Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today’s playlist is curated by Music Library student manager Eliana (class of 2024) and features some tunes for upcoming graduation festivities.
Graduation
Graduation is here, along with the bittersweet emotions that come with it. Whether you’re thrilled, inconsolable or indifferent, here’s a playlist to remind you how far you’ve come and how much there is to look forward to.
Editor’s note:Arachnophonia (“Arachno” = spider / “-phonia” = sound) is a regular feature on our blog where members of the UR community can share their thoughts about resources from the Parsons Music Library‘s collection.
Is Frozen II (2019) your favorite movie? It should be! While this film has my heart for many reasons, the score is truly what sets it apart from many films of similar caliber.
The score includes hits such as “Into the Unknown” and “Show Yourself.” In December of 2019, the soundtrack album reached number one on the US Billboard charts, making it the first soundtrack of an animated film to hit the position since Frozen (2013).
The soundtrack of Frozen II has many of the same elements that the first film had, but with even more depth and nuance. The score’s composer, Christophe Beck, said in an interview that the score matured alongside Anna and Elsa, with new sophisticated musical concepts and themes.
To supplement your listening/playing, I highly recommend watching Into the Unknown: The Making of Frozen II available on Disney+. It’s a 6-part docuseries that dives deep into not only the film’s score, but the cast, animation, and development process. I should warn you, though, it’s a tearjerker!
Editor’s note:Arachnophonia (“Arachno” = spider / “-phonia” = sound) is a regular feature on our blog where members of the UR community can share their thoughts about resources from the Parsons Music Library‘s collection.
I stumbled upon Spotify Teardown while browsing the shelves at Parsons Music Library and was immediately intrigued; I knew Spotify had a rocky history with independent artists, but this book opened my eyes to the potentially harmful influence and power of the streaming giant. The authors have a generally negative view of Spotify as an entity. While their argument is convincing, it would take a lot for me to give up the ease and accessibility that comes with having a Spotify account. Still, their argument is worth engaging with.
The authors are Swedish social scientists who took a rather controversial approach in their research – they set up a fake record label company in an attempt to peek behind the curtain and see the inner workings of Spotify. Spotify discovered the researchers’ plan and threatened to pull their funding given to them by the Swedish research council, only further fueling the disdain the researchers had for the streaming service. They argue the only way to understand the algorithm is by being on the inside, while Spotify says doing so is in clear violation of their terms of service.
Much of the book discusses the pseudo-record label and subsequent action taken by Spotify, but to me the most interesting reporting was within the discussion of Spotify itself. The authors write about how Spotify is largely represented as the ‘solution’ to illegal streaming, while in actuality its lack of regulation presents more problems for artists and consumers alike than illegal downloads ever did. It also discusses the privacy concerns connected to algorithmic data, data sharing, and data tracking, all of which Spotify engages with and relies on. The authors argue that as AI becomes commonplace within more and more facets of our lives, it becomes increasingly important to regulate its usage. In all, I found Spotify Teardown engaging and certainly learned a lot.
Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today’s playlist is curated by Music Library student manager Eliana (class of 2024) featuring some songs about stars.
Songs About Stars
Here’s a few songs about stars to play the next time you’re taking a nighttime stroll. Don’t forget to appreciate the beauty in nature!
Editor’s note:Arachnophonia (“Arachno” = spider / “-phonia” = sound) is a regular feature on our blog where members of the UR community can share their thoughts about resources from the Parsons Music Library‘s collection.
Today’s installment of Arachnophonia is by student manager Eliana (class of 2024) and features books on musical technique for clarinet, oboe and flute. Thanks, Eliana!
Back to Band
Were you a band kid in high school that hasn’t picked up your instrument since you arrived at Richmond? If so, here’s your chance to get back into the swing of things! I played the clarinet – so I’m partial to upper woodwinds – but here’s a few books for late beginner/intermediate woodwind players that might help reinvigorate your love for your former instrument.
This book offers some initial lessons on tonguing, finger placement, and scales and also has accompanying pieces to work through that utilize the skills practiced. If you finish it and feel like a pro, volume two (also available at Parsons Music Library) has some more difficult songs and arrangements for even more growth.
Also divided into multiple books, Belwin’s Oboe Method is a great way to return to the basics of oboe playing. It divides songs into keys, has some necessary scales and talks musical terms. If you move on to volume two, the songs get a little more complex and you learn all about syncopation.
Foundation to Flute Playing takes a lesson-based approach; the book is divided into 59 lessons that get progressively more challenging, and the back is filled with some fun songs to try your hand at after making your way through the lessons. From the chromatic scale to cadenzas, this book doesn’t leave anything out!
