Although the Beatles have never been one of my favorite bands, I've always admired them for what they did with their music. I respect them for how experimental they were in creating music that was unique. They never stuck with one sound or feel and they used many borrowed sounds and melded them into one original tune. Although they were only around for a little less than a decade, their influence has reached many types of today's musical genres.
I never did like Bob Dylan's music but I'm sure glad that he met up with the Beatles before they became too commercialized. The Beatles' sound brought back the authenticity to rock music but their lyrics were still very light and went along with the rest of the teenybopper music. At the beginning of their career, they were a bit too bubbly for my taste. Their main audience was teenagers obsessed with whatever was commercialized and shown as popular. Bob Dylan's music, however, was on the other end of the spectrum. His music appealed more to college-aged youth who were deeply involved with political issues and had intellectual leanings. At the end of one of the Beatles' tour in the U.S., they met up with Bob Dylan. He commented on their light lyrics and challenged them to be more real and political. After the meeting the Beatles began incorporating relevant lyrics to their songs. Bob Dylan also borrowed The Beatles' electric feel and turned a little more rock in his music.
Another thing that changed through The Beatles' musical career was their musical feel. Their music covered not just one genre but rather spread over a few different ones. The difference between the sound of “I Want to Hold Your Hand” and “Helter Skelter” is so big that one could make the mistake that the songs are performed by different bands. That same capability in being diverse is what makes me respect The Beatles for what they did as a band. Another example of diversity can be seen in their lyrics. In “Can't Buy me Love”, the meaning of the song is clear and simple whereas “Hey Jude” isn't so basic. Many people have different opinions on the song's meanings which makes it more of a universal song. Because it's more open to interpretation, it can apply to a broader audience.
The Beatles will always be considered as one of the greatest influences on American music. Their diversity and originality assimilated them into American culture. Because of what they did for future artists, I can appreciate their music.
For my final project I decided to do a triple swing dance to Elvis Presley's song “All Shook Up”. The dance represents how Elvis helped the music of that time transform into something completely new. Swing dancing was fresh and new when it was introduced, as was rock and roll. Elvis was one of the main artists who helped rock and roll become a mainstream genre in the music industry. Swing dancing and rock and roll music were both unique for their time and helped revolutionize the way youth would enjoy musical entertainment.
Elvis found his musical inspiration through an Assembly of God church that his family attended. When he was around 11 years old, he received a guitar for his birthday. He had no formal musical training but did take a few guitar lessons from his uncles. He never learned to read music and so every thing he played and studied was by ear.
After graduating high school, Elvis got a job as a truck driver. He would occasionally go to different studios and pay to record a few of his songs but nothing ever came of it. In the summer of 1953, Elvis went to Sun Records to make a couple of recordings. Sam Phillips, the owner of the company, was looking for a young white artist who had an African American sound and feel to his music. Phillips liked Elvis' style and invited him back for another recording session. The next year Elvis held another session with Sun Records. Towards the end of the recording session, which was mostly unsuccessful, Elvis picked up his guitar and started to play an old blues song, “That's All Right”. During the song he was dancing around which caused the other musicians to do the same and the music came alive. Phillips found the type of rhythm he was looking for. Elvis' career as a rock and roll artist had begun.
One interesting thing about Elvis was his wild stage presence. During one of his appearances on NBC's “Milton Berle Show”, Elvis performed the song “Hound Dog” without playing his guitar. Instead of playing, Elvis gave an energetic performance of the song, dancing around while exaggerating his body movements. His “gyrations” were considered inappropriate to many and caused a widespread controversy. Nonetheless, the broadcast drew in such high ratings that he immediately became a nationwide sensation. Ed Sullivan, who had his own variety show and who criticized Elvis' performance on the “Milton Berle Show”, ended up having Elvis perform on his own show. The reason that Elvis' music was so successful was his ability to match his stage performance with his genre of music. Since both his music and stage performance were innovational and unconventional, it created a stir among the younger generation that drew them to his music. That's why I believe that he was so significant in American culture. His music created a large generation gap. On one side you had youth that admired the music and on the other side were adults that detested not only the music but the artist as well. The same type of pattern in music can be found in today's mainstream genres.
The reason I chose to perform the triple swing with one of Elvis' songs was because the two fit very well together. Both the triple swing and Elvis were very popular among the younger generation during the 1950s, yet both were shunned upon by the parents of that same generation. While I was trying to find a song to dance to, I was able to listen to many different Elvis songs. However, after seeing a clip of one of his songs played on the “Milton Berle Show”, I realized that half of the talent in Elvis was in his stage presence. Elvis was a sensation because he was the first artist to create a fusion with his music and his stage presence. He also had a very interesting way of fusing rhythm and blues with country music. He took two existing genres and melded them into one to create his own type of music.
