This week, we'll watch a video of "Amazing Grace," a Public Broadcasting System documentary narrated by Bill Moyers. It's about the hymn "Amazing Grace," and it can give us an outstanding example of how one piece of music has transcended boundary lines.
But first some preliminaries ...
Robert M. Seiler of the University of Calgary in Canada suggests that when his students write about music, they actively listen for the sound of vocals or instrumentals, and the “dynamics or the intensity of the sound, in terms of loudness, uniformity, and change.” He also suggests they listen for:
a. the movement of the piece, i.e., concentrate on its rhythm, meter, and tempo,
b. the pitch, i.e., in terms of its order and melody, and
c. the structure of the piece, i.e., its logic, design, and texture.
Seiler’s entire tip sheet is available at http://www.acs.ucalgary.ca/~rseiler/music.htm -- his examples are from classical music, but his suggestions work for blues, gospel, jazz, rock or hip hop, too. They’ll work for "Amazing Grace," too.
As we watch the video, we'll see people from different walks of life singing the music, including a family reunion in the Kentucky mountains, a youth choir in New York City, convicts, popular musicians, opera singers. Take notes as you watch. Ask yourself: How many different types of people are featured? How do they relate to the song? What, specifically, do they get out of it? How do you react to their singing? What do you learn about music as you listen to all these different people? What do you learn about yourself? Here are three questions to ask yourself. You've seen them before, and you'll see 'em again:
1. What about this piece of music and/or performance stands out in my mind?We'll keep asking these three questions all semester long. Let's give it a trial run before we do the Bill Moyers video. We'll watch gospel singer and motivational speaker Wintley Phipps performing "Amazing Grace" at Carnegie Hall.
2. What in my background, values, needs and interests makes me react that way?
3. What specific things about the performance trigger that reaction?
Ask yourself the three questions. Then post your reactions as comments to this one. For those who haven't posted yet, here's a reminder:
20 comments:
what stands out in my mind is the feeling that he gets when he singing and the peoples faces that they show..you can tell every one in that room beilieves in what he doing or feels strongly connected to the music.
I thought that the way that Wintley Phipps sung the song with so much emotion was beautiful. he hmm it with so much passion that it brought a tear to my eye. I found out that you can use the black keys for every gospel song, i thought that was very intersesting. i liked the fact that he acknowledge the fact that a slave came up with the melody and a white slave owner came up with the words..... I really liked this piece.
I liked it. espicially the way he sung it acapela. it gave me the chills.i like world music. this is a great song for that. after the stroy i paied more attention to the emotion and sound. i've heard and song that song they way most chatholic white churches do for years.I'm use to singing acapela because i sing that way at home.
I liked the song. He presented the song in his own way. By adding the backround and giving the listeners an idea of what was going on when the song was written. He added a lot of emotion to the song and showed you what Newton was hearing when he wrote the piece.
What stood out is the melody and emotion that he put into it. The Amazing Graces that I hear, in church and from random people singing, sound almost mechanical, almost cold. Whintley Phipps puts more emotion and it seemed that the audience felt the song.
This was a very powerful presentation with the story about John Newton and when he first heard the melody of the song. This made me think and feel more about the actual lyrics of the song and maybe this was John Newtons way of portraying his emotions about what was happening to these innocent people. Every emotional song and performance! I love it! The audience participation was very moving.
It seemed like he connected with everyone in the audience which is not easy to do and therefore it stood out to me. It was obvious that he felt very passionately about was he was saying and feeling. He put all of his emotion and soul into his words and music. His words sent out a message of empowerment and overcoming adversity. Someone else could say and sing the same thing but we may not take with us the same message or feelings of empowerment.
I liked the song. He presented the song in his own way. By adding the backround and giving the listeners an idea of what was going on when the song was written. He added a lot of emotion to the song and showed you what Newton was hearing when he wrote the piece.
oh and i really didnt like how everything was about black and white songs! and notes or keys or whateva he said!!!
It is interesting to see how his knowledge of history and music inspired his emotions while singing the song. The way he presented the song was very inspiring. I saw this effect a lot growing up in a pentecostal church. He told you a story thru his singing; the way he leads you and set the tone solo. I had an image of what the slaves were going thru when coming to America. Also, during a different part in the song I had flashbacks of lost love ones. I think any great performer has the ability to take you on a personal journey.
In the video "Amazing Grace" What stood out to me was the emotion and the power that he put into the song. I also thought it was amazing how he got the whole audience to join in with him and bring everyone toghether.
I feel in this video he started to talk about how black music came about and how it was used. I feel as if he used it a little comedy with the history of the music. He talked religiously alot. I feel he had a alot of heart behind his singing.
what stood out to me was the diversity of the audience, how the audience reacted to his music (and his humor)..also i liked how they started singing Amazing Grace when he was just starting to play the piano...You feel a sense of unity.
Wintley Phipps gave me a new understanding of Amazing Grace. He presented it with passion and really connected with whoever listened to it. The history of the song was unknown to me before today. I was able to really focus on the lyrics and I enjoyed it.
Many things really stood out to me when he was singing. His emotion and feeling that he put into the song was the first one I noticed. But, as he continued to sing, I also noticed that he really made this piece his own. His presentation he gave before he sang the song really triggered my reaction to the song.
What stood out the most to me was the depth and the emotion that was being expressed in his voice and his heart and how he was able to have so many around him feel his depth and you could see the emotion of the audience among him.
Being from a pentacostal church the song has been sung many different ways. Im used to the song being song as a song to pull together the church family or the family to bond.
I was intrigued by the knowledge that the songs melody is unknown, I had been under the impression that the writer had been written in as the author and the melody writer.
I had been aware of the black keys information for some time. The old timers uste to say that the black keys were shorter and had less power than the white keys. His perfomance makes you realize that the black keys are really the most important keys.
The black keys hold the melody. The black keys have had a full life and they have traveled across continents to be shared with many.
what stood out in the video to me was his powerful voice and volume. He did an awesome job! It was a very moving video, so much so everyone felt it in class.
What stands out to me is the emotion and feeling that he put into it. I believe I react this way because in school choir, our teacher has you pick out songs that people put emotion and feeling into. I think the performance trigger my reaction is his face, when he is putting all of his heart into it.
1)The way the song was sang was very different,he sang the song with a lot of emotion. He also changed the tempo and the rhythem of the song.
2)We sing this song in church but it is sang alot differently than the way he sang it.
3)Overall, I enjoyed the song. I like how he was able to reach the congregation. He was strongly connected to the song.The audience felt the "connection" to the song.
I felt that the performance given by Wintley Phipps was immaculate. He gave some history and sang the song in a way in which he could hear slaves singing many many years ago. It was very emotional and moving. I thought it was a great way to represent.
Post a Comment