https://www.dropbox.com/sh/53mkzlc23wjx7ak/AAAj-6OCGaO2rg-l_fJt8nW0a?dl=0
Why “NO” isn’t good enough
2016 was supposed to be the year of the woman. Former Secretary of State Hilary Clinton stood as the first female presidential nominee of a major party, Beyoncé released the album Lemonade, a powerful ode to black women, and the Nasty Woman movement took off, empowering females all across America to speak out against age-old oppressions. It appeared as though things were finally looking up in terms of gender equality, and Americans everywhere anticipated what seemed to be the inevitable victory of Clinton over Republican candidate and oompa loompa entrepreneur Donald Trump, prompting journalists to even write up draft articles of Clinton’s future presidency on the eve of election day. Unfortunately though, things did not go exactly as planned.
The same can be said about Meghan Trainor’s hit song “NO,” released in that same year.
Don’t get me wrong, Trainor’s song certainly has its merits. In a musical climate rampant with sexism where women always “want it,” there is nothing more refreshing than a hard and fast “NO.” The song is chock full of lyrical gems, calling out the objectification of women, encouraging females to take back their own bodies, and challenging the assumption that every female needs a male counterpart, all while encouraging women to just say no to unwanted advances. Trainor undoubtedly was swept up in the feminist rush of 2016 in composing this song, loudly championing female autonomy and empowerment through both the song itself, and the sensual music video. In spite of her song becoming a “go-to for women who need to brush off scrubs in the club,” though, Trainor has virtually no experience with unwanted nightlife advances. She actually wrote the song in a fit of anger at producer Ricky Reed, after he told the artist that her new album lacked a single. Perhaps because of this, Trainor could so nonchalantly write a song encouraging women to say the very same thing that results in their harassment, abuse, and murder.
Women face numerous societal pressures to be polite and kind, an issue that is aptly addressed in Trainor’s song “NO” through her encouragement of females to speak their mind, and take back their autonomy. However, without a similar message being aimed at men, the issue of unwanted advances will not be solved—in fact, the opposite result may occur, what with women being encouraged to “lick your lips and swing your hips” as they unconcernedly crush fragile male egos. Unfortunately, some listeners are destined to follow the young artist’s advice in rejecting advances and put themselves in potentially lethal situations, all because of Trainor’s lack of knowledge regarding the issue she is giving advice on.
In 2016, while many Americans took to social media and converged at political rallies to express their support of Hilary Clinton, feminism, and progressivism, thousands more spewed bigotry, misogyny, and hatred—yet they were overlooked. The oversimplification of sexism as simply a prejudiced idea of the past cost Hilary the election, and cost the women of America much of the respect that they had been fighting to earn. Likewise, Trainor’s jejune anthem encourages women to bluntly decline men’s advances, which has historically cost women their safety, peace of mind, and life.
Computers: The Instruments of the 21st Century
Even if you have never heard of Hans Zimmer, I can almost guarantee that you have heard his music. As a film score writer, his works are featured in everything from Pirates of the Caribbean, to Dunkirk, to The Lion King, to Batman Begins, setting an acoustic mood for the most heart-wrenching death scenes, the most inspiring and uplifting movie moments, and everything in between. Zimmer’s astounding musical prowess has been established through his orchestration of over fifty movie scores, his mentorship of notable composers including John Powell, Harry Gregson-Williams, and Mark Mancina, and the numerous awards he has received, including four Grammys, two Golden Globe Awards and an Oscar. Perhaps most remarkably of all, though is Zimmer’s musical training—or lack thereof.
Zimmer was born in Frankfurt, Germany, to what he coins as “a confused family,” comprised of a music-loving mother and an innovative engineer as a father. His “grand musical education” consisted of just two weeks of classical piano lessons, before he gave up on the redundancy of music theory and piano scales, taking a chainsaw to the instrument. He did this not out of anger, however, but rather to modify the timbre of the piano under the encouragement of his father, who regarded the alterations as “an evolution in technology.” The budding musician spent most of his youth in England, where he split his time between attending classes at the Hurtwood House, and dabbling in the music industry, first playing keyboard in the ’70s band Krakatoa before joining The Buggles and being featured in the music video for their hit single “Video Killed the Radio Star.” Zimmer briefly joined electro-pop band Ultravox, followed by the Italian avant-garde group Krisma, but he wrestled with crippling stage fright throughout his experiences in bands, and soon migrated towards a less public means of music production.
