Christmas Disaster?

Christmas musicals are usually happy and fills hearts with cheer. However, at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, the Christmas program is hilarious to see. There are people that don’t know music and they rely on the few of us that are very successful musicians, mainly my family. 

This Christmas “Cantata” was an interesting adventure. To start this adventure off well, I was required to play an instrument I had never played before. It was a fun adventure but I didn’t know how to execute the tenor well enough to sound adequate. All the music for this was unison and the band consisted of a flute, cello, and tenor saxophone. Not a great combo to start out with. And then, to make matters worse, the songs I played on, I had absolutely no music. I was improvising the whole time by ear, without any music or chord progressions. 

I’m sure the audience didn’t mind the complete disaster because the Santa’s Saxes played before and after to wash the bad parts out of their minds. The music wasn’t bad, but it definitely could have been better. 

Santa's Saxes

            Santa’s Saxes. A group composed of four musicians (a.k.a. a quartet). A group where I am 1 out of the 4. A group not connected by school, but by our private lesson teacher. Every year, Lynne Hart puts together a saxophone quartet (Alto 1, Alto 2, Tenor, Bari) which performs all around Cedar Rapids. I have the honor of being the Bari player. This group is one reason why I love this time of the year so much. 

            The amazing part about Santa’s Saxes is that not all the musicians are from the same school. People often ask, “So what school?” We all look at each other and stutter for a second before we introduce ourselves individually. In the group this year, there are three different schools represented: Kennedy, Washington, and Mount Vernon. It may be hard to believe that students from different high schools could get along but that is not the case at all. Through Santa’s Saxes I have made some friendships with people from different schools and I have enjoyed every year so far.

            Getting to the more interesting part now, the music. All of our music is arranged by Lynne and it is all interesting and fun to play and listen to. There are songs such as: I Saw Mommy Kissing Lawrence Welk, Rockin’ Around the Cheesy Medley, Let it Snow/Santa, and many more. All these songs have a twist to them that give them a fun atmosphere. In all the songs in our book, there isn’t one that you would be able to sing along to. Many people start to sing along cautiously thinking, “Yeah, I know this song.” And then, right as they start to sing more confidently, that’s when a twist in the melody appears that you would not expect; and suddenly, that person quickly looks around to see if anyone noticed them. It is actually pretty hilarious, knowing the music, when someone tries to sing along. We get to that part in the song where the melody changes and I hear the person who was singing slowly fade away with a confused sound in their voice. Some advice, if you are ever around to hear the Santa’s Saxes, just don’t sing, it’ll be more embarrassing for you.

            Anyway, I Saw Mommy Kissing Lawrence Welk. This song is an interesting song it starts off with the traditional, I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus, and ends with some themes from the Lawrence Welk Show. Living and growing up in the 21^st century, most people these days don’t understand the whole Lawrence Welk thing. The music for this show was really cheesy with heavy vibrato and incredibly short articulations. Since the show is rarely on anymore, most people just think it is a funny little diversion of a song. This song is fun to play at nursing homes because mostly everyone there has seen the Lawrence Welk Show and understands where the tune is coming from. To help out understand this song better, here is the Lawrence Welk show and the Santa’s Saxes rendition of I Saw Mommy Kissing Lawrence Welk.

            One of my favorite songs to play is Rockin’ Around the Cheesy Medley. This song is a compilation of 6 different “cheesy” Christmas tunes, including: Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree, Holly Jolly Christmas, Here Comes Santa Claus, Jingle Bell Rock, Blue Christmas, and Santa Baby. It is a cool arrangement of the 6 different songs. I like it because it is fun to play and interesting all the time. You can form your own opinion, but this is one of my favorites out of the whole book.

            Another of my favorite, out of the two hour book, is Ukrainian Carol. This one has a cool base line that I get to play and it might just get stuck in your head, I know it gets stuck in mine. It is a fun version of Carol of the Bells and I love to rock out on it.

            I hope you enjoyed this selection out of the Santa’s Saxes book. To hear more fun songs, come out to Chick-Fil-A on December 22^nd, 2014 between 5 and 7pm. 

Musical Cheer

            It is that time of the year, tis the season to be jolly, my favorite time of the year. Christmas. The most wonderful time of the year, as every song suggests. The best part about Christmas, the music. There isn’t one thought that runs through my head without music, no matter the time of year, but around this season, my thoughts are jollier, if you will.

I’m guessing that as soon as someone thinks of Christmas, their favorite carol or jazzed up version of it popped up in their heads. It’s inevitable, at some point in every human’s life a Christmas song has gotten stuck in their head. What makes a simple song about a reindeer so catchy? Any other song about, say, a squirrel with a glowing tail would just be weird. If you truly think about it, what is so significant about a reindeer born with a birthmark? It’s the simple, elementary, style of the song that we are taught as young children that just sticks with us.

All Christmas songs are taught at a young age, that’s what makes them so dang catchy. Every time the radio plays a rendition of simple songs such as Rudolf or Jingle Bells we can’t help but start humming along. We are all guilty, hell, even I can’t help but sing along to Sleigh Ride. It’s also what makes this time of the year so wonderful. The only time of the year where everyone gets along and truly cares for each other.

Christmas songs bring the best out of each and every one of us. Simple melodies bring flashbacks of simpler times, of times where you thought the world was perfect, of the times before you knew all the corruption and destruction the human race can bring. Essentially, Christmas is a time to repair relationships and build new ones. All this could not be achieved without the help of the cheerful music in the background.  

Remember that the cheer of the season is up to you, the music is only a kick start. I hope that your days may be merry and bright, may you have yourself a very merry, little Christmas. 

Tenor Madness?

            Tenor. A simple word that has many different meanings: a vocal tenor, a clef, a range, a tenor sax. The latter is the most interesting to me. Saxophone is my specialty and I recently got the privilege of learning how to play tenor saxophone.

            You might be thinking, aren't all saxophones the same? You couldn't be more wrong. Every saxophone has a different personality that a non-saxophone player wouldn't understand. Each sax is like a person; no two are alike, each has a unique personality which a player has to figure out. The saxophone is an interesting object, you have to caress it and learn to love it or face the consequences.

            I normally play the baritone saxophone in jazz band and alto sax in concert band. Both these intricate machines have different sounds, tones, personalities. The bari is the low humming engine of a roaring Hummer, it always gets the job done. The alto is the high intoxicating sound of a Lamborghini, the more interesting and, in its own way, beautiful sound. Coming from the same family, these two machines could not be more different.

            And then there’s the tenor, the Challenger, not quite a tank but not quite a sports car. A beautiful machine that has the sweet purr that runs through your body, but also, a sense of power. I have gotten addicted to this wonder, tenor madness if you will. No, not tenor madness, but might as well be.

