By Nicole Weber
Dancing, relaxation, celebration, studying are all different reasons for listening to music. Have you ever wondered what else music is used for around the world?
The United States, where it’s stapled genre is country music, played with a banjo and a harmonica, is very different from a popular dance music in Mexico called “Cumbia” which is played with accordions, guitar, drums and other instruments.
Music is defined as, “an art of sound in time that expresses ideas and emotions in significant forms through the elements of rhythm, melody, harmony, and color,” according to dictionary.com.
All of the world music is used as a form of expression in various different ways and sounds. Let’s focus in on a few particular unique ways music is being charmed into the lives of others.
Religious Ceremonies
In Japanese culture, Buddhists play small drums called ‘Okyos,’ says Natasuki Mikami. They are used in spiritual ceremonies when people pass away. The drums are made of wood and come in different sizes.
“They look like human skulls,” says Tomomi Nagai, referring to the drums used in the ceremony.
Marc Punette, an international student from Trinidad talks about a spiritual practice from his homeland. “We have a religion called ‘Orisha,’ who are composed of Methodists mixed with African [belief] which [ceremonies] use a lot of drumming,” says Punette.
Punette says Trinidad and Tobago also has a Muslim festival called ‘Hosea’ where marching drums called ‘Tassas’ are used.
Festivals and Sports
Music Festivals can be found everywhere around the globe, but one that may be considered unique to some is the Rainforest World Musical Festival. This festival is hosted by the Sarawak people of Malaysia to attract tourists and educate them on the culture of the people.
Capoeira is a Brazilian dance/martial arts that was started by the African salves that were brought to Brazil. The slaves that practiced Capoeira were threatened and even killed for knowing and practicing a form of self-dense, because of that “Capoeiristas,” or those who practice Capoeira camouflaged their form of self-defense dance with music and singing.
Instruments used in Capoeira are the ‘Berimbau’ which is a half a gourd attached to a rod with a metal string that is struck with a wooden rod while moving up a coin or a rock; the ‘Atabaque’ which is a basic drum; the ‘Agogo’ which consists of two metal bells struck with a wooden stick; the ‘Pandeiro’ which is a large tambourine; and the ‘Reco-reco’, which is a piece of bamboo with notches cut into it that is played with a piece of stick by rubbing it across the notches.
‘Taiko’ drums, known as the “big, great or fat drum” were used to signal the beginning of a war, according to an article by Suite101. ‘Taiko’ drums were played to intimidate and scare away the opponent.
Political Influence
In ‘Music and Cultural Politics: Ideology and Resistance in Singapore’ by Lily Kong, from Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, Kong explains that music was used in Singapore to “perpetuate certain ideologies aimed at political socialization and to inculcate a civil religion that directs favour and fervour towards the nation.” In Singapore music is used as a communicational tool to show political and cultural resistance.
As Beethoven says, "Music - The one incorporeal entrance into the higher world of knowledge which comprehends mankind but which mankind cannot comprehend."
Maybe we cannot comprehend music, or define its meaning, but we can try to understand why it is performed and created. As with any piece of culture, music should not be judged.
Coming from a country where its indigenous people use to go around a fire circling, stomping and chanting to ask their God for rain, to a society where cursing in rap music is a norm is something that may or may not be explainable, but can be attempted to understand. Music has many different purposes and uses that should not be used to define a culture or society as a whole, but may be able to shine some light onto those trying to understand the culture.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Harper's Finding of Hip Hop: Random Interesting Facts of Hip Hop
By Jessica Eason
Hip Hop was born November 12, 1974, in the South Bronx, New York. The forefather is a Jamaican DJ named Clive Campbell; also known as “Kool Herc.” The four main elements of hip hop are MCing, DJing, break dancing, and graffiti.
Hip hop can be divided into two eras, old school hip hop 1970-1985, and the golden age 1985-1993.
The first rapper to be sign to a major label was Kurtis Blow to Mercury Records. Kurtis Blow’s first record is “Christmas Rappin’.” “It’s Yours” by T La Rock and Jazzy Jay was the first record to bear the Def Jam logo. “The Breaks” by Kurtis Blow is the first hip-hop gold single. Flashdance brought B-boying (break dancing) to the silver screen. The first rap group to be appear on a national television show was The Funky 4 +1, on Saturday Night Live. From 1979 to 1984 rap was discovered by the music industries, by print media, and the fashion world. “La-Di-Da-Di” by Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick is the first hip hop recording with the words bitch and pussy. Afrika Bambaataa was a DJ who combined the “jams” of Hip Hop with the spirit of the black power movement into his music. Bambaataa is one of the founders of the Zulu Nation. Much of Hip Hop is rooted in African griots (storytelling and history holders) the art of storytelling with a rhythm over a beat. Biz Markie made his first appearance on “Get Retarded” by Roxanne Shante. Funkmaster Flex was the originally DJ for Deuces Wild. Graffiti artist used their area to express themselves; their canvases were sides of train and brick buildings. Graffiti artist would use their favorite songs and create morals of what the song meant to them. DJ Kool Herc attended trade school to become an auto mechanic but a robot took his place, and he turned to music to fill that void. Many DJ’s attended trade school, and just by the time they graduated a robot was a cheaper form of labor.
Sugar Hill Gang is the rap group to perform “Rappers Delight.” “Rappers Delight” first appearance was on 92 WKTU in October 1979. 50,000 copies of “Rappers Delight” were sold daily after the release of the song. It reached number four on the Billboard pop singles chart, and number 46 on the R&B charts. “Rappers Delight” went double platinum, and since it sold so many copies in 1980 it was named “Black Single of the Year,” by the National Association of Recording Merchandising. “Rappers Delight” is not the first rap record, two months before the Fatback band release “King Tim III,” the only problem was the label Spring Records wasn’t willing to take the risk of promoting the album. Grandmaster Caz of the Cold Crush is the ghostwriter for “Rappers Delight.” Sylvia Robinson a co-owner in Sugar Hill Records released “Rappers Delight” in 1979.
KRS-One was the first rapper to be pictured on the cover of The Source. The Source was founded in 1988 and is an all about Hip Hop magazine. It gave light to what new things were happening in the Hip Hop to world. In 1992 Chicago Police Department sent a protest letter to Warner Bros. Record about Ice-T’s “Cop Killer.” The Chicago Police Department was going to boycott Warner Bros. products movies and amusement parks until the song was removed from record stores and the media.