Zimmer was first ushered into the film score production industry by famed composer and mentor Stanley Myers, and the two musicians founded the London-based Lillie Yard recording studio. In this studio, Zimmer helped to produce the soundtrack to the movie My Beautiful Laundrette, before begging several solo projects, including A World Apart. During his time working alongside Myers, Zimmer began integrating the electronic musical world with traditional orchestral arrangements, and he was tasked with writing the soundtrack to Rain-Man, which was nominated for an Academy Award and marked a significant turning point in Zimmer’s career.
By the mid 90s, Zimmer composed several scores for hit movies, including Black Rain, Backdraft, Thelma & Louise, A League of Their Own, and Days of Thunder, all through combining classic music creation with modern electronics, when he was approached by Disney. The studio was working on The Lion King and had yet to find a composer to write the movie’s film music. Zimmer flatly refused the offer, explaining to Disney representatives, “All you want is Broadway princess musicals, and I don’t like Broadway princess musicals, I’m the wrong guy.” However, because he had a six-year-old daughter, Zimmer eventually caved on the hope that he could at least bring his daughter to the movie’s premier. As soon as he looked more into the plot, though, Zimmer realized that the story was much more than a mere children’s piece about fuzzy cartoon characters. He connected with the story on a personal level because he had lost his own dad at six years old, and through working on The Lion King, Zimmer was forced to revisit his childhood feelings about his father. The piece became a requiem for his dad in which all of Zimmer’s bottled up feelings from the past are laid out, creating an aural story within the larger plot arc of The Lion King.
Since producing the music for The Lion King, Zimmer has worked on countless other Hollywood blockbusters, all from the cozy technological hub of his studio. Michael Levine, a musician who worked under Zimmer for several years, describes the visionary’s musical knowledge, saying, “Hans is a so-so pianist and guitarist and his knowledge of academic theory is, by intention, limited. (I was once chastised while working on The Simpsons Movie for saying “lydian flat 7” instead of “the cartoon scale.”) He doesn’t read standard notation very well, either. But no one reads piano roll better than he does.” In spite of Zimmer’s limited music theory knowledge, he is described as remarkably perceptive, gaining inspiration from a book, a painting, or even a delicious meal, and he is perfectly fluent in the technological production of music. His ability to “spot,” or to work with a director and decide what kind of music is needed where, is exceptional, and Zimmer will fervently work on a film score until every last detail portrays exactly the emotion necessary for the film. And although he often faces criticism for his lack of formal training, perhaps Zimmers’ inability to become bogged down in the nitty-gritty details of music theory of music is what allows his works to so easily transcend into something larger than a splattering of notes on a page.
Classical Confusion
Evan Sacks-Wilner is a sophomore at the Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music studying tuba performance. In this interview, Evan discusses classical music and its place in the modern world.
Can you talk a bit about the classical music scene?
The state of classical music is actually on an uprise right now. Everyone says that classical music is dying, classical music is dying. But this generation has started to get back into it. You’ve got two schools of thought really. One—and of course there are in-betweens—but there’s the the lil pump people, and then on the opposite end of the spectrum is us, the classical music people. I call us the pretentious classical music elitists.
That sounds like a fitting name!
Yes. And there are a lot more of us than people realize. The Cincinnati Symphony has been sold out pretty consistently. Meanwhile, there are other orchestras that will only get half of their hall filled up, and you hear all the time about orchestras going on strike because the people higher up don’t realize how much the orchestra, playing at a high level and getting great people, matters to the welfare of society, especially in cities. Orchestras start getting taken for granted. Meanwhile, a lot of the time, the orchestras are the first step of gentrification. Take the New Jersey Symphony. The NJPAC is in Newark. Newark is not the best area, and the New Jersey Symphony plays there, they play at the state theater in New Brunswick, they’ll play in Red Bank which is a little south I believe, and they play at Richardson. That was the first orchestra concert I went to, they were playing Firebird.
