2 Songs for the End of the World

 2 Songs for the End of the World

    I have specific songs that I listen to for when I'm feeling sad, anxious, happy, tired, and pretty much any other emotion I go through. So this thought of providing my 2 favorite songs sounded very intriguing to me. I thought about this decision very hard, and I've finally come up with 2 songs that have both helped me through some difficult times, and ties into question 2 in the instructions that was why we need music. The first song I chose is near and dear to my heart for multiple reasons but the main reason is that this song reminds me of a time in my life when I was not in a good place, but I dug myself out of it and got much, much better. And this song helped a lot.

Lew's Lullaby - Ritt Momney

    This song was written by a band named Ritt Momney and released in 2019 which was pretty recently. It was released in America but I'm not sure if it's made it to different countries or not. This band isn't the most popular but has gained more and more fans over the years. 

My Personal Thoughts: 

    This song answered the original question by simply stating that this song reminds me of a time where I wasn't doing so well but I pulled through and it is now a different reminder. When I hear this song it reminds me of how strong I was since I was able to pull myself out of the rut I was in and improve my life drastically. So when the question "Why do we need music?" is asked I have a simple response. Because it evokes emotion, both happy and sad, to help people when they are at their lowest points. It can kind of be considered a temporary distraction from something that is going on that isn't too great. 

Musical Element #1: 

    In this song, the beginning start out very whimsical sounding, and very soft with the guitar plucking. It's a very calming vibe even when the singing verses come on. The music shifts a bit and gets a bit louder and has a pulsating rhythm, and then it gets quieter. This makes it so the music stays interesting, and keeps your attention and focus. This is what I mentioned was one of the reasons I liked this song so much. It was a temporary moment of calmness and distraction I needed when I was going through some rough stuff. Overall, this song is the first song I think about listening to when I'm upset or sad, and it immediately lifts my mood because of the upbeat nature of the song and just a general sense that everything will be alright. 

Musical Element #2: 

    Unlike the bright and calming music, the lyrics are pretty sad. I remember listening to this song for the first time because it was recommended by a friend. I really liked the beat and rhythm of the song, but I wasn't;t quite paying attention to the words. Then I finally listened to it on my own and I realized the lyrics were pretty sad, and during this time I could sort of relate to what he is singing about in this song. One particular lyric that always sticks out to me is when he sings 

                                "I pick myself up off another floor now

                                Set my head upon my neck again"

    This lyrics still makes me sad, but these were the lyrics that helped me the most, and made me realize a few things about myself that I needed to work out before I started to heal. These lyrics are also very eloquent statement because he is basically saying that he also struggled and made it through those times. It's a way to interact and feel closer to artists when they mention personal things like this.

. . .

                                                                    505 - Arctic Monkeys

This 2nd song is also one of my favorites and it's called 505 by Arctic Monkeys. It was released in 2007 and recorded at Alexandria Place in London. You can kind of hear their accents when they're singing, but I personally like it a lot. It adds a refreshing difference between American pop music that is way too overplayed. I enjoy this song because it's upbeat and I can dance to it, and other people seem to like Arctic Monkeys as well so it's a good song for everyone to listen to. I can always put on this song and jam out to it if I've had a bad day, or if I'm just in need of a jam session.

   

Musical Element #1:

    The first musical element that I enjoy most about this song is the way the song starts. Very calming, slow music. And then just like the song I previously talked about, it slowly gets a little faster, and more instruments are added to the beat. The anticipation of the beat drop in the middle of the song keeps the listeners attention because people who have heard this song know there is a very quiet part followed by a beat drop and lyrics. This part catches your attention and makes you want to listen to the song the whole way through. And then after the beat drop is more awesome instrumentals and a guitar solo which just adds to the need to listen to the song until it's over.

Musical Element #2:

    The whole theme of this song is someone severely missing someone who means a lot to them, but that they unfortunately can't be with because of certain reasons. I'm sure everyone can relate to this because everyone has missed one specific person at least once in their life. This song encapsulates the inevitable time in someones life where they're going to miss someone greatly but they can't see them. This song obviously helped me through something exactly like this, and it helped that the song itself had a catchy and uplifting beat. 

Why do we need music?

