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Showing posts from November, 2020

Continued Exploration: A Musical Analysis of "What a Wonderful World"

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The song "What a Wonderful World" was originally sung by the famous jazz singer Louis Armstrong, and was composed by Bob Thiele and George Weiss. Although the song is popular now, it wasn't always. "What a Wonderful World" was not appreciated as much when it was first released somewhere between 1967 or 1968 (sources disagree which year), especially in the United States where it was written. According to Songfacts,   In America, this song became a beloved standard, but when it was first released in 1968, it barely dented the charts, peaking at #116. It was more appreciated 20 years later when it was used in the Robin Williams movie Good Morning, Vietnam ; the song was re-released to coincide with the film, and this time charted at #32. Armstrong's jazz style can be clearly heard in his performance of "What a Wonderful World." Lyrics The words which the writers used in this song are simple, yet meaningful. Rick Moore, in an article he wrote for Ameri

Music and the Fictive Dream: "Who I Am"

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The Cast of Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye  is a television show in which a character who is deaf uses her ability to read lips at her new job with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (F.B.I.), and her hearing dog comes along too. The main character, Sue Thomas, is based on a real person of the same name who is also deaf and really did work for the F.B.I. Making its first appearance in 2002, the show itself is loosely based on her time working there. During the opening credits of each episode, the show's theme song plays. The theme song for Sue Thomas: F.B. Eye  is an excerpt of "Who I Am," as sung by Jessica Andrews. "Who I Am," written by Brett James and Troy Verges in America, was released in early 2001. Please click here for the full song. One musical element of "Who I Am" that I would like to discuss is the lyrics. The lyrics of this song portray a sense of confidence. The type of confidence I'm talking about is a conviction that the

Role of the Performer: Elvis Presley

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  The Beginning Elvis Presley, often called the "King of Rock and Roll," was born on January 8, 1935 in Mississippi. He learned to play the guitar as a kid and he sang for the same reasons anyone would sing. This included singing in school and in talent shows, but it wasn't until around 1953 that people recognized there was something different about his singing. Elvis began singing demos for recording studios. It took some time for the recording companies to recognize his talent and why they should record him instead of other singers at the time. Although he co-wrote some of his songs later in his career, at that point he didn't write songs. He was only singing what others were writing and singing. Elvis sang the music he had heard and become familiar with throughout his life up until that point. According to Peter Guralnick, author of the book  Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley,  Elvis had a "lack of confidence" when he was recording his demo