the reflection of reality as the artist perceives it. Since a work of art is the creation of a person, it is impossible to interpret it apart from...

Ballroom Dance: History and Characteristics

Ballroom dances are performed in pairs in social gatherings as well as on competitive stages. Different types of dances are included in this ballroom dance and they are fox-trot, waltz, polka, tango, Charleston, jitterbug, and merengue (Ballroom dance, 2009) and their styles are also different. It was usually performed for...

Riverdance: The History of the Dance, Features

Riverdance is a dance performance with steps from traditional Irish step dancing. The main feature of this performance is that there will be only quick movements in the legs of the performers but they keep their arms and bodies remain fixed. “At its most basic level, Riverdance is an exciting...

“The Sound of Music” Opera Review

Introduction The world of beautiful is larger when it is accompanied with the art of music and its implementation in opera. The concerts provide a spectator with an appropriate aesthetic pleasure maintained in the manner of singing and performing events on the scene. More efforts are made to make a...

Ethnomusicology: Personal Statement

Introduction Emic and Etic are expressions widely used in the field of social sciences. Researchers continue to show disagreement when it comes to the use and definition of the two terms. The two terms were first used by Kenneth Pike in 1954. (James Lett 2008). He relates the cultural study...

The Birth of Jazz Fusion: Miles Davis

Introduction Jazz is not just music; it is a way of life, a way of thinking, and the way of being. Initially associated with African-American communities, providing an outlet for their thoughts, feelings, and artistic expression, Jazz became a worldwide phenomenon as one of the most fast-growing and popularized musical...

American Hard Rock in Relation to Society

Historical background of rock music The American hard rock can be traced from the 1940s. Its history is pegged on the development of the rock and roll and country music. The inception of the music has no clear origin, but it has grown through the fusing of different types of...

The Evolution and Characteristics of the Son Music Genre in Mexico

Mexican music includes a range of genres, and the son is one of them. The very word “son” means “sound” (Noble 82). It refers to the regional music that can be mostly heard in eastern, western, and central parts of the country. It is played using such instruments as haupanguera,...

Belly Dance and Western Culture

Shay Antony and Barbara Sellers-Young. “Belly Dance: Orientalism-Exoticism-Self-Exoticism.” Dance Research Journal. Vol. 35, No. 1 (2003), pp. 13-37. The article traces the origins of belly dance and the culture spread through a “vast region extending from the Atlantic Ocean in North Africa and the Balkans in the west to the...

The Meaning of Freedom for Jazz Instrumentalists

Art has always been one of the main indicators of the state of society. It appeared at the dawn of civilization and were used to reflect feelings and emotions a person had towards a certain phenomenon or process. Besides, developing along with society, art obtained new features and provided numerous...

Queen’s Album “A Night at the Opera”

The name of this particular band causes a wave of appreciation in any audience all over the world, and the sounds of their melodies cause a wave of excited screaming of the band’s numerous fans and admirers. Everyone knows the names of the band’s members. Their path towards fame was...

Middle Eastern Musical Culture

It is said that music is an indication of the earnest feeling of its composer. The entire composer is fraction of a chronological realism that aids to form and color his piece of music. Consequently, so as to know any kind of music, it is important not just to inspect...

Concert Review: Misha Dacic’s Masterful Piano Recital

Introduction Hearing a great pianist in a recital is an excellent experience. On 10th July 2015, I had the opportunity to attend a concert. The lead musician was Misha Dacic. The experience I had was fulfilling, Misha Dacic is very intense plain and powerful pianist. The following is the report...

Popular and Serious Music

Introduction Music forms a significant part of entertainment in the modern world, and there are various ways people present their songs to their audiences. The compositions and contexts of different types of music determine their audiences, presentation, and suitability. Music has various components that enable it to play its roles...

“Men in Suits”: A Fusion of Dance Styles on Dancing With The Stars

Introduction Dance shows are manifestations of creativity and a source of inspiration and entertainment. Dancing With The Stars is a popular show that hosts dance competitions between celebrities guided by professional choreographers. The dance analyzed in this essay was shown in season 14 of this show in 2012 and presented...

The Cultural Heritage of Irish Dance: History, Costumes, and Global Influence

Introduction Irish dance is one of the most unique and multifaceted dances I have studied. This dance is a vital part of Ireland’s cultural heritage and has an ancient history that dates back several centuries. Irish dance continues to be performed worldwide, especially at competitions and dance festivals. Relevance of...

Evolution of Griot Music: Traditional and Modern Influences in Atlanta Kaira

Introduction The traditions of griots and the peculiarities of the implementation of their music under the influence of modern trends is a complex issue. The composition Atlanta Kaira and its older and newer versions will be used for the analysis (GrrlRaisin). The two versions of this piece of music show...