Today 4 students to share the songs they have been listening to lately; I didn't suggest a theme for this week.
First we started by talking about current music events. I had gone with three students to see local Seattle band Mudhoney (info) play at the famous Seattle club Neumos (website). It was a really fun experience. Here's a review of the show.
After the show we went for a beer to Linda's Tavern (article), which is a famous Seattle music pub for many reasons including the fact that it's the last place where Kurt Cobain was seen alive in public.
I also told the class that a free flamenco guitar + singing concert was happening on the UW campus for free on Sunday, 23 November. (I went to it and it was GREAT!)
Speaking of music, one of the students who loves Taylor Swift (info) told us she bought tickets for the Taylor Swift concert at Century Link field(?!?! she's as big as U2 and Paul McCartney?!?) on 8 August 2015.
In honor of Ms. Swift we watched "Blank Space" (video, lyrics, song info).
Then, to hear how she sounds when she's rocking out, we listened to "I Knew You Were Trouble" (video, lyrics, song info).
Next we listened to "My World" (video, lyrics) by Spyair (info). The student who chose this song likes it for the positive thinking message in the lyrics.
The next song was on that theme of positive thinking: "All About That Bass" (video, lyrics, song info) by Meghan Trainar (info).
Next up was "Love Song" (video, lyrics, song info) by The Cure (info). The student who chose it feels like this song is part of his life soundtrack. I have to admit that I really like this song, too, both lyrically and musically. The video is a juxtaposition of the sweet lyrics with the strange visual of the lead singer.
A student asked me a question that led me to talking about music from Mali. I told the class that my favorite female singer is Oumou Sangare (info) from Mali. Her voice is magical to me in all the styles she sings, but to give the class an example of her music I chose "Yala" (video). In this song I am fascinated by the rhythm of her singing -- it's so different from Western music!
Here's an example of the mix of Western/Malian where Oumou duets with Alicia Keys (info) on Keys' hit "Fallin" (video, lyrics, song info).
Mali has *many* great bands. In the south of the country the population + bands are black, but in the Sahara desert in the North it's a totally different style. A great example of the desert music is "Cler Achel" (video, song info) by Tinariwen (info).
Ah, but if you guys want to know my current favorite mix of African music with Western rock, check out JuJu: "Nightwalk" (video). BTW, that African instrument making all that noise has only *one* string!! The band is Robert Plant's current backing band.
The world music I played inspired a student to next choose "Sassafras" (video) by Lila Downs (info). The student who chose this song mentioned that she looks like the famous painter Frida Kahlo (info).
The next choice was a Korean indie rock band, Peppertones (info). We listened to their song "Beginner's Luck" (video).
I can't remember how we go to this song, but the next one was "I'm Not Going To Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You" (video, lyrics, song info) by Black Kids (info). The lead vocal sounds a lot like the singer from The Cure before.
At the end of class a student asked me to play an example of German indie music. The first band that came to mind was Die Toten Hosen (info) and the song "Tage Wie Diese" (video with lyrics below, song info), though I'm sure my German friends would suggest even better examples of German indie music.
With that class was over for the day. We will not have class next week, 26 November, due to the Thanksgiving holiday. I hope to see everyone on 3 December for our last(!!) class of the quarter. Since it's the Thanksgiving and Christmas season theme for this class will be songs that you listen to around Christmas or that remind you of times with your family.
Today 5 students came to give me advice on songs to put onto a "Songs for a friend's birthday playlist".
The first song suggested was a very good, classic choice: "You've Got A Friend" (video with lyrics, song info) by James Taylor (info).
But that was immediately followed by "Unhappy Birthday" (video with lyrics below, song info) by The Smiths (info) -- as funny as the lyrics are, that song will definitely *not* be on the playlist I am making.
We had a new student in class today. As a hobby he is learning to play piano. I asked him to choose a song and he chose a song he is learning: "Blumenlied Op 39" (video) by Gustav Lange (info).
Then I asked what his *favorite* piano song is and he said "Salut d'amour for piano" (video, song info) by Edward Elgar (info).
One other student said his favorite song with piano is "Nightswimming" (video, lyrics, song info) by R.E.M. (info).
At some point I mentioned to the class that in the UW Suzzalo library there is an amazing collection of Seattle music history in the library: an archive of concerts recorded in the legendary Crocodile Cafe music club. Here's a list of recordings. I need to go there one day and listen to the Sia (info) and You Am I (info) recordings, both of which were concerts I was at and they were GREAT!