Over the year the flow of rapping has changed. Now a day’s rapping has become irregular and jagged, compared to old school rap that was more regular and repetition based. Also today’s rappers often deliver lines more rapidly. Many old school rappers claim that they could never make a comeback because of how the flow of rapping has changed so much from the old school.
MTV didn’t give rap a chance until 1989 when the “Yo MTV Raps” pilot appeared. It was then that black rappers were appearing more frequently on the station. In the mid-1980s another music station BET appeared. Their goal was to give black musicians a home of their own. Old school rap videos have the same main themes of local neighborhood, and their local posse or crew.
Tupac’s parents were Black Panthers. Before Tupac was shoot outside of the recording studio him and Big were friends. Easy-E a member of N.W.A. (Niggas with an Attitude), died of AIDS on March 26, 1995. Tupac’s All Eyes sold five million copies the most albums sold in history for a hard rap album. Notorious B.I.G. made his break by appearing in The Source in a column named feature hip-hop unknowns. Others found from the feature hip-hop unknowns were Mobb Deep, DMX, and Common. BIG’s Life After Death is one of the top five selling Hip Hop albums of all time. The East Coast, West Coast beef was created by the media. BIG wasn’t supposed to be in Los Angles March 9, 1997 the day he was shot, he was supposed to have left for London of March 7th.
He didn’t leave because he was enjoying the sunshine too much and didn’t want to go to overcast London, plus his dislike European food. DMX used to stand for Divine Master of the Unknown. Dr. Drew didn’t like Snoop Dogs raps from the beginning. Jay Z ghostwrote Dare’s verse for “Forgot about Drew.” After recording Ready to Die BIG taught himself how to memorize his lyrics in his head. Which he later taught to Jay Z, who taught it JaRule; none of them right lyrics down. Jay Z and Nas were known as the biggest ghostwriters during the 90s. Eminem used to sound like AZ. Eminem has two top five selling albums they were The Marshall Mather LP, and The Eminem the Show.
The top selling Hip Hop album of all time is “Speakerboxxx/The Love Below” by Outcast with a grand total sale of 5.5 million but since it is two CDs the total is 11 million. The number one Hip Hop song of all time is Public Enemy’s “Fight the Power.”
Biggie, Jay Z, and Busta Rhymes all attend the same high school in Brooklyn. Busta Rhymes and Jay Z battled in the halls of their high school, Busta Rhymes was an upper class man and Jay Z beat him in the end. Sauce Money ghostwrote “I’ll Be Missing You” for Puffy. Mase, Cam’ron, and Master P all had a chance to play in the NBA. Every Rapper in State Property is Muslim except Young Chris. 50 Cent and JaRule lived on the same block in Jamaica, Queens. Nas wrote “New York State of Mind” at the age of 17. Nas dropped out of school in the eighth grade. Nas has been playing the trumpet since the age of four; his father was a jazz musician. Jay Z is the number one solo act with 11 number albums on the Billboard 200. Hip Hop is an urban youth culture based on rap music fashion and DJing.
Hip Hop was born November 12, 1974, in the South Bronx, New York. The forefather is a Jamaican DJ named Clive Campbell; also known as “Kool Herc.” The four main elements of hip hop are MCing, DJing, break dancing, and graffiti.
Hip hop can be divided into two eras, old school hip hop 1970-1985, and the golden age 1985-1993.
The first rapper to be sign to a major label was Kurtis Blow to Mercury Records. Kurtis Blow’s first record is “Christmas Rappin’.” “It’s Yours” by T La Rock and Jazzy Jay was the first record to bear the Def Jam logo. “The Breaks” by Kurtis Blow is the first hip-hop gold single. Flashdance brought B-boying (break dancing) to the silver screen. The first rap group to be appear on a national television show was The Funky 4 +1, on Saturday Night Live. From 1979 to 1984 rap was discovered by the music industries, by print media, and the fashion world. “La-Di-Da-Di” by Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick is the first hip hop recording with the words bitch and pussy. Afrika Bambaataa was a DJ who combined the “jams” of Hip Hop with the spirit of the black power movement into his music. Bambaataa is one of the founders of the Zulu Nation. Much of Hip Hop is rooted in African griots (storytelling and history holders) the art of storytelling with a rhythm over a beat. Biz Markie made his first appearance on “Get Retarded” by Roxanne Shante. Funkmaster Flex was the originally DJ for Deuces Wild. Graffiti artist used their area to express themselves; their canvases were sides of train and brick buildings. Graffiti artist would use their favorite songs and create morals of what the song meant to them. DJ Kool Herc attended trade school to become an auto mechanic but a robot took his place, and he turned to music to fill that void. Many DJ’s attended trade school, and just by the time they graduated a robot was a cheaper form of labor.
Sugar Hill Gang is the rap group to perform “Rappers Delight.” “Rappers Delight” first appearance was on 92 WKTU in October 1979. 50,000 copies of “Rappers Delight” were sold daily after the release of the song. It reached number four on the Billboard pop singles chart, and number 46 on the R&B charts. “Rappers Delight” went double platinum, and since it sold so many copies in 1980 it was named “Black Single of the Year,” by the National Association of Recording Merchandising. “Rappers Delight” is not the first rap record, two months before the Fatback band release “King Tim III,” the only problem was the label Spring Records wasn’t willing to take the risk of promoting the album. Grandmaster Caz of the Cold Crush is the ghostwriter for “Rappers Delight.” Sylvia Robinson a co-owner in Sugar Hill Records released “Rappers Delight” in 1979.
KRS-One was the first rapper to be pictured on the cover of The Source. The Source was founded in 1988 and is an all about Hip Hop magazine. It gave light to what new things were happening in the Hip Hop to world. In 1992 Chicago Police Department sent a protest letter to Warner Bros. Record about Ice-T’s “Cop Killer.” The Chicago Police Department was going to boycott Warner Bros. products movies and amusement parks until the song was removed from record stores and the media.
Over the year the flow of rapping has changed. Now a day’s rapping has become irregular and jagged, compared to old school rap that was more regular and repetition based. Also today’s rappers often deliver lines more rapidly. Many old school rappers claim that they could never make a comeback because of how the flow of rapping has changed so much from the old school.
MTV didn’t give rap a chance until 1989 when the “Yo MTV Raps” pilot appeared. It was then that black rappers were appearing more frequently on the station. In the mid-1980s another music station BET appeared. Their goal was to give black musicians a home of their own. Old school rap videos have the same main themes of local neighborhood, and their local posse or crew.
