Sample reflection paper

Since its inception, country music has proven to be? as a powerful outlet to express the view of the contemporary culture. As a result, the lyrical value of such songs provides listeners an insight to the changing climate of social and political ideologies. During the 60’s defined gender roles dominated social lifestyle and was were? mimicked in music. In recent years, a resurgence of idealistic, stereotypical gender-specific roles have cropped up in country songs, creating a subgenre labelled “bro-country.” Jody Rosen of the New York Times first coined the term “bro-country” in order to describe songs that use lyrical tools idealizing dominant, hegemonic gender roles present in culture. Songs such as Tim McGraw’s “How I’ll Always Be,” Luke Bryan’s “Huntin’, Fishin’, Lovin’, Every Day,” Sam Hunt’s “Make you Miss Me,” and Dierks Bently’s “Different for Girls” use the lyrical discourse, under the lens of “bro-country”, to highlight dominant, male gender-specific roles, while simultaneously reinforcing prominent, often negative, views of women.

For this music analysis project, I would like to discuss the oral nature of the legacy of Appalachian music. I would like to complete this project to bring attention to the amazing history of Appalachian music and the distinct ways it lives on. I plan to use research to study the different manners in which Appalachian music has continued to survive throughout the years despite the general modernization of the world.

Country music has proven as a powerful medium to express the views of the contemporary culture. As a result, the lyrical value of such songs provides listeners an insight to the changing climate of social and political ideologies. During the 1960’s defined gender roles dictated social lifestyles and were mimicked in music. In recent years, a resurgence of idealistic, stereotypical gender-specific roles have cropped up in country songs, creating a subgenre labelled “bro-country.” Jody Rosen of the New York Times first coined the term “bro-country” in order to describe songs that use lyrical tools glorifying prevailing, hegemonic gender roles present in culture. Songs such as Tim McGraw’s “How I’ll Always Be,” Luke Bryan’s “Huntin’, Fishin’, Lovin’, Every Day,” Sam Hunt’s “Make you Miss Me,” and Dierks Bently’s “Different for Girls” use the lyrical discourse, under the lens of “bro-country”, to highlight dominant, male gender-specific roles, while simultaneously reinforcing prominent, often negative, views of women.

Darius Rucker, a Charleston, S.C., native, describes his musical influences growing up in the south, “You could hear R&B, rock ’n’ roll and country on the same station, that was where it all started for me, being able to flip through the channels and never really hearing about what label something was” (Reverb).

For generations, singers and songwriters of country music have been working to evoke emotions in listeners by performing and writing songs that the listeners will be able to relate to. Country music traditionally reveals stories of life, love, death, and values, all of which can be seen in the works of great singers and songwriters like George Strait, Alabama, Brooks & Dunn, and Alan Jackson. One artist in particular, Garth Brooks, forever left his stamp on country music and on the hearts of his millions of listeners with his hit songs, “The Beaches of Cheyenne”, “Callin’ Baton Rouge”, and “The River”. “The Beaches of Cheyenne” has a storyline containing themes of life, death, love, and regret. The themes of this song branch out much

Keeping it all cool and relaxed in a very demanding genre such as country music requires adamant skill and incomparable passion. Not all country musicians have the guts to stay afloat and be resilient, causing some of them to fall off the trail and never regained what they started anymore. Some have succumbed into the notion that being known once and for a short period of time will suit them well already, while for those who planned to stay as soon as their audience needs them, loving the craft and being addicted to fame are key points for you to succeed. We have known bag shot names such as Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Alison Krauss and Shania Twain to have dominated the country music realm, and yet, we know in our subconscious that there are other great artists just waiting for us to unravel. Take for example the admirable Dierks Bentley, a man who got the country music flowing through his blood as if he’s created just to serve this genre.

Robert Altman’s movie Nashville is based on the political, social, and personal problems that our country has to deal with. These problems are rooted in the battle between the need to create some false image of success and the need for truth which is the struggle that exists in every character of this film (except Jeff Goldbloom). To show this Robert Altman takes us through Nashville’s Country Music using political commentary, music and realistically portrayed dialogue to tell the story.