Going back to your earlier point that this is the first step of gentrification, isn’t it somewhat problematic that cities are being gentrified? Or are you arguing something else?
I think that as cities go further and further into becoming, I don’t want to say ghettos, but ghettos, like think south side of Chicago. There are murders and thefts that happen in that part of Chicago every night. Meanwhile, in Millennium Park which is somewhere in the middle, that’s where the Chicago symphony plays, and the Chicago Symphony was founded I believe in the early 1900s, and now that part of Chicago is thriving.
So you think that’s a direct result of the orchestra being established there?
I wouldn’t say direct but it definitely brought more, I would say that it helped the city grow into a tourist spot, I guess. Not really a tourist spot, but do you get what I’m trying to say?
Yeah, but it seems like upper level orchestras attract a wealthier crowd because their tickets are so expensive, so then if you establish an orchestra, you’re almost pushing out the lower class. Which is, I dunno lowering crime rates is good but crime isn’t intrinsically tied to any one class and it’s not good to push out entire people who can no longer afford to live where they’ve always lived because of gentrification. Because of the influx of wealthier people.
Ah. Well, orchestras are starting to have cheaper tickets for nosebleed sections. They’ll make most of their money off of donors. Student tickets for the Cincinnati Symphony are fifteen bucks. Another thing that students can do is, at the beginning of the year I paid 50$ and now I can get tickets for any concert this season.
What do you think orchestras bring as far as enriching the lives of people who listen? Do you think orchestral music generates more empathy or creativity? I know there are studies that say, if have your child listen to orchestral music, they’ll grow up to be a genius. What’s your take on all that sort of positivity toward classical music?
I mean obviously I think it’s good because I want a job. But anyway, I’m gonna answer this kind of in a circular way. I find that, take the military for instance. The military is the largest job provider for musicians, and you take the President’s Own, you take the Army Band, and they will travel to play for troops, and they’ll play for the community. Military concerts are completely free. If you go see a military band, it’s going to be for free. It’s what they do, and since they’re funded by the military budget they’re jobs are for the most part safe. And so they exist to lift spirits of people. Orchestras, I would say, do the same thing, but they also provide an educational aspect. They have outreaches, they’ll have little chamber music things where they’ll send a group of musicians to a high school or a middle school, and play things for them. I remember when I was in fourth grade a group of percussionists from I believe the Princeton Symphony came and did a demonstration of all the different percussion instruments. A brass quintet, when I was in sixth grade, played everything from the Simpsons, and they just explained what their instruments do. Kind of like what we did with the Kid Connection kids when they came to the high school. And they have these things called “Young People’s Concerts” or “Kiddie Concerts.” I got to play in one as a side by side with the New Jersey Symphony my Sophomore year of high school, when I first started taking lessons from Derek who is the principal tuba there. But you take a child to those concerts and you’ll raise them to love classical music, and it’ll help that era. It’s not just the music, it’s also the culture and the style. This music is 200 something odd years old, 300 years old. Think of, I dunno, the Beatles. In a couple years, they’ll probably still be around. Queen will probably still be around. Orchestras are just cover bands, tribute bands.
That’s true, I’ve never thought of it like that.
Yeah. You see this guy with a bunch of people behind him get up on stage in a white tank top and a mustache, you’re gonna know he’s impersonating Freddie Mercury. You see orchestral musicians come up in tuxes and such and most of what they play is historically accurate because that’s what the composer wrote down. So that’s essentially what we’re doing, is we’re just a cover band.
But with far reaching impacts? As you were saying with working with children, and bringing joy and happiness to the listeners?
Well think of this. When you’re listening to, do you listen to classical music?
New World Symphony!
When you listen to New World Symphony, take the second movement, the Largo, the English Horn solo.
Mhm beautiful.
Exactly! You’re smiling right now, just thinking about it.
Although you could argue that all music does that, not just classical.
Lil Pump?
Okay well you could argue that a good portion of music beyond classical does that.
Yeah, that’s true.
