Dionne Wong - Week 10 - The Expressive Nature of Music
At the bottom of the 2024 Marching Band Schedule lies a quote that holds a special place in my heart—“Music can change the world because it can change people.”
This line was stated by Bono, an Italian singer-songwriter, demonstrating how music is a universal language significant to all cultures across the world. Different cultures can have different interpretations of how music is able to “change people.” Some will use music as a non-political political voice, while others will use it as soothing background noise at their next birthday party. Although they can widely contrast, various perspectives are applicable to the quote, and I’m sure everyone has experienced firsthand how much of an impact hearing the right music can have at particular points in our lives.
For me, music has largely made a mark on my growth in the form of my involvement in the music program at American, with my participation in life-altering experiences like Marching Band, Concert Band, Symphonic Band, the musical Anastasia, Tri-M Club performances, Winter Drum Major, and Brass Ensemble. Deciding whether or not to join Jazz Band, an optional second-semester class elective, was one of the toughest decisions I’ve had to make this year. I was worried about the amount of stress I would put myself in by signing myself up for another time commitment, especially one that didn’t seem to fit in with an “academically rigorous” identity, the identity I would soon be presenting myself with to colleges. Nevertheless, after my first day in Jazz Band, I was relieved I had made the right decision.
I’ve played piano a lot outside of school, but as you may know, people playing traditional orchestral instruments, like the piano, the violin, and cello, are notorious for being stuck in individual practice sessions most of the time (and most of their lives, to be honest), unlike traditional concert band instruments, like the saxophone, trumpet, and trombone. Much of my experience with the actual instrument consists of me or a strictly classical-trained teacher being the judge of my sound, enhancing the skills and parts I think I need the most work on.
However, constantly repeating specific sections of music chosen and judged not by an actual band director, not myself, and in the midst of a full band with thirty other musicians, has been some of the best learning experiences of my life. I’ve been able to send out parts of my internal world, like the specific way I interpret notes on a piece of paper like pieces of a puzzle, out to the external world, where people can actually hear the things I play and play alongside me.
Ironically, devoting myself to be involved in something as specific as jazz has allowed me to grasp a sense of the bigger picture, which I interpret as the occasional need in life to simply do the things you’ve always wanted to do right now, at this moment, in the middle of your junior year.
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Hey, Dionne. I can easily agree-music changes people. This is something that has practically stuck out to me over the past few years. Whether it be to lighten up on the bus after a stressful day or to simply ease a craving, I’ve found myself listening to music much more nowadays. That has come by both coincidence and my intentions.
ReplyDeleteI could probably name a few different factors, but I feel my priorities and ideals have simply changed slightly to focus more on music. While I’m no expert on music theory, I am an avid listener. With the recent start of my vinyl collection to the days of music I’ve listened to from multiple genres, I can say I care much more about music now than I did a few years ago. I’ve come to see music like food. I can’t dislike something I haven’t eaten yet, so why am I allowed to put down an artist’s music without listening at all? I would say I find more use in listening to music that I’m not already familiar with as it keeps me curious and would open more opportunities to find music I enjoy rather than simply never giving myself the chance to find new sounds.
I’ve also noticed how interesting I find the history of some titles I listen to. What complements this history even more is how some records even demonstrate this history through both lyrics and rhetorical analysis. Take an unorthodox album like Nirvana’s “In Utero” in 1993. The album would feature priceless vocals and riffs from the band’s vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist, Kurt Cobain. In Utero would be recorded and released around seven months before Cobain’s unfortunate death. What makes the album darker are the lyric choices that Cobain makes throughout the album. Songs like “Very Ape” or “[R] ape Me” just feature so many self-deprecating lines that amalgamated many of Cobain’s concerns at the time. He had been self-medicating with multiple drugs out of both addiction and chronic stomach pain. He also faced much pressure from his status as an icon as well as pressure from the band's industry label. Cobain felt both imposter syndrome and wanted to avoid the spotlight that he had attained. This is described through both screams and seemingly tender but intense lyrics over riffs that had me on the edge of my seat. What makes the record hit harder is the knowledge of the band's drummer, Dave Grohl, and what he would go on to do in the rock scene. The album stands as a testament to fans of Cobain even if it didn’t see as much success as “Nevermind” did. While I still like Nevermind more due to having more individual songs I think are great, I still love the raw energy of Cobain that reminds me of the struggles everybody faces yet always seeks to hide them. Thanks for the music introspection and music analysis, Dionne! - Rafael Montes Barrera
Hi Dione! I really liked how you brought up the power of music in your blog post this week! I think that many of us often forget how big of an influence music has on our lives since we’re so used to it being there. For example, I never realized how often music is played in the background of movies and how much they heighten the emotional impact of each scene. Therefore, I think that this is definitely a crucial aspect of our lives, and I really agree with your statement that music has the power to change our lives.
ReplyDeleteAnother aspect I found interesting about your blog was the way that you connected this general statement to your personal experiences. After seeing you play at our Gatsby Party (you were awesome by the way), I knew that you played music, but I think that I learned a lot more about you and your perspective on music through this blog! Even though I don’t play a musical instrument anymore, your description of your musical experiences really resonated with me, especially your comment about each musician having different interpretations of the same music. As a figure skater, a lot of the music I skate to has already been performed by many others, and it’s pretty common to hear the same song multiple times at competitions. However, I’ve noticed that even with the same music, the choreography and way that each skater performs is extremely different, which makes it really fun to be able to watch everyone. Similar to you, I believe that the way we express ourselves through music really depends on our personal experiences and interpretations, and I think that this really shows the power of our individuality as well. Thanks for sharing Dione!