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Final Blog Project

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  Country music has greatly influenced American society and culture. The genre's global recognition stems from its association with the United States, namely the Deep South. In the music business, musicians such as Willie Nelson, Townes Van Zandt, and Johnny Cash are revered as very important artists in the country world. Country music is well-known throughout the world, but it sometimes can be misinterpreted. It's much more subtle than simply roper-wearing cowboys singing love songs, but people don't seem to get that.  Country music has been a staple in music for decades, so much so that Congress recognized the city of Bristol Tennessee as the birthplace of Country in 1998. When recognizing it they cited the recordings as early as 1927. The twangy sound of country music reverberated throughout the Southern Appalachian low-lying mountains long before the days of Johnny Cash and Dolly Parton. African American working-class immigrants from Europe and Africa introduced their o

Music and the Fictive Dream Game of Thrones

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  I decided to use the theme song for the Show Game of Thrones for this blog as I absolutely loved the show and binge-watched it multiple times. The theme song, which really set the pace for the show itself, was released on June 14th, 2011, and was created in Prague. The writer was able to create the theme song in just a few days. While the writers for the show were showing Ramin Djawadi the video for the theme song he started humming the tune that would eventually become the theme song on his way back from seeing the video they had created for it. The theme song was so good it was actually nominated for three Grammys and won two Emmys. They wanted the theme to tell a story of travel, backstabbing, and deceit. The show was filled with this, so it made sense. The show's creators, David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, felt that the usage of flutes and pianos for the theme was inappropriate since they were too dramatic and frequently utilized in fantasies. This is the reason Djawadi chose th

Role of the Performer - Weird Al Yankovich

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 For my performer, I decided to go with Weird Al Yankovich. He was born October 23, 1959, and as of today is 64 years old. The reason I decided to go with him is because of how he became a performer. He got his start in music at the age of 16. He listened to a comedy radio show named Dr Demento's and when he came to his school Weird Al gave him a cassette tape that had some of his parodies. His college classmates gave him the nickname of Weird Al and at first, he took it as an insult before adopting it as his nickname. One of his parodies was put on the radio show and that is how he began his career.  He did his first parody of the hit I Love Rock n Roll and changed it to I Love Rocky Road and the song made it to the Top 40 in 1982. He created the music video in 2011. Throughout his career, he has been a singer, songwriter, comedian, actor, and music producer. He has accomplished it all.   "Weird Al" Yankovic - I Love Rocky Road (Official HD Video)  March 2011 / USA The s

Musical Journey through the History of Greece

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 For my musical journey, I chose Greece because it is rich in History. While doing research on Greek music I found that there is a lot more that I didn't know. I have noticed what I called a Harp in the old Hercules Disney movies can also be referred to as a Lyre. I also learned that Apollo was the god of music and was often shown holding a Lyre.  There is also a larger equivalent called the Cithara which is how we got the English word guitar.  There is evidence that Greeks started to study music theory close to the 6th century BCE and music was actually viewed as a gift from the gods. Music was a very important part of early Greek life, and it covered a lot of different activities such as weddings, sporting events, military events, festivals, and my favorite drinking parties. Now the video I am posting below is of the Lyre and I chose to do that because it's simple but really how it started in early Greek life. There is a lot of information when it comes to this and I didn'

How the Piano came to be

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I chose the piano as the topic for my blog. I have always liked this instrument, even though I don't have much experience with it. I learned a lot of interesting facts about it while doing research. For example, did you know that March 29, or the 88th day of the year is celebrated as Piano Day because it corresponds to the 88 keys on a standard piano? I enjoy playing the piano whenever I get a chance, even if it's just pressing a few keys. There is something fun and satisfying about making sounds with it. The piano evolved from the harpsichord, which was an instrument that plucked strings to produce notes. By replacing the plucking mechanism with a hammer, the piano allowed more control over the volume and expression of the notes. The origin of the piano can be traced back to the monochord, a simple string instrument that produces sounds by vibration. The piano is also related to percussion instruments because it involves hitting the strings with a hammer. However, it also rese

Fearless - Musical Analysis #2

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 This song hits home for me as I have done a lot of dumb things in my life. For example, I have jumped out of perfectly good airplanes for the Army. I have gone to war and returned, and I go cliff-jumping into the water every chance I get. I don't really fear much and live by the catchphrase, "You only live once, so do it." I am married to a very wonderful wife (going on 16 years.) She is my peace and the one thing I fear is losing her. This song hits home for me when I think of that, so I decided to use it.  Jackson Dean - Fearless (The Echo / Official Music Video)  - 2023 / USA Lyrics Today's Country Magazine says “Fearless is an honest account of how a woman can make a young man feel.  It’s a truthful take on a man’s thoughts, feelings, and emotions, most of which are not always proclaimed or expressed verbally.  It’s a bare-bones, stripped-down, vulnerably honest expression of how he is feeling and how his entire life is influenced by the woman in it." This s

When it Rains it Pours - Musical Analysis #1

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 I only really thought about it once I researched this song. Usually, when you hear when it rains it pours because bad things are happening, but this song changes it to be a good thing. I went through it the same way as well. I had a bad break from an engagement when I was young and dumb, and I joined the Army to get away from it all and start fresh and travel. When I got to my first duty station, I met my wife a month after getting to Alaska and ever since then it's been pouring. Luke Combs - When It Rains It Pours (youtube.com)  - June 2017, USA Melody - When you see the name of the song before it plays you would think it would be a sad song because of the title of it. When the video starts you see a family coming out and a guy passed out on the roof and a couch on fire. This is usually how bad things start, and to this family, they were probably thinking the pour is beginning, but with this song, it then goes to a guitar playing that upbeat melody and it really draws you in. &qu