So do you think that classical is just the pinnacle, the best at making you happy?
We’re the OGs. But there still is new music that gets performed. Like think John Cage, even the music of John Williams gets performed by orchestras.
But don’t you think it’s harder for that new music to gain traction because of how popular Mozart and those big classical composers are, especially in comparison to the modern people who are trying to work up to that?
Of course.
So they don’t you think we’re always going to be stuck in this rut of the old classical music, and don’t you think we’ll eventually get bored with that?
Not if the newer music does manage to gain traction. But in order to do that you need to have newer music that will make you feel the same emotions that Mozart and Mahler and Bruckner make you feel. It’s all mood music, really. Nowadays, music is like (*bangs random notes on piano*).
I mean not all of it.
But there’s a good difference between that and classical.
Couldn’t you argue that there are definitely modern musicians who work more towards gaining popularity than creating music that’s beautiful, but on the flip side there are musicians who aren’t targeting classical symphony orchestras but are still making music that is at least attempting to be beautiful? Sia comes to mind because her music is written from the heart, it’s stuff that sounds pretty, and it’s stuff that some people can seriously relate to.
Well in a perfect world the ones that make music that comes from the heart should be the ones that are successful.
The Emo Scene—No mom, I’m not obsessed with the internet.
Being in middle school was weird. You were too old to be considered cute and innocent by adults, but too young to be given the respect and freedoms that come with adulthood. You were encouraged to express yourself and pursue your passions, but the unforgiving environment of middle school constantly tried to push you into the mold of conformity. Your body was beginning to change and grow with the progression of puberty, but—actually, lets not go there. Anyway, given how turbulent of a time middle school was, preteens from the early 2000s frequently turned to emo music, hoping to find some lyrics to express their inner angst. Of course though, with no money or means of transportation, teenagers began to explore the growing frontier that they were becoming increasingly familiar with: the internet.
Emotional hardcore music, or “emo” for short, has a history that begins long before the internet became mainstream. This genre has roots in the United Kingdom with the loud and brash punk music from groups like Black Flag, The Dead Kennedys, and Hüsker Dü, before this music style extended across the pond to D.C. in the mid-80s and the hardcore punk scene was on the rise, led by groups including Rites of Spring and Embrace in the Revolution Summer of 1985. Alt rock and indie groups in the Midwest then twisted this genre into something more cathartic and mainstream, and finally at the turn of the century, these bands began to adopt a pop-based sound and write more emotional, angst-filled lyrics, prompting the emo genre to take off. In conjunction with this, the invention of social media platforms including Myspace and Facebook, and music streaming sites like Youtube, Pandora, Spotify, created conditions for the perfect online emo music storm.
The online emo music scene allowed listeners to enjoy and rave about this genre from the comfort of their own homes, sometimes even interacting with the revered musicians themselves via social media platforms, prompting an entire online subculture to evolve from this music scene. A simple search of the term “emo” on Tumblr yields thousands of results, with blogs like The Aging Scene Kid and Washed Up Emo among the top results, and music streaming sites all offer a plethora of emo music playlists and albums. And even though the majority of fans were teenagers, spread throughout the world and interacting only through instant messenger, these listeners managed to adapt their own singular look, complete with thick eyeliner, skinny jeans, and black band tees. Remarkably too, this music scene paid little mind to the gender of listeners, perhaps because of the anonymity granted to internet users. This anonymity also allowed listeners portray themselves however they wish, and actually shape the very music scene that they were a part of.
As with many subcultures, the emo music scene died as it slipped into the mainstream. Most relics of emo music today are jabs at this overdramatic genre, including a spoof song of President Trump’s tweets as lyrics to an emo song and a plethora of “cringe compilations.” Nonetheless, this online scene was revolutionary in how it used the internet to connect people from all over the world, granting otherwise misunderstood teenagers a place to express their ideas and bond with one another over a shared love of music.
“Africa” by Toto: Masterpiece or meme?
