Emma's Blog

Here is a link to the song Reflection - Lea Salonga      I remember being a kid and having a wide selection of VHS tapes to choose from. I always chose Mulan . Even now I adore the Mulan soundtrack and it has a way of taking me back to my childhood whenever I listen to it. Background Information      The Disney movie, Mulan is based on a short poem called, Ballad of Mulan . It is described as “a folk tale in the fourth or fifth century because of references to the period, known as the Northern Wei dynasty” (Haynes).      This movie follows a woman, Fu Mulan, who is living in China during the Northern Wei dynasty. Mulan struggles with the pressures of being the perfect woman her family needs her to be. When news of men being drafted come about, Mulan knows she must step in. In order for Mulan's father not to be drafted, Mulan poses as a man and takes his place. Her ancestors are made aware and they send a small dragon, Mushu to protect her. ...

Anna Moffo Anna Moffo was a soprano opera singer. She was born on July 27, 1932 in Wayne, PA. Before Moffo went to study Voice at the Curtis Institute of Music she was an excellent student and athlete. Her career progressed after she appeared on Madame Butterfly . She was known as a “leading lyric-coloratura soprano”(Wilson). She was also known for being beautiful as well as talented. “...she was known in Italy as “La Bellisima.” In 1968 she had a severe injury to her voice from her draining training and shows. She never fully recovered from this injury but she retired in 1983. She later “served as a board member of the Metropolitan Opera Guild and taught master classes around the world.” Moffo later died on March 9, 2006 at 73 years old. Role of the Proformer Anna Moffo brings to life the operas she performs in. She helps communicate the compositions with her interpretation of the music. Something that Anne Mollo does is guide the listeners to understand what is going on in the perfor...

The music of Mexico has a lot of genres. I will be focusing on two genres: Grupera and Son Jarocho. Grupera Grupera is known as, “...a genre of Regional Mexican music that has its roots in classic rock of the 1960s”(Giglifepro).This style of music consists of four or more musicians playing together. The instruments that are usually played together are guitar, keyboard, and drums. Grupera is now considered a major genre. Los Yonics is a Mexican grupera group. A song from them is called Pero Te Vas A Arrepentir which features the artist, Marco Antonio Solis. The composer and writer of this song is Marco Antonio Solis. This song was released in 1992 and originates from Mexico.  Here's a link to Pero Te Vas A Arrepentir- Los Yonics Son Jarocho Son Jarocho music originated in the Veracruz area. Traditionally son jarocho music is played within local communities. “Son jarocho is about honoring community ties and coming together by sharing these expressive traditions”(Azcona). Ritchie Vale...

  History of A Cappella  Before the 20 century a cappella had a whole different meaning, “ the Italian alla cappella, meaning "in chapel style." (Pingel). Josquin Des Prez played a big role in a capella and is considered by some the founder of this genre. An example of one of his compositions is Ava Maria, Virgo Serena. In this song there are multiple harmonies being sung. Charlie Pingel describes this as “multiple independent melodies intertwine in harmony.” The song has lots of variations in dynamics. It is constantly shifting from being sung softly to more powerful. Later on, during the 1900’s a capella slowly made its way to what we know now. During barbershop quartets in the first decade of the 20th century. This style had four part harmonies that involved: lead, tenor, baritone, and brass voices. During the Mid 1900s Doo-wop and Motown became popular. Groups often had singers make sounds from instruments in the songs. All of these changes made a cappella into what it i...