Olivia Gardner

 A Musical Trip to China Chinese philosophers and composers have intertwined the physical and spiritual aspects of their rich culture into the music of the Chinese people. This cultural integration evokes feelings of tranquility and serenity when listening to Chinese songs. Development of Chinese music: The development of traditional ( Yayue )   Chinese music dates back to the Zhou dynasty, which reigned from 1122 BC-256 BC. "Music in the Zhou dynasty was conceived as a cosmological manifestation of the sound of nature integrated into the binary universal order of Yin and Yang" (Music of China 2021). The Zhou dynasty believed that "correct" music brought harmony and peace by incorporating the 5 elements of nature (water, fire, earth, air and space/emptiness) into their musical instruments (Meyer 2021). Different dynasties and philosophers had their own interpretation of "correct" Chinese music. Confucius, who was a revered Chinese philosopher, believed tha...

Evolution of the acoustic to electric violin       The acoustic violin first appeared in the early 16th century and over time experienced modifications to enhance the quality of its sound. The modifications include changes in structure and materials to  achieve an even fuller, richer sound quality. As our society has modernized with the use of electricity and technology, so has the violin. The violin has evolved to incorporate the electronic age of synthesized sounds. Unlike the previous acoustic model however, it is debatable whether or not these changes have improved the quality and richness of its sound.  Here is the evolution of the acoustic violin to the modernized electric violin: Felix Mendelssohn Violin concerto in E minor, Op.64, 1845 -Germany Flame Of Hope: Tales of Arise, Motoi Sakuraba, 2021 -Japan Main Differences: The most noticeable difference between the acoustic violin and the electric violin is the sound. This sound difference is achieved ...

"Believer"  A Musical Analysis Blog " Believer" , by imagine dragons was released on February 1, 2017 and was written by Dan Reynolds, Wayne Sermon, Ben Mckee, Daniel Platzman, and Justin Tranter featuring Dan Reynolds as lead vocalist. Imagine Dragons is an alternative/pop rock band who have received multiple music awards. Imagine Dragons has always been one of my favorite bands and with their release of believer,  my craving for an alternative song with an energetic, rock feel was satisfied. Their song Believer , tells of the struggles in different areas of Dan Reynold's life where pain was prevalent. It explains how he wrestled with and overcame certain difficulties by using different sources of pain as his newfound strength. Their music video visually captures his suffering and acceptance of painful struggles throughout in his life. Believer - Imagine Dragons- 2017, USA Lyrics The lyrics to believer  contain incredibly descriptive words, allowing the listen...