Prince's Musical Legacy Essay

Coined by black artists, none of the whites listened until Elvis came around. His music, which was blues, gospel, jazz, and boogie-woogie, all created by black artists, blended to make rock n roll brought whites audiences to accept black culture. Presley’s music broke the racial barriers of that time, and was a key to the movement of racial tolerance between whites and blacks. Presley was one of the first singers to be appreciated and loved by both the black and white communities. (Introduction 3) Elvis tearing down barriers opened the world to so many opportunities. Opportunities not only arrived for white people, but mostly for the black. Elvis Presley’s music was a representation of the idea of racial tolerance and supported the concept, which stated that just because your skin color is different that doesn’t mean you don’t matter. (Introduction 3) Whites were now supporting blacks, which was unheard of before the 50’s. Without Elvis, it would have taken longer for whites to appreciate black

When I was in fifth grade, I was caught between two worlds, playing a woodwind or string instrument. If I played a woodwind instrument I would have to blow in it to make music, but string instruments are played with a bow to make music. After much thought, I decided that the violin was the best instrument for me, because it has a beautiful, unique sound, plus the possibilities are never-ending. I could receive a compliment from a teacher, or even get accepted to the symphony.

Prince Rogers Nelson just passed away and already people are wondering who will get all his millions. He has an estate worth around $300 million and he had a large number of unreleased songs, movies, documentaries and his memoirs, which has an estimated value of around $500 million.

It is safe to say Prince was something special. He won his first two Grammy’s early on throughout his career, with his record selling song ‘Purple Rain’ in 1985. He was awarded as best male R&B vocal performance for his breathtaking performance of ‘Future Baby Mama’. This led to his last Grammy in 2008 (TOURE). Audiences loved Prince and like everyone says “His self-confidence sent crowds into frenzy” Prince was not only a jaw dropping performer but a warm hearted man who left a marvelous impact on many people around the world. Prince played almost every instrument you could think of and could hit almost every note (TOURE). Prince was never afraid to be himself but possibly had acceptance issues but once said the powerful words of “I think when one discovers himself, he discovers God”. Prince never failed to seek shelter for the lost

Throughout history, music has evolved and branched off into many different categories, each of which have distinct styles and orchestrations; there is classical music that is centuries old and today there is modern contemporary music that is often synthesized or played with electronic instruments. There are also many ways that the two styles can cross over each other; this is seen in popular music and a lot of video game music. Though many people cannot see any similarities between modern and classical music, modern music is really an evolution of classical music; the roots of modern music go back to classical era.

Michael Jackson, a man that changed the music world forever. Jackson made his professional singing debut in 1964 with his siblings in a band called the Jackson 5. Jackson made it big with Jackson 5 having many singles reach the top 100 in the United States. But, when Jackson decided to start his own solo career in 1971 we were seeing a side of Michael Jackson that we have never seen before. Most importantly Jackson 1982, mulit-platinum selling album Thriller. Michael Jackson broke music barriers and made a change for racial equality in the music industry.

In 1965 Robert Wise presented the world with his smashing box office hit film, The Sound of Music. Over time it has become known as one of the most loved and well-known musicals of all time. Shortly after its release it won many Academy awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Sound, Best Adapted Score, Best Film Editing, Best Film-Musical, Best Color Cinematography, and Best Costume design (Freiden par3). The movie is based upon the true story of the VonTrapp family and allows its audience to relive their family experience as well as their flight from Nazism just before the outbreak of World War Two.

From his very first album at 18 years old to his denial of digital music markets towards the end of his life, a prominent theme throughout Prince’s musical career was his insistence on power over his music. He famously believed that artists should not have managers: “You should be a grown man, be able to man-age yourself”.(Hiatt) His public war with record label Warner Bros. was the pinnacle of his battle for control. “When you stop a man from dreaming, he becomes a slave. That’s where I was. I don’t own Prince’s music. If you don’t own your masters, your master owns

John Lennon once said,” We’re more popular than Jesus now; I don’t know which will go first, rock ‘n’ roll or Christianity,” whether this claim is true or not, the world will never know. The Beatles were, however, one of the most influential groups of all time and paved the way for many others to follow in their path.

. During the 1980s, the way Americans perceived homosexuality, race, and violence was challenged. In response, Prince’s eccentric and extravagant music style and attire dismantled conventional gender barriers of what it meant to be masculine and feminine in American society. Therefore, his musical creations set an example by pushing the limits of authenticity and self-expression. Prince’s fearless dedication to breaking down conventional expectations of style, music, gender norms, and conformity can be seen in his vocals, instrument choice, and lyrics. In the late 1980s, Prince was a music icon who blended funk, soul, pop, and hip-hop and presented his work in an androgyny atmosphere to advocate for racial and gender equality. His musical creations and appearance had disrupted the societal confines that fenced in the minority groups and pushed the limits of what it meant to be a black man. Prince’s distinct attire, extravagant performances, and persona helped contribute to a new music era of funk-rock and challenged the taboo concepts of the 1980’s. Prince’s musical work impacted society by encouraging wildly free and creative behavior during a time where it was not acceptable to be who you were. In this paper, I will analyze the auditory significance of two of Prince’s songs: “If I was your girlfriend” (1987) and “I Would Die 4 U” (1984). Analysis for both songs were based on music videos and a scene from Prince’s film, Purple Rain. In addition to these songs, Prince’s

Composers rely heavily on ritornello form. More freedom in the form although a sinfonia proper is later developed.

the Beatles. And they had to go to Germany to do it. In order to

All music has changed tremendously throughout the years. Each generation has several specific songs that defines that generation. Every song has different lyrics that describe the emotions that the artists are feeling. The songs connect to each individual in many different ways. Lyrics to a song is what makes music wonderful. Each song touches someone through ways like teaching a life lesson or touching your heart. Every generation has music that impacts the world by motivating people to do certain things or defines a person’s personality. Each generation has music that defines the generation.

In this report, I will expand upon what was spoken in the presentation by providing a more in-depth look at each section I talked about. The presentation was divided into six sections:

The classical music period extends from 1740 to 1810, which includes the music of Haydn, Mozart, and the first period of Beethoven. The classical period of music combined harmony, melody, rhythm, and orchestration more effectively than earlier periods of music. With the natural evolution of music slowly changing with the culture, the baroque era had ended. That era had left a structure, articulation and periodic phrasing of music which would shape classical music.