Back to birthday songs: the next suggestion was "Born In The USA" (video, lyrics, song info) by Bruce Springsteen (info). I have to admit that I can't stand this song :-(
First of all I don't really like Bruce Springsteen's voice, though he is one of America's greatest songwriters, on the level of Bob Dylan (info) (who's voice I also can't stand). There are songs here and there of Springsteen's that I like -- more songs than Dylan -- but while American's worship him as an American icon I'm unmoved.
But my main complaint about "Born In The USA" is that it makes Americans feel all patriotic, but the song is a CRITIQUE about how an American guy with no future was sent to SE Asia to fight in Vietnam and how that didn't lead to anything good. Just look at the lyrics! That general misunderstanding really bugs me.
Now that we were on American singers the song "Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometime" (video with lyrics below, song info) by Beck (info) was chosen.
That's a great song, but a few of us agreed our favorite Beck song is "Loser" (video, lyrics, song info). Such a funny, weird song! And so addictive.
Back to birthday songs: "Birthday" (video with lyric, song info) by Katy Perry (info). But the student who chose this song pointed out that it also falls into that category of "misunderstood" songs, like "Born In The USA". This is not a song about a birthday, look at the lyrics, she says "I'll make it *like* your birthday every day" And a "birthday suit" is not a suit ;-) .
One student said that "Hot N Cold" (video, lyrics, song info) is the only Katy Perry song he likes. We all have our "guilty pleasure" songs that we like by artists who we generally don't really like ;-)
The next song was "Birthday" (video) by Galileo Galilei (info: hint, it's a band from Japan, not a medieval European scientist).
At this point our Thai student started telling us the names of some popular Thai bands. They have some really funny names, like Potato (info) and Big Ass (info).
I can't remember how we got onto this next song, "Back to Tang Dynasty in Dream" (video) by Tang Dynasty (info), a mainland China band who won the equivalent of the Chinese MTV award for best band. It was surprising to see this band's video use *all* the same cliches as American rock bands, hahahaha.
Someone suggested "Gimme Chocolate" (video, lyrics, song info) by Babymetal (info) but I don't think that was on the birthday mix theme ;-) .
And that somehow led to a song by Kyary Pamyu Pamyu (info); it might have been "Ponponpon" (video, song info), but if it wasn't exactly this song, it probably sounds exactly like it anyway, hahahaha.
Actually, I would like to spend a whole class asking why things like Baby Metal and Kyary Pamyu exist in Japan! It's all about marketing and very little about music, isn't it? I'd like to understand why so many Japanese consumers enjoy these manufactured bands and marketing. This documentary about Kyary Pamyu doesn't help me understand.
With that the time for our class this week was over.
Today 7 students came to share their favorite songs about "home".
Two students in the class had gone to concerts in the past week: One to The Black Keys (info, concert review) and the other to Slowdive (info).
I have heard of the band Slowdive, but I don't know their music. So I asked him what his favorite Slowdive song is. He said it is "Alison" (video, lyrics, song info). He said the concert was great and fulfilled all his expectations.
Next one student wanted to play a song she didn't get to share for "Halloween songs" last week: "Kyoushinshou" (video, lyrics, song info) by Radwimps (info). It is indeed a good video for Halloween. I like the guitar in the song. And the student who picked it also pointed out how great the lyrics are, too.
The next song was "Write Your Story" (video with lyrics, song info) by Francesca Battistelli (info). The student who picked it said she had heard it on the way to class and liked it. When I look at the lyrics it looks like it is a love song to God.
I like the idea of "writing your story on my heart" and it made me think of a song I loved in the 80's: "Sign Your Name" (video, lyrics, song info) by Terence Trent D'Arby (info).
The next song was actually the first one along the day's theme ("songs about home")! It was "Ashitaka sekki" (video, song info) by Joe Hishisami (info) from the anime Princess Mononoke (info). The student who chose it said that the film takes place in a place that is like his hometown. I have to say that I really liked this piece! So beautifully melancholic!
The next song was "Aqui No Es Asi" (video, lyrics, song info) by Caifanes (info). The band is from Mexico City, where the student is from. The song is about Aztec culture versus the Spaniards who came there.
The next song chosen was "Lanzhou Lanzhou" (video) by Mogo Music. This song is by a band from the student's hometown, Lanzhou (info), and the lyrics describe the things that people in that town see every day. This is really a "hometown" song!!
The next song was "Poison" (video, lyrics) by the Thai indie band Bodyslam (info). The student who chose this song doesn't actually like the band that much, but she thought the class would be interested in knowing what a popular Thai band is like.
With that our time for the week was over. I forgot to show the students a "hometown" video about Seattle, so here's a bonus in the blog: "The Bluest Skies You've Ever Seen Are In Seattle" (video with lyrics in the notes).
