Robert Johnson's Soundscape Analysis

Music. Long ago, it was nothing but a symphony of Neanderthals banging random objects together and no one knows exactly where it originated from or who created it. However, what we do know is that we have so much to thank them for. Of course, music has heavily evolved from cavemen beating rocks together loudly and out of tune. In fact, music has become a major piece within the vast foundation of America’s culture. Looking back during the time of swing music, classic rock, 70s pop, smooth jazz, even with today’s odd mixes and mashups of songs, there’s really not one person that doesn’t like

Often music is consisted not only by sounds made from musical instruments, but also by voice and verbal messages. The structure of the voice, or as Roland Barthes describes it ‘the grain of voice’ is the element in a certain piece of music which is responsible for creating the emotions when listening. The grain and the lyrics make the signified and carry out the message. The vocal part of music is formed of words, text, which communicate and make the representation and expression of what it is sung - talked about. According to Barthes the emotive modes of the voice and the changes of the tones from low to high is what delivers the final message and makes us feel the music. (Barthes, R. 1977 [1972]).

To understand why music is a product of human intention and perception, we start by defining or understanding the nature of music. Music is defined as the sounds or combination of vocals and instruments in a way that it produces a form of beauty, expression, or harmony of emotions. Arguably, people compose or make music through many ways (Resnicow, Joel E., 20-29). While some people might compose music without incorporating instruments, others use instruments to produce beats that match with their sounds. However, to argue that the

For as long as mankind has walked on this earth, music has been an important part of our culture and lifestyles. Each walk of life beats to a different drum. Different cultures use music for many aspects of their lives; for religious purposes, for celebrations, for comfort, for sorrow, for relaxation, for sports, for dances, for energy, for learning, for sleeping, and for sexual experiences. Everyone uses music for something. Music connects with people and reaches them in ways that words simply cannot. Music is a representation of what feelings sound like. It expresses emotion and brings that characteristic out from within us; it tells us a story. Every generation has its’ own sound and different music styles have emerged and become

In the late 2004, a series of papers (research project) on the topic of world music and globalisation became a hot topic in a conference and gradually took on a life turning onto a virtual laboratory for teaching and research on the relationship between music and globalisation under ethnography which was funded by the Canadian Social Sciences and humanities Research Council from 2003-2006. Since then this topic has got wide meaning and more complicated.

Robert Johnson was born on the 8th of May 1911 in Mississippi and passed away on August 16th 1938, although Johnson had a very short life , he is known as on the greatest blues musicians of all time. During Johnson short career he travelled around and played his music wherever he could. Johnson had a total of twenty nine songs he wrote and recorded in Dallas and San Antonio, songs such as “Sweet Home Chicago” which is now a widely recognised and played blues standard, covered by artist such as Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan.

Much of the development of the blues genre, as well rock and roll, has been accredited to him– and rightly so. Bringing the heart and soul of blues music to Chicago, Muddy Waters single-handedly led the progression of Delta blues to

Music has evolved too many different forms that we recognize today. We trace this development throughout time. Beginning in the middle ages, we have seen advancement from the Gregorian chant all the way to the Jazz of the 20th century. The current events, politics, religion, technology and composers can shape musical eras during time. Here I will look at the middle ages, renaissance, baroque, classical, romantic and twentieth century periods. I hope that a better understanding can be reached to why, when, where and who are the reasons for musical evolution.

The life of Robert Johnson, one of the most influential early blues artists, in shrouded by vague details and encompassed in mystery. His emotion filled playing and singing blends to form some of the most moving, original blues music ever produced. Ironically, despite being one of the top influences to blues music, little is known about the shy, mild mannered bluesman. "Almost nothing, is known about his life… he is only a name on a few recordings." Where did he come from? Who was Johnson’s family. Who inspired Robert to play the blues and who influenced his music? Who exactly was Robert Johnson? Only the vague recollections of his friends and family link us to the mysterious life of

Music and the sounds that surround us have a way of affecting us before we even enter this world. David Burrows, a music teacher at New York University explains this concept by saying “An unborn child may startle in the womb at the sound of a door slamming shut. The rich, warm cacophony of the womb has been recorded: the mother’s heartbeat and breathing are among the earliest indicators babies have the existence of a world beyond their own skin.” (Storr). This is something a person never outgrows. Whether we intend on it happening or not, the sounds by which we are surrounded affect our mental patterns. Nevertheless, music has the ability to help us heal emotionally and combat our current mental state.

Though, in spite of waves of cultural differences causing ebbs and flows of the rising and falling of war and peace, the cohesive effects of music seems to ignore cultural differences by giving them reasons to celebrate their commonalities. And the almost infinite number of sounds that creates the musical kaleidoscope of jazz perhaps best embodies music’s cohesive elements.

Thesis: Music is a unique form of sound powerful enough to manipulate mood, feelings, and cognition.

The literal meaning of the word 'music' according to any dictionary is: 'art of combining vocal or instrumental sounds in a harmonious or expressive way.' But music has a meaning which is far broader than this. Music is life. Music means Self-expansion and oneness. It is an art by itself. Art, in any of its forms, is generated by a person, or a group of talented yet usually ordinary people, that express, willingly or not, an opinion regarding present times. It is not a want; it is a need. If you try to imagine yourself without it, you are bound to feel incomplete. For many of us, it has become a necessity of our lives. Music has no boundaries. Music is the

Nowadays, with the development of the transportation and network, people can be easily exposed to different cultures from all over the world. It leads to a problem that how to set some criterions when different cultures has their own ways to measure. The culture also includes music culture. Michael B. Bakan states in his book that the term music is inescapably tied to Western culture and its assumptions. He also gives three possible solutions to westerners’ ethnocentrism that they want to impose their own culturally grounded perspective, biases and assumptions on practices and lifeways that are different from their own. The first solution is avoiding solving the problem, the second solution is converting other music into western music and the third solution is integrating and balancing western music culture and other music cultures. Among these three solutions, Bakan points out that the third one is the best (7). I agree with Bakan’s opinion. Since the music exists everywhere and belongs to all the people on the earth, the term music is related to all music cultures including western music culture. Although music styles from different cultures are distinguished, there is no need to impose one music culture to other music cultures. People all around the world should try to enjoy different music. The best way to define the term music is integrating different music cultures to

Music from all over the world presents a range of musical theories. Some of these are documented in writing whilst others are transmitted orally. Discuss and give examples with reference to both Western and non-Western music.