Through this project I've gained a greater respect for Elvis and what he did as an artist. I've always known who Elvis was but I never fully understood how he affected American music and how it's viewed today. He truly was the King of Rock and Roll.
Benny Goodman and his band's performance of this song is the epitome of swing music. I've danced to this song and have appreciated its exhilarating beat before but after listening to Benny Goodman's comments on how that song came about, I've looked at his accomplishment in a whole new perspective. Their performance at Carnegie Hall was swing's debut to mainstream, american culture. The fact that it was at Carnegie Hall must have been intimidating enough to Goodman and his band. Another thing that I noticed from the recording and commentaries was that the soloists didn't have a sheet of music to play off of. They played what came to them and had to think up of their own chord progressions.
This spontaneity relates to how people dance to the music. “Swing dancing” is considered a social dance, meaning that there is no routine to a certain song. It's expected that two strangers can begin dancing without planning anything out. The man improvises while the lady follows. In Benny Goodman's song, “Sing, Sing, Sing”, the same improvisation occurs. The soloist will choose the way he wants to play his segment while the rest of the band follows his lead. It's fantastic to see how this genre of music is so spontaneous and improvisational.
“Good Vibrations”
When I chose this song, I thought that the credit and praise was going to go to the Beach Boys themselves. I didn't know that so much of the song's success and popularity had to do with the songwriter, Brian Wilson. It is one of the most influential American songs of the twentieth century because of how innovation and experimentation played a part in putting the song together.
One thing that I found interesting about the song was how much work Wilson did in putting the different parts of the song together. It was very packaged and dressed up by all the studio work that he put into it. I always thought that the Beach Boys were like the Beatles and played most of their own music. I was a little surprised to hear that the only part that they had in the recording was the vocals. The peculiar thing is that after listening to how the song came about, my appreciation for it diminished. I'm the type of listener that appreciates a band for their talents in both playing and singing their own music. If someone else wrote the lyrics and the sheet music, that's ok. However, when I hear a band play live, I want to hear the same musicians that were playing when the music was recorded in the studio. Otherwise a band loses its identity. The songs they make are shared among too many producers and writers and become too much of a group effort. I respect the band that produces their own music.
“Smells Like Teen Spirit”
I've heard this song several times growing up as a kid, however, I've never known the origins of it nor did I realize how it kickstarted a genre of music. Nirvana is a band that fits the style of a post-modernist band. They weren't anything created by corporate producers and their success came from a small group of guys who just wanted to play their own music. One of the reasons that I like the song is how it was able to give birth to a new type of popular genre that was so different than anything before it's time. The way that Nirvana became successful inspired many youth with aspirations to create their own music. Nirvana became great because they were a few young guys that wanted to have fun playing in a band they formed. The message that the self-made artists gave to the public was that anyone can make great music.
One thing that I've realized about this genre of music is that it gives the listener an outlet to release a certain set of emotions. While reggae encourages a relaxing mood and swing music invites a more spontaneous attitude, grunge rock provides a way for the listener to release adrenalized and aggressive energy that's stored within. Because youth have more of those feelings stored within them, the genre is more appealing to a younger audience. Adults, however, have spent more of those same emotions on life and have forgotten about those feelings. That's why this genre of music is so foreign to them.
This weekend I had the chance to compete in Dance Sport, a dance competition held every semester. One of the types of dances that I competed in was the Triple Step, which is a type of swing dance. Dancing is kind of a new thing for me, so everyone that I tell back at home has a hard time believing that I actually compete. It seems the older I get, the more open I am to new things.
One thing that I've learned about swing dancing is that it differs greatly from former, conventional dances. Basic dance form is broken several times throughout any one dance and movement is completely different from any traditional type of dance. Like swing dancing, swing music is modernist in several ways. It seems to have a sense of ordered chaos. During any one song, a trumpet or clarinet will break out from the band and seem to play it's own song while the rest of the band keeps beat and supports the soloist.
Big band music, which is also associated with swing music, was a type of jazz through which many jazz artists became famous. Benny Goodman was a clarinet player that led a popular band during the big band era. His concert at Carnegie Hall in 1938 initiated the acceptance of jazz music into mainstream audiences across the nation. The music during the big band era had the power to make people move. It almost seems to encourage the listener to get off of their seat and dance. The improvisation of the music demands improvisation of the listener. Swing dancing has that same effect. It is so easy to become one with the song when dancing to swing music.
