Modern American Music Blog II

So this is the second post for this blog so far.

I think that this time I am going to talk about a topic that a lot of people disagree upon, at least that I have come across, covers.

When someone covers another artists song whether it be that a popular artist is covering an older song or a show is doing it or even some on youtube is singing a cover of a top forty song in order to get popular on the internet. Some people that I have come across find this incredibly wrong and that it ruins the value of the original. Or if a popular artist is doing it in their own style it then ruins the older version because it has been polluted by the pop culture of this generation.

I guess that this is more of a question than my own statement of opinion. I honestly don't mind a lot of the time when covers are done because it urges me to find the original and compare them. Most times I do find that the original is better but I enjoy the cover just as much. However, I understand the opinion and where it comes from when it is said that it is ruining the original because most will not make an effort to look at the original piece.

What do you think?

Here are a few examples of covers done. Fell free to listen if you want:

Popular Artists

Feeling Good by Nina Simone (Original 1965)

Feeling Good by Michael Buble (Cover 2006)

 Television Shows

Smooth Criminal by Michael Jackson (Original 1987)

Smooth Criminal  by Glee Cast Members (Naya Rivera and Grant Gustin) [feat. 2CELLOS (Sulic & Hauser)] (Cover 2012)

Youtube

Someone Like You by Adele (Original 2011)

Someone Like You by Nick Pitera (Cover 2011)

Modern American Music First Blog Post

Okay so I am not really sure how to start this off... My name is Amanda and we were assigned the project of keeping a blog for the Modern American Music class which anyone who reads this will already know because you are in my class.

I am really excited about this whole idea of keeping a blog about class and our thoughts on what we have talked about or learned. I have never had a professor who thought of this and actually went through with it and I think it is really cool.

So here it goes.

Whenever I am asked what type of music I listen to I am always quick to reply. The answer usually is a "Oh I will listen to anything!" or "I listen to everything from such and such genre to such and such genre.". What I have found more recently in beginning the first few weeks of this class is that neither of these things are actually true. They are mostly an exaggeration of the real answers.

In the past couple of weeks we have named many different genres and begun our journey into the birth of music in America. This is another thing that I have found; I over estimated my knowledge of music history. I have taken multiple classes at the college but that focused mostly on the music being developed in Europe. I am thoroughly enjoying being taught about how our music that we listen to everyday came about.

I think in terms of a type of music that really speaks to me however is Broadway/Musical Theatre music. It has a feeling to it of something so powerful. I recently (in the past year) got the chance to go see Wicked, a very popular (no pun intended if you know the show) Broadway. Since seeing it I bought the music from the original Broadway cast and each time it gives me chills. The actors in the show throw themselves into their characters beyond what I can imagine. Yes the staging and make up is spectacular but its the feeling that they put into the music that really resonates with you.

My favorite piece of music from the show would have to be one of these three As Long As Your Mine, No Good Deed, and last but most certainly not least Defying Gravity. (Please at least listen to one of these. There is nothing to watch.) The first for not only the incredible vocals and instrumentals but also the way that the performers push the emotion into the song so that the passion and love is practically tangible, the second for the raw anger and pain that she shows, and the third for all the passion, fight and many other emotions that you can find in the entire musical itself all wrapped into the one amazing and iconic performance.


That's really all I have to say for now and I can't wait to continue on this blog and class! Till next time.

Amanda