A visual representation of Aretha Franklin's "Respect"
A timeline and some notes on "classical" music
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I've always loved music. Be it playing the oboe in middle school band or curating a Spotify playlist, music has always been an integral part of my life. When I enrolled in Listen to the Music, it was because of my deep-seated fascination with music. I wanted to learn more about the "how" and "why" of this art form.
I could not have imagined the things I would learn in this course. Not only did I have the chance to listen to many pieces, but I also expanded my musical vocabulary to include things like "the 12-bar blues progression" and "minor mode." In this class, we learned about the history of various musical styles: rhythm and blues, jazz, Jewish klezmer, Viennese classical music, gospel, and so much more. We learned what makes each genre unique and what techniques musicians use to adhere to or put their own spin on different genres. It was exciting to learn all of these new things and to learn how to write like a musician-scholar. Plus, it was always fun to walk around the CCM buildings and hear snippets of piano or string music as I went. In the future, I hope to use my newly-acquired musical knowledge to analyze new songs that I come across. Maybe someday I'll even take another music class if it fits in my schedule. |