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Music Inspires Patriotism

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Unfortunately, patriotism is something that is lost among many individuals in this day and age. However, I believe there is still a large majority of people who are proud to be American and show their patriotism. I love music that inspires patriotism and acknowledges the sacrifices men and women have made for this great country we are so blessed to live in.  The first song I will be analyzing is Am I The Only One , composed and sang by Aaron Lewis and released in the United States on July 2, 2021. Check it out here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkKb4Zt48x8  The song Am I The Only One  pleads with listeners to display their patriotism and prove that there are still good people in this world who have not been completely sucked into the media and other news stories. The artist poses the question of being the only one left who isn't brainwashed and is still proud of the freedoms given to people in this country. The song is very controversial and, in my opinion, that is because it m
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Music & Stories of White Christmas

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It's almost Christmas, so let's talk about a classic.  White Christmas is a 1954 American musical film that tells the story of a Broadway star and aspiring performer, both Army veterans, who team up to entertain WWII soldiers who are deployed and away from their families for the Christmas holiday. After returning home, the two men travel to perform in various places, meet two women they fall in love with, and end up choreographing an entire performance for a retired Army General to remind him that he is not forgotten.  The musical piece from this movie I'll be focusing on is "Gee, I Wish I Was Back in the Army", the song that instantly became an iconic tune during the war. The song reveals the impact of military service in WWII depicts what it's like for military veterans to return to civilian life. The song  "Gee, I Wish I Was Back in the Army" , performed in the movie  White Christmas,  was composed by Irving Berlin. The song was originally recorde
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Music and Stories of The Greatest Showman

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The Greatest Showman is a wonderful recent rendition of the story of 19th-century showman P.T. Barnum, a family man with a dream. The movie is a musical drama and tells the story through different musical pieces. The movie centers about Barnum and his circus of "misfits" or "oddities", with the music detailing how our differences make us unique and it's a good thing that no two people are the same. The musical piece from this movie I'll be focusing on is "This Is Me", which tells the morale of the story: to accept others regardless of their differences. The song This Is Me , performed in the movie The Greatest Showman , was composed by Justin Paul and Benj Pasek and released in the U.S. on October 26, 2017. Listen to it here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjxugyZCfuw  This defiant song was written to align with the lessons of the movie and to arouse self-acceptance. This Is Me  is a fight song for those who are not generally accepted by society
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Role of the Performer - Ariana Grande

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Ariana Grande. Most everyone knows the name. Though only 28 years old, she has already had quite the performing career. After performing onstage as a child and in a Broadway play at age 15, she landed lead roles on a couple of TV shows in her teenage years. She then dove into her chart-topping musical career, having released five successful albums to date. She's also got 6 #1 hits and multiple Grammys! Though Ariana Grande has assisted in writing some of her music, the large majority of her songs are composed by others and performed by her. Her role as a performer is bringing those songs to life. She is well-liked, very popular, and her performances can usually be seen at the top of the charts. One popular song Ariana Grande is known for is Bang Bang , which was composed by Nicki Minaj, Rickard Goransson, Savan Kotecha, & Max Martin and released in the U.S. on July 29, 2014. Check out Ariana Grande performing Bang Bang  live here:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLp7G8dYRlQ 
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A Musical Trip to Colombia

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Colombia is home of some wonderful music and some wonderful dancing to go along with it! Colombia combines both traditional and modern culture into their music, making the expressions very diverse. While many songs have a heavy Spanish influence, a mixture of African, European, and even modern American musical expressions can help to result in this diversity. Colombia is known as the "the land of the thousand rhythms" because the music has a rich and diverse cultural heritage, with every part of Colombia moving to a different sound; each region has their own rhythm! There are more than 1,025 folk rhythms grouped into 157 different genres.  One song that really has caught my attention is Mala Muer  by Paola Jara, which was released in Colombia in 2019. Check it out here:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbIyusl1fos  Mala Muer  has a very dramatic sound to it, but is also sung with a lot of passion. Music is not only something to listen to in Colombia, but it is a lifestyle an
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Piano Evolution

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Pianos have not always looked or sounded the same. They have evolved to be the way they are today and bring the sound they do. Pianos have evolved from square to upright to grand to digital. Pianos have always attracted many interested listeners, though they have not always sounded the same. The first song I'm analyzing is Fur Elise , composed by Ludwig van Beethoven and Giscard Rasquin on April 27, 1810 in Vienna. Listen to it here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mVW8tgGY_w  Summary: Pianos have evolved quite a bit since the composure of  Fur Elise  back in 1810. This piece of work was composed using a square piano, which was initially designed in France in 1777. The piano's name doesn't make a ton of sense, since it was actually rectangular and not square at all. These types of pianos were commonly used to play music in salons. An interesting fact about this song in particular is that even though it was composed in 1810, it was not published until the year 1867, after
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Musical Analysis #2 - "I'll Be There For You"

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 Rachel. Monica. Phoebe. Joey. Ross. Chandler. If you don't know these names, we can't be FRIENDS. Haha, you like my joke? Anyways, click below to listen to ' I'll Be There For You' . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLisEEwYZvw The song "I'll Be There For You" was written and composed by Phil Solem, Danny Wilde, Allee Willis, Michael Skloff, David Crane, and Martha Kauffman as the main theme song for the NBC sitcom "Friends", which aired in the U.S. from 1994 to 2004. The Rembrandts band was the only one available to record the song with Warner Bros, so they were the lucky group to gain popularity when the song blew up. In 1995, one year after the NBC sitcom aired, The Rembrandts even added two verses to the song and put the new version in their album! I personally love this song and I think it was a very fitting theme song for this sitcom. For me personally, this song never gets old and it's one of my favorite parts of the show. This so
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