Tupac’s parents were Black Panthers. Before Tupac was shoot outside of the recording studio him and Big were friends. Easy-E a member of N.W.A. (Niggas with an Attitude), died of AIDS on March 26, 1995. Tupac’s All Eyes sold five million copies the most albums sold in history for a hard rap album. Notorious B.I.G. made his break by appearing in The Source in a column named feature hip-hop unknowns. Others found from the feature hip-hop unknowns were Mobb Deep, DMX, and Common. BIG’s Life After Death is one of the top five selling Hip Hop albums of all time. The East Coast, West Coast beef was created by the media. BIG wasn’t supposed to be in Los Angles March 9, 1997 the day he was shot, he was supposed to have left for London of March 7th.
He didn’t leave because he was enjoying the sunshine too much and didn’t want to go to overcast London, plus his dislike European food. DMX used to stand for Divine Master of the Unknown. Dr. Drew didn’t like Snoop Dogs raps from the beginning. Jay Z ghostwrote Dare’s verse for “Forgot about Drew.” After recording Ready to Die BIG taught himself how to memorize his lyrics in his head. Which he later taught to Jay Z, who taught it JaRule; none of them right lyrics down. Jay Z and Nas were known as the biggest ghostwriters during the 90s. Eminem used to sound like AZ. Eminem has two top five selling albums they were The Marshall Mather LP, and The Eminem the Show.
The top selling Hip Hop album of all time is “Speakerboxxx/The Love Below” by Outcast with a grand total sale of 5.5 million but since it is two CDs the total is 11 million. The number one Hip Hop song of all time is Public Enemy’s “Fight the Power.”
Biggie, Jay Z, and Busta Rhymes all attend the same high school in Brooklyn. Busta Rhymes and Jay Z battled in the halls of their high school, Busta Rhymes was an upper class man and Jay Z beat him in the end. Sauce Money ghostwrote “I’ll Be Missing You” for Puffy. Mase, Cam’ron, and Master P all had a chance to play in the NBA. Every Rapper in State Property is Muslim except Young Chris. 50 Cent and JaRule lived on the same block in Jamaica, Queens. Nas wrote “New York State of Mind” at the age of 17. Nas dropped out of school in the eighth grade. Nas has been playing the trumpet since the age of four; his father was a jazz musician. Jay Z is the number one solo act with 11 number albums on the Billboard 200. Hip Hop is an urban youth culture based on rap music fashion and DJing.
BEATS HELP ATHLETES BEAT OPPONENTS
By Ronald Mello
Speeches spoken by a coach or team captain, a traditional “good luck” saying by a proud parent right before their son or daughter is to take the field or fan made high-light reels are all sources of motivation for an athlete or team. However, arguably the easiest way to motivate the individual athlete is through music.
The benefits of music played during exercise have been known since the days that galley slaves were forced to row to the rhythm of drum beats. By keeping the beat with the drums, the slaves were not only able to row in rhythm but also row for longer periods of time than if there was no beat. It's only in the past decade that music has been scientifically demonstrated to help with endurance of people doing physical activity.
A study, done by students and faculty at the University of Southern Georgia and published in “Athletic Insight,” an online journal for sport psychology, resulted in a determination that higher tempo beats wound up improving game play because it made the athletes want to be more intense, aggressive and run harder. Slow tempo beats were used as a way for athletes to take their mind off of something like a crucial play or big match.
“Music plays an important role in the pre-game preparation for many athletes,” says Tuxedo High school coach Dave Powers. “With the invention of the I-pod and MP3 music players, many athletes like too center or focus themselves while listening to a song that has meaning to their lives. Once on the court, warm-up music often has a positive effect of getting the adrenalin flowing to play in a game.”
Coaches aren’t the only ones who believe in this idea that music helps athletes either get pumped up or mellow before a big game. The athletes have their own opinion as to what to think of music.
“Before every match while I was warming-up and getting to go out there on the mat I had my head phones on until the last possible moment,” said Corky Dulgerian, two-time section nine small school champion for wrestling and PSU sophomore. “I couldn’t stand doing a normal warm-up without music.”
Robert Burke, a section nine large school champion for soccer and a PSU sophomore who plays on the soccer intramural team OC Crusaders said, “Someone on the team would always bring a big stereo system to our field for home games so we could warm-up to music.” This would be one of the reasons why home field advantage is exactly that; an advantage over your opponents. “Having your own warm-up music right there on the field in front of the home town fans while taking shots on goal really got everyone into the right mood. That’s probably a big reason why we did so well.”
The mentality is the same here for athletes who compete on the college level. Alain Pepin, PSU sophomore and indoor track runner, runs around the track with his headphones in at all times during practice. “You can’t wear headphones running around the track during an actual meet, but during practice its ok. It just makes my workout that much better since I’m trying to match my running to the beats and basically makes me run faster.”
“Going to away games at other schools can make you sort of nervous just because you’re antsy wanting to play the game and get on the court as quickly as possible,” says PSU freshman and college basketball player. “The season hasn’t started for us yet, but I remember going on long bus rides during all four years of high school and I would never have made it without music. To start the trip I’d probably play something relaxing to get my mind off the game coming up and as we got closer and closer to the school I’d start playing faster music to get my mind set ready to play.”
It truly doesn’t matter what sport an athlete plays as all different types of athletes will tell you the same thing: Music was and will always be their motivation to do better.
“I couldn’t imagine playing any sport without music,” says PSU sophomore Gilbert Perez who played three high school sports and will be trying out for the baseball team either in the spring or next year. “Whether it was to get me pumped up or cooled down, music was there to help me get the job done.”
Speeches spoken by a coach or team captain, a traditional “good luck” saying by a proud parent right before their son or daughter is to take the field or fan made high-light reels are all sources of motivation for an athlete or team. However, arguably the easiest way to motivate the individual athlete is through music.
The benefits of music played during exercise have been known since the days that galley slaves were forced to row to the rhythm of drum beats. By keeping the beat with the drums, the slaves were not only able to row in rhythm but also row for longer periods of time than if there was no beat. It's only in the past decade that music has been scientifically demonstrated to help with endurance of people doing physical activity.
A study, done by students and faculty at the University of Southern Georgia and published in “Athletic Insight,” an online journal for sport psychology, resulted in a determination that higher tempo beats wound up improving game play because it made the athletes want to be more intense, aggressive and run harder. Slow tempo beats were used as a way for athletes to take their mind off of something like a crucial play or big match.
“Music plays an important role in the pre-game preparation for many athletes,” says Tuxedo High school coach Dave Powers. “With the invention of the I-pod and MP3 music players, many athletes like too center or focus themselves while listening to a song that has meaning to their lives. Once on the court, warm-up music often has a positive effect of getting the adrenalin flowing to play in a game.”
