Author: ayee

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4 Friends and 8 Treadmills

In today’s culture, a music video is much more than just a video of the artist singing their song in a well designed set. A music video is a representation of who the artist is and what they want to portray. Whether it be a short story, an animation, or even a comedy short, these are playful, artistic choices that make them unique. They become original to their sound but as well as what they like to create and portray. One band that is a perfect example of this is the band Ok Go.

Image result for ok go
https://www.npr.org/2011/01/04/132653940/ok-gos-kulash-rewrites-rock-star-rules

Ok Go is a four piece rock band from Chicago that have created their own unique artistry with their music as well as their quirky music videos. From making a Rube Goldberg Machine or filming in zero gravity, Ok Go has created numerous, iconic music videos that push the boundaries of creativity. Some of the most recognizable videos like “Needing/Getting” or “I Won’t Let You Down” have over 40 million hits on YouTube and both music videos are incredibly different.

“Needing/Getting” is the four of them in a car that has been modified with the attachments such as pneumatic arms and devices. They drive around a designed course hitting various instruments or objects that display the same pitch as their song. This is one of their biggest hits to this day with over 40 millions views.

On the other hand, “I Won’t Let You Down” was shot using Honda’s UNI CUBs. These are personal mobility units that is controlled by the rider shifting their weight. It starts off with them doing some choreography with just the four of them and they begin to add more people in the mix. It eventually turns into a bird’s-eye-view shot which creates the effect of a pixelated screen. This was another big production into making a music video.

Ok Go has many other videos that have this high production value to it. They truly try to be as a creative as they can and do something different. The videos are thoroughly planned out and have quality camera work to it. However, they first success was complete opposite. There single “Here It Goes Again” off their second album “Oh No” became an instant classic in both pop culture and the YouTube community.

“Here It Goes Again” is simply the four of them doing a choreographed routine eight treadmills. There are not cuts and no high quality production to it. In an interview with COS, he said the reason for that is they thought their label or manager would shut down their idea so they filmed the whole thing without a budget. But there is something about this low quality aspect that makes it so quirky and funny. It makes it relatable to any 2000’s kids. Anyone can go out create an entertaining video like this one. One does not need a high quality camera or production team. All someone needs is four friends that are willing to do it. In an interview with SNEWS, they talk about the creative process .

In “Here It Goes Again” visual or image is the main center point that makes this video so interesting to watch. The four of them line up perfectly with all the hits or held notes in the song. They choreographed the whole thing that fit perfect with the song. As great as the song is, the visual component takes it to a whole new level. It is light hearted, goofy, funny, but there is also a level of respect. They learned all these moves and synced it up perfectly to the music to create a simple but quirky video.

In the video, the ratio of likes is 350,000 to 6,500 dislikes. That gives the general vibe of how people have reacted to this video. The first comment I found intriguing was written by Cameron C. 5 years ago. He said “Dear Most Musicians who are popular nowadays, Notice How this video had exactly zero shots of: boobs, spending money, drugs, general opulence, how great your life apparently is. Yet, this is still a good video. Did you take notes?” with 460 thumbs up. This comment points out the contributing factor of what many music videos tend to do. They would show this false sense of life where is there is not a worry in the world and just show off the production value. There was no creativity or artistry in those types of music videos at all. Cameron seems to appreciate that fact that Ok Go did not have any sort of money but still made an amazing video.

Pepperoni Playboy said “People don’t realize the most amazing part about this video…it was all in 1 take. No cuts, editing, or mess-ups” 2 weeks ago with 24 thumbs up. He/She wants to remind everyone who watches this video that it is only one take. They cannot cut or edit a part in. They have to nail every move and pull off this video. Pepperoni Playboy seemed to appreciate the dedication Ok Go put into the video.

On the other hand,  Fntime commented “Low Budget, yes. Good music, no.” 4 months ago (no reactions) which was of the few negative comments I found. There was no reaction to it but whoever this person is clearly does not like the music. They recognize it is a low budget production but I guess the music was not clicking with this person. He/She felt the need to say the music was not good but do many other people’s ear, “Here It Goes Again” is quite an enjoyable song.

Ok Go have been able to create these engaging, interesting videos for over 10 years. Whether they a whole production a design team or just a single camera, they are able to make a music video anyone can enjoy. It interests the viewer and really never makes them lose interest in what they are watching. “Here It Goes Again” is a video that has affected millions and will continue to do so. It is clever, witty, and just fun to watch. It adds more to the music and really enhances the experience when listening to it. In the end, Ok Go has created many music videos that continue to put a smile on someone’s face no matter the who they are.

Here is a video of them performing live on MTV in 2006.

