The presentation I found intriguing is Music and Breakups. This topic itself discusses relationships in the stage of grief when everything has come to an end. Breakups are usually really upsetting, which is why many artists use music to express their emotions. Music and breakups also envoke feelings that both the listener and the writer understand, providing support and comfort for anyone going through a similar situation. As for the songs presented, it gives us a connection between how music and breakups have been relevant for a long time. The music usually associated with the topic is usually real which adds to the personal feeling and vulnerability that people can relate too.

If I had written about this topic, one of the songs I would have chosen would be, “Triggered (freestyle)”. In this song Aiko is reflecting on her past relationships and expressing her emotions that have been bottled up for a long time. The lyrics express a lot of anger which many people fell after they have been wronged in a relationship. Breakups not only involve waves of sadness but also anger and anxiety which is shown in the lyrics written, “Who am I kiddin’? Knew from the beginning. / You’d ruin everything, you do it every time. / You are my enemy, you are no friend of mind, muhfucker” The song’s biggest impact comes from the lyrics along with the tempo that is at a slow-paced, helping convey the pain and frustrations she is going through.

The second song I would have chosen is “I’m a Survivor” by Destiny”s Child. The song is considered an anthem for women, it describes being able to survive any situation given in life. This song relates to breakups because the person always reaches an epitome in which they realize they will be fine without the other person. In this stage of a breakup the person becomes stronger and prospers which is exactly what the song describes. The faster tempo of this song and the high pitches make the listener feel empowered which reflects how you feel once you start to heal from a breakup.

The piece of political music I chose is “Zombie” by The Cranberries.” The song has a direct purpose as it’s written about the internal war in Ireland in the 1900s. This conflict has been the primary cause of violence and death in Ireland. This song specifically is written about two boys that were killed by IRA bombs emphasizing the negative side effects of war. The musical genre is Rock, which has a long history of calling out substandard behavior in society. Many rock bands such as The Bettles, The Rolling Stones and Green Day have symbolic songs that involve politics as well.

When listening to the song there is a lot of direct lyrics that vividly express the situation. “But you see, But you see, it’s not me, it’s not my family In your head, in your head, they are fighting. With their tanks and their bombs and their bombs and their guns. In your head, in your head, they are crying.” When reading these lyrics the singer is disassociating herself from the IRA and explains that killing innocent lives shouldn’t be the cost of freedom. Some symbolism is also used in the song as the word zombie is used in the chorus multiple times. According to Genius zombies are the supporters of war that are incapable of understanding anything else but killing. We can further emphasize this by the next lyric “What’s in your head, in your head? Zombie, zombie.” I believe an important musical characteristic is the use of dynamics in the song. When the band is playing the verses the singer and the band is usually quieter and softer. Then slightly before the chorus, the music slowly gets louder until it reaches its climax in the chorus. This can also reflect her anger towards the propagators of war because of how loud she gets to the point where she is almost screaming to get her point across. The use of dynamics plays a good role in highlighting the sentiment of the song

I come from a household of born and raised Ecuadorians. The first thought that came to mind when thinking about traditional music is Bomba. It is often referred to as Afro-Ecuadorian music because of its origins. Bomba is both a style of music and dance and it has a lot of African influences. Bomba was created when slaves were brought to Ecuador during the Colonial period. It also has a lot of influences from Bantu culture which is in Congo. The music and dance are very rhythmic base. Your dancing changes as the tempo and rhythm change, either faster or slower. Bomba also includes a lot of improv since its made to enjoy and have fun rather than scripted. The main instruments are percussion instruments such as the bongos, congas, guitar, and shaker. Today we mostly listen to this music to dance and celebrate especially for New Years which have important traditions to start the new years right.

A more modern version

The performance I would be most comfortable in as an audience member would be the Jazz club, mainly because of the environment, it is very laid back. This setting for me is a more comfortable way to enjoy and appreciate the music being played. There is no standard to live up to or fear of being judged unlike in a symphony orchestra or chamber music recital where it’s expected to be well dressed and have proper etiquette. As a listener, I’m not expected to act a certain way I can either enjoy it and stay or leave at my content. As a performer though I feel like it is expected for them to freestyle and feel the music with a passion.

As for the performance, I would feel the least comfortable in would be the chamber music recital. Personally, I don’t listen or can critique this type of music so being in a compact and small area that is extremely quiet gives me anxiety. This type of concert has a lot of etiquette and expectations. As a listener, you have to sit properly and stay quiet for long periods at a time. As for the performers I expect them to be a small number unlike an orchestra and also be very attentive to each other since they don’t have a conductor. I have been to a concert similar to this and from experience, it is really hard to have a conversation about the music and even a reaction to the music being played.

The film scene I choose was “1.21 Gigawatts” from “Back to the Future”. In this scene Marty Mcfly the main character is trying to find a way back home since he is stuck in the past. Doc the scientist in the scene is amazed by the video Marty shows him since it is unknown technology to him. His amazement later turns to fear as he realizes he isn’t able to generate 1.21 Gigawatts of power. Both of them struggle with the news, but Marty determined to get back to the future realizes how they can find a lightning source to generate the electricity he needs.

There is a lot of diegetic sounds in the clip such as the static of the TV, the sound of the playback button, the footsteps, crumpling of paper. These diegetic sounds, although important the non-diegetic sounds we hear towards the end of the clip play a big role in the movie itself. The background music we hear is very fast pace and impatient, it comes right when the Doc and Marty realize how to power the time machine creating a feeling of realization as well as urgency. The music as well lets us know that the plot is moving forward and rapidly. The music lets the audience know that the following scenes are going to be hectic and daring.

Musical technology has come a long way to help ease the creation and production of music. The microphone is one musical tool that has revolutionized the way we hear and portray music, especially live. The microphone’s purpose is to help record music and even allow the singer to inflict emotions with a wide range while still being heard. The microphone translates sound vibrations into electrical sounds allowing it to capture the most minimal and softest sounds. This way, it can capture all emotions and techniques a singer has to convey a passionate and pleasing feeling to the listener. The only experience I have with the microphone happens when it is attached to a speaker. When giving this speech, I quickly noticed how delicate a microphone is. If you were too far from the mic, the audience could not hear you, and if you accidentally bump it, it sends off an unpleasant screeching sound. Although not the best experience it was still a nice occurrence.

The piece of music I selected is Camilo Sesto “Getsemaní (live 1977).” The microphone although not influential it allowed Camillo Sesto to express his voice in a variety of different ways. In the video, you can hear the different sounds and techniques he is using to create character and style to his voice. https://youtu.be/bY2eW9-mA1U