If you have been on the internet in the past year, you probably noticed a resurgence of the 80s soft rock song “Africa” by Toto. You may have heard this timeless tune in the hit tv series Stranger Things, or picked up on parodied versions of it on Community (featuring Betty White) and The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon (featuring Justin Timberlake), and more recently you perhaps saw Weezer’s cover of the tune. Or, if you looked further into the deep, dark reaches of the interweb, you might have noticed the Africa Twitter bot, Nick Desideri’s Unifying Theory of Bops, and the “.africa” website inspired by this very song. But what is it about four white men singing a song glorifying a continent they’ve never been to that has spurred on this sudden obsession with “Africa”?
Let me start by saying that “Africa” isn’t quite as nonsensical as it first appears. Songwriter David Paich was inspired by stories told to him in Catholic school about religious leaders who did missionary work in Africa, and after seeing UNICEF commercials on TV, showing children and families living in poverty, Paich explained that the song practically wrote itself. And although guitarist Steve ‘Luke’ Lukather wasn’t quite sold on the lyrics, promising “If this is a hit, I’ll run naked down Hollywood Boulevard,” he did admit that the song had a brilliant tune.
“Africa” incorporates a wide variety of different voices from the rhythm section (and of course the flute/mallet jam in the middle) to create a tribal-esque backbeat, and seamlessly ties in key modulations between the verses and chorus. The opening riff was written on Paich’s new brassy-sounding keyboard, a Yamaha CS-80, with kalimba sounds from the Yamaha GS-1 added later on closer to the chorus. Although the track begins by following the traditional rock formula, complete with a four by four progression and snares on every second and fourth beat, the listener is thrown for a spin when the maracas enter at the point in which the hi hat would typically come in. A conga soon joins and follows the kick- and snare-drum, sometimes being played exactly in time with these percussion instruments, and sometimes a 16th beat before as to give the section a unique groove. Because this drum beat was used as a loop before the invention of MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface), Toto had to cut and stitch magnetic tapes together. This extra effort was indubitably well worth it though, as it made the iconic rhythm of their song simultaneously simplistic and complex, toying with the expectations of the listener.
In spite of the complexities in the music theory of “Africa,” Paich wrote almost the entire song within the first few hours in front of the keyboard. The song opens in the key of C# minor, but switches into B major when the verse enters, only returning to the original key to borrow a quote from the opening at the end of each phrase. The vocals of the chorus are created by overlaying two-toned voices to combine harmonies, and throughout the rest of the song, the same blending of the familiar and unpredictable that was used with the percussion continues in the harmonies.
With all of that being said, “Africa” may still be a bit of a gag song. Lukather remarks that upon hearing the song’s lyrics, he asked “Dave, man, Africa? We’re from north Hollywood. What the f*** are you writing about? ‘I bless the rains down in Africa?’ Are you Jesus, Dave?” But maybe the contradiction between the silly lyrics, and the novel, nostalgia-inducing sound of the song, created by the profoundly musical technicalities of the rhythm section and harmonic characteristics, is exactly what has propelled “Africa” to stardom.
Momma Mixtape: Bring Back The Funk
*edit not fully published yet*My mom has always been there for me since day one,
and one of the best ways we share our bond is through music. She introduced me to the world of opera, took me to my first concert, and even encouraged me to pursue a career in music. So I figure one of the best ways to illustrate my mother is through a playlist. Here’s 7 songs that give me the best memories of my mom, because without her, I wouldn’t be where I am today.
#1 Gold Digger -Kanye West ft. Jamie Foxx
I know, when you first read this, you’re like what? This song reminds you of your MOM?? Well, it definitely reminds me of all the road trips my mom and I would do together to Washington D.C to pick my brother up from college. This song would always come up on the…
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My Playlist
Repurposed EDM
Electronic dance music (EDM) has a long and complicated history with illicit drug use, ranging from a Molly (MDMA) scare at music festivals a few years ago, to a current correlations between opioid usage and EDM partygoers. More generally, the genre is commonly associated with the cramped, dark, and loud environment of clubs, and has earned the poor reputation of appealing only to younger, dumber listeners. The electronically-generated noises of EDM songs, coupled with redundant rhythms and predictable drops, results in it being scorned by many as barely music, unable to earn respect from any critics. Yet these very characteristics are what makes EDM perfect for something else entirely—studying.