Sources https://consequenceofsound.net/2016/08/capturing-wonder-ok-gos-treadmill-video-10-years-later

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/jun/26/ok-go-music-videos-band-interview

https://medium.com/cuepoint/creative-alchemy-an-interview-with-ok-gos-damian-kulash-f07352913678

http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1974961_1974925_1970484,00.html

https://www.snewsnet.com/news/snews-talks-to-ok-go-the-genius-behind-here-it-goes-again-treadmill-dance-video

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1968 National Anthem

The American National Anthem is one song that all Americans can come together dismiss conflicts or political differences, and sing as one community. Certain topics like religion, race, or culture, have caused tension between one another and created this boundary between people. The National Anthem is a powerful statement that can erase those tensions. However in certain cases like Jose Feliciano’s 1968 performance of the National Anthem or Colin Kaepernick kneeling during the anthem, these events caused a political outbreak whether it was intentionally or taken the complete opposite way.

The “Star-Spangled Banner” is played before every American sporting event whether it be football, basketball, or baseball and is usually performed by a well known artist. Jimi Hendrix, Harry Connick Jr, or Jennifer Hudson are a few of the many famous artists that have sang the National Anthem.

Image result for whitney houston national anthem
https://steemit.com/music/@slipperyslope48/whitney-houston-sings-national-anthem-star-spangled-banner-super-bowl-xxv-in-1991-tampa

In today’s era of National Anthems, originality and displaying one’s artistry is a key factor. Artists like Whitney Houston in Super Bowl XXV in 1991 or even this year’s performance of Gladys Knight Knight in Super Bowl LIII, sang more than just the anthem. They created a musical performance out of it. However originality does take a hit like when Fergie sang her rendition during the 2018 NBA All Star week. Some say it is the worst performance in recent history but she stuck to her sound or voice throughout the performance. Listening to all three versions shows the uniqueness in all their performances and speaks to who they are as artists.

Back in October 7, 1968, Jose Feliciano, a 23 year old, upcoming artist from Puerto Rico, sang his rendition of the National Anthem. Back in those days, the national anthem was sung pretty straight forward. They kept to the tradition and did not really branch out too much whether it be harmonically or form wise. However, that all changed when Jose Feliciano became one of the first artist to put his own twist on it.

Image result for jose feliciano 1968
https://www.news-press.com/story/entertainment/2018/10/05/jose-feliciano-paid-price-when-he-sang-national-anthem-1968/1514370002/

Feliciano sang it in a Latin, jazz twist. He reharmonized the song making it sound very different compared to the traditional sound. It still hints the main key centers such as the secondary dominance going to the V chord, but overall the song really speaks to who he is as an artist. He had this laidback, acoustic sound to him which was what got him his first success of singing The Doors’s “Light My Fire”. Feliciano turned this national anthem into a song that represented himself. As great as it sounds in today’s ear, in 1968, the audience had a much different view.

The audience responded with boo’s and cheers. Some said “It was a disgrace, an insult. I’m going to write my senator about it”, or “It sounded like a hippie was singing it”. In a way, these quotes make sense. 1968 was a tense time since the Vietnam war was going on and protests against the war were still going on. People who saw Feliciano for the first time saw this guy with long hair, sunglasses and a dog beside him. At first glance, it does imply that this artist is with the protesters, but the the sunglasses and dog are actually because he is blind. Once his performance was over, many of the listeners truly believed it became a political stunt rather than an artist singing an original version.

If that were true, that would be a huge statement on society. This was an immigrant singing his interpretation of the American National at a major sporting event. His look and musical voice represented a one side of the political sides at the time. People thought it was unpatriotic. However, that was not Feliciano’s view on it. Feliciano was shocked and taken back on the criticized he received. He hoped to convey the complete opposite. On Flag day at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, Feliciano talks about what he hoped to convey to the immigrants in American or new citizens. He says “what it’s like for me to be an American, and they’re in for a treat. If they work hard, they’ll have no regrets. I have no regrets, though I was the first artist to stylize the national anthem, and I got a lot of protests for it. I have no regrets. America has been good to me. I’m glad that I’m here.”

Though many people condemned this performance, there were some supporters in his rendition. Tim McCarver, catcher for the Cardinals, said “Why not that way? People go through a routine when they play the anthem. They stand up and yawn and almost fall asleep. This way, at least they listened.” Bill Freehan of the Tigers said “I know one thing. He made Marvin Gaye, who sang the anthem Sunday, sound like a square.” This rendition became an inspiration for other versions. Many artists today, put their own spin on the anthem.

This relates to The New Yorker article “Colin Kaepernick and the Radical uses of ‘Star-Spangled Banner’”. Here is an influential figure in both sports and society actively voicing his opinion. Colin Kaepernick refused to stand while the “Star-Spangled Banner” was played before a preseason game. He states “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color”.

Image result for colin kaepernick knee
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/25/opinion/colin-kaepernick-football-protests.html

These two topics both have the deal in politics however, Kaepernick intentionally created a stance while Feliciano did not. It shows how powerful and influential this figures have on American society and culture. The fact that both these topics influenced many and became a national topic just shows the impact they have. In the end, they both stuck to who they are as people and believed that their actions would represent themselves.

