Modern American Music Post IX

Well it's coming to the end of the semester and I know next to no one reads this blog but hey here it is anyway.

So this past week we talked about BROADWAY.

Now if you couldn't tell in class or if you weren't there I was super excited about it. Like holy wow. I LOVE Broadway.

I know some of you have read my Wicked blog before but I will be talking about that again possibly.

So Wicked has been my favorite so far that I have seen on Broadway (though I love Chicago and LOVED seeing one of my favorite stars play J. Pierrepont Finch in his two to three week running of How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying) and I plan on seeing many more. I have watched many DVD's of Broadway musicals some as the movie version such as Sweeney Todd, Rent, Chicago (saw on stage too), Sound of Music, Phantom of the Opera, Hairspray (I know), and I am sure there are others (such as Les Miserables this month), and some as the on stage version such as Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserables.



Lets start with the live ones I saw. First was Chicago when I was thirteen or so. We went for my birthday with my aunt who lived in New York for a long time. It was incredible really. I was a bit (like a lot) too young to be seeing such a Broadway but it was truely amazing.


In January of 2012 I went to see How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying starring Darren Criss who took the revival over for a few weeks after Daniel Radcliffe did for months and just before Nick Jonas' three month stint.

My sister and I were now old enough to appreciate the show more than before and it was again one of the best experiences of my life.

                                                (My sister took this)


Next was Wicked.

(From the day I was there someone I was with took this)

I have never seen a show this incredible ever. I got chills with nearly every song. I actually cried during Defying Gravity (I know okay? lol). It was incredible.

Now with the DVD movie versions.

I saw Phantom Of the Opera at my first boyfriend's house. It wasn't until years later that I realized who played the Phantom and I was honestly amazed. (Gerard Butler for those of you who are not familiar. The story swept me away and I plan on seeing it on Broadway as soon as I can. And there are two live DVDs.

Les Mis was another I saw first with my first boyfriend. It was a high school production. It was much cleaner than the actual version but still made a pretty big impact on me. It wasn't until last year that the 25th anniversary concert DVD was released starring Alfie Boe as Valjean, Katie Hall as Cosette, Samantha Barks as Eponine, and Nick Jonas as Marius. It was also incredible though there are plenty of people who will say they have had better actors in the past (true.)

Les Miserables-- One Day More (Full Cast and Original Cast)

There is also a 10th anniversary DVD out. And the movie later this month.


Sweeney Todd is something I watched mostly for Johnny Depp at first if I am going to be completely honest with everyone. He is one of my favorite actors and to know he was going to be in a musical and not alone but with Alan Rickman, Helena Bonham Carter, Sasha Baron Cohen, and so many more I was on board. My favorite song from the musical was the incredible Epiphany. Not a common choice for example many like Little Priest or my dad's favorite My Friends.

Epiphany from Sweeney Todd (Song Only)

Rent will always be one of my favorite musicals. Not only because it is incredible but also because I am obsessed with Idina Menzel who portrays Maureen. She is a truly incredible actress with an even more amazing singing voice. My favorite song from this actually doesn't include her at all though it does talk about her character.

Tango Maureen Rent (movie version)


So this is going on far too long for what was meant to be a short blog. I am mainly just mentioning each musical but it is still crazy long haha. Anyway maybe this will get a to be continued blog but who knows.

Thanks for reading if you made it through I congratulate you.

Anyway thats all for now.

Amanda

Modern American Music Post VIII

Okay so lets talk Dick Clark.

I feel like we are getting around the holidays so it is Thanksgiving this Thursday, then Christmas, and then New Year which means Rockin' New Year's Eve with no Dick Clark. Not to mention the American Music Awards were on tonight and were dedicated to his legend.

He was born on November 30th, 1929 and died April 18th, 2012 at 82 years old. The beginning of his career was in a mail room at a radio station in New York oddly enough. After working there and then graduating college and working there again he got his first television hosting job on a country music show. He later took over a news casting job however his biggest work was yet to come.

1952 is where his career blew up. He moved to a Philadelphia suburb (Drexel Hill for those of you who know it up there) and became a disk jockey for a radio station that also had an affiliation with a television station occasionally hosting as a substitute until he was asked to take over after the original host was arrested for DUI and told to leave the station.

ABC soon picked up the show and Bandstand took off officially with Dick Clark interviewing Elvis Presley.

Okay so there is so much more that goes on with his career after this but seriously at this point we will be here all night....

Anyway this only begins the amazing life that Dick Clark lead and I invite you to look him up and read about him yourself.

I always looked forward to Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year's Eve. Ever since I was little I would watch it with my parents and see Dick Clark go on that screen as old as he was he was always pleasant with his wife sitting by his side.