The swing era was a defining age for jazz and American culture. It is appreciated and admired to this day because it doesn't take an appreciation of music to like this type of genre. It reaches deep within everyone and forces them to move to the beat.
Here's just a small clip of swing music and swing dancing and how they work together.
During the great depression, feelings of despair and hopelessness could be witnessed in every part of the nation. There wasn't one region of the United States that didn't see the effects of that period in history. It left society destitute and without a cause to rejoice in the future. Maynard Dixon's painting “No Place to Go” summarizes the melancholy emotion felt across the entire nation.
In order to better understand the context and significance of this painting, it is important to look at Dixon's background and upbringing. He was born in Fresno, California in 1875 to aristocratic ex-confederates. Because of his wealthy upbringing he excelled artistically and was able to attend the California School of Design. Dixon quickly became associated as a painter of western art early on in his career. He took trips through the west on horseback and used the open landscapes as themes in many of his paintings. His western style of clothing added to his image as a painter of the west. Many of his paintings were included in Clarence Mulford's books about the western hero Hopalong Cassidy.
After marrying his first wife he moved to New York but only lived there for a short time. While in New York, he moved away from impressionism and adopted a more simplistic, modernist style. His paintings become more simplistic and bold, focusing less on detail and more on design, color and self expression. New York's hectic lifestyle seemed to wear down on the western artist. He longed for vast landscapes and cowboy culture. The elitist style of New York had demoralized him. Fed up with the east coast, Dixon returned to San Francisco only to find tougher times ahead of him. The depression had hit San Francisco and inspired Dixon to take on a new style of painting.
Affected and inspired by the many images he saw across the west of men left desolate, his paintings strived to capture the mood of these people. He adopted the style of social modernism and would illustrate many themes that represented the hardships of the depression. The painting, “No Place to Go” is one of these many illustrations.
The painting depicts a man at the top of a hill. His head is tilted downward and his composition is darkened. As the beholder moves his eye to the left, the altitude of the painting drops into a dark valley. The ocean that lies beyond the darkened valley is lit up by the setting sun. The painting transitions from a sunset lit hill, to a dark valley, and then to an ocean that fades into the horizon. The painting is two dimensional and very distilled which reflects its modernist style. The variation of colors are not complex and the brush strokes are quite basic. Although the painting addresses the social problems of the depression, Dixon's skill in painting landscapes shines through in the way that he combines the diminishing line of the sloped hill with the steep sides of the valley's mountains. The line where the ocean meets the horizon is set above the mountains below which emphasizes the height at which the man stands. The fence that leads down to the dark valley is made up of contorted pieces of wood that aren't evenly spaced nor aligned. The man's face doesn't provide much detail which is consistent with urban modernist paintings.
The descending pattern of the painting represents the decline of the nation's morale. The man is at the highest part of the painting which represents America's wealth at the end of the twenties. The dark valley below that lies before the man represents the hard times of the depression through which the man will have to pass through. He is left with no other options, no other alternatives and no other paths but the one that lies before him. It gives a biblical representation of the valley of the shadow of death. It's the lowest, darkest part of the painting and it creates a mysterious, grim mood for the entire scene. The fence that leads down to the valley is tattered and made up of misshapen boards which implies the lives that have fallen apart because of the depression.
The ocean that lies beyond the valley has multiple representations. One representation of the ocean could be a watery grave or tragic ending of the valley's effects on the man. At times the ocean represents the end of one's life which translates to the end of a story. Another representation of the ocean could be a new beginning. The symbol that the ocean could give to the viewer could be that of the unknown. The ocean is strange and unfamiliar to many which represents the possibility of hope and a new life for the man that sits atop the hill. The sun that sits on the horizon helps to further the argument of the ocean being a sign of hope. Which ever of the two meanings is actually implied, the fact that the man must pass through the valley still remains.
The painting “No Place to Go” is part of a series of paintings by Dixon that represent the “forgotten man”. In these paintings the men “are strangers, lonely, anonymous, alienated, temporary inhabitants of inhospitable environments” (Hagerty 208). Many of the men represented in these paintings represent inflicted individuals but they all have a rugged characteristic to them. They represent a tragic hero whose stance and composition show that they are weathered men but capable of the trials that lie before them. The man in the image “No Place to Go” has a pack slung about his broad shoulder that is held securely by his large, rough hand. The lines of his face are sharp and pointed slightly downwards toward the valley showing that he is mentally preparing himself to make the journey.