For the next week I have a funny theme: I am thinking of putting together a playlist of songs for a friend's birthday party so the theme for this week's class is "Songs For A Birthday Party" so I can get some additional ideas. Of course, any song the students want to share with the class will be fine.
Finally we were back in our normal room and sure enough, no technical problems! :-)
7 students came to share their favorite scary/Halloween songs.
The first song chosen was "We Are The People" (video, lyrics, song info) by Empire Of The Sun (info). The band is actually from Australia but filmed this video in Mexico and used scenes from the Mexican "day of the dead" celebration (info). Each time I hear this song I like it more!
We started talking about Halloween kinds of topics and I asked all the students if they believe in ghosts and if they like horror movies.
Interestingly almost none of them like horror movies. I have learned from teaching this class that the Japanese make great horror movies. They are scary because they are psychologically disturbing.
The next song was "Shake It Out" (video, lyrics, song info) by Florence And The Machine (info). The video is pretty self-explanatory for why it was chosen for Halloween.
The next song was "Born To Die" (video, lyrics, song info) by Lana Del Rey (info). The student chose this songs because it has a "creepy" feel to it. I agree, it seems strange.
When we talked about movies I told the class that there is a theater in North Seattle where movies only cost $4. It's called the Crest Theater (website) and it's not easy to get to without a car, but if you can get a ride there it's a good deal for watching movies!
The next song was "We Only Come Out At Night" (video, lyrics, song info) by Smashing Pumpkins (info). The student who picked the song said that you have to hear the whole album "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness", not individual songs out of sequence. But it turns out this wasn't exactly the song the student meant to pick. Oh well, he'll have to chose the right song next year, hahaha!
The next song chosen was "Welcome To The Black Parade" (video, lyrics, song info) by My Chemical Romance (info). It's an interesting video. Not exactly Halloween or scary, but very strong, disturbing images.
The last song was "Cemetery Gates" (video with lyrics, song info) by The Smiths (info). If you read the lyrics this song doesn't really fit Halloween except for the title. Actually, the lyrics are even hard for *me* to understand!
With that time ran out for the day. Suggested theme for next class will be "Songs that remind you of home".
Today we were in the accursed alternative room and sure enough I had technical problem getting the computer and projector to work. Today only 5 students came to talk music.
As I worked on the laptop one of the students talked about how there were some famous Seattle music clubs he wants to visit. Back in the 90's Seattle was famous around the world for "grunge" rock music (definition). One of the original "grunge" bands was Mudhoney (info), who are still together. I told the students that Mudhoney is playing on Friday, 14 November at Neumos (website) on Capitol Hill, one of the famous concert clubs in Seattle.
To show the class what kind of music Mudhoney plays I showed a clip of the song they are best known for: "Touch Me I'm Sick" (video, lyrics, song info).
Two summers ago Mudhoney had the distinction of being the first band to play on top of the Space Needle! (video).
I know Mudhoney's music is too hard and noisy for most of the class to enjoy, but at least four of us (so far all guys, hahahaha!) will go to the show. If anyone wants to join us, let me know!
Finally I got the computer to work and we could listen to some choices from the class. The first song chosen was "Everytime We Touch" (video, lyrics, song info) by Cascada (info).
Somehow from that song we started talking about Latin rhythms in music, especially "salsa music" (info). I mentioned that I used to help a band in Seattle that had a song with a salsa music dancing part. The band is Children Of The Revolution and the song with salsa dancing is "Isla Margarita" (video).
I also mentioned that one of the guys in the band, Geoffrey Castle (website) plays violin like Jimi Hendrix and showed a clip of him playing Jimi's song "Voodoo Child" (video -- go to 10minutes, lyrics, song info).
Now we came back to songs chosen by the class: "Riptide" (video, lyrics, song info) by Vance Joy (info).
This song was covered by Taylor Swift (info). I was surprised that Taylor Swift would cover a song like this so I had to hear it: video. The student who chose this song loves Taylor Swift a lot and even saw her perform in Paris!
The next song chosen was "Islands" (video, lyrics, song info) by The XX (info). The student who chose it simply heard it on the way over to class and liked it.
At this point I told the students about two of my favorite apps:
* Shazam (website) lets your mobile phone identify songs you hear in public.
* Spotify (website) is an online music service. It's almost like a library of all music ever recorded available on demand! And they have a student rate of $5/month, which is an amazing deal to have all that music at your fingertips!
The last song of the day was "Dixie" (video) by DLD. The student who chose it said it's like "Mexican grunge". It's true, they sound to me like Seattle's Pearl Jam (info). One of the other students said DLD sounds like Japanese indie music.
With that our time for the day ran out. Sorry that so much time was wasted on technical problems!