Country Music’s Rich Kienzle felt the album took Diffie “further into that idiom where he shows the gutsiness that many younger singers never quite catch. It’s New Traditionalism without compromise, but music that fans of certain more modern-sounding singers can enjoy as well.” Attitude sported up-tempo numbers worthy of lively line dances, “a modern take on hillbilly boogie of the 1940s and 50s,” and “sensitive, evocative and totally believable” ballads and “story songs.” Kienzle praised Diffie’s wit and sharp imagery throughout his critique and concluded, “Diffie’s found a focus and a strength here .... and if this is the direction he chooses to go in the future, it’s easy to anticipate more albums as good as this

Johnson and Moore have styles that helped them become famous musicians in country music. Once they moved to Nashville, their talent was obvious to recording agencies. Johnson’s plain, scary appearance creates a style that shows he does not need to dress sharp for fans. Everything is found in his music. Moore’s heavy dose of southern, country charm allows him to be a great singer and songwriter. Although Johnson and Moore have such different personalities, they are friends for the love of music and respect as another musician. The hard work these men put into their music shows the long journey they both have had, and plays a big role in their fame. Johnson and Moore are two of the most respected country musicians today, even though they have such different

In today’s day and age when people think of country music they imagine the classics, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, George Strait and many more. When people think of a redneck, they imagine a diehard country boy, who loves his country with a confederate flag in one hand and a beer in the other. But that is our generations take on these two words. The real question here is what did those two words mean to the people who came up with them and defined them. It couldn’t have been easy. It was no surprise that people were still recovering from the Great Depression and the more recent recession. Families were left destitute, men were working factory jobs for less than minimum wage, if that, and people had just about given up hope. In the time of

Appalachian music changed after the 1920’s to more of what those outside Appalachian music liked about the music. Appalachian music was no longer the name for the music of this area and Hillbilly music came about for the commercial spread of Appalachian music (Malone, 1994). With the commercial spread of Appalachian music as Hillbilly music gave a way for the music to transform and continue to make new songs (Malone,

Throughout its history, music has permeated the significant events of American history. Its effect on American society and the way the American people cope with each event has only grown as popular music evolves and new genres reach more and more individuals. People can remember where they were and their exact surroundings to amazing detail when asked about life-changing events in history. Older generations will remember the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Their children will remember when Kennedy was assassinated and when man walked on the moon. Their grandchildren will remember much of the turmoil of the ‘70s and ‘80s and their great grandchildren grew up in the world impacted by the events of September 11, 2001. Even one’s surroundings during the start or end of a relationship or personal events such as graduation, getting a driver’s license, or getting married can all be paired with the music that was popular at the time.

The world of country music can be considered as magnanimous to the what we currently now know as mainstream music. Though it is not as well-publicized such as pop, rock and R&B, it never ceased to flourished in selected parts of the United States, bringing it with an intense love for performing and the rich legacies strewn on by past and present country music artists. Whilst we don’t know much about who’s who on the current country genre scene, there’s never a smidgen of a doubt that all existing musicians who are trekking on this canopy are downright talented and passionate on what they do. Aside from humongous names such as Tim McGraw, Faith Hill and Taylor Swift, one person that floats within this genre is a man named Eric Church, and he’s about the blow everyone away by his mere talent and undying heart for music.

With Aldean song ‘The Truth’ and ‘Burnin’ It Down’ some of the songs take you back to traditional country while others are pushing the musical boundaries. Having country singers like Jason Aldean they have provided that they aren’t afraid to take musical risks he has gone from hard-charging country to rock, contemporary and even to hip-hop. After going to this concert and seeing all the different act it showed how much country music has changed. Whether people see it for the better or worse this concert had a mixer a different artist each having their own unique style with their old and new songs you could definitely see how much music had changed. And in my opinion, I think the change it’s for the better. It gives them the chance to break out of the country genre and explore their other

Over the course of the semester, I have been fortunate enough to work with a student who is having difficulties when it comes to reading. My student does not have difficulties when it comes to hearing a word, but rather when he sees a word. My student has definitely benefited from one on one work with me as well as the additional help he’s getting from the reading specialist during their WIN (what I need) time. My student does not like to read because he knows that he is struggling and he is embarrassed about it. When my student goes to his WIN time, he does really well because the instruction is at his level and there are only two other students who are also on the same level there as well. Besides the current intervention, programs I would recommend are Direct Instruction: Reading Mastery, Letter Spacing, Wilson Reading System and the Lindamood program (LiPS).