            Tenor is fun, it’s like nothing I’ve ever played. Last night, the first time I ever played a tenor sax, I realized why there are so many more tenor sax players known than any other sax. For example, to name a few: Ernie Watts, Joe Lovano, Sonny Rollins, Dexter Gordon, John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Sonny Stitt. And that’s just the few off the top of my head. Tenor madness must truly be real. I've caught a virus that is all consuming, I can’t wait to let it take over, that is, if it hasn't already.

            I caught this bug all due to my church. This coming Sunday I am involved in a musical, if that’s truly the word for it. This virus overcame me when I was asked to improvise, without chord progressions I would later find out, and the instrumentation called for a b-flat instrument. I don’t own a tenor, (hard to get addicted to it then huh). I was planning to just play alto until I was offered a tenor to borrow for this one occasion.

            Instantly I took up this opportunity, as I have wanted to play a tenor for a while. The question is then raised, did tenor madness reach me before I had even touched the brass keys of a tenor? In any case, I currently have a bad case of tenor madness. I am figuring out how to play and sound good all for a silly children’s program at my church. This one time, I could not be more happy about the opportunity given to me.

            Perhaps this tenor madness could lead me to an award winning album, (I highly doubt it but go big or go home, right?) In all honesty this epidemic will most likely lead to further studies in saxophone. Maybe this is how all great musicians get their start, by playing at their churches. Only time will reveal the truth.

            

How do you DO that?

            Explaining music, how to play certain instruments, pitches, those wired dots, etc., can be a difficult task to anyone who hasn't touched a sheet of music. There are many factors that are involved in music that people may not realize. The simple concept of a major chord becomes difficult to explain.

            For many musicians, such as myself, the concepts come easy. When asked, “How do you do that?” is there any other answer than simply, “I just do.” Music is a hard concept to completely understand. To master an instrument or style, it may take years of practice and constant work to sound decent. Personally, I have spent the last 6 years of my life trying to master the saxophone. I have spent countless hours sitting in my room pushing myself to the limits. There are times when I have difficulty understanding a topic, such as the blues.These amazing musicians will be able to explain jazz better than I could: Ernie Watts,  Joe Lovano , Gerry Mulligan. 

            Over the weekend I was asked, “What is that you are chewing on?” I was at a gig over the weekend and I was getting ready, as usual, someone behind me asked this question. I turned around and said, in probably not the most respectful tone, “This is a reed. It’s what makes the sound.” I felt kind of bad afterwards because I realized my tone; I had spoken to that person in a condescending manner, like she was just supposed to know. It comes back to the main question, how am I supposed to explain something that seems so obvious to me? It’s hard to dumb something down when I have always been told, “This is the way it is and you will do it that way.” Is there a way where I can give a legitimate answer without sounding like a complete jerk? The answer, no. When it comes to music I just know the concepts and know what I can do to achieve my purpose.

When a complete stranger asks me, “How do you do that?” all I can say is, “Practice.” I can’t explain to them specifically how I do what I do because it would take 6 years to explain. I don’t mean to sound like a jerk but there are some musical concepts that I can't explain well enough. My lesson teacher once told me, "Don't practice until you get it right. Practice until you can't get it wrong." My best advice for those asking this question, pick up an instrument and try it for yourself. 

68th Annual

The 68th Annual All-State Music Festival was one of the best in the history of the festival. Alright, I might be a little biased, for I was one of the top baritone saxophones in the state. This experience will never be forgotten in my memory. For better or for worse, it is stuck with me until the day I die. 

My adventure of All-State started with one of the most stressful auditions I have ever had. I usually don’t get nervous for auditions but for some reason, I was this time. I was standing outside my audition room feeling my heartbeat throughout my whole body. For some reason, unknown by me, I could not calm down. The fact that nerves got to me might have contributed to the failure that was my audition. To make it worse, the cellos went over their planned time which made me wait even longer, which, in turn, made my nervousness grow. By the time it was my turn to go into that torture chamber, I had become so nervous that I could hardly stand. It was a bad situation and the storm of nerves was heard through my instrument. It was not one of my best auditions but I survived. When I was finished with my audition, I had about an hour to wait until I received the chair placement; that hour felt like an hour of impending doom. Finally, I look up at the clock, the hour I had despised; it was time for the results. I walk into the room first, the judges look at me and quickly glance away, not good. At that moment I knew I had not made the chair I desired. They handed out little red cards, this card was the color of my blood and as I read the number on the card, the room began to spin. 4. Not good. One chair too low, no, 4 chairs too low. 

I walked out of that room into the smiling faces of my friends. They could tell by the look on my face that I was upset. They tried to comfort me and help me accept my position. Try as they might, I was still disappointed with myself and I wouldn’t accept my fate until later on that night. I started to realize that being the fourth out of sixth bari player in Iowa wasn’t that bad at dinner. There isn’t a better restaurant to bring my hopes up than Hickory Park. Hickory Park is, without a doubt, the best restaurant in Ames. When my food was finally brought out, all my worries and stress went away. I was happy and I accepted my chair placement after two hours.  

Auditions were only the first part of the adventure I took part in, I had two whole days that I was going to play in the best band in Iowa! The start of the second day at Iowa State would bring back the self disappointment, but it would quickly be washed away. When I got to Hilton Collesuem and found my seat, in the very back, we warmed up and I finally met the person who I was stuck with for the next two days, the director. His name is Dr. Andrew Mast. He is an intersting person; he uses many analogies to explain how a part of the music is supposed to sound. My favorite was, “That tympani line should sound like orc drums getting ready for the battle.” It was a great way to describe a sound to copy. Most of the comments he made were confusing to other people; not me though, I take from Lynne Hart and have to be able to decipher strange analogies. One of the wierdest analogies he told us was something about a hamster ball and how the song is supposed to, somehow, make an impression like that. Can you tell it was a fun weekend? I enjoyed being part of Dr. Mast’s band and was glad I had that learning experience. 

Apart from the intersting director, the music was some of the best I have heard produced by high schoolers. Going from the Kennedy Wind Smphony to the All-State Band was mind blowing. The best part about it was that every section knew their music, every single one! There wasn’t a weak link, everyone there wanted to play and were good at it. From the first note, to the last, I was never disappointed or annoyed. Every section sounded amazing. At the concert, I looked up at the audience and saw total engagement. Our set was interesting and we were good enough to pull it off. I loved the experience at the end of the whole stadium standing on their feet and clapping, not out of pity, but because it was just that good. I can only hope that the 68th All-State Band was able to inspire and bring enjoyment. 

The All-State experience was wonderful, I learned about myself, about where I was in the ranking of bari players in the state, about what a band should sound like. I couldn’t have asked for a better weekend. I can’t wait to go back next year!

                               

      

Madness

Madness. A feeling I experience and question whether or not I am truly mad. The song Madness by Muse is a song that is interesting at the same time that it describes my personality. 

This techno/hip-hop song has many different moving parts and a driving beat that make it appealing. To me, the slow start gives the climax a stronger effect. By starting out with a strong beat and a quiet entrance, there is more to build upon than if it was a sudden loud start. At the beginnings of songs I like quiet starts or low sneaking entrances; just like in Madness when the driving beat starts. I also like the mixture of techno bass with the electric guitar and sweet tones of the singer. 