What about you guys? Anything you remember or like about Dick Clark?

That's all I have for now.

BYE!

Modern American Music Post VII

So I may do more than one blog this week... I don't really know. It depends on if I get another bout of inspiration or not...

Anyway I was thinking about the hurricane (Sandy if we would like to use her proper name) and thought about how many songs are about rain and storms and such... Well I looked it up and as it turns out someone has already done an article/blog about it here.

While looking over the list I found that while it's true these are all hurricane songs they are not in fact any that I have really listened to. So I am now on a search and I challenge anyone who reads my blog to do the same. Find one song (or multiple if it suits your fancy) and post it in the comments. If it mentions a storm, rain, anything to do with this type of weather it is fair game. Metaphorical is fair and so is the song if it's only in the title.

Here are two now:

Trying To Reason With Hurricane Season-Jimmy Buffett

Let It Rain-Michael W. Smith (Worship song)

Have at it! And stay safe!

Modern American Music Post VI

So I have been having a hard time thinking of what to blog about and then my friend sent mea link to this song and I was like okay here it is.

Anyway I never knew I liked this type of music before this course and my friend started showing me older music that he likes.

This is a song sing by Billie Holiday called They Can't Take That Away From Me. The song itself shows how much has stayed the same in music as well as the incredible differences! First the subject of the song (love) is the same as so many popular songs we listen to today. However a big difference is that this actually seems to hold meaning. She isn't talking about how she loves him and blah blah blah heartbreak the end like most teen artists seem to these days. It also isn't all about sex but instead she shows an appreciation for how he smiles and how no one can take that feeling away from her.

Link to the song::

http://youtu.be/ehMx12dSF6w

It just amazes me how we have downgraded in such a way that we are derogatory more than actual meaningful.

Modern American Music V

Music theater (or theatre depending...) is one of my favorite things in the world. The combination of acting and music/singing is just one of the things I love. So here is a blog about a company I have come to adore.

Several years ago (2009) a theatre company was started by a bunch of college students attending the University of Michigan.

Now you may or may not have heard of them depending on how into 1) Harry Potter 2)YouTube sensations or 3) the Fox television show Glee (one of the founding members is now a main character on the show.)

As I was saying they really started after posting a series of videos on YouTube that when put together make up A Very Potter Musical. It was meant for them to be able to show their families and friends what they had thrown together and tadah! Hit!

Thus started Starkid Productions aka Team Starkid. This is of course a very slimmed down version of their story. They went on to do more musicals including A Very Potter Sequel, Me and My Dick (not child appropriate), Holy Musical B@man, and Starship.

Due to their rising popularity they have now headlined two tours of their own and created a fan base of crazy dorks just like they were and are.

For more detailed info here is their wiki page::

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/StarKid_Productions#section_1

And their official site where you can find links to the musicals::

http://www.teamstarkid.com/index.html

I strongly encourage you watch them as they are hilarious and the music is extremely catchy.

Modern American Music Post IV

Over the past couple weeks we have come upon talking about Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn and their partnership in their music. As we have talked and listened to the music I have found that I enjoy it very much.

The first time I had knowingly listened to a piece of their music was last Christmas season. Temple University put on a performance of the Nutcracker Suite with their Classical Orchestra and Jazz Ensemble. First the Classical Orchestra played Tchaikovsky's original piece the the Jazz Ensemble would follow with Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn's version of the same piece.

My favorite piece was the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy/Sugar Rum Cherry. The description from the Master of Ceremonies was amusing as well as accurate. He said that Duke Ellington's version sounded like the fairies had a few too many drinks before doing the piece ending up making it sound sultry and boozy but amazing.

Here is a listening to the original and then the Ellington and Strayhorn version::

Tchaikovsky's:

http://youtu.be/Rapf3g_XvCc

Ellington and Strayhorn:

http://youtu.be/ONknTGUckKc

Modern American Music Post III

So taking kind of from the theme of what I commented on Erin's blog I'm going to talk about repetitive chord progression in popular music.

I am sure many of you have listened to Pachelbel's Canon in D and if not consciously you probably do know it regardless. It's a very commonly known piece but if you still aren't sure google it. Since this is being done off my iPod and not a computer there will no links so you will just have to look it up.

Obviously Pachelbel is not a modern American artist so you are probably confused as to why I mentioned it. Well Canon in D is a repeat of four chords over and over again to put it super simply. Four chords that are commonly found in pop songs today as well as some other types of music.

For examples of this look up Pachelbel Rant and there are also videos of a group that take all the songs and sort of smash them together.

This whole thing sort of reminds me of how when music was developing people would use music that they already knew from hymns and such for new songs because it was familiar. Just food for thought.

Anyway that's all I have for this week!!!

Amanda