Next week's theme is pretty predictable: due to Halloween it is "scary songs" or "songs for Halloween".
Today 8 students came to talk music. The theme was "songs about rain or songs for a rainy day".
But class started out with technical problems: In the unfamiliar room I couldn't get the laptop to display on the screen. As I kept trying different things to get it to work I taught the students the term "Murphy's Law" (definition), which basically means "Anything that can go wrong at the moment is going wrong."
So a lot of time was wasted with technical problems before listening to music :-(
One of the students brought a guitar! But she is just at the beginning of starting to learn to play so she didn't have any songs to play for us yet. Perhaps in the next weeks?
Before listening to songs I clarified another couple of terms that often confuse students: "classic" and "classical":
"Classical" is music with an orchestra like Mozart or Beethoven or Bach.
"Classic" is a term that is used more broadly. For music is means songs or music that everyone likes. As an example of a "classic" song I played "Hey Jude" (video, lyrics, song info) by The Beatles (info).
There are also "classic" movies like "The Sound Of Music" (info + more on that below) or "It's A Wonderful Life" (info, which Americans traditionally watch during the Christmas holidays).
But colloquially "classic" is also used as an adjective to describe things that most people like. We often talk about "classic cars" like a 1967 Mustang (info).
Or even among friends if someone tells a story that is typical of that person you can say, "That was a classic Steve thing to do (or say)".
Using the word "classic" in conversation will impress your American friends! But if you are talking about Mozart, say "classical"!
At this point I also had to do another of my classic Language Of Music explanations: define the word "cheesy". This is a term Americans use *a lot*! It is hard to describe exactly what cheesy is, but I always say it is trying too hard to be creative. Here is one definition of it.
The best way for me to define "cheesy" is to show this video: "Said I Loved You...But I Lied" (video, lyrics, song info) by Michael Bolton (info). Look how hard he is trying to impress us with his emotions and voice while standing on a mountain and fire all around him. Super-cheesy!
I also think Celine Dion (info) is cheesy in general, and especially the song/video for "My Heart Will Go On" (video, lyrics, song info), but this is where the subjectivity of what one person thinks is cheesy another feels is evocative.
Two students were talking about the guitar in class and asked me how the scale is sung in English. I told them we learn it from this song in the classic film "The Sound Of Music": "Do-Re-Mi" (video, song info with lyrics)
Finally we listened to a song on the "rain" theme: "Set Fire To The Rain" (video with lyrics, song info) by Adele (info). The song text is pretty self-explanatory and Adele has a great, classic voice.
I forgot to ask in class, but I should have posed this question: Why is Celine Dion cheesy but Adele isn't? Or is Adele cheesy, too?
The student who picked that song said Adele's voice reminds her of an Arab singer's voice, Asala Ad-El-Horouf. Unfortunately I can't find the song the student chose and I don't want to just guess. But I do remember hearing the similarities of her voice to Adele's!
At some point in the discussion the same student mentioned that she always listens to the singer Fayrouz (info) in the morning. It's "morning music" for her. Here a playlist of songs.
(As an example of how much I personally learn from this class, I looked for Fayrouz's music in the Seattle Public Library and found out there is a DVD about her influence called "We Loved Each Other So Much" (info). I will watch it!)
This Middle Eastern music made me think of a singer's voice I loved when I was in my 20's: Ofra Haza (info). Specifically I loved her song "Im Nin'Alu" (video, song info). (Here's the traditional version of the song.)
But I explained to the class that I actually discovered her voice and that song in a rap song where it was sampled: "Paid In Full" (video, lyrics, song info) by Eric B & Rakim (info). It's always interesting to me to see how one song or artists leads people to another song/artist.
Now back to the rain theme: "November Rain" (video, lyrics, song info) by Guns N Roses (info). Again, the choice is pretty self-explanatory. While Guns N Roses is considered a hard rock band, the student who chose this song said he prefers their mellower songs, like this one.
I mentioned that the original bass player for Guns N Roses, Duff McKagan (info) is from Seattle. He moved to Los Angeles around age 18, joined Guns N Roses, got famous, left Guns N Roses and moved back to Seattle where he now lives. And he plays in a very cool new band from Seattle, Walking Papers (info). I showed the class their video for "Capital T" (video, lyrics). I also really like "Two Tickets And A Room" (video, lyrics). But they also have mellow songs. They are a good band, on their way up!
Because I had so many technical problems at the beginning of class that was all the time we had for the day. :-(
Next week we will be in the same room (HUB 332) but this time I know how to make the equipment work, so we will have more time for music! The theme for next class will be songs you listen to while studying. Or any other song you want to share!
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