Overall, there is a nice balance between new sounds with nice vocals to back it up. I like how Muse put together this song and the overall effect of the driving tones and strong harmonies.

http://youtu.be/Ek0SgwWmF9w

Rooms of Music

There are many different kinds of music: music that is soft and soothing, music that fills your soul with joy, and music that gets you excited. To me, music influences my actions. Without music I would not be able to function. 

I don’t have any one genre that pumps me up or makes me happy. I listen to all different kinds of music and it all depends upon which room I am in. For example, if I am alone and just trying to relax, I usually listen to jazz or some slow soundtracks, if I am in the weight room lifting, I tend to listen to rock or country. It depends upon the activity that I am doing as to what music I’m in the mood for. 

When I work out, I tend to listen to rock or music with a hard beat. It gives me more power when I hear the strong chords of an electric guitar rather than the soothing tones of a sax. Rock music makes me push harder than I would without music or any other kind of music. I’m not sure whether it is the beat of the drums, the hard bass, the rhythmic changes in the guitar, or the compelling voice of the singer that makes me feel this, but something in my mind changes whenever rock is turned on. There really is no other reason as to why rock has this affect on me. As soon as Thunderstruck by ACDC is turned on, the electricity flows through my veins, I feel more excited than I usually do. If rock music isn’t on when I work out, I feel as if I didn’t work as hard, as long, as much as I could have with it on. 

On the opposite side, jazz usually makes me feel more relaxed and mellow. If I need to unwind from the day, I can turn on the awesome beats of jazz players such as: Gerry Mulligan, Charles Mingus, Joe Lovano, Ernie Watts, Etienne Charles, Art Pepper, etc. The list goes on forever. That is what I love about jazz; each player brings a different element to the field, a different sound and style that no one can copy. When I listen to jazz I always hear something new: a new idea, a new technique, a new rhythm. Unlike another kind of music, jazz cannot be copied by another person. There can be new ideas and different styles of the same piece, but there are not two jazz players that are alike. If you look at other genres, the style and sound can be copied by a computer, but no machine can insert a human element into jazz. Jazz is, and always will be, the last of the genres that is truly soulful, that is played from the heart. That is why I love to relax to jazz, every piece is played with passion. 

Through music, my personality has changed, through music I am able to change my mood, through music I am able to create my mood. Music is the best tool for relaxing and for getting excited. Each person just has to know what each style of music does to them in order for music to be used for different situations. 

Band Teeter-Totter

Playing in an ensemble is harder than the musicians in penguin suits make it look. To be a successful and good sounding band/group, there has to be a balance of the vibrations of every different instrument. If one section thinks they are heroes and plays too loud, then the rest of the band will sound insignificant. The band is like a teeter-totter; without a counter balance, it wouldn’t be fun, and without balance between the sections the band wouldn’t be entertaining. 

I have to deal with this careful equilibrium every day in band, just as any other good musician would do. I am constantly listening to the people around me and fitting into their sound and balance of the band. The best balance that a band could achieve is more on the lower end and less on the higher end. That means that the low brass, such as tuba and trombone, have to play out more to achieve an amazing balance. It also means that the other sections have to listen to the lower instruments to fit into this texture. The whole point of an ensemble is not to make yourself sound good, but to make others sound better. Without careful balance, a song will be too heavy in one instrument; to the audience, if the trumpets play louder than the other sections—which is more rather than less—the other sections would sound small and like they aren’t even playing. Sadly, the Kennedy Wind Symphony has troubles figuring out what the correct balance is. Even though I, and my section, listen and fit our sound with the band, it doesn’t help if another section doesn’t listen. Band is probably one of the biggest team activities that I know. If one person plays the wrong note, or is too loud at a certain time, then the whole song has a negative effect on the listeners. 

Generally, in the Kennedy Wind Symphony, the section that usually sticks out is the trumpets. I don’t know what it is about the trumpets that makes them think that they are better than any other section but I think that is part of the problem. Because they think they are better than everyone else, they might think that they should be allowed to play as loud as they want, whenever they want. That is what makes the wind symphony sound bad; the trumpets don’t want to accept that there are other players in the band. What makes it even worse, is that the trumpets don’t have the best sound so when they do play out it drops the whole band a couple of levels. If the trumpets were good I wouldn’t be as upset when they play out when they shouldn’t. 

The key to a great band or small ensemble is balance; without it, bands would not sound as full or effective. Without balance the teeter-totter would merely be a stick lying on the ground. I always try my best to make the band teeter-totter fun and enjoyable, I just wish the rest of the band would see this and jump on. 

A Tribute to a Good Man

  This past week, a good man fought a battle and lost. A good man was ripped out of my life. A good man is now dancing with loved ones. A good man will never die, he will always live on. My grandpa was truly an amazing man; he touched so many lives and will be missed by all. 

My grandpa was a music teacher in many different places around Iowa. He taught in several small towns, then spent a long time teaching in Washington, Iowa, where he was the vocal director. Around the time that Kennedy High School was due to open, Grandpa, moved to Cedar Rapids, Iowa with his wife and three children. He started his journey here at Washington High School, only teaching there for a year, before Kennedy opened. He applied and was accepted at Kennedy as the first vocal director in 1967. He was the man who created the foundation for all of Kennedy’s success in the future. Without my grandpa and grandma, there might not be an original fight song and Alma Mater. Our fight song might be a song borrowed from another school, but instead Mr. Feuerhelm wanted to create a legacy for his sons and daughter and their families to live up to. What big shoes I now have to fill. Who could possibly do anything greater than set up a school for success? Just look at all the trophies overflowing in the music departments; that all started with my grandpa. 

My grandpa didn’t stop with the fight song and Alma Mater. He decided to set up a new tradition ; he created the first show choir west of the Mississippi. Happiness Machine was the original name but that was shot down quickly by the students. This group turned into Happiness Incorporated shortly thereafter. This first show choir was completely different than it is today. It was set up as a way for kids to get involved in music and to just have fun. The first group wasn’t even involved in any competitions, as there weren’t any competitors, and everything they did would be an example for others to follow. Every jazz hand performed would be a basis and every kick and big hit would be a building block that others would improve and copy. Another difference from show choirs today is that there wasn’t a whole team devoted to costumes. In fact, the first dresses ever to be debuted in Happiness Inc. were bought at K-Mart. I have never heard of any other vocal director creating an activity that was made simply to get kids involved in popular music. My grandpa truly wanted to try to give every student the feeling that music gave him. He wanted to share his passion for music and he wanted to pass it on through many different generations. My grandpa gave the keys to the car of music for others to take the wheel to prove what they could do. 