    The first article I found that answered this question for me is an article written by a piano company. Steinway & Sons posted a music blog exploring the reason music is so important to us, and they gave really great reasons. Their most prevalent point that they made throughout the article was that music helped us make sense of our lives, and work things out. Music has a way of helping people find missing pieces of themselves, or broken parts that they didn't even know needed fixing. They also explained music as being a basic human need, along with food, water, and shelter, which I can agree with because not only am I an avid music listener, I am an avid violin player, among other instruments. I find it very cool that music is being portrayed this way because for me, and a lot of other people, music as a huge part of our lives and it's nice when it gets appreciated. This quote from the piano website stuck out to me the most and kind of summarizes how they view music:

‘Music has a way of finding the big, invisible moving pieces inside our hearts and souls and helping us figure out the position of things inside us.’(Paulnack)

    Another article I found is from a psychology website which immediately drew my attention because I'm in the process of getting my major in psychology. I thought it would be interesting to mix the two and see what I can learn. This article is by a woman named Dr. Victoria Williamson who has been practicing and listening and playing music for as long as she can remember, and she has presented at large conventions, and generally is very knowledgeable about music. In her blog she explains the many reasons music is very helpful to us, including calming down infants, as a way to explore feelings, and as a way to bond with people personally or in a group setting, among many other things. A direct quote from her blog states that "The vast majority of us are born able to perceive and play music and some may be lucky enough to possess talent. But to become a professional takes hundreds if not thousands of hours of hard graft", (Williamson). I really appreciate that this fact was included because a lot of people don't realize how hard it is and how long it takes to master many things within the musical realm, and I like that that was recognized and tied into the reason we need music. In my opinion, music can be a hobby as well as a profession, which can help with depression and anxiety that can be debilitating otherwise. 

Citations:

Paulnack, Karl. “Music: A Basic Need for Human Survival - Steinway & Sons.” Home, Steinway & Sons, www.steinway.com/news/features/music-a-basic-need-for-human-survival.  

Williamson, Dr. Victoria. “Do We Need Music?” Music Psychology, 2013, musicpsychology.co.uk/do-we-need-music/.

 

 

Musical Analysis pt. 2

 Musical Analysis pt. 2 - Adele

As I'm sure many of you know, Adele just released her new album and as expected, it's absolutely incredible. In my opinion, it's her best album yet, and the story behind why she wrote this album just makes it even more special to me. It was released as a single on October 14, 2021 before her whole album, called 30, was released just a few days ago on November 19, 2021. It was recorded at RAK Studios in northwest London. One song out of the whole album really stuck with me, and I can't stop singing it and listening to it. I find myself humming "Easy on Me" constantly throughout the day because it's so catchy while full of meaning, which is what I want to talk about first. 

Here is the link to the song: Easy on Me - Adele 

Meaningful lyrics:

People are drawn to songs that have lots of feeling and soul, and Adele achieves this perfectly with her song "Easy on Me" because she has stated in an interview that this album is an ode to her son, so that he can look back and listen to his mother singing to him and telling him things she can't tell him right now because he's too young. It's really beautiful to me that her son can experience that, and that Adele had the forethought to write and produce an album for her son to enjoy for the rest of his life. This song in particular is very special to me because I just went through a very rough spot in my life and listening to this song helped me through it. I'm glad it was released early because it was a big factor in helping me realize some things about myself and the people I surround myself with as well. For many people I feel this is the case with Adele's songs because she sings about real problems, not superficial things.  Her lyrics are very meaningful as well, and after listening to the song as many times as I have, I can really start to understand the meaning behind the song as a whole. 

One instrument:

Throughout this whole entire song, the only instrument being played behind Adele's vocals is a piano. This isn't unusual for Adele to do, but I feel like it's extremely hard for an artist to carry a song as well as Adele does when there is only one back up instrument being played through the whole song. Adele's voice by itself is incredible, and the way it is showcased in this song makes her sound a lot more vulnerable and gives a raw and soulful feeling to the song. Listeners can hear every word she says, which just showcases the fact that this is such an emotional song. Adele probably chose to do this so we, as listeners, would focus more on her voice than the instruments or the beat. 

Singing style:

Adele's powerful voice matched with her singing style sends shivers down my spine every time I listen to any of her songs. I can really hear her passion in this song in particular because of the reasons I stated above, but also because her voice gets more powerful and louder as the song goes on. The first verse she sings at the opening of the song is softer sounding than one of the ending verses. I think this is a subtle nod to her growing feelings for her son as he gets older, and to herself as she mentally and physically gets stronger in facing her hardships. I'm not sure many people would pick up on this slight change in vocals, but with the amount of times I've played this song I have memorized it completely. 