Coaches aren’t the only ones who believe in this idea that music helps athletes either get pumped up or mellow before a big game. The athletes have their own opinion as to what to think of music.
“Before every match while I was warming-up and getting to go out there on the mat I had my head phones on until the last possible moment,” said Corky Dulgerian, two-time section nine small school champion for wrestling and PSU sophomore. “I couldn’t stand doing a normal warm-up without music.”
Robert Burke, a section nine large school champion for soccer and a PSU sophomore who plays on the soccer intramural team OC Crusaders said, “Someone on the team would always bring a big stereo system to our field for home games so we could warm-up to music.” This would be one of the reasons why home field advantage is exactly that; an advantage over your opponents. “Having your own warm-up music right there on the field in front of the home town fans while taking shots on goal really got everyone into the right mood. That’s probably a big reason why we did so well.”
The mentality is the same here for athletes who compete on the college level. Alain Pepin, PSU sophomore and indoor track runner, runs around the track with his headphones in at all times during practice. “You can’t wear headphones running around the track during an actual meet, but during practice its ok. It just makes my workout that much better since I’m trying to match my running to the beats and basically makes me run faster.”
“Going to away games at other schools can make you sort of nervous just because you’re antsy wanting to play the game and get on the court as quickly as possible,” says PSU freshman and college basketball player. “The season hasn’t started for us yet, but I remember going on long bus rides during all four years of high school and I would never have made it without music. To start the trip I’d probably play something relaxing to get my mind off the game coming up and as we got closer and closer to the school I’d start playing faster music to get my mind set ready to play.”
It truly doesn’t matter what sport an athlete plays as all different types of athletes will tell you the same thing: Music was and will always be their motivation to do better.
“I couldn’t imagine playing any sport without music,” says PSU sophomore Gilbert Perez who played three high school sports and will be trying out for the baseball team either in the spring or next year. “Whether it was to get me pumped up or cooled down, music was there to help me get the job done.”
The reflection of society in music
By Veronica Wainman
The 50’s had Elvis, and the 60’s had The Beatles. The early 90’s had grunge, and the late 90’s had sugar coated pop and Britney Spears. When future generations look back on the music produced during the first decade of the 21st century, what will be remembered?
While there is no definitive way to determine what music will be looked back on and remembered, Billboard Magazine has been tracking the most popular music in different genres since 1945. The Billboard Hot 100 chart spans different styles of music, and tracks what songs are most widely played.
Billboard’s charts are determined by the amount of play a song receives based on the over 1000 radio stations Billboard monitors, single sales, and digital sales of a song. At the end of each year, Billboard compiles all this information to see which single trumps all others and is the most popular song of the year.
According to the article “What Can Songs Tell Us about People and Society?” on historymatters.com, “songs are more or less straightforward reflections of the society and culture in which they were produced.” The article also says that music has the power to unify people to move towards a common goal, and allows different people to express similar emotions.
“I feel like people express themselves through their music, and whatever genre of music they listen to helps represent how they fit into society,” said Samantha Wood, a Plattsburgh State student. Casey Lee, a fellow PSUC student thinks that past music, such as classic-rock in the 1980’s, is reflective of that time period, and that popular music in our time will serve as a representation of this generation.
Clare Vaughn, a PSUC student, thinks that the Billboard Hot 100 chart serves as an accurate record of what music was popular in a year because it shows not just the type of music people were into, but the cultures and lifestyles that they were interested in. “It’s about people listening to what they were into at the time,” said Vaughn.
The Billboard Hot 100 chart also tracks the progression of music year to year. In 2000, the country song “Breathe” by Faith Hill topped the charts for the year. Just three years later in 2003, rap star 50 cent topped the charts with his hit “In Da Club.” “I think that with music you can see that as times have changed how the music has changed with it,” Norah Campbell, a PSUC student said.
Wood believes that the Hot 100 chart serves as a reflection of society, because for each song to be played so often listeners musty have made some personal connection to the song. According to “What Songs Can Tell Us about People and Society,” multiple interpretations of music will always exist among people. “It (music) serves as a forum for public debate about manners, morals, politics, and social conflict.”
It is impossible to know what future generations will think of the music that was sent to the top of the charts in the past decade, but here is a listing of the number one song in each year, and some of the news worthy events to occur in those 365 days.
2000
“Breathe” Faith Hill
• North and South Korea sign a Peace Treaty ending 50 years of tension between the feuding nations
• George W. Bush defeats Al Gore, and is elected President of the United States
• Creator of the Peanuts comics strip Charles Schultz dies
• The Human genome is deciphered, and doctors believe that it will open many doors in the field of medical research
2001
“Hanging By a Moment” Lifehouse
• FBI agent Robert Hansen is prosecuted when it is discovered that he has been acting as a Russian spy for 15 years
• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone debuts at the box office and pulls in 93.5 million in its first weekend
• The Baltimore Ravens defeat the New York Giants 34-7 in the Super bowl
• Timothy McVey is executed for his involvement in the 19995 Oklahoma City Bombings
2002
“How You Remind Me” Nickleback
• North Korea admits but does not apologize for the development of nuclear arms
• President Bush declares Iraq, Iran, and North Korea an “axis of evil” in his first State of the Union Address
• Halle Berry and Denzel Washington become the first African Americans to win Oscars for Best Actor and Actress in the same night.
• An early skull is found, and scientists determine that it shares both human and chimp characteristics
2003
“In Da Club” 50 cent
• President Bush declares that he will attack Iraq with or without a U.N. mandate
• Gary Davis is replaced as Governor of California by action-star turned politician Arnold Schwarzenegger.
• Former Destiny’s Child member Beyonce releases her first solo album Dangerously in Love
2004
“Yeah!” Usher
• The Summer Olympics are help in Athens Greece
• Massachusetts becomes the first state to allow gay marriage
• Boston breaks an 86 year curse and wins the World Series
• Janet Jackson momentarily flashes the world during her Super Bowl performance with Justin Timberlake
2005
“We Belong Together” Mariah Carey
• Eleven Asian nations rely on world aide after a December tsunami
• The Chicago White Sox sweep the Houston Astros in the World Series
• Million attend Live 8, a benefit concert to help increase aid sent to Africa
2006
“Bad Day” Daniel Powter
• A Danish newspaper receives criticism from Islamic nations after it publishes racist cartoons depicting Muhammad in a negative light
• The French President is forced to repeal a labor law making it easier for employers to fire employees under the age of 26 after student-led protests.