  After his great success at Kennedy, he moved on to Grant Wood Elementary to become the music teacher there. This was the longest part of his journey in teaching music and he would eventually retire there. He wrote a Grant Wood loyalty song, too. Many people that I met over the past week that had him as a teacher all had great things to say about him. The most frequent comment was that he was passionate about music. In the time that I knew and loved my grandfather, I can tell you he was more than just passionate about music; my grandpa loved. That’s just it, the only way to describe him, all he did was love, that’s what made him great. He truly cared for his family and friends and would do anything for us. I can only hope to continue to make him proud.
        I am doing my best to keep my grandpa alive through my music. We had a great connection through music and he loved to hear every note I played, whether it was correct or not. I loved to play for him because he was always grateful. I knew if he was in the audience I would always have at least one fan by the end of the performance. I would get comments like, “How do you do that?”

         “You sound great, I loved hearing you play again.” 

         “You’ll do great, I know it.” 

I truly miss and long to hear those words in my ear again. Without my grandpa, I might not have ever gone into music; he was and always will be a true inspiration to me. No one can do what my grandpa did. He was my leader, he is what I want to copy. To the very end of his life he believed in me and wanted to see me succeed. Everything I do from this point on in music is through him, I love him and he will always be with me for every note I caress into the ears of my audience.

  Not only was he a music man, he was my favorite grandpa. Over the past 16 years I developed a relationship with him that a tank couldn’t pull apart if it tried. I remember when I was about 4 or 5 years old I would go over to his house to spend time with him over the summer. I remember that my parents would drop me off and leave me to hang out with my grandpa for the whole day. Each day, after lunch, around noon it was nap time. He would take me down stairs and sing me to sleep with “Old McDonald”. I loved this even though I didn’t realize it at the time. Every once and a while he would say a cow said ‘oink’. I’m sure he did this to see if I was paying attention or to see if I was really falling asleep, he caught me every time as I would realize the accidental and spring up to tell him the right answer. Gramps did this kind of thing with me all the time, until the very end he had a humor around him that was precious to me and I will miss it greatly. I always remember that he had a cookie jar, and every time I was about to leave he would say, “I wonder if the cookie monster got in here again.” That was my cue to race over to the counter to grab a cookie out of the jar. 

  In the recent years, my grandpa has become even more special to me. Gramps would have me come over and do simple tasks for him, like change his razor blades. When I got these jobs done in 2 minutes he would look at me, shake his head, and say, “How did you do that so quickly? Your old gramps would be at it for at least 30 minutes.” I would just look at him, smile and reply with, “I’m magican.” We would then both laugh and tease each other for another five minutes or so. Another little tradition, if that’s what you would call it, is that he hated milk so every time we sat down to eat I would say, “What do you want to drink? Milk?” He would laugh and make some witty remark followed by, “I’ll give my portion to you, ‘Lij.” He could always make me laugh, whether it was one of our traditional teases or a completely new phrase never heard before, I always laughed when he was around. If you never had the chance to meet him, I am dearly sorry because he was the funniest comedian the world has ever seen. He was also caring and kind to anyone he talked to, even when he was starting to get older and slightly crazy. I loved him to pieces and he loved me back with the same enthusiasm. 

  My grandfather was a great man, all he wanted to do was set people up for success and he would do anything to see them achieve their goals. My grandpa truly loved to teach kids and had a great passion for music. He was eternally grateful for his family and he always showed his love in every way known to man. There are very few left of the great generation, very few that would do anything to make people succeed. My grandpa was one of the greats and no one will be able to fill his shoes, to take music to his level of success, to love unconditionally and whole heartedly, to do anything for anyone no matter the request, to love his family more than words can express. He is now dancing with my grandma in a better place. Dance away you two!

  Thanks Gramps. Thanks for all the love, inspiration, and lessons I’ll never forget you. I love you, always have, always will. 

Moanin'

  I came across a new song to me that is amazing. It is entitled Moanin’, written by Charles Mingus. 

I first discovered Moanin’ because this song is actually one of my assignments for me to learn. I am excited to chow down and learn the awesome bass line that the Bari has. This song starts out with just the Bari playing the main melody and Ronnie Cuber just continually honks away. I am inspired and want to sound just like that, I want to sound like a crazy sax man who loves to play. 

I get to learn this piece/bass line to make me sound better at jazz. It will be a challenge but I am ready. I can’t wait to get the chance to sound like a professional musician playing awesome music.

Take a minute and listen to this piece. 

http://open.spotify.com/track/6n9GGoiLwNlY5Ro7NsdbJP

All-State Audition

  The most stressful part of the year has come and passed with a great sense of accomplishment. I’m talking about All-State Auditions. 

What is All-State? All-State is an honor band that is the toughest and most honorable to get selected for. High school musicians work for three months, August to the end of October, preparing music picked out by a panel of musicians. This music is supposed to be challenging so it eliminates some of the weaker players. There are three different groups that different people try out for depending on their instrument or voice: band, choir, and orchestra. Obviously singers try out for the choir, string instruments are going for orchestra, and wind instruments, band. The best group, my personal favorite, is the band. I love to play in band and wouldn’t dare try out on anything other than saxophone. However, wind players are sometimes accepted into orchestra to create a full orchestra. These players are usually brass and are the best of the best. In other words, even better than the band players. However, no saxophones play in orchestra so band is the top honor.

  This year I tried out on Bari Sax. To make All-State I had to play excerpts from a selection of two different etudes, I had to play scales (which are memorized and chosen randomly), as well as a solo of my choice. This year I was more prepared than any other year. I had my etudes mastered and scales known since 6th grade. The biggest spot that I felt even better prepared for was my solo. This year I played Introduction et Danse by Henri Tomasi. My solo was probably the key to getting into All-State. 
         When it was my turn to play for the judge, I stepped into the room and let my confidence spill all over the room. I took my spot behind the stand and started. As soon as I hit that first note and cadenza that followed I knew the judge was impressed. After I had finished my solo I wondered if there was any need to even touch the other material. But the audition went as planned and I played my scales and etudes wonderfully. Walking out of that room I knew I would have a spot in the All-State band of 2014. 

After my audition, I had to wait an agonizing hour for the piece of paper to be posted that would announce  my fate. I remember walking into the gym and seeing a man walk over to the ladder with a blue sheet of paper. Every step he climbed, I felt like an elephant was starting to sit on my chest. He reached the top, stuck the paper to the wall, and let it roll out. The paper got stuck, so it took an agonizing time to see. I looked up and saw my name printed under the accepted column and felt all the tension leave my body. I made it! My dad came running over to me and hugged me with a pressure only fathers can give. I was filled with joy as my dad started to cry. I had done it! I had done it for my grandpa. As he looks down on me from heaven I know he is proud. He gave me the strength and ability to completely blow the judge away. 

I can finally relax and let the stress of the week pass through me. I made it and can’t wait to experience a whole new adventure! Mr. Wacker told me, “You have more work now…it’s time to prepare for chair auditions next!”