Other thoughts:

Every article I read about Adele's new song is saying that this is her best album yet, and according to an article by Pitchfork, which is a website that analyses music, they said that she "[...] transforms her heartbreak into a searching, graceful, and incredibly moving album." Everyone who listens to this album hears the pain and soul in her voice and can just tell this album means a lot to her, and learning that this album was specifically written for her young son makes it that much more special to the listeners. They also basically said Adele is the queen of heartbreak songs, but this album is on another level, which I completely agree with. 

Another article said that this album "[...] captured the biggest week of 2021 for any album in the U.S., surpassing the debut of Drake's Certified Lover Boy," (Caulfield, 2021) which makes sense to me because one of Adele's songs on this album has more feeling and soul put into it than all of Drake's new album put together (I'm certainly not hating on Drake, he has some pretty good songs, but you have to admit I'm right). This album also beat out Taylor Swift's album Red (Taylor's Version), which does surprise me being a Taylor Swift fan and understanding the fanbase surrounding her music. Also according to Billboard, if this album makes it to No. 1 on Billboard 200, it will be Adele's third album to be in that slot, which is incredibly impressive and I have no doubt it will be. 

Sources:

Caulfield, K. (2021, November 24). Adele's '30' surpasses Drake's 'certified lover boy' for year's biggest debut. Billboard. Retrieved November 25, 2021, from https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/adele-30-tops-drake-certified-lover-boy-biggest-debut-1235002289/.  

Mapes, J. (2021, November 22). Adele: 30. Pitchfork. Retrieved November 25, 2021, from https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/adele-30/. 

30. Adele Wiki. (n.d.). Retrieved November 25, 2021, from https://adele.fandom.com/wiki/30.  

Music and the Fictive Dream

 Howl's Moving Castle 

    Howl's Moving Castle is an anime movie with stunning graphics and really cool characters that all come together to create, in my opinion, one of the best anime movies out there. The song that I chose to analyze from this movie is the theme song called "Merry-Go-Round of Life" and it's a beautiful song. It includes lots of string instruments and piano, which is why I like it so much. This score was composed, along with the rest of the Howl's Moving Castle soundtrack, by  Joe Hisaishi and was recorded by New Japan Philharmonic in 2004. 

    This song, and the whole soundtrack really, is used mainly to transport the viewers/listeners to  a different place. The music was written to carry the viewers into the movie itself and allow them to feel the things that the characters were feeling, through music. It's a very interesting feeling, and that's why I love this movie so much. The music soundtrack and the stunning visuals really create a whole new world available to viewers. This piece serves as the theme song to Howl's Moving Castle and serves the purpose of bringing the viewers back to the lighthearted feel of the movie after particularly sad or scary scenes, so this song is more than just part of the soundtrack. 

    This song is pretty well known by movie lovers, and especially anime lovers. After looking up a few articles, the main theme that kept popping up was just how much of an immersive experience this movie is. The soundtrack fits perfectly with the moving visuals and just provides that extra interest factor for viewers. A lot of the articles stated that they listened to the Howl's Moving Castle soundtrack on its own and hearing the music lead them to picture specifically poignant scenes from the movie. That shows how powerful this soundtrack is, and just music in general. It can make you remember things, or bring back visuals in your mind when you hear a certain song. These articles describe "Merry-Go-Round of Life" as a walk down a busy street, or a "Viennese waltz". The articles also talk about the composer's ability to take Western style music and incorporate it into Japanese anime and how interesting and intriguing this is. Joe Hisaishi has won the Japanese Academy Award for Best Music 6 times in his life, which according to this article is very impressive and not many people can say that. 

    I believe that this piece, and the soundtrack as a whole, was written for the purpose of adding an additional layer of meaning to this movie. On it's own, Howl's Moving Castle is a visual masterpiece, but adding in the auditorial masterpiece that is this soundtrack takes it to a whole other level. I think this really solidifies the emotional pull of this movie for me because I enjoy art, and this piece combines my two favorite types of art: music and movies. Having a soundtrack perfectly fit with the visuals and actually uplift and make the audience understand the overall feelings in the movie is such a huge feat to pull off, and I can say that this is one of my favorite movies. 

