Kathleen · WerthDoubleRainbow.m4a Signs of rainbows today. And I wonder what the lyricists would say. For I’m wondering, What it could mean? Oh, do you and I know nothing? Been around just to love ‘em? I know I’d feel like we’ve seen? You’d say, Do you know about wishing on a double rainbow? I’d say, Well I know that they’re out to be seen. And you’d say, Do you think that when wishing on a double rainbow, Do you, you’ll think of me? I’ve been coming cross a rainy day with sunshine lately. But I wished. And I think I finally know what it means! To you, and me, the sky’s nothing. 2 colorful rays make it something. How I wish I wasn’t so blind and could see What makes them sing! And they’ll sing, Do you know about wishing on a double rainbow? And I’ll sing, Yes, I know that they’re meant to be seen. They’ll say, do you think that when wishing on a double rainbow, That you’ll think of think of me? Double rainbow They’ll say, Do you think, you’d think of me? Eh-Oh A double rainbow Oh, I know I’d think You’ll say, I know you’ll think of – Baby, you know, you make me think. I’d think of you. Baby, I’d think of— Oh and You know, when I see that double rainbow, I’d think of you.
Introduction to my Music Blog: Vulfpeck & the Pressure of Success
Hi, my name is Kathleen, and I am going to be blogging about music! I really love music and it has impacted my life in so many ways that I would have never imagined such a broad, yet general, yet subjective matter could cover it all! I think that music is something that everyone can enjoy. It has something for everyone and there are so many ways to access it that honestly, sometimes I wonder how people do not know more about it. For example, you do not even have to look for the most popular music, or the “coolest” artist. Even just humming your own tune is like connecting to other people through a collective creativity. This is beautiful because we do not all need to listen to the popular stuff, the cool stuff, or emulate the cool rock stars, the “popular” kids, or the “indie” kids, etc. I do not like those stereotypes because I believe that they keep people outside of the music community by saying that you must enjoy a certain type of music to be interesting and recognized within the community. While it is somewhat true that you need to be famous or successful in order to make a living from music, you need to be able to be different and stand out. I think that people should not feel pressure to be famous and make an abundance of money. Music can be your livelihood and pay your bills, as for famous people. But it can also be a hobby or a passion, too. And there’s nothing wrong with keeping a passion to yourself. So, if you feel pressured to be famous and have all this luck and success from your music, I believe you do not need to feel that way. I am saying that from firsthand experience… During the pandemic, while I was in online school, I went through a patch of hyper-fixating on those super successful, young musicians. They were the same age as me! I was honestly jealous of them. But over time, I realized that they also had a spur of luck. I told myself that their luck was going to be mine—that all I was missing was that luck. I was going to do everything in my power to get that luck and get to that place where they were. And maybe I was hazy from online school taking up my life, or maybe it was also childish behavior that fed into these ideas. But I also think that if you’re a musician and have a passion for music, you will probably feel the pressure of success at some point. And I feel for people who feel that way because it is not just for music. It is for anything. People feel that their only salvation is to be famous. If you are trying to pay the bills, that may be true. But you can still perform even if it can’t fully support you financially. You can still meet new people and grow your passion without it having to be your full-time job. There is another side of music, the more wholesome side, wherein you make music and participate in the music community just for the sake of doing it. And this is the idea I want to cultivate with this blog, starting with a conversation about one of my favorite bands, Vulfpeck. A while ago, my band teacher told me that he was playing in a church later that week and that he was performing a song by a funk band called Vulfpeck. He played me one of the songs by the band, and I was immediately intrigued. I had never heard of this band before nor heard the song, and it was amazing. The song was called “Christmas in L.A.,” with the lead singer being Theo Katzman. I was blown away by the tightness of the band. They were so connected and well-coordinated. Vulfpeck really emulates the wholesomeness of the music community. They add so many intricate details, for instance—in one song—bells, to make each song intriguing. Their music is a dreamy and upbeat escape that snaps you into a haven of funk. I have been opened to a whole world of their music filled with impactful, slow, meaningful, emotional and all-around beautiful songs. And there are also some songs—songs that are almost humorous like one called “Funky Duck,” or one called “It Gets Funkier.” Their humorous attitude towards their playing is also really inspiring. In the music video for one of their songs, “Birds of a Feather,” their band leader, Jack Stratton, is playing pancakes and hitting them with spatulas instead of drumsticks. It is hilarious! You can tell that they have a lighthearted attitude towards their music, and this is something I want to emulate. The songs are a great escape when I am feeling down or if I want to celebrate my happiness. I do not think I will stop listening to them anytime soon—they’re great! I hope that my discussion of some of the aspects of the music community as well as the band Vulfpeck has inspired something in you, or changed your perspective, or introduced you to something new. Please enjoy this video of me playing a cover of the song I mentioned, “Christmas in L.A.,” and have a great day!