                                  

Dream Saxophone

       Yanagisawa. A weird name but wonderful machines. This is a brand name of saxophones that is my personal favorite. Some people like Selmer Mark VI, which is apparently the highest quality saxophone (I haven’t ever tried one though). The only problem with a mark VI is the outrageous cost. A new tenor online is priced at $19,000! I could buy a nice car for that amount. The great part about a new Yani sax is it only costs about $9,000 for the top line. But there are Yani saxes cheaper than that that play just as well, if not better than any sax. The price of the horn doesn’t always mean that it is better or worse than an expensive piece of metal. 

My favorite sax is without a doubt Yanagisawa as they aren’t as expensive and they have a good sound quality. Besides the quality of the tone, they also look beautiful. There is one Bari in particular that looks amazing and I would love to add it to my collection…if I had unlimited amounts of money. Even though Yani’s are cheaper, 6 grand is a lot to drop on a piece of metal, especially for a high school kid. Just look at this beauty!

                                             

PTX

        A cappella. The genre alone suggests an interesting and wonderful sound to be created. Good groups can hook a listener in with the strange and unique sounds. Bad groups repel listeners like the best bug spray in the world. 

My favorite group, and in my opinion the best the world has seen so far, are the Pentatonix. A group of only five, sound like a whole band. Each individual would be a world class musician on their own, but together, the sound produced is enough to make you fall out of your chair. Each and every song that the Pentatonix sing has a certain tone that you can’t help but start to sing along. The best part of every song is the bass. The bass is one of my personal favorites because he can make sounds lower than I thought any human was able to create. I always hear the bass and can’t help but sing along trying, although failing horribly, to copy the pitch. The group as a whole would sound empty without this driving force. Anyone who hasn’t heard a song by the Pentatonix has missed out on a life altering phenomenon. 

        My favorite song by the Pentatonix  is called The Wizard of Ahhhs. This song is a compilation of different songs, arranged by Todrick Hall, that tell the story of the Wizard of Oz. It personally connected to me because as a child  I was in love with the whole story. I was also in a production at Jefferson High School. Not only is this song a great compilation but it also makes me think of all the times I sat in awe of the musical. 

        The Wizard of Ahhhs starts with a great little melody line that transforms into the traditional Over the Rainbow. It starts and attracts you with a simple yet effective mixture of old and new. The melody of the musical then turns into Wide Awake by Katy Perry. This transition, in my head, gives me the image of Dorothy waking up after the house landed in the land of Oz. It makes me feel as if I had awoken to a strange new land. From there it goes into another melody that puts the image of the small munchkins in my mind. In this melody there is a clear dominance of the bass line which makes it so addicting. From there the music continues to change and illustrate the adventure of Dorothy and her pals she picks up on the way. 

         Another part that sticks out in my mind is when the song goes into Home by Phillip Phillips. I liked the original of this song but when this melody comes up in the song, the feeling of beauty fills my ears with its liquid. There are amazing chord changes in the original that truly give me a sense of home. These chords are multiplied by about 10 as the amazing voice of the five combined makes my insides melt with the pure wonder that is created. To top it all off, the ending chord makes the song complete. It is a chord that I just cannot get out of my mind for the whole day after hearing it. 

To me, the Wizard of Ahhhs is the best song produced by the Pentatonix but they also have a couple other great albums that are just as glorious. Take a couple minutes and listen to the pure gold that is the Pentatonix. 

http://youtu.be/QkVeKb2igrg (Wizard of Ahhhs)

http://youtu.be/OglS3Q0Zxik  (Can’t Hold Us)

http://youtu.be/F80FsZDTgn0  (Love Again)

Jazz Components

Think of a jazz band. What pops into your head first? Is it the sharp tones of the trumpets, the easy sound of the trombone, or the cool chill of the sax section? All of these characteristics make up a jazz band; with one section missing the sound is as empty as the middle of a donut.

Trumpets. They drive on my nerves and are always cocky, but they are an essential component to the whole feel of a jazz band. Trumpets usually make or break the overall effect that the music has on an audience. If the trumpet section isn’t perfect or doesn’t give the band a commanding tone, the whole band sounds bad to me. Last year, the trumpets in the jazz band that I was involved in, were not astounding. The trumpets in my jazz band made us sound like a middle school jazz band and incredibly unprofessional. This group of musicians mostly thought that they were good enough without having to get any better; this is the part of the trumpet mentality that drives me nuts. No one is ever good enough with where they are at right now, especially musicians have to constantly work to get better. In music, no one is perfect, there is always something that can be improved. Whether it is making their tone better or learning to have confidence in playing, there is always some detail that can be better. Since the trumpet section was not willing to work at getting better on their own, the whole band was forced to play middle school level music just so the trumpets could play the music. Even though trumpets usually are annoying, without them the jazz band wouldn’t be a band. 

Trumpets may be the head of the band but trombones are the arms that grip the audience into every piece. Just looking at the shape of the trombone suggests that the tone produced will be interesting. Because of the shape, trombones have one of the most difficult instruments as they are simply playing a large tuning slide. This also gives trombone players an advantage because they can always be in tune by simply moving their hand a couple of millimeters. Maybe this is why I have thought the trombone as the weird but perfect instrument. The trombones give the whole texture of a strange unique sound that can’t quite be described as anything other than a trombone. The Kennedy High School trombones last year were the second best section of the three wind categories. They had strong players that could play every note correct but not necessarily in the correct style. 

Finally, the cherry on top of a sundae, the sax section. The sound of the saxophone gives the whole band a laid back and smooth feel; as if the saxes were creating a hole in the ground with their sweet sound. Of course the best spot to hold in the band is the Bari sax. It is that low voice you hear creeping into the background or the brick on the gas pedal that drives the whole band. I might be slightly biased as I am a Bari sax player myself, but the Bari has much better parts that are without a doubt, more fun than any part in the band. Last year, in Kennedy Jazz One, the saxes were a whole level above every other section but we were dragged down by the trumpets. We never were featured, even though it would have made us sound better as a band, because the trumpets couldn’t figure out how to practice on their own to get better. The saxes were also the most reliable section as the first alto is a professional level musician and she is only in high school. With the first alto and myself, really everybody was able to achieve a glorious sound and be accurate every time. Without the saxes, the Kennedy Jazz Band would not have been as good as we were. The saxes alone create a whole mood and sound that if it were missing the band would sound too much like nails on a chalkboard.

Every wind instrument in a jazz band is equally important and needed because without one section the band would sound terrible. I can’t take all the credit from last year, but the sax section, along with the trombone section, led the band and put us in higher positions even without the trumpets. In a way the trumpets were left behind on an island all isolated and not doing anything to get back home. The trumpets could only look on as the great ship saxo-bone sailed away.  

The Phantom

        When I have a choice of music, I either choose a form of jazz, or I listen to soundtracks. There is something about soundtracks that makes me feel powerful, like I am a god in another world. Currently, my favorite soundtrack is Phantom of the Opera. It has a melody that is simple and yet complex at the same time; this is what intrigues me about it. 