Sources: 

“Joe Hisaishi - Howl's Moving Castle.” Album of The Year, 30 Dec. 2016, https://www.albumoftheyear.org/album/68051-joe-hisaishi-howls-moving-castle.php 

“The Wondrous Works of Joe Hisaishi.” The Wondrous Works of Joe Hisaishi, 1 Jan. 1970, thenobleartofmusic.blogspot.com/2012/01/wondrous-works-of-joe-hisaishi.html. 

Role of the Performer

  Trans-Siberian Orchestra: Rockin' Christmas 

                                            This is a photo of all the performers in Trans-Siberian Orchestra! 

    Since it's November, I thought it would be a good time to talk about Christmas music because I love it so much. I always wait until at least November 1st so this assignment is perfectly timed. The Trans-Siberian Orchestra is a an American group that originated in Tampa, Florida in 1996 that mainly performs Christmas song renditions with a heavy metal twist. The group consists of many performers on guitar, violin, viola, and cello and bass. The founder, Paul O'Neill, wrote most of the music before he sadly passed away in 2017. He managed bands like Aerosmith, AC/DC, Joan Jett, and many other famous bands, which meant that Trans-Siberian Orchestra had a promising start, and from then on TSO went to sell over 10 million albums and even more concert tickets. The mix of rock and classical is something very unique and I think that's what draws people to this band. I personally am a fan of heavy rock music, but I also love classical music, especially because I play the violin.  

    The first song I want to look at by this group, and is also my personal favorite, is called A Mad Russian's Christmas which is a rendition of many different songs from Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite, like Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy, and the most obvious one, Russian Dance. This mash up of Tchaikovsky songs was released in 1996 and was performed live. Below are links to listen to the songs. 

1) A Mad Russian's Christmas - Trans-Siberian Orchestra

    This song has such a fun beat to it and really follows along with Tchaikovsky's Russian Dance. The added electric guitar adds lots of depth that the original version doesn't have. The original song will always be a classic, but since TSO decided to make an interpretation of their own, it seemed to jazz the song up a bit and add a flare with the electric guitar. The original beats and melodies from Russian Dance are still the same, but the added guitar riffs and back up accompaniment make it overall more interesting to listen to and adds that special unique sound that this band has created. 

2) Carol of the Bells - Trans-Siberian Orchestra     

    Although the song Carol of the Bells was originally composed by Mykola Leontovych in 1916, TSO created a rendition that added so much suspense and intensity that really made it feel like a whole new song. The steady beat of the drums along with the electric guitar and piano create such an powerful new take on this song. The original song is very soft and airy, while this rendition is very heavy and electric guitar forward. In the beginning of this song, the main instruments that are showcased are cello and flute, and then the rock beats start after a few measures. Then this song really starts to showcase the electric guitar for the remainder of the song. I think the main reason TSO started making music was to showcase the beauty of combining two genres of music that people wouldn't normally group together, or would think sounded good. They do a great job finding ways to incorporate the heavy sounding electric guitar with the light and airy sound of string instruments. 

3) Research:

    An article by The Daily Beast talks about the popularity of TSO over the last 20+ years of the band's existence. They say "Since 1999, the band has played to over 15 million people, and many of them come back for more—in 2014, the Wall Street Journal reported that repeat customers comprise 50 percent of the audience." TSO definitely has a distinct sound that people love, and the fact that they often incorporate more than one song at a time is really cool because it just shows how much different kinds of music can mesh together to make something beautiful. This article talks about something I touched on a bit, and that's the fact that one of the main vocalists of this group, Jon Oliva, used to be a member of a heavy metal band, and now he's bringing his expertise on rock music into a completely different genre of music - classical. This reinforces the fact that two genres of music, that are on complete opposite ends of the music spectrum, can come together in a beautiful way and create a new genre in itself. 

Sources:

Hitt, Tarpley. “Why Christmas Can’t Quit Trans-Siberian Orchestra, 20 Years Later.” The Daily Beast, 22 Dec. 2018, https://www.thedailybeast.com/why-christmas-cant-quit-trans-siberian-orchestra-20-years-later  

“Trans-Siberian Orchestra.” Wikipedia , 3 Aug. 2019, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans-Siberian_Orchestra 

Musical Trip to France

Take A Musical Trip to France

    France is the home of the Eiffel Tower, The Louvre, and some incredible cuisine, but they also have some interesting music. I have found 2 very different styles of French music to analyze, but since I broke my thumb on Saturday, my wrist is in a cast. I thought that instead of struggling to type I would just make a video explaining my opinions. Below I will provide a link to both songs.