• Former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein is executed
2007
“Irreplaceable” Beyonce
• Cristina Fernando Kircher succeeds her husband as president of Argentina
• Peyton Manning leads the Indianapolis Colts offense when they defeat the Chicago Bears in the super Bowl.
• Britney Spears completes her transformation from pop sensation to former child star with questionable mental health when she decides she no longer needs her long blonde locks and shaves her head
• Comedian Sarah Silverman proves a sense of humor is sexy when she graces the cover of Maxim
2008
“Low” Flo Rider
• Barack Obama becomes the first African-American to be elected President of the United States
• Texas teens admit to robbing a grave and using the skull to smoke marijuana
• After discovering that her husband was engaging in sexual activities through the online world of Second Life, a British woman divorces her husband
• A transgendered man gets his 15 minutes of fame when it is revealed that he retained his female reproductive organs and as a result was able to become pregnant when his wife was unable to
So what do you think? Are these events in any way, shape, or form reflected in the most popular song to be played in the year they occurred. Or is popular music detached from society, and no longer serves as a relevant reflection of culture and society?
The 50’s had Elvis, and the 60’s had The Beatles. The early 90’s had grunge, and the late 90’s had sugar coated pop and Britney Spears. When future generations look back on the music produced during the first decade of the 21st century, what will be remembered?
While there is no definitive way to determine what music will be looked back on and remembered, Billboard Magazine has been tracking the most popular music in different genres since 1945. The Billboard Hot 100 chart spans different styles of music, and tracks what songs are most widely played.
Billboard’s charts are determined by the amount of play a song receives based on the over 1000 radio stations Billboard monitors, single sales, and digital sales of a song. At the end of each year, Billboard compiles all this information to see which single trumps all others and is the most popular song of the year.
According to the article “What Can Songs Tell Us about People and Society?” on historymatters.com, “songs are more or less straightforward reflections of the society and culture in which they were produced.” The article also says that music has the power to unify people to move towards a common goal, and allows different people to express similar emotions.
“I feel like people express themselves through their music, and whatever genre of music they listen to helps represent how they fit into society,” said Samantha Wood, a Plattsburgh State student. Casey Lee, a fellow PSUC student thinks that past music, such as classic-rock in the 1980’s, is reflective of that time period, and that popular music in our time will serve as a representation of this generation.
Clare Vaughn, a PSUC student, thinks that the Billboard Hot 100 chart serves as an accurate record of what music was popular in a year because it shows not just the type of music people were into, but the cultures and lifestyles that they were interested in. “It’s about people listening to what they were into at the time,” said Vaughn.
The Billboard Hot 100 chart also tracks the progression of music year to year. In 2000, the country song “Breathe” by Faith Hill topped the charts for the year. Just three years later in 2003, rap star 50 cent topped the charts with his hit “In Da Club.” “I think that with music you can see that as times have changed how the music has changed with it,” Norah Campbell, a PSUC student said.
Wood believes that the Hot 100 chart serves as a reflection of society, because for each song to be played so often listeners musty have made some personal connection to the song. According to “What Songs Can Tell Us about People and Society,” multiple interpretations of music will always exist among people. “It (music) serves as a forum for public debate about manners, morals, politics, and social conflict.”
It is impossible to know what future generations will think of the music that was sent to the top of the charts in the past decade, but here is a listing of the number one song in each year, and some of the news worthy events to occur in those 365 days.
2000
“Breathe” Faith Hill
• North and South Korea sign a Peace Treaty ending 50 years of tension between the feuding nations
• George W. Bush defeats Al Gore, and is elected President of the United States
• Creator of the Peanuts comics strip Charles Schultz dies
• The Human genome is deciphered, and doctors believe that it will open many doors in the field of medical research
2001
“Hanging By a Moment” Lifehouse
• FBI agent Robert Hansen is prosecuted when it is discovered that he has been acting as a Russian spy for 15 years
• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone debuts at the box office and pulls in 93.5 million in its first weekend
• The Baltimore Ravens defeat the New York Giants 34-7 in the Super bowl
• Timothy McVey is executed for his involvement in the 19995 Oklahoma City Bombings
2002
“How You Remind Me” Nickleback
• North Korea admits but does not apologize for the development of nuclear arms
• President Bush declares Iraq, Iran, and North Korea an “axis of evil” in his first State of the Union Address
• Halle Berry and Denzel Washington become the first African Americans to win Oscars for Best Actor and Actress in the same night.
• An early skull is found, and scientists determine that it shares both human and chimp characteristics
2003
“In Da Club” 50 cent
• President Bush declares that he will attack Iraq with or without a U.N. mandate
• Gary Davis is replaced as Governor of California by action-star turned politician Arnold Schwarzenegger.
• Former Destiny’s Child member Beyonce releases her first solo album Dangerously in Love
2004
“Yeah!” Usher
• The Summer Olympics are help in Athens Greece
• Massachusetts becomes the first state to allow gay marriage
• Boston breaks an 86 year curse and wins the World Series
• Janet Jackson momentarily flashes the world during her Super Bowl performance with Justin Timberlake
2005
“We Belong Together” Mariah Carey
• Eleven Asian nations rely on world aide after a December tsunami
• The Chicago White Sox sweep the Houston Astros in the World Series
• Million attend Live 8, a benefit concert to help increase aid sent to Africa
2006
“Bad Day” Daniel Powter
• A Danish newspaper receives criticism from Islamic nations after it publishes racist cartoons depicting Muhammad in a negative light
• The French President is forced to repeal a labor law making it easier for employers to fire employees under the age of 26 after student-led protests.
• Former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein is executed
2007
“Irreplaceable” Beyonce
• Cristina Fernando Kircher succeeds her husband as president of Argentina
• Peyton Manning leads the Indianapolis Colts offense when they defeat the Chicago Bears in the super Bowl.
• Britney Spears completes her transformation from pop sensation to former child star with questionable mental health when she decides she no longer needs her long blonde locks and shaves her head
• Comedian Sarah Silverman proves a sense of humor is sexy when she graces the cover of Maxim
2008
“Low” Flo Rider
• Barack Obama becomes the first African-American to be elected President of the United States
• Texas teens admit to robbing a grave and using the skull to smoke marijuana
• After discovering that her husband was engaging in sexual activities through the online world of Second Life, a British woman divorces her husband
• A transgendered man gets his 15 minutes of fame when it is revealed that he retained his female reproductive organs and as a result was able to become pregnant when his wife was unable to
So what do you think? Are these events in any way, shape, or form reflected in the most popular song to be played in the year they occurred. Or is popular music detached from society, and no longer serves as a relevant reflection of culture and society?