The main melody is a simple run that is just going down by half steps. This seems like a simple melody, it seems like it would get old quickly, but it doesn’t. The simple melody is often played by an organ. When the melody is first played, a creepy feeling overcomes you, like someone breathing on your neck and turning around to find no one there. You feel goosebumps appear on your arms as the feeling of power and darkness surges over you through a simple descending line of five notes. To make the five note melody more interesting, a rock type beat is added to give it a sense of motion. The best part about the music in The Phantom of the Opera, is the fact that a 1800s opera sound is able to mix more modern beats.  

I personally love the french horn in any orchestral piece and the Phantom of the Opera is no exception. The strange range and tone of horns give me a chill that runs down my spine. The better a horn line is, the more interesting and attractive the piece is to me. I can’t quite describe the feeling or reason why horn lines are so interesting to me. Horns give me a sense of power, like I am a king and everything else is insignificant. 

Overall, The Phantom of the Opera is a great mix of old and new style as well as a perfect combination and balance of the horns. Another reason why The Phantom of the Opera is appealing to me is because the story is so different and the music throughout the whole musical is always interesting. The whole premise of the musical is about the goings on in an opera house, but it is performed on stage. There is no other musical that I know of that is a musical within a musical. Not only is the music appealing to me but the plot strikes me as unique. 

If you have a chance, listen and be blown away by the sheer greatness of this beautiful masterpiece http://youtu.be/1lBUlCADoNU. When you realize that this is only a taste of what is to come, go and rent the movie and discover the music that is the phantom. 

The Definition of Music

        What is music? To some people, music is vibrations of different instruments put together in a line, others say music is what fills their soul. I say that music is whatever the listener interprets it as. 

Music is a very wide term. It connects every corner of the world; it brings together families, friends, and even complete strangers. Music is basically a device that is universal; it spreads feeling and thoughts to people unknown to us. A major chord is the same in America as it is in Asia, a minor chord is the same in Europe as it is in Africa. Anywhere a person goes, they know that music will be there for them. Music is like a friend, it is there for you for the better or worse. To me, music has always been able to help me through tough times. When I am in a bad mood I can turn on a song and go back in time to cheer me up. Music also gives me strength to keep going. Without music, without a friend, I wouldn’t be able to last. 

Every person is able to create music for music is a slice of your brain being translated into pitches. Musicians are the best writers in the world; they aren’t afraid of projecting their thoughts. Any musician, no matter the skill, can take a series of notes and they can draw a picture so indescribable even Picasso would stand in awe at the overwhelming image that was created through the sound of music. I personally experience this every time I pick up my shiny gold instrument and pour my heart and soul through it.  Musicians have one of the toughest jobs in the world, they constantly get criticized for the thought running through their heads. All that music is, is thoughts, words spelled out in pitches, thoughts drawn in dots. You would never have to wonder what musicians think because you hear it every time a note strikes your ear drums. Every piece of music is a perfect representation of a composers thoughts. In that sense, there is no such thing as a mistake. Every note has been thought of, revised, and rewritten over and over again every millisecond in the mind of a musician. Being a jazz musician, I can’t think about what I am playing, I have to feel it. Good musicians don’t think when they play, they feel. 

Music is the best invention mankind has ever made and will ever make; it is thoughts heard through pitches. Music is not a bunch of random notes, it is a clear thought process that is different based on the mind that creates those notes. The best part of music is it is the same language and yet so different based on the mind. Music is your thoughts. For all I know, my favorite song is just a jumble of vibrations to another mind. Music can’t be described in words, music is music. 

Music Plots

Think about your favorite movie. Now describe what makes it your favorite. The one thing you probably didn’t mention was the music. Behind every movie, no matter the genre, there is some type of music that builds onto the excitement of the whole adventure. Without soundtracks, movies would have no beginning, middle, or end. I listen closely to the music in a movie to find the effectiveness of the story. 

In my opinion, without amazing music assisting the plot of the story, a movie isn’t as exciting. The effectiveness of a soundtrack starts with the composer. A composer has the toughest job and usually gets the least credit. Composers have to know what kind of music is appropriate and where and how to build to the climax of the story. One of my favorite composers is Michael Giacchino, he can effectively build up a story with some great melodies. Giacchino is probably one of my favorites because he is willing to stretch the limits of each instrument. For example, he has string players play on the other side of the bridge to get the high pitched sound that builds excitement in action movies. He also has had a harp player play the lowest note, which can’t be heard as well and is hardly used. When you hear this note however, it gives the piece a whole new interpretation. This note gives the whole sound track an ominous sound, like thunder heard in the distance. Another factor that Giacchino changes is the percussion. In the soundtrack Lost, Giacchino used actual parts of an airplane to put in a certain sound that can’t be found with any other instrument. Giacchino always tries to give his music authenticity both within the time period and with the actual sounds of authentic instruments. Without pressing these limitations, Giacchino would not separate himself from the crowd of composers, he would have been one in the same. 

Another effect that clearly separates Giacchino from other composers is his use of a live orchestra. To me, live orchestras give the overall sound a fuller more rich sound. Today people can synthesize every instrument on a computer, the sound that is produced however, is nothing like the tone of a professional player. Synthesized music lacks a certain quality of human investment in a piece. For example, in the Incredibles, Giacchino recorded a live orchestra using cassette tapes. By recording it on cassette tapes, the whole tone was given a 1950s sound. The slight difference in the recording on cassette tapes gave the music a sound which fit perfectly with the superhero movie. If a computer synthesized soundtrack was made, this authenticity would not be as prominent and it would have been less effective. Without these slight differences in a soundtrack, the music seems too unreal and it puts a damper on the effectiveness of the movie itself. 

While people sit and watch movies waiting for the climax, I wait to see how a composer will build up to that climax. Generally, the better a composer pushes the plot along, the more interested I become in the movie.  

GGBPB

        My personal favorite type of music to listen to is jazz. The best band that I have heard so far is Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band. Their style of music appeals to me in several different ways; they always have a good groove and they always make me feel alive through their form of jazz. 

The first song I ever heard is called “Hunting Wabbits.” My brother had me listen to it and ever since that day I have always enjoyed hearing GGBPB. The first part of this song starts out with a saxophone soli; it got me interested in them because I play the saxophone. This soli was appealing to me because there were so many different moving parts that were executed so well it sounded almost like one saxophone playing four different registers. As the song goes on, each section gets a feature before finally the solo section arrives. 

The solo section in this recording has inspired me to work harder to sound better. These solos were fairly simple but the complexity of all the moving parts locking in together made me want to get to their level of musicianship. 

After the solo section the song continues to build to its climax. Once the solo section is over, the piece goes to a simple sax beat and, slowly but surely, every section keeps building on until you are sitting listening wondering how the piece will ever end. And all of a sudden, when you least expect it, the band sneaks back to the beginning melody and it is over before it seems it should be. The full effect of the band hits you as you hear the trumpets blaring, the saxes sweet tones, the mellow trombone line, and the rhythm section make a simple title a song. 

