Hello faithful followers! For this, my last listening journal, I have decided to conform to the mainstream format of a listening journals per request of a select few of you.

Familiar

Total Eclipse of the Heart 5:35 - Bonnie Tyler

The Final Countdown 5:09 - Europe

Carry On My Wayward Son 5:26 - Kansas

Total Eclipse of the Heart is a timeless tune that I enjoy listening to when I’m relaxing at my house or on the bus on the way to an away game. The slow tempo and methodical use of the electric guitar create a serene environment in the space between my ears. The strong and sweet voice of Bonnie Taylor also gives me the urge to belt out the lyrics along with Bonnie, However, I have found that few people agree with this urge. The Final Countdown is another selection that I have found motivating and fitting to listen to in the time before a game. Unlike Total Eclipse, The Final Countdown utilizes a quicker tempo and an undeniably forte dynamic level to strike motivation into the heart of the listener. My final song, Carry On My Wayward Son, has been a favorite of mine since my freshman year. The strong and bellowing vocals that begin the tune are guaranteed to catch any listeners attention. The instruments take over from there and move the listener through the rest of the piece. My favorite part of this song is jamming out with the guitar soloist mid-way through the song! In my opinion, all three of these songs are classic jams and great for putting you in a positive, confident mindset!

Unfamiliar

La Gazza Ladra 10:09 - Rossini

Autumn Leaves 5:09 - Diana Krall

For my unfamiliar music, I decided to search for opera on YouTube because usually when I get handed the aux cord, I don't start off with Beethoven’s fifth or something like that. I stumbled upon “La Gazza Ladra” which I found to be quite interesting. The rhythm reminded me of the Nutcracker, but it had more staccato notes. The beat went from loud and sharp, to soft and smooth, to medium and fast. At the 4 minute mark, the song slows down and becomes delicate and light. It continues to stay slow and calm, until 6 minutes when it speeds back up again. After this, the song says more mellowed out and goes back to its beginning pattern of being loud and having a high tempo. I thought this piece of music was nice and enjoyable for the most part. My final piece was discovered by searching for jazz on YouTube and I was pleased with this find. The song was smooth sounding with some pitchy notes, but overall it was very good. Diana has a very soft, melodic sounding voice that fit the rhythm very well. The instrumental in the middle was also a nice touch and was very calming. I really liked this piece and hopefully will find more like it.

I'd like to thank each and every one of you followers for keeping up with my listening habits these last few weeks! It was fun,

Hugs and Kisses,
Nixster

   Felicitations followers! I realize many of you have been anticipating this blog for a while now and would like to say that I am truly sorry for keeping you waiting for so long! I'll cut to the chase, my familiar selections are Billy Joel heavy: Honesty, She's Always a Woman, Tomorrow is Today, and Anthony's Song. In my opinion, Billy is one of the best musicians that relies on a good 'ole piano. In all four of these songs the piano is used to woo the listener and is guaranteed to win them over with its charm along with Billy's dreamy voice. The thing that I found musically interesting in all of these songs is how although each of the songs has a different message and tone, I get practically the same feeling from all of them.
   For my unfamiliar selections, I listened to Won't Get Fooled Again by the Who and Heroin by The Velvet Underground. The musical quality that both these songs share is the use of the electric guitar. The Who used the electric guitar to rile the listener up with a the motivational rock sound. The Velvet Underground on the other hand uses a solitary electric guitar to give the listener a calm, peaceful vibe and worked their way up to a nerve-wracking climax. I especially enjoyed Heroin and honestly plan to add it to my relaxing playlist. That's all folks! See ya next week (Maybe a little sooner tho ;) )
Yours truly, Nicholas.

    Greetings, it is Nicholas once again! Today is Black Friday, and I found that sitting in a line with headphones in for two hours is a prime setting to listen to some tunes. For my familiar selections, I analyzed Hey Jude by the Beatles and Captain Jack by Billy Joel. In Hey Jude, the ringing piano sound gave me a comfortable, familiar feeling that made belting out the lyrics almost natural. This comfortable sound, along with the personal lyrics, makes the song as a whole very approachable. One of the reasons that I enjoy this song so much is because I feel as if it's the old friend that's there to give advice to you in time of need. The Entertainer is a horse of a different color. The energetic, fun music that is featured in The Entertainer gives the listener a happy, fun vibe at first but as Billy unravels the lyrics it becomes apparent that the only reason the music was a facade and was so that the listener would buy his music so Billy could make a living.
    For my unfamiliar selections I listened to Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin. In Stairway to Heaven, I found it particularly interesting the contrast of how loud the music was compared to the vocals. Although this contrast is dominant throughout the entirety of the song, the dynamic level rests around piano and has a soft texture to it. The music correlates with the songs message as the listener hears the calm and collected lyrics, the underlying music supports a relaxed mindset. As I listened to this song I felt peaceful with a focus on the firm, yet soothing instrumental arrangement. That's it guys! Thanks for tuning in and make sure to check back in next week!

     Hello followers, Nicholas here. I will be reporting today on the god-like song Bohemian Rhapsody. Behind the angelic vocals of Freddie Mercury, a company of instruments take the listener on a trip to Heaven and back. The dynamics that the instruments express as the story unfold in the song are my favorite facet that Queen put together. The emotions that Freddie conveys through his lyrics are emphasized by the crescendoing instruments. The listener receives complete closure as the song comes to a close through the soft, smooth piano chords ringing out, touching the soul.
     For my unfamiliar selection, I listened to Cristofori's Dream by David Lanz. The part of the music that stood out the most in this piece was the tempo. At the beginning of the song the tempo is slow and gives the song a methodical, and cautious feeling to the listener. However as the song moves through movements the tempo quickens to build tension and emotion in the mind of the listener. I also enjoyed how David masterfully kept the listener engaged in the piece with his musical ability. I enjoyed listening to this piece and plan on exploring David's works further.
X O X O
The Nixster

The World "Needs" Music v. 1

My name is Nick Needs. This blog is to be used as a journal of my experiences listening to music for a period of time during my Senior year.