You have to fight for your right to ROCK……..in the North Country!
By Nicholas Persad
The idea of becoming part of a nationally recognized music ensemble is something many people dream of their entire lives. Then they remember that they live in the North Country and subsequently throw that dream out of the window and go apple picking.
This is a stereotype that many people have about the musically inclined in Upstate New York. The thought of being recognized by an audience beyond their small town is often unfathomable. However, many local bands have refused to let location be a hindrance in them following their dreams of musical recognition.
“It’s hard to get your name around a big city when everyone in the band is working one or two jobs and/or going to school. There isn’t a lot of time to tour or go on the road, which is pricey as it is time consuming,” said Corey Collins, a member of Yo, Adrian!, a Plattsburgh based posi post-punk/hardcore band.
Collins described Yo, Adrian! as a self sufficient band. “We recorded and mixed our album ourselves, created and printed the artwork, packaged the physical CDs and printed the labels.” He emphasized that bands need to do whatever is necessary if they want their name and music to spark the interest of the public.
“We have flyers around town and provide news and updates through our Myspace, Facebook and Twitter, as lame as that damn thing is, as well as through websites like absolutepunk.net and punknews.org. Lots of word of mouth too, we trade CDs and share advice with touring bands and use those connections to help one another with shows in our respective hometowns. When bands tour, they usually offer to help get our local bands shows in their town when they're coming through. Making friends in the punk rock community is the most important thing - something we can't stress enough. Tear down all of the walls that you think divide you from one another, make friends and be nice. People will help you when you're looking for it, and the people who come to shows are always appreciative.” said Collins.
Collins said that even with all the tactics that the band uses to publicize themselves they have still suffered many setbacks.
“There are a lot, most of which coming from living in Plattsburgh. We’ve had two tours planned that both fell through, one due to work schedules changing last minute and the other due to an injury. We just try as hard as we can to network, to play shows out and to be as sincere and honest as we can when promoting our music.” said Collins.
Other bands in Plattsburgh like Bass Gurl and Guitar Pete, a Blues/Rock and Roll band that have been together for two years, agrees with Collins. “Playing as many gigs as you can even if they are free is what you have to do. We have a gig in Warrensburg on Saturday, and I am paying $200 to rent a van to take all our equipment down there. Nobody can hear you if you don’t play your music,” said Pete of Bass Gurl and Guitar Pete.
Both these bands are fairly young and their members strive on doing whatever is possible to create a large enough fan base so that they can gain recognition outside of the North Country.
However some bands like the heavy rock group Cain and the Plattsburgh based Soul/Rock group The Angry Neighbors are content with their current accomplishments and are more interested in playing their music and hoping that the people they play for enjoy it.
Tim Logan of Cain says that they have a huge fan base, and they only play from the Syracuse area to Plattsburgh, which is the most recent addition to their list.
“We play twice a week and we are more of a concert band that people come to watch rather than a band that plays in a club so that people can dance,” said Logan. The notion that they were not a well established band was not even a factor as Logan stated that the band was very popular and that since the bands conception ten years ago they think they have thoroughly succeeded. However he continued by saying that as with all new endeavors you need to be patient and in those initial stages the best thing any band can do is, “Play, play, play, play, anywhere, everywhere.”
The Angry Neighbors are not as interested in gaining recognition as they are about simply playing the music for the enjoyment of their audience. Mike Leclair, the youngest member of this band which has been around for a couple years now, says that they just want to play music and hope that people will like it and that they will play anywhere where they are wanted from weddings to bars.
“Well we just go and see if different places need a gig and if certain places have seen us perform they recommend us to other places. It has a lot to do with word of mouth,” said Leclair.
While some bands in the North Country yearn for the possibility of one day joining the ranks of Coldplay and Van Halen others are humbled by their localized success. But what these bands all agree on is that none of them would have matured without the passion and drive behind their members.
Here is where you can find music from
Yo, Adrian!
For the latest Cain info
Cain
For the latest Bass Gurl and Guitar Pete info
Bass Gurl and Guitar Pete
Credit: MySpace Music
The idea of becoming part of a nationally recognized music ensemble is something many people dream of their entire lives. Then they remember that they live in the North Country and subsequently throw that dream out of the window and go apple picking.
This is a stereotype that many people have about the musically inclined in Upstate New York. The thought of being recognized by an audience beyond their small town is often unfathomable. However, many local bands have refused to let location be a hindrance in them following their dreams of musical recognition.
“It’s hard to get your name around a big city when everyone in the band is working one or two jobs and/or going to school. There isn’t a lot of time to tour or go on the road, which is pricey as it is time consuming,” said Corey Collins, a member of Yo, Adrian!, a Plattsburgh based posi post-punk/hardcore band.
Collins described Yo, Adrian! as a self sufficient band. “We recorded and mixed our album ourselves, created and printed the artwork, packaged the physical CDs and printed the labels.” He emphasized that bands need to do whatever is necessary if they want their name and music to spark the interest of the public.
“We have flyers around town and provide news and updates through our Myspace, Facebook and Twitter, as lame as that damn thing is, as well as through websites like absolutepunk.net and punknews.org. Lots of word of mouth too, we trade CDs and share advice with touring bands and use those connections to help one another with shows in our respective hometowns. When bands tour, they usually offer to help get our local bands shows in their town when they're coming through. Making friends in the punk rock community is the most important thing - something we can't stress enough. Tear down all of the walls that you think divide you from one another, make friends and be nice. People will help you when you're looking for it, and the people who come to shows are always appreciative.” said Collins.
Collins said that even with all the tactics that the band uses to publicize themselves they have still suffered many setbacks.
“There are a lot, most of which coming from living in Plattsburgh. We’ve had two tours planned that both fell through, one due to work schedules changing last minute and the other due to an injury. We just try as hard as we can to network, to play shows out and to be as sincere and honest as we can when promoting our music.” said Collins.
Other bands in Plattsburgh like Bass Gurl and Guitar Pete, a Blues/Rock and Roll band that have been together for two years, agrees with Collins. “Playing as many gigs as you can even if they are free is what you have to do. We have a gig in Warrensburg on Saturday, and I am paying $200 to rent a van to take all our equipment down there. Nobody can hear you if you don’t play your music,” said Pete of Bass Gurl and Guitar Pete.
Both these bands are fairly young and their members strive on doing whatever is possible to create a large enough fan base so that they can gain recognition outside of the North Country.