1st song: Au Clair De La Lune by André Claveau and Mathé Altéry. It was recorded in France in 1983, but many other newer renditions have been recorded since then. I picked this one because it's my favorite. 

2nd song: Petite Fleur by Jill Barber was written and recorded in 2013 but I couldn't find any answers online as to where this was recorded. 

Musical Elements:

Style of singing: In the song Au Clair De La Lune and Petite Fleur there is a very different singing style being used in both of these songs that mainstream American music doesn't have. The sound is more delicate and drawn out, rather than heavy and jumpy like pop music in America. The singers use a lot of vibrato in their voice as they hold out these notes, providing an airy quality that uplifts the music. The vibrato in my opinion makes the singer sound kind of like an accordion. In French music, although not showcased in this blog, the accordion is a commonly used instrument.   

The use of different instruments: In mainstream pop in America, there isn't any song that heavily features the violin or flute like Au Clair De La Lune. These instruments are primarily used in romantic songs in America, but since France is known for its romance, this is very common in French songs. It creates their own personal style of music and attributes to the soulful and mellow style of singing. In the song Petite Fleur it features the soulful melody of an accompanying saxophone that introduces a jazzy feel. I also noticed the fact that only a few instruments were being used in these songs, and not a mash up of instruments like American pop. This helps the listener really focus on both aspects of the songs without words or melodies getting drowned out by a bunch of instruments. 

My opinion: I think French music is very beautiful and is a nice change from mainstream American pop songs. The jazzy feel and airy vocals are relaxing and the instruments they use are heavily influenced and romanticized by the French culture. American mainstream music is mainly pop which tends to be very jumpy with lots of different rhythms, while French music has more of a rounded out sound with steady melodies and flowing notes. It's easy to follow along to and listen to the vocals without getting distracted by the loud instrumentals. 

Citations: 

David, Samantha. “A Beginner's Guide to Popular French Music for 2020.” The Connection, 1 June 2020, https://www.connexionfrance.com/Mag/Culture/ultimate-guide-to-popular-french-music-2020

 

Evolution of the Electric Guitar

 Electric Guitar

    The electric guitar was first invented around 1936 by a man named Charlie Christian. It began as a regular guitar with a pickup attached to the body in order to promote the sound better when he was playing in his band. It then got popularized by Fender and was being mass produced, labeled the "Fender Broadcaster" in 1947. 

    The earliest known recorded performance featuring the electric guitar was in 1938 by a jazz guitarist named George Barnes. The song was called Sweetheart Land and it was recorded in the NBC studios in Chicago, Illinois. George Barnes was just 16 years old when he played the electric guitar for this historic piece of music. Here is a link to the song: Sweetheart Land

    The second song I chose to analyze the electric guitar is Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana. This song was written and sung by the lead of the band, Kurt Cobain. It was recorded at GMC Studios in Culver City, California in 1991. Here is a link to the song: Smells Like Teen Spirit

Riff Solos vs Carrying Rhythm and Melodies

    The first musical element that stood out to me the most was how mellow and clean the guitar riffs are. The song starts off with piano and vocals, and then tenor sax is added along with a string bass. After a while, the electric guitar plays its first riff and sounds very clean and precise. The tenor sax then gets small solos, and by the middle of the song we can hear the electric guitar being played in the background holding the rhythm. The electric guitar was used in jazz and blues songs back in the 1930's through the 40's as more of an instrument to further the melodies and rhythms of the songs being played. It wasn't until the 1980's that the genre of grunge rock was first introduced. In the song Smells Like Teen Spirit the electric guitar is heavily introduced right in the beginning of the song, followed by a mash up of drums and even more electric guitar as back up. There is a clear difference between the jazzy feel of the electric guitar in Sweetheart Land and the heavy grunge feel of Smells Like Teen Spirit. In this song by Kurt Cobain, the electric guitar can be clearly heard throughout the whole piece, but unlike Sweetheart Land, it is heavily featured as the carrier of the rhythm and melodies of the song along with the drums. 