It has been proven that music increases concentration. Experts advise specifically listening to songs without lyrics, which have enough noise to keep your subconscious mind occupied, while also not distracting you from the task at hand. Ironically, EDM, the very music that is so frequently associated with drunken teenagers partying in mosh pits and dingy basements, fits this bill perfectly. The fast-paced tempo of EDM can even increase blood pressure and heart rate, making this playlist perfect for when you need that final push of adrenaline to power through finals season. Or, if you want to procrastinate a few more days, you could always take this song set and live it up at a club.
Blackmill – Spirit of Life
This song is perfect for easing you into the drudgery of studying. The soft sounds of waves crashing ashore gradually give way to a piano melody and synth dubstep, Blackmill’s signature style, with just enough drops to keep your brain occupied, and to keep you off of your Instagram feed. Although this song is on the slower side, with a tempo hovering just above 60 beats per minute, this actually makes the track nearly perfect for studying to according to science.
The Xx – Intro
Man is this beat addictive. The seemingly basic background rhythm, transforming into something complex and beautiful. The restrained tempo and muted volume, somehow still energetic enough to help you power through that final essay. The random band, that, through this song alone, attracted the attention of millions of fans, and even Rihanna herself. This song is almost as contradictory as finals season and happiness.
Airtones – Strike (Radio Edit)
Is this song a studying song? A workout song? A partying song? Who knows! But the fast tempo of the piece pumps just enough adrenaline in you to make you fear your imminent F’s, removal from college, and return to your parents’ basement. Better start studying!
Tobu – Infectious
In case the last song didn’t do it for you, this one should definitely help in jumpstarting your brain. The running line of music under the main melody is basically mind-candy, and may even help you enjoy the torturous work of cramming the night before your final. No promises though.
Mitis & Mahi – Blu
The ghostly electric whines, the keyboard melodies, the laser-y sounds, the dubstep drum beat—all of these elements make Blu feel almost outer space-themed. Not to worry though, a passing grade is much closer to you than any celestial body!
Alan Walker – Faded (instrumental)
Norwegian artist Alan Walker produced his hit single Faded, which garnered international fame and over one billion Youtube views, at just 18 years old after years of dedication and hard work. With some diligence and perseverance, you too can achieve greatness! (albeit a few years later)
Faux Tales – Atlas
This song opens with a melodic piano line, propped up by background echos of a synthesizer. It almost feels more like a fast-paced lullaby than anything dance-worthy. But alas, just over a minute in, the beat drops and shatters all expectations. Just like how you are going to shatter that curve on your final exams.
Elektronomia – Sky High
C’mon just a little bit more studying to go! This track’s uptempo beat and addictively incessant melody will surely push you that extra bit to go over that last set of review questions that you’ve been avoiding.
Jai Wolf – Indian Summer
Congratulations, you made it! This song epitomizes the unrestrained joy of summer, complete with a music video of the artist running around on crazy random adventures! With your own upcoming weeks of post-finals freedom, you too can run across a desert, check out the beach with some friends, and fall in love. Or I mean, Netflix and sleeping works too. Up to you.
Although EDM is notorious for being played in dingy party scenes and overcrowded clubs, this genre can be more than just background music for a high. With a smidgen of creativity and an open mind, the amazing versatility of EDM might finally be realized, because EDM is so much more than what people make it out to be.
Rutgers Club DM: A Sea of Sweaty Bodies
In the beginning of the month, I attended a “welcome days” event for all new students, called Club DM. It was sponsored by Major Events and Programs, and hosted by the Dance Marathon group. Tickets were $10, which is smart, considering there is a huge number of freshmen who love to party and get that quintessential college experience. I, of course, being a good Nepali daughter, wanted to party, but without alcohol, which many other people can relate too, either by religion, race, or plain old strict parents. So, Club DM was the perfect compromise for people like us, and of course the traditional party-goers either pre-gamed, or went out afterwards, seeking to continue the party. My friend and I paid the $10 at the door for a night of nonstop dance. However, was it worth it? I’m still not entirely sure, and for another question, why is the…
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The Power of Music 