However some bands like the heavy rock group Cain and the Plattsburgh based Soul/Rock group The Angry Neighbors are content with their current accomplishments and are more interested in playing their music and hoping that the people they play for enjoy it.
Tim Logan of Cain says that they have a huge fan base, and they only play from the Syracuse area to Plattsburgh, which is the most recent addition to their list.
“We play twice a week and we are more of a concert band that people come to watch rather than a band that plays in a club so that people can dance,” said Logan. The notion that they were not a well established band was not even a factor as Logan stated that the band was very popular and that since the bands conception ten years ago they think they have thoroughly succeeded. However he continued by saying that as with all new endeavors you need to be patient and in those initial stages the best thing any band can do is, “Play, play, play, play, anywhere, everywhere.”
The Angry Neighbors are not as interested in gaining recognition as they are about simply playing the music for the enjoyment of their audience. Mike Leclair, the youngest member of this band which has been around for a couple years now, says that they just want to play music and hope that people will like it and that they will play anywhere where they are wanted from weddings to bars.
“Well we just go and see if different places need a gig and if certain places have seen us perform they recommend us to other places. It has a lot to do with word of mouth,” said Leclair.
While some bands in the North Country yearn for the possibility of one day joining the ranks of Coldplay and Van Halen others are humbled by their localized success. But what these bands all agree on is that none of them would have matured without the passion and drive behind their members.
Here is where you can find music from
Yo, Adrian!
For the latest Cain info
Cain
For the latest Bass Gurl and Guitar Pete info
Bass Gurl and Guitar Pete
Credit: MySpace Music
Passion, not fame, drives young musician
By Nicodia Williams
He arrives early to his concert just in time to be among the first to be welcomed by scents of cinnamon-apple and mint clouding the air in puffs of white smoke. Dazed hippies inhale for what seems like forever. Long breaths finally escape tired lungs. Heads bob to the tune of reggae legend Bob Marley’s “No woman no Cry”. The newcomer unnoticeably slouches into a seat at the door.
Something flickers and the dark room instantly brightens. A cigarette is lit; darkness again.
Layers of heavy jet black bangs fall like waterfalls on his low eyelids. Three sweat bubbles surface on his petite nose and quickly melt away. Perched on the left corner of his bubblegum pink lips is a limp cigarette. Rugged and knee-ripped faded denim jeans sit loosely on his slim waist and a white t-shirt sloppily clads his firm but not too muscular chest. His pale face looks like death.
Above a firm grimace is home to a pair of almond shaped blue eyes, caged behind black-rimmed glasses two sizes too big. Between pulls of his second, maybe third cigarette, a smile emerges and glistening white chicklet teeth shout hello without him saying a word.
Mike Underwood, who uses the stage name ‘Layne’ is a born native of Albany, capital of the empire state, New York. The Plattsburgh State University sophomore has definitely made a musical name for himself. But he swears he didn’t mean to. He has become a monster songwriter, captivating audiences with explicit tones, not withholding graphic metaphors in songs like ‘Nyquil Baby’ and ‘Dying Breed’. Having taken a glimpse into two totally different sides of the man and musician, he, as so many other extremely gifted beings today, has been deemed a musical genius trapped inside a mind taken over by drugs.
A prolific underground musician of acoustic, folk and French pop [influenced by folk rock and alternative music], his songs are filled with original lyrics that are both poetic and personal. “A lot of things inspire me, but it is mostly simple things, things that are overlooked.”
Nervous twitches increase and a “yeah, I’m nervous” giggle breaks out. The scents of several ashtrays of stale cigarettes and hookah bongs blanket the cinnamon apple glade plug-in on the graffiti laced wall.
Not you’re average guy huh?
An introvert, and he’s only 19; his reserved spirit easily makes him go unnoticed. “I used to be very outgoing, dressed flashy, and wore my heart and emotions on my sleeve. As I grew up I learned that the less you talk, the more you think and to this day like to keep quiet.”
One would question this musician’s motives. The truth is, as musically inclined as he is, Mike is not trying to “make it big”. He simply loves music and wants his music to be appreciated; accepting offers to play only at local bars and coffee shops. In 2006, he taught himself to play the guitar in less than a year, yet he finds this normal.
“I really just picked up a guitar one day and started plucking at the strings.”
Most musicians describe themselves by their influences, but Mike says his influences have taught him to understand music, not how to write it. And he means it when he says fame is not his main priority. Here’s a guy who’s not concerned with pleasing audiences. No joke. If he’s playing at a coffee shop, he tones down his set; after all, people are trying to get coffee, not the accounts of his life.
“My music is very important to me. To be frank I can't say my audience affects my music much, just my performing. If there are people at an actual venue who have come to see me, I will give them sweat and all the energy I have.”
Humbled at the mere fact that he has a fan base without promoting himself, Mike says he wants to make more music. He’s been enjoying a steady climb to, dare we say, stardom, made more impressive by the fact that he did it on his own. While detractors would like to piece him in with media-created pop stars, Mike says he discovered himself and is signed by himself, not by any label that’s going to dictate his future.
Known for his unique phrasing and animated, sometimes melancholy voice, many Plattsburgh State University students have been fortunate enough to hear this tatted and pierced music major perform and have praised his ability to capture audiences without ever looking up from one of his five instruments during a set.
Plattsburgh State University junior Sharifa Simon-Roberts says she could feel the fire brewing in the room when she heard Mike play at the Hookah Lounge recently.
“It was a breath of fresh air. I had never heard a style so unique so it was very different for me but at the same time the music felt so real. He’s so young and that makes his music that much more appealing.”
Mike plays ‘looped music’, which he says results in a complex live show that expresses his intentions for the song. A loop is a short section of a particular track that can be repeated continuously. Using digital hardware to create and modify these loops, Mike incorporates clips of his own recordings using the violin, guitar, a Brazil nut shaker, a harmonica, and bass piano on top of his own vocals.
Music major Maegan Pollonais, friend and classmate of Mike says she is amazed at his presence when he takes the stage.
“Mike is absolutely incredible. At first glance you would never believe he could belt out the vocals he does while playing a violin and a harmonica simultaneously. His music is very distinct yet you’re never lost in it.”
As does any musician, Mike says he has challenges. Writers block is his most formidable opponent, but for the most part, he says if he is writing a song that isn’t about himself, “the tone will be indicative of how I feel about a certain challenge.”
This artistically savvy young man is not the kind of musician to describe his music with words. He would rather his audiences just listen and find out. So what is a listener to do with music that’s not mass produced for wide audiences? Sulk and wait for Mike to get his calling to the limelight.