Instrument Sound and Playing Style   

    The second musical element of the electric guitar that has changed throughout the years is the actual sound of the instrument. In the first song from the 1930's, the electric guitar simply sounds like a louder version of the acoustic guitar, and is plucked the same way. Plugging an electric guitar into an amp created more dynamic range and introduced different playing styles. In the song by Nirvana, the electric guitar sounds so much fuller and completely unlike an acoustic guitar.  In the beginning riffs, the sound of the guitar explodes and fills up the entire melody. In Smells Like Teen Spirit the listener can tell without a doubt that the instrument being played is an electric guitar. The guitar is strummed in Smells Like Teen Spirit rather than precisely plucked in Sweetheart Land. 

My Reaction

    I am so surprised at the huge difference in sound of these two songs. I'm a huge fan of grunge and rock music, and the electric guitar is such a focal instrument in this genre of music. Going from easy melodies being plucked on one of the first electric guitars, to exploding melodies being strummed alongside drums. Within a time span of 40 years, the electric guitar became the main instrument in so many grunge rock songs, and is arguably one of the most recognizable instruments today. According to an article published by The Guardian, "Great players achieve their distinctive sound not just through the way they touch the instrument but through the particular way they set up a whole series of electronic sound processors, beginning with the pickups under the strings and ending at the amplifier." The invention of the electric guitar made it so that players could create their own unique set ups, which lead to more creative approaches to songwriting and melody creating.  

Citations:

Fox, Christopher. “How the World Plugged into the Electric Guitar.” The Guardian, 16 Aug. 2016, https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/aug/19/how-the-world-plugged-into-the-electric-guitar

“The Origins of the Electric Guitar The Birth of the Electric Guitar.” The Origins of the Electric Guitar：The Birth of the Electric Guitar - Musical Instrument Guide - Yamaha Corporation, https://www.yamaha.com/en/musical_instrument_guide/electric_guitar/structure/

“This Historic Day In Music: ‘Sweetheart Land’ & ‘It's A Low Down Dirty Shame.’” Sixstr Stories, 1 Mar. 2018, https://sixstrstories.com/2018/03/01/this-historic-day-in-music-sweetheart-land-its-a-low-down-dirty-shame/

     

 

Musical Analysis of the Game of Thrones Theme Song

 Game of Thrones Theme Song

A Musical Analysis

    The Game of Thrones Theme was composed by Ramin Djawadi and recorded in Prague, featuring the Czech film Orchestra and Choir. It was released on June 14, 2011. You can listen to it by clicking this link: Game of Thrones Theme Song

    Ever since I first heard the intro theme song to Game of Thrones, I couldn't stop humming it. It's such an enchanting mix of instruments, which heavily features string instruments. This song first caught my attention because of the overwhelmingly powerful flurry of string instruments, which I have a certain affinity to because I grew up playing the violin in an orchestra. I can't help but listen to the intro song every time I watch an episode from this series, even though I have the option to skip it. I love listening to it, and it gets me into the mood of watching Game of Thrones, which is the whole reason the piece was composed in the first place. I think that the composer did a great job of encompassing the whole feel of this show with the opening theme, and it gives the listener a predisposition of how the show will evolve. 

...

Musical Elements:

The first element I would like to talk about is the instruments selected for this piece. It is heavily played by string instruments, the major one being a cello. The first melody of this piece is a single cello, which is awesome because this instrument on its own has so much power. It's not very often that a show's theme song opens with just one instrument being played. I think this gives the opening melody such a forceful and dynamic presence. The listener is able to focus their attention on this one instrument and hear each note being played, rather than it being a whole orchestra where single notes could get jumbled together and get lost or overpowered by other string sections. 

The second element is the switch from major to minor keys throughout the piece. The very first instrument (cello) is played in a minor key, then after two bars, it switches to a major key, then back to minor. I think this is such a cool way of showing depth in a musical piece, and even someone with no knowledge of music can sense the tone change and how this affects the feel of the intro. 

The third element I noticed is the introduction of more string instruments after the cello solo. Now, in the VERY beginning of the theme song, it sounds like violins, violas, and cello are being played, but once we get into the meat of the song, the cello by itself is what really catches people's attention. But after the cello has it's beautiful piece, more string instruments are once again added with the cello. This second introduction of all these string instruments adds more depth to the theme, and offers a lighter tone because violins and violas offer a higher pitch range than cellos. I can almost hear each instrument separately. I can hear the low tone of the cello, the higher tone of the viola, and the even higher tone of the violin. All of these instruments together provide a very bold and fulfilling sound that changes the feel from when the cello by itself was being played.