Sources

  • https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/06/sports/baseball/national-anthem.html
  • https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2017/11/02/560948130/a-different-national-anthem-before-the-nation-was-ready-for-it
  • https://www.mlb.com/cut4/jose-feliciano-national-anthem-was-50-years-ago-c296904880
  • https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/for-50-years-jose-felicianos-soulful-take-national-anthem-given-pride-immigrant-pride-180969380/
  • http://josefeliciano.com/wp/biography/
  • https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/colin-kaepernick-and-the-radical-uses-of-the-star-spangled-banner
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1ZQawbo4Mo
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_lCmBvYMRs
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTuoq6TllaU
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMA2iF6RuXk
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RtTWDv-yWM
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The Instrument That Plays Without Being Touched

Throughout time, musical instruments have always been played with some part of the body. Whether it is creating vibrations from the lips like brass players do, creating vibrations with different types of objects in their hands like percussionists, or even just physical bowing strings, musical instruments have this physical attribution to it. Even the littlest touch like a piano still has some sense touching something to produce sound. As musicians, we associate people to their body parts and it becomes this cliche click that goes around in the music world. Brass players are going to have big, puffy lips, strings players are going to have calluses on their fingers, or even percussionists may always be tapping something. However what if the instrument does not require any type of physical touch? What if one can produce a sound by just moving their hands? This becomes a new, inventive category and the starting point for electronic musical instruments. In the 1920s, an instrument called the theremin was invented and became a major impact in the world of electronic instruments.

History

The theremin was invented in 1920 by a Russian physicist named Lev Termen or better known as Leon Theremin. He first discovered this by researching the density of gases. He then created a device to measure the density. He put in a meter to reflect the density as well as a whistling device that would change pitch according to the variation of densities. Theremin then discovered that his hands had an effect on the pitch because of the manipulation of the electromagnetic field. He played around with it until he could play a melody with it and told his fellow co-workers. He then went on the complete this project and constructed this instrument. The final product finished with having two antennas, one being placed vertically and the other being placed horizontally, connected to two different circuits. Both these antennas have an electrical field around. By using both hands, the right hand is able to manipulate pitch and while the left hand controls the volume.


https://www.carolinaeyck.com/theremin/
Leon Theremin playing his instrument.

Theremin Music

Most people probably have heard what a theremin sounds like but they just have not realized it. There are lots of old movies classics like “The Lost Weekend”, “Spellbound”, some science-fiction movies, or even recently a movie called “First Man” that displays the theremin in all sorts of ways. Albert Glinsky, author of Theremin: Ether Music and Espionage, describes it as “this squealing, wailing sound that sometimes goes along with the violins and creates this eerie sound”.  In Alfred Hitchcock’s “Spellbound”, the theremin was prevalent throughout the score of the film. In these two examples, the first one of displays the theremin in a very haunting way. The first example starts with this wavy, eerie sound fits this haunting mood of the movie. It fits the complements what is going on in the scene. The second example is the main theme to “Spellbound”. The interesting part about this one is that the theremin starts with the theme. It becomes first melodic sounding instrument one hears when listening to this movie theme. It is then contrasted by these long lines of the strings. This sound just becomes so refreshing to here after knowing what all these typical orchestral instruments sound like.

One of my favorite examples to display this great, unique sound actually comes from the soundtrack of “First Man”. “First Man” a movie that features the life of Neil Armstrong.There is a scene in the movie where he puts on music while in space and that song is called “Lunar Rhapsody”. “Lunar Rhapsody” is from a record called Music Out of the Moon and it features then famous theremin player Dr. Samuel J. Hoffman(who also played in “Spellbound). It was released in April 1947 and it became one of the best selling theremin records. “Lunar Rhapsody” features this “squealing” yet warm sound, soothing sound. The theme is so melodic and it shows off that the theremin is more than this sound effect.

In the end, what makes an instrument an instrument is the sound it can produce. It does not matter whether it is as physical like a drum set player or technical like a harp player. The theremin requires no physical touch and has been on many soundtracks or studio records that have been a profound impact on music culture. In today music world, Moog produces theremins that are well more advanced than the old ones and has become one of their best-selling instruments. It is interesting to see that it all started with project in a lab and it transformed to one of the most unique instruments today.


Sources

http://tuvalu.santafe.edu/projects/musicplusmath/index.php?id=29

“Theremin: Ether Music and Espionage” by Albert Glinsky, Bob Moog

http://www.thereminworld.com/Article/14232/what-s-a-theremin-

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-theremin-a-strange-instrument-with-a-strange-history/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNoR-SR5t1s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dawxnlRTgE8&t=0s&list=LLRr8TWpP-T8xAEzawPycdng&index=16

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvK0NkrZXxM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrDC_LuifkU