As I continue to study and rock out to Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band, I notice that every song of theirs is like a well oiled machine with the gears clicking on all levels. In every piece there is an awesome groove and feel that makes me want to pick up my sax and start playing with them. If you have time check out GGBPB here https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nr3pY_uaO98 and be amazed.

Marching Band

        Marching band is a bizarre exercise that cannot be replicated in any other fashion. The main goal of marching band is to play music, at varying tempos, in time as well as to move your feet in time. With these two combined, you get a physical workout of your muscles and lungs. 

To make a show effective, a band has to choose music that will appeal to a wide variety of audiences as well as music that can be executed well. If a band chooses music that is too difficult, the show will fall apart and it will make that band look terrible. It is important to sound good but if the show is too easy, then without visual appeal, the show would become boring and uninteresting. It can be difficult for band directors to choose music that will fit the band as well as make them look and sound good. This year, for Kennedy, the theme is Doctor Who. The music is the perfect fit for our band as it is slightly challenging and it also could make us sound good if we execute it well. The musicality is important in a show but that is only half of the story.

The challenging part of marching band comes when you have to move in time. Depending on the show, you could be moving at 160 beats per minute (bpm) and then change on the next song to 80 bpm. Obviously, the faster a song goes, the more difficult it becomes to march without bobbing up and down as well as keeping your feet in time. To make it even more difficult, there are moves called halftime moves. In a halftime move a person would take one step for every two beats. This can make the show a little bit more difficult to execute but if it is done well, halftime moves can add points as well as visual effect in a show. In our show this year, the first big hit is a halftime move. By making this a halftime move followed by a hold, the audience is wrapped into every second of the show. The opposite of a halftime move would be a double time move. This is where people take two steps for every beat. In the second song of our show, the whole band starts out with a double time move which makes the simple move more interesting. Without different tempos and visual effects, marching band shows would be boring and nobody would pay attention to them. 

To make a show effective a band has to do several different minor aspects that change the whole show. The music choice is important because music that doesn’t fit the band’s talent would make them look bad. The visual appeals and different tempo choices also affect how the audience sees the show and whether or not they like it. 

  

Jazz

         Jazz is the most interesting and one of the most complex forms of music. There are so many different styles that only a few musicians are able to effectively sound good. Jazz takes many different forms and each kind is different from the other.  

Jazz is the persona of America. Just as America is the melting pot of different cultures, jazz brings together all different kinds of people and style and mixes them into one. Jazz wasn’t invented by one person but changed over time. In a way, jazz is alive; it grows, it dies, it changes, and it stays the same. No one person completely invented all of jazz, it had to change over time as different influential people added their ideas in the pot. Jazz was formed somewhere in the late 19th to early 20th century when African slaves, brought to America, intertwined their music with classical European music. The only aspect of slaves that their owners couldn’t stop was their music. Africans brought their style of folk song and it later evolved into what we know as jazz. In the 19th century, drumming wasn’t allowed in most slave quarters; this means that the African rhythms continued and were passed on through stomping, slapping, and other rudimentary forms of drumming. Throughout time, those rhythms were translated into instrumentation and thus jazz begun. 

New Orleans is the epicenter of an earthquake that is jazz. New Orleans was the only place that allowed drumming for all people; this allowed African beats to finally take hold of America. New Orleans was the place where the bright sounds of European instruments met the dark, soulful beats of African drums. The two mixed together is like sweet and spicy, fire and ice; two opposites that shouldn’t mix but are amazing together. New Orleans jazz brought a feeling of freedom, it made people feel alive. Every jazz musician in New Orleans put their heart and soul through their instruments. This style of jazz, this effect, could not be found anywhere else; New Orleans was at the top of a mountain and other cities were the poor villagers at the bottom trying to reach the top. Without one element or the other coming together, music today would sound differently. Rap or rock and roll may not ever have come into existence. 

The style of many different people created new forms of music; an example would be swing. Swing is thought to have originally started with Papa Jack Laine’s band in New Orleans. His band was said to have ‘ragged time.’ It might have been said that his music swung. Through this syncopation of the beats is one way that the style of music changed by the influence of a group. Through this syncopation, swing was created and changed the whole course of human history. 

Another style of jazz that was transformed in New Orleans was the Latin feel. The combination of Spanish music with jazz is what transformed the beat. People from the Caribbean and New Orleans mixed together. 

The evolution of jazz was not by one person, but by many groups that would interpret every piece differently. The reason jazz is so interesting and diverse is the fact that multiple people changed and affected the different styles. 

Interpretation: Part II

        Dynamics are usually the key to how the piece of music sounds as well as the overall effect of the piece. Dynamics are the changes in volume of each note. Without dynamics, a piece of music would sound monotonous and uninteresting. The lack of dynamics in a piece would be like listening to a teacher giving a lecture and not interacting or changing the pitch of their voice. Everyone uses dynamics in everyday life; without changing the inflection of your voice, the point of the discussion would not get across. By starting a phrase soft and building up to the peak of quality tone is more interesting than if the phrase was all soft or all loud. The inflection of every pitch grabs the attention of the listener but the musician has to know when the appropriate time to do that is. 

On some instruments, and all vocals, the next technique to add would be vibrato. Vibrato is a part of interpretation that can either sound good in a piece or it can ruin it. Vibrato is a rapid, slight variation in tone that gives the tone a fuller sound. Based on the time period in which a piece of music was written, as well as the composer it was written by, and where the composer was from, different kinds of vibrato are necessary. I play the saxophone and any piece that is French requires a constant feel of vibrato; whereas a modern piece would not necessarily require vibrato on every note. Knowing who, when, and where a piece was written changes the sound the composer intended. 

Most interpretation is solely knowing what style the piece is in, who wrote the piece, and when the piece was written. Without knowing these key facts, all music would sound the same and be ineffective to all the listeners. Interpretation separates the good musicians from the world’s finest. 

Interpretation: Part I

        There are many ways that a musician can make a masterpiece come to life. Changes in the music, such as dynamics, note and rest durations, tone, etc., take hold of the listener and can either softly caress them into deep sleep or make them notice the skill of the musician. The different styles  in which a musician attacks the piece is called interpretation. 

Interpretation takes many different forms. One way a musician can make a piece of music sound better is by changing the endings of every phrase. For example, a quarter note followed by a rest can be played differently based on what the musician wants it to sound like. If the musician cuts off the sound quickly, the effect would be different than if they cut off right on the next beat. In some styles of music, such as jazz, it is proper to cut off the notes a little shorter than if it was a classical piece. The endings of notes depend entirely on what kind of genre of music is being played. How a note ends is a simple, yet complex, part of interpretation that changes the whole overall effect of the piece. 

Another simple factor that changes the sound of the piece is where a musician starts and ends phrases. Music is divided into sections called phrases. Phrases usually separate different ideas, and they also tell musicians where a good spot to breathe is. An absolute way to kill the affect of a piece is to breathe in the middle of a long note. By breathing in the middle of a long note, the musician is basically taking any strong phrase and making it as ineffective as congress; it makes every breath, every dynamic useless. To end a phrase properly, musicians have to go through every note and decide where a good place would be to take in a breath and not disturb the effect of the piece. 