The fourth element is the drums. The drums offer a unique addition to the sound that none of the string instruments do. They are played to the beat to the music, following along to the tempo of the song in the background. This offers yet another layer to the song that allows for the string instruments to shine, but can still be heard as a base layer that lets the listener enjoy. The drums carry the melody all throughout the song, from the beginning to the very end. 

The final element, and probably my favorite, is the dynamics throughout this piece. The first few notes at the very beginning of the theme are a powerful explosion of string instruments, but them it immediately gets a bit softer, the initial sharpness of the instruments backing off a bit.  Then, as I explained above, the cello gets it's solo, then the other string instruments come in, and that's when the the swell and crescendo are heard clearly. After every pause of string instruments, when the music is mainly drums, and the string instruments fall into a soft decrescendo, it is immediately followed by a crescendo from the strings once again. I love this added depth because, as a violin player, in my opinion one of the hardest things to do as an entire orchestra is getting softer and louder together. I love when dynamics are used, and the dynamics used in this piece give it an extra intensity. It is heard especially at the very end, because all of the instruments end with a sweeping crescendo, followed by the drop off of all of the instruments except for a dulcimer and kantele, which add a shimmery quality that provides a contrast from the string instruments that were played just a moment before. I think this was used to showcase the intensity of the Game of Thrones series itself, because there are some serious highs and lows that the audience goes through when watching. 

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My sources:

    I'm a big fan of Classic FM, so it just made sense to try to find an article that talks about the Game of Thrones theme song. In their article, the first topic they discuss is how the main theme makes an appearance throughout the episodes themselves. They included part of the score for their audience to see, and I thought I'd add it here too. 

    These notes are part of the main theme, and it's fun to follow along while listening to the music. This article adds some direct quotes from the composer himself, where he states why he decided to go with a cello as the main instrument. “It can be very dark and moody, but also beautiful and emotional at the same time,” says Djawadi, “And it’s just perfect for the show. Because it’s such a dark show. Obviously, because all these families have their problems.” Just as I stated above in my own musical analysis, the cello adds a dark aspect to the theme, which directly correlates with the plot of the series itself. The article then goes on to provide examples of different versions of this song played by famous cellists and pianists, as a sort of tribute to the awesomeness that encompasses this song. So it's safe to say that I'm not the only one obsessed and in awe of this simple yet powerful score.

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    The second article I looked at was published by Business Insider in Australia. This article talks about the bigger meaning of this theme song, which I was really interested to read. They talk about how the "[...] theme is one that was intentionally designed to encapsulate some of the most important ideas behind the show." It then goes on to include the major and minor key change in the beginning, and a direct quote from the composer himself that ties all of it together. He states that “'There’s so much backstabbing and conspiracy — anybody can turn on anybody at any point,” said Djawadi. “So I thought it would be cool to do the same play with the music. So even though the majority of the piece is in minor, there’s that little hint of major in there where it kind of switches and then it changes back again.'” This is exactly what the music lead me to believe when I first listened to it. There's so much going on, and yet it's such a simple melody, with a hint of a key change that is such a huge ode to what happens within the series itself. "Djawadi composed it in a minor key, but with a brief switch to a major key — and since the entire theme is built around that riff, it’s tonality (the key it’s in) subtly expresses one of the biggest truths of the show." I think this man is an absolute genius! This article talked about one of the, in my opinion, coolest aspects of the theme song because before the audience even watches an episode, they inherently get a sense of what is to come by just hearing the music and nothing else. So cool!

Sources:

Roberts, Maddy Shaw. “Game of Thrones Theme Tune: Everything You Need to Know about Ramin Djawadi's Epic Score.” Classic FM, Classic FM, 11 Apr. 2019, https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/periods-genres/film-tv/game-of-thrones-soundtrack-theme-song-instrument/ 

Businessinsiderinternational. “The 'Game of Thrones' Theme Song Has a Bigger Meaning than You Think.” Business Insider Australia, 12 June 2015, https://www.businessinsider.com.au/how-the-game-of-thrones-composer-hid-the-entire-show-in-a-two-minute-theme-2015-6