The Beatles: Talent and Courage
The Beatles showed mental, intellectual, and social courage as they created a new genre of music, brought it to places that didn’t believe in it, and performed it without fear whilst being the most popular band in the world, and in history. There were a lot of things that influenced their huge worldwide breakthrough. But it started when they formed in 1960. Then they went on to dominate the UK in 1963. This was also around the time when the name “Beatlemania” became a thing, coming from the extreme support and infatuation of fans to the Beatles. They continued to dominate the whole world in 1964 and 1965 and then appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show, which was their first U.S. TV appearance. A lot of fame with the “Beatlemania,” came along with so much success for the Beatles. And allegedly, fans constantly swarmed them, which seems very overwhelming. One member who handled that well was Paul McCartney. He was said to be very good at not letting fame get to his head, and he remained humble his whole career. It seems hard to not let it “get to your head” considering the amount of stressful and even dangerous situations they would get involved in, not even intentionally. For example, when the Beatles went to perform in the Philippines. This was an incident that proved to be at one of their last scheduled performances. The incident occurred when the Beatles traveled to the Philippines as part of their 1966 tour. They said, “As soon as we got there it was bad news,” and in short terms, the Beatles were “bullied” by the staff there (as in, being ordered around and being spoken to with harsh words). This was unlike any way that you would ever speak to members of such high up and famous personalities. And that wasn’t the only mishap. Early one morning, an invitation was extended to them to perform at the palace for Ferdinand Marcos and “high ranking officials’” children. When the Beatles didn’t show up at the scheduled time, there was a large amount of chaos, as it turned out that no one had ever notified the Beatles. But eventually, they rushedly performed their two sets. These are just some of the many examples of just how popular the Beatles were. But, they weren’t just magically popular. There were many things which they did that boosted themselves and helped themselves stand out, such as creating an entire new genre of music. The Beatles influenced the new era of rock music. Most things they did were small and subtle but they revolutionized rock music forever. For example, adding feedback to their songs. Something that seems so unimportant to you would make you wonder why I am even mentioning it. Well, think about it. Listen to any rock song, and I guarantee you there is some point where they feature feedback. Feedback essentially sounds like a ringing sound getting increasingly louder. It is sort of a ricochet effect from one electric output to another, which results in an extremely loud sound as a result. Many rock bands use it, as it sounds “high tech” and rough, which is the sound that most rock bands aim for. The Beatles, however, discovered it by accident, but kept it and recorded it intentionally. It was a happy accident as one of the members learned their acoustic/electric guitar against an amp that was switched on. This made it create the signature feedback sound, which stunned the members, but in a good way. They proceeded to pluck a note at the end of a track until it produced feedback. And that simple sound has become one of the most staple things in rock music. Another thing that they did that changed rock music, was close-miking guitars, basses, and drums, and even brass instruments. “Close miking” refers to putting the microphone so close to the instrument that it is almost touching. The first time they ever did this was in “Eleanor Rigby.” In this track, they took the instruments and propped them right near the microphones so that the sound was “fuller” and less like “Mancini strings.” In the days they did it, it was like a cardinal sin to mic things that way. But these days it is a common practice. When it comes to performances, it is where the band can showcase their talent. It is a very major thing in a music career. It also takes a lot of courage. Think about it, performing your craft for a large audience is stress inducing for sure. But the Beatles were very good at performing their songs, and not only with that coveted confidence but with talent and style. Many people find that the Beatles’ energy and stage presence was what made them so great on stage! There was no “one thing” that they did on stage which made their talent shine through. It was the whole conglomeration of little things that they did such as interacting with each other, moving around on stage, interacting with fans, and much more. All in all, it was their sheer energy and excitement when performing which drove the fans crazy. Many people admire how closely the Beatles would make their performances sound like the original studio versions and even improve upon them. These are just a few ways that the Beatles used courage and innovation in their career to become the famous band that we still revere today. Sources Wikipedia. “Cultural Impact of The Beatles.” Wikipedia, Wikipedia, 16 November 2004, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_impact_of_the_Beatles#Cultural_legitimisation_of_pop_m usic. Accessed 25 February 2021. Edmonds, Kemp. “How The Beatles Changed Music.” https://techcamps.digitalmediaacademy.org, 21 Jan 2016, https://techcamps.digitalmediaacademy.org/2016/01/21/howthebeatleschangedmusic2/.