Dixon's relationship with his second wife, Dorothea Lange, helped to further his inspiration in painting the “forgotten man”. Lange was a documentary photographer and photojournalist who tried to capture similar images of the great depression. It is interesting that such a depressing and trying time as the great depression brought the two close together in purpose and unified them as artists and a couple. However, Dixon's and Lange's motives and drives to capture scenes of the depression differed. While Lange took pictures for propaganda and political reasons, Dixon pursued his paintings “because he was a humanitarian attracted to dramatic causes” (Hagerty 203). His drive and purpose was to capture the art of the scene and the times. The fact that he was brought up aristocratically and then witnessed the hardships of the depression fascinated Dixon and gave him more reason to capture the victims of this time in history. It seems as if it was his way of trying to understand people less privileged than he was.
Dixon's social modernist paintings of the “forgotten man” were a defining part of career. However, they weren't a prosperous part of his career at the time he painted them. Dixon exhibited many of these paintings at the San Francisco's Artist's Cooperative Gallery and other exhibitions. Although he received attention from San Francisco newspapers and the public, Dixon's paintings received little recognition from the art community. He also had a difficult time selling his paintings. The public wasn't interested in buying depressing scenes of a decade that no one wanted to recollect.
Maynard Dixon's “forgotten man” paintings represent a persona that was deeply affected by the great depression. Dixon's skill in capturing the man's emotion in the painting “No Place to Go” shows his capability in displaying human emotion and character. It brings heroism and bravery to the people of the great depression.
Works Cited
Hagerty, Donald J. Desert Dreams: The Art and Life of Maynard Dixon. Gibbs Smith, 1998.
John Singer Sargent was one of the many American expatriate painters of the late nineteenth century. Not only was he a renowned artist but he was also an excellent businessman.
Sargent was best known for his portraits and the high class of America and Europe revered his portraits. Many of the aristocrats hired Sargent to do personal and family portraits. Edward Darley Boit, a fellow expatriate, hired Sargent to do a portrait of his four daughters. The painting The Daughters of Edward Boit is a very interesting piece that incorporates an unusual amount of unoccupied space which gives the painting a sort of candid feel. The large vases make it clear how small the children really are. The three youngest girls that receive the most light in the picture are all staring obediently towards the beholder, which could suggest a parent or nanny while the oldest girl's figure is darkened and her face is turned away.
One piece of art that almost landed Sargent into some serious trouble was Madame X. With Sargent's cousin posing as the subject, the woman's stance suggests a “displayed beauty”. The stance is not innocent but has more of a seductive effect on the viewer. Her head is turned to the side but not as if it was a candid moment. Her extended arm, slim and refined waist, and the position of her head clearly portray Sargent's skill in portraying the human anatomy proportionally correct. The reason that the painting was a bit dangerous to Sargent's career was that it was a bit too racy for that time. Many critics lost respect for Sargent for creating such a suggestive piece. Soon after the piece was finished, Sargent moved to London to flee from the controversy. However, the entire conflict over that piece only helped in making Sargent a more noticed artist and his career continued to flourish.
“All right everyone, the food is ready!” It was dinner time at the Stevenson's house. Mr. Stevenson had just arrived home from work while Stacy and Mark, the children, were busy with homework in their bedrooms. Mrs. Stevenson had been preparing dinner for the last half-hour. The smell of buttered mashed potatoes and roast beef filled the house. Everyone was anxious to eat for Mrs. Stevenson's cooking was exceptional.
One could call the Stevensons an ordinary, American family. Mr. Stevenson worked as a car salesman, Mrs. Stevenson worked part time at the local credit union and the children both attended the the town's public high school. It was the usual custom of the Stevensons to have dinner together as a family. During this time the family would discuss the day's events: test scores, car sales, local current events, and other topics that involved each member of the family. However, ever since the Stevensons signed up for a nationwide family plan, which included unlimited texting, conversation became less vocal, and family interaction lessened.
Once everyone was ready to eat, Mr. Stevenson asked Mark to perform grace. After Mark was through, the family began to fill their plates one after another, each taking their turn and each patiently awaiting the other. Mark then turned on the T.V. while Stacy turned the radio to her favorite station. Mr. Stevenson took the time to look over his e-mails and Mrs. Stevenson updated her face-book profile.
“How do your progress reports look like, kids?” asked Mrs. Stevenson.
