Kelly's Blog

  The Greatest Showman is a musical film released in 2018 and is directed by Michael Gracey. The film stars Hugh Jackman portrayed as P.T. Barnum of Barnum and Bailey's Circus. Co-stars Zac Efron and Keala Settle also play large roles in the film. The music was written by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul who are well known for writing the music for La La Land and Dear Evan Hansen (Pasekandpaul.com). The music in this film tells a story of Barnum's rise to fame, his inability to see what is truly important, the need for humanity and acceptance, and Barnum's return to joy. The lyrics' storytelling alone make for great pieces but the musical styling as well as performances by Jackman, Efron, and Settle make the music all the better. There are numerous songs that carry a deep message for the audience that really pulls you into the story.  The song From Now On  written by Pasek and Paul for the film is performed primarily by Hugh Jackman and tells of his eyes being blinded by th

 Celine Dion was born on March 30, 1968, in Charlemagne, Quebec. She was raised in a musical family with 14 siblings including herself. Her whole family had a talent for music but she stood out as having a special gift according to her mother (CelineDion.com). She has had a career that has spanned decades which does not happen for many performers. She performs music with skill and compassion but does not compose the music. This, in my opinion, makes her that much more impressive because she performs every song as if it has a deep meaning to her personally.  I have been a fan of Celine since I was very young. I remember my mom playing her music in the car in the early 90s when we would run errands but especially on long road trips. I know there is a nostalgic factor coming into play but I still think her voice and performances are some of the best I have ever experienced. I am considered to be a masculine, heterosexual man but am not ashamed to say I will sing along with every song of h

 Scotland is home to some of my favorite music. The traditional folk music of Scotland is melodic, often follows a pentatonic scale, and easily penetrates one to their core. With Scottish folk music, it is common to have ballads or laments and is almost guaranteed to have either a violin, a harp, or bagpipes that accompany a singer (Folk-Music). Although the bagpipes always remind me of Scotland and The Highlands, the bagpipes are not exclusive to Scotland and actually originate from Egypt (Chalmers). That does not deter the fact that bagpipes play a large role in the culture and history of Scotland.  This is an example of a traditional folk "Pipe Band," the North Berwick Pipe Band, performing Amazing Grace and Flower of Scotland. Flower of Scotland, written by Roy Williamson in the 1960s is the unofficial national anthem that is performed at many sporting events (Wikipedia). This kind of music has such a rich tone emitted by the bagpipes and when accompanied by the snare d

      The guitar is an instrument that has been around since 1500BC! They are over 3500 years old. This begs the question: How long have electric guitars been around? Well, the short answer is not that long. In the 1920s musicians were recording music which was gaining fame over the newly developing radio industry. The microphones the radio stations used were not very powerful or high tech so they struggled to pick up the sound of the acoustic guitars (Smithsonian). There was also the issue of concerts being performed where patrons could not hear everything because of the low volume produced by the acoustic guitar. This led to a necessity (the mother of invention). The necessity was to somehow make guitars louder.       According to an article by the Smithsonian, in the 19th-century steel strings were implemented which increased the volume of the guitar but also increased the amount of tension placed on the body of the instrument. This led to the redesign of the shape, size, and all-ar

Danny's Song by Kenny Loggins and Jim Messina was written and produced in 1970 for Kenny Loggins' brother Danny for the birth of his first son Colin (Wikipedia). Lyrics This song is a light and airy song that gives you good feelings about life. I interpret this song's lyrics as: as long as we have each other, everything is going to be alright. As someone who is married, I can remember early on in my relationship when we felt this exact way. We were so unsure of the future but we knew we had each other which made it feel okay. Rhythm The song is played in the classic 4/4 time signature at a moderate tempo. The percussion is mostly just the tapping of a woodblock that keeps to the overall acoustic feel of the song. I do believe I hear some shakers (sand-filled objects) in there as well.  Melody The song is sung in C sharp (C#) and follows a very flowy, quiet tune using a conjunct melody. It is an acoustic song meaning there are no electric guitars or keyboards giving it a str

Saosin  is an American rock  band that was formed in Orange County, California  in 2003.  "Saosin means 'careful' in Chinese. The word comes from a 15th-century proverb  about fathers admonishing their sons who are being married off for money to not get emotionally involved with their wives, as they could die at any time. The original lead singer explained the meaning behind this as being a reference to the fact that nothing is eternal, and that it is a mistake to become overly attached to anyone or anything because that thing will eventually be lost." - Wikipedia The song "You're Not Alone" is not like the band's typical song choice as it is more melodic and emotional. It was written by   Beau J Burchell, Cove Randall Reber (lead singer at the time it was written), and Chris David Sorenson. Lyrics The song's lyrics start by talking about a man who is wandering through a park searching for the "ones he used to love" and "says he