Monday, February 7, 2011

Clang Clang Clang!



The lecture on Tin Pan Alley was really interesting because prior to this lecture, I have no idea what it is and how it came about. I was surprised to know that some of the songs I listen to actually belongs in the Tim Pan Alley era.

The thing that I find most interesting is the structure and lyrics of the song. Personally, I feel that the songs are structured in a particular manner so that people will be able to catch the tune of the song quickly.  I also feel that by having lyrics that people can relate to, it becomes easier for people to sing along with the song.

Although Tim Pan Alley songs are also known as escape songs, I feel that there is nothing wrong with music helping people to escape from the pressures of life. In fact, I feel that this is what music should be. It should be something that people can relate to, something that inspires or trigger a thought in people and something that cheers people up.

I find it amazing that Tin Pan Alley music has been able to remain an essential part of the music industry and that the songs are still constantly being covered by various artistes. It shows how strong the rhythm and the lyrics of the Tin Pan Alley songs are. It is also interesting to see how a musical instrument can play a big role in the start of a new music era. Would Tin Pan Alley music exist if the piano was not gaining popularity in America? What about the lyrics? What did the composers have in mind when they are composing the lyrics? Did they write with the intent of helping people escape from the pressures they face?


Song of the day: Kenny G - The Way You Look Tonight
(Posting this up because it's one of the songs that I recognize in the lecture power point...)




Zi Xuan

2 comments:

  1. Zi this is a great image of Tin Pan Alley-where did you find it? I loved that you also included a link to one of the songs we talked about in class. You ask a lot of important questions here-and make a good connection between the rise in popularity of the piano with the popularity of Tin Pan Alley songs. Perhaps we can discuss this on Friday during our discussion.

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  2. hi!

    Actually i found the picture on Google images..but i used Photoshop to change the color of it...

    Thank you for the comment :)

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