“IDK, my teacher didn't give me it yet.” replied Mark.
“Straight A's momma!” responded Stacy. “Dinner is great by the way.”
“Yeah, good job on the potatoes mom.” complimented Mark. “Btw, what do you call this new stuff?”
“What are you talking about? Describe it to me.” answered Mrs. Stevenson.
“It looks like a bunch of little eye balls in a pudding mix.” said Mark
“Haha! Those are tapioca pearls” said Mrs. Stevenson.
“They're not bad.” said Mark.
“Thx kids, glad ya liked it.” said Mrs. Stevenson. “Honey, you get that promotion you were working for?”
“Still working on it.” said Mr. Stevenson.
“My friend showed me this funny video on youtube today. Search: Bed Intruder Song.” said Stacy.
Each family member stopped eating for a while to watch the video. Once it was over, laughter could be heard around the house.
“Funny!” exclaimed Mr. Stevenson.
“LOL!” commented Mark.
“Good one!” said Mrs. Stevenson.
There was no audible conversation heard among the house. An occasional laugh or gasp were the only sounds that could be heard beside the radio and television. The seemingly empty house continued to carry the empty, eerie sound when suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Because it wasn't heard by any of the family members, the person who was at the door, who happened to be Grandpa Stevenson, let himself in the house. As he entered the house, he noticed that there was no one at the dinner table. There were pots and pans on the stove half-filled with food but there were no set places at the table. Grandpa heard the television coming from Mark's room and walked over to the bedroom door and opened it to find Mark alone sitting in front of the T.V. with his plate of food and his cell phone.
Mark, aware of his Grandpa's presence, looked up from his phone and said, “Oh, hey Grandpa.”
“Who are you texting?” asked Grandpa.
“Dad was just wondering if I had work this weekend.” replied Mark.
“Oh, is he out of town?” asked Grandpa.
“No, he's upstairs.” said Mark.
“Wait just a second. Is anyone else home?” asked Grandpa, sounding a bit frustrated.
“Yeah, everyone's here.” responded Mark.
“Did you all forget that I was supposed to come eat with you all today as a family?” asked Grandpa. At this point he was clearly upset.
“Oooohhhhh. Hey mom, Grandpa's here!” yelled Mark. Remembering that she had previously invited her father-in-law to dinner, Mrs. Stevenson hurried down the stairs to the dining area to meet Mark and Grandpa. Mr. Stevenson and Stacy arrived several seconds later. All were silent as Grandpa began to speak.
“I thought that we were supposed to have a family dinner today. It seems that you've all lost sight of the significance of this time of day. Family dinners are for each member to grow closer to one another. It is where the household pauses to take time to get to know each other on a personal intimate level. How is this possible when no one is present? Do you expect that texting each other builds strong family bonds?
“Maybe I'm not as digitally fluent as you all but I'm smart enough to know that one can't express their emotions through a phone as well as they can face to face. Or maybe that has ceased to be true in this day and age. Apparently you have all become comfortable eating dinner in separate rooms, justifying the absurd act by sharing kilobytes over a three-inch screen. How are you even supposed to pray over the meal if no one is at the table?”
“Well, actually.....” interceded Mark.
“I don't even want to hear it,” continued Grandpa “because I'm afraid to hear of what more this viral habit has done to you all. Do you all realize how rude it is to talk to two people at once? And you poor kids! How do you expect to excel at a job where customer service is required?
“I went to a restaurant the other day where a teenager took my order. I tried to be courteous and polite as possible but it was useless. It was as if an automated machine was taking my order. Personality and character have disappeared from the daily public. People have less friends because they have forgotten how to speak to people that they don't know. Society lives from task to task, objective to objective.”
“But Grandpa, how else is mom supposed to advise me of dentist appointments and other important things while I'm at school? It makes things a whole lot more convenient.” remarked Stacy.
“And that's just one more reason that cellular communication has disrupted your lives.” added Grandpa. “What ever happened to patience? Nobody appreciates the anticipation and excitement that comes from revealing intriguing news to a loved one or a close friend. Well, I won't become emotionally numbed because of texting. From this day forth I will never use a cell phone again.” And as Grandpa concluded, he took out his own cell phone and turned it off for the last time.
A numbing silence swept over the family like a cold, chilling wind. The atmosphere was quickly warmed by Stacy's soft giggle as she looked at Grandpa's face book profile on her smart phone.
“Grandpa!” she laughed “Your friend Albert says to hurry over to his house or you'll miss the season premiere of Glee!”