If you played a differentinstrument and wanted to check out some books or scores for it, just ask any associate at Parsons Music Library and they’d be happy to help you find what you’re looking for!
Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today’s playlist is curated by Music Library student manager Eliana (class of 2024) featuring some music for your Thanksgiving enjoyment.
Songs That Feel Like Thanksgiving
Christmas is around the corner, but we can’t forget about thanksgiving just yet. While there’s not really any mainstream thanksgiving-themed music, here are some songs that remind me of home and the holidays.
Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today’s playlist is curated by Music Library student manager Eliana (class of 2024) which features some country music.
A Foray Into Country Music
You don’t need to like country music to like these songs. Everyone knows them, true country fans hate them, but to you they’re cowboy enough.
Editor’s note:Arachnophonia (“Arachno” = spider / “-phonia” = sound) is a regular feature on our blog where members of the UR community can share their thoughts about resources from the Parsons Music Library‘s collection.
Among the shelves of CD’s in Parson’s music library sits the soundtrack of Casablanca, one of the most famous movies of all time with a score that certainly holds its own. The score, composed by revolutionary Austrian composer Max Steiner, will transport you to the 1940s and fill you with the triumphant energy of World War II cinema. Steiner not only utilizes leitmotifs in his scoring, but his songs provide formal and rhythmic continuity for the film as a whole, making his composition a true masterpiece.
The beating heart of the film is the song “As Time Goes By,” originally written by Herman Hupfeld in 1931. It is rumored that Steiner disliked this song and wanted to scrap it altogether, but he was forced to use it because the female lead (Ingrid Bergman) cut her hair for a different production and wouldn’t be able to reshoot any scenes with a new theme song. Notwithstanding Steiner’s disdain, the song is a true masterpiece with the context of the film. “As Time Goes By” represents not only the love that Rick and Ilsa have for each other, but also the past that they shared. When the song is not present in scenes between the two of them, the strain on their relationship becomes all the more apparent. Conversely, the song’s presence denotes a sense of calm between the two. Steiner weaves the song’s melody throughout the film to somehow bridge gaps between scenes, allude to strife, and foster love all at once. It is his compositional ingenuity that sets this film apart from many others.
Editor’s note:Arachnophonia (“Arachno” = spider / “-phonia” = sound) is a regular feature on our blog where members of the UR community can share their thoughts about resources from the Parsons Music Library‘s collection.
Taylor Swift, one of the biggest artists of the century, has amassed a cult-like following since her self titled debut album. She’s since released 9 additional studio albums and 2 re-recorded albums, all seemingly more successful than the last. Speak Now, her third studio album released in 2010, remains my favorite to date. Let me tell you why.
When determining my personal album rankings, I consider two factors: general cohesiveness and amount of “skips.”
In terms of cohesiveness, Speak Now exceeds expectations. Taylor describes it as a loose concept album regarding the things she never got a chance to tell people throughout her life. She calls the songs diary entries, using them to navigate her newfound adulthood. Speak Now perfectly encapsulates all the emotions of a 20-year-old dealing with love, heartbreak, and regret. Every song tunes into those emotions in a slightly different way, creating a wholly relatable album.
Even more importantly, this is a no-skips album. Each song serves a beautiful purpose in connecting the whole, but also has the ability to stand alone. Of course, this isn’t to say I don’t have favorites. “Back to December“, “Mine“, “Better than Revenge“, and “Last Kiss” certainly top my list. Still, even my least favorite songs on this album are always worth a listen.
Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today’s playlist is curated by Music Library student manager Eliana (class of 2024) and features tunes by less-famous siblings of famous singers.
The Forgotten Sibling
You’d be surprised how many famous singers have a less-famous sibling (or two!) that’s got a pretty established career of their own. Here’s a playlist for all the forgotten singers living in the shadow of their brother or sister. They deserve a time to shine.
Noah Cyrus already has a pretty large following and makes some great songs (imho), but she still hasn’t reached the caliber of her older sister, Miley.
FINNEAS has always been loved by fans of his sister, Billie Eilish, but has recently made some great albums of his own. Don’t worry, though, he’s still writing and playing in all of her releases.
Solange emerged from the background of Destiny’s Child with a vibrant solo career that has had its successes, but is yet to reach the height of her A-list sister, Beyoncé.
Jamie Lynn Spears, the younger sister of Britney Spears, played Zoey on nick’s Zoey 101. Still, she never reached Britney-level success. Fun fact: her dad is named Jamie and her Mom is named Lynne. Lol.
Julio Iglesias Jr. is the younger brother of singer Enrique Iglesias and the son of singer Julio Iglesias, so it’s a very musical family! Julio jr’s songs have done well, but none have amassed a following quite like Enrique’s Bailando.