Rest Duration

       Musicians have to learn to interpret how a piece of music will sound before they play a single note. Part of this interpretation is by identifying rests and their duration. Without rests, music would sound long and uninteresting. Rests help to identify where the first melody ends and a new strain begins. Rests can also help to keep the tempo even. Good composers realize that rests are just as important as the most complicated run. 

For every note division, there is a rest division of equal value. To match a whole note there is a whole rest that takes up the whole measure. A whole rest looks like a box and it fills up half of a space between the staff lines and it is touching the top of the line. Half rests are the equivalent of a half note; it takes half (or two beats) of every measure. The half rest looks like a whole rest but it touches the bottom of the line in the space of a staff. A quarter rest matches up with a quarter note and takes up one beat in each measure. Quarter rests look like a squiggly line that is perpendicular to the staff lines. The next smallest rest value is an eighth rest. Eighth rests are the same length as an eight note; a half of a quarter note. Eighth rests look like a 7 except the top of the 7 is more curved and ends with a circle at the end of that 7. Rests keep going down the line and match up with every kind of note division there is. Lengths of notes each have opposite rest values, just like the opposite of addition is subtraction. This is important because without equal and opposite values, songs wouldn’t sound right because every piece of music would have to be continuous and lacking variety. It would also be difficult for musicians to catch their breath or get any breaks if there were no rests.

The whole point of rests is to make a piece more interesting. It also gives the musician and listener different views as to how each note is stopped and how each new melody begins. Without rests, music would be less complex as well as more physically and mentally exhausting. 

Used: http://www.circleoffrets.com/

Time Signature and Note Division

After the time signature is figured out, different looking notes signify the division and length of each note. The longest note duration is a whole note; a whole note looks like a bold O on one of the lines. In four-four, a whole note would be held for a total of four beats. Whole notes will usually only be found in four-four as most musicians see it as four beats and not any other value. Another note duration value is a half note. A half note is half of a whole note, hence the name. A half note looks like a whole note with a stem on it. In four-four, there would be two beats to every whole note. The only time a half note is one beat is in the time signature where a two is on the bottom; that is why knowing the time signature is important. One of the most common note lengths in music is a quarter note. A quarter note is half of a half note or a quarter of a whole note; again, musical terms are pretty self-explanatory. A quarter note looks like a half note, only the circle is filled in. In four-four, a quarter note is the beat and lasts for one beat. Going further into divisions, the eighth note is the next value: it is a half of a quarter note, a fourth of a half note, and an eighth of a whole note. An eighth note looks like two quarter notes connected by one solid line. In four-four, an eighth note gets a half of a beat which means there are two in one beat. The next division of a note is a sixteenth note; in four-four, there are four sixteenths in a beat. A sixteenth note is half of a eighth, a quarter of a quarter, an eighth of a half, and a sixteenth of a whole. Sixteenth notes look like four quarter notes connected by two black lines. The division of notes continues like this up to 64th notes. 

   

        

There are also more complex note divisions; notes can also be divided into thirds. These notes are called triplets. Triplets can be divided into quarter, eighth, and sixteenth notes . A quarter note triplet doesn’t take three beats but two. This can be confusing as regularly three quarter notes take up three beats. Eighth note triplets take up one beat and three notes are played within that beat. A sixteenth note triplet also takes up one beat but it is usually broken into two groups in an eighth to have a better sense of time. Triplets can be more confusing to subdivide but they change the music to create a different sound of a melody. 

       

Divisions of notes are important in music because they give the listener something new and interesting to listen to. Different lengths of notes keep the audience sitting on the edge of their seats because the different divisions provide new insights into the composer's mind.

Used  http://www.musictheory.net/

Time Signature

Reading music is a skill that is more difficult than reading a book; reading music requires math. To the untrained eye, written music may look like a foreign language created by madmen, but every blotch and line signifies a different note, style, or subdivision of that song. Musicians are the best at multitasking. In one measure, a musician may be dividing a single beat into two, three, four, six…all the way up to 64 even lengths as well as playing that many separate pitches and keeping it all in time. There is a reason why there are so little successful musicians. 

Dividing a beat starts with knowing how many beats are in a measure; this is known by the time signature. The most common time signature is four-four.

        

The two numbers are written on top of each other and put on the right hand side of the key signature and clef. The number on top represents how many beats are in each measure and the number on bottom shows the note value of each beat. In four-four, there are four beats in a measure and the quarter note is one beat. Another common time signature is three-four; this means there are three beats in a measure and the quarter note is one beat. There are all different kinds of time signatures that communicate what the length of each note is. 

Major Vs. Minor

Music is a form of expression. One idea or phrase a musician creates may sound different to the creator and listener. Based on the amount of education an individual has had on a style of music may determine what kinds of music that listener likes. A person who has never played jazz, for example, would never understand fully what the difference between a bunch of notes and improvisation is. Music is never, and hopefully never will be, random notes thrown together, there is always an underlying structure. All music is based on chord changes. A chord, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, is three or more musical tones sounded simultaneously. There are two different kinds of chords, major and minor chords. 

         All chords are based on a root, a major third, a perfect fifth, and sometimes a seventh. To find a major chord, first, you have to know what key to start in. The first major chord I will explain is using a C-scale (meaning no sharps or flats). The formula behind a major scale is w-w-h-w-w-w-h (w standing for whole step, h for half step). The root of a chord is always the key you are in. The root of a C-scale is C. To find the second note in the chord, starting from C, you have to move up four half steps. A half step is going from a white key to a black key or black to white key. The third in a C scale would be an E. To find the fifth, you start from the root again and go up seven half steps. The fifth in the C-scale is a G. With all these notes, a major triad is formed. This is usually the end of a C chord because the added seventh, in this case a B, will make the major chord sound incorrect which is why it is rarely used in major chords. 

           A minor chord is slightly different from a major chord. All the notes are the same except the third, it is now a minor third instead of a major third. Using the C-scale again, the minor third is found by moving up three half steps instead of four. When hearing a minor chord after a major chord, the minor third may sound strange but it always resolves itself within the chord changes. The interesting difference between a major and a minor chord is that, while there is only one type of major chord, three different variations of minor chords exist. The three different types of minor variations are, natural, harmonic, and melodic minors. The formula behind a natural minor scale is w-h-w-w-h-w-w. By using this formula, the natural minor scale is found and the chord is derived from it. The natural minor chord of C is: C-E flat-G. Once the natural minor is found, a harmonic minor is easy; you simply have to raise the seventh by a half step. Instead of a B flat in the minor scale of C, it would become a B. The last form of a minor scale is melodic minor. In a melodic minor, the sixth and seventh are raised by a half step; in the key of C minor, there would now be an A and B instead of A flat and B flat.

               All these different keys are used in music and can change the whole sound of a piece based on what the chord progression is. 

Used http://www.musictheory.net