Lan Vu, a PSUC student who resides in the same dormitory as Mike says his music fills the hallways at random hours during the day drawing residents to bang on his door, not to yell at him for being too loud but to say, “dude, you’re really good”!
“I live right below him and I hear him practicing constantly but it doesn’t annoy me. His music is so calm and soulful. My roommate and I rock to his melodies all the time”.
However, Mike is not seeking popularity through constant appearances and simply contagious ‘celtic fiddle folk rock’ music. “When I hear my music, I would someday like to get goose bumps from it. When my friends hear my music, I want them to feel like they are closing their eyes and looking at the sun. When strangers hear my music, I want them to think back to Halloween when they were young.”
Only time will tell whether Mike Underwood decides to board the ship of flashing lights, turbulent nights and stalkers. For now, he’s content with being captain of his own speed boat.
For newly released music and performance dates from Mike Underwood, check him out on Layne Underwood MySpace.
Credit: MySpace Music
He arrives early to his concert just in time to be among the first to be welcomed by scents of cinnamon-apple and mint clouding the air in puffs of white smoke. Dazed hippies inhale for what seems like forever. Long breaths finally escape tired lungs. Heads bob to the tune of reggae legend Bob Marley’s “No woman no Cry”. The newcomer unnoticeably slouches into a seat at the door.
Something flickers and the dark room instantly brightens. A cigarette is lit; darkness again.
Layers of heavy jet black bangs fall like waterfalls on his low eyelids. Three sweat bubbles surface on his petite nose and quickly melt away. Perched on the left corner of his bubblegum pink lips is a limp cigarette. Rugged and knee-ripped faded denim jeans sit loosely on his slim waist and a white t-shirt sloppily clads his firm but not too muscular chest. His pale face looks like death.
Above a firm grimace is home to a pair of almond shaped blue eyes, caged behind black-rimmed glasses two sizes too big. Between pulls of his second, maybe third cigarette, a smile emerges and glistening white chicklet teeth shout hello without him saying a word.
Mike Underwood, who uses the stage name ‘Layne’ is a born native of Albany, capital of the empire state, New York. The Plattsburgh State University sophomore has definitely made a musical name for himself. But he swears he didn’t mean to. He has become a monster songwriter, captivating audiences with explicit tones, not withholding graphic metaphors in songs like ‘Nyquil Baby’ and ‘Dying Breed’. Having taken a glimpse into two totally different sides of the man and musician, he, as so many other extremely gifted beings today, has been deemed a musical genius trapped inside a mind taken over by drugs.
A prolific underground musician of acoustic, folk and French pop [influenced by folk rock and alternative music], his songs are filled with original lyrics that are both poetic and personal. “A lot of things inspire me, but it is mostly simple things, things that are overlooked.”
Nervous twitches increase and a “yeah, I’m nervous” giggle breaks out. The scents of several ashtrays of stale cigarettes and hookah bongs blanket the cinnamon apple glade plug-in on the graffiti laced wall.
Not you’re average guy huh?
An introvert, and he’s only 19; his reserved spirit easily makes him go unnoticed. “I used to be very outgoing, dressed flashy, and wore my heart and emotions on my sleeve. As I grew up I learned that the less you talk, the more you think and to this day like to keep quiet.”
One would question this musician’s motives. The truth is, as musically inclined as he is, Mike is not trying to “make it big”. He simply loves music and wants his music to be appreciated; accepting offers to play only at local bars and coffee shops. In 2006, he taught himself to play the guitar in less than a year, yet he finds this normal.
“I really just picked up a guitar one day and started plucking at the strings.”
Most musicians describe themselves by their influences, but Mike says his influences have taught him to understand music, not how to write it. And he means it when he says fame is not his main priority. Here’s a guy who’s not concerned with pleasing audiences. No joke. If he’s playing at a coffee shop, he tones down his set; after all, people are trying to get coffee, not the accounts of his life.
“My music is very important to me. To be frank I can't say my audience affects my music much, just my performing. If there are people at an actual venue who have come to see me, I will give them sweat and all the energy I have.”
Humbled at the mere fact that he has a fan base without promoting himself, Mike says he wants to make more music. He’s been enjoying a steady climb to, dare we say, stardom, made more impressive by the fact that he did it on his own. While detractors would like to piece him in with media-created pop stars, Mike says he discovered himself and is signed by himself, not by any label that’s going to dictate his future.
Known for his unique phrasing and animated, sometimes melancholy voice, many Plattsburgh State University students have been fortunate enough to hear this tatted and pierced music major perform and have praised his ability to capture audiences without ever looking up from one of his five instruments during a set.
Plattsburgh State University junior Sharifa Simon-Roberts says she could feel the fire brewing in the room when she heard Mike play at the Hookah Lounge recently.
“It was a breath of fresh air. I had never heard a style so unique so it was very different for me but at the same time the music felt so real. He’s so young and that makes his music that much more appealing.”
Mike plays ‘looped music’, which he says results in a complex live show that expresses his intentions for the song. A loop is a short section of a particular track that can be repeated continuously. Using digital hardware to create and modify these loops, Mike incorporates clips of his own recordings using the violin, guitar, a Brazil nut shaker, a harmonica, and bass piano on top of his own vocals.
Music major Maegan Pollonais, friend and classmate of Mike says she is amazed at his presence when he takes the stage.
“Mike is absolutely incredible. At first glance you would never believe he could belt out the vocals he does while playing a violin and a harmonica simultaneously. His music is very distinct yet you’re never lost in it.”
As does any musician, Mike says he has challenges. Writers block is his most formidable opponent, but for the most part, he says if he is writing a song that isn’t about himself, “the tone will be indicative of how I feel about a certain challenge.”
This artistically savvy young man is not the kind of musician to describe his music with words. He would rather his audiences just listen and find out. So what is a listener to do with music that’s not mass produced for wide audiences? Sulk and wait for Mike to get his calling to the limelight.
Lan Vu, a PSUC student who resides in the same dormitory as Mike says his music fills the hallways at random hours during the day drawing residents to bang on his door, not to yell at him for being too loud but to say, “dude, you’re really good”!
“I live right below him and I hear him practicing constantly but it doesn’t annoy me. His music is so calm and soulful. My roommate and I rock to his melodies all the time”.
However, Mike is not seeking popularity through constant appearances and simply contagious ‘celtic fiddle folk rock’ music. “When I hear my music, I would someday like to get goose bumps from it. When my friends hear my music, I want them to feel like they are closing their eyes and looking at the sun. When strangers hear my music, I want them to think back to Halloween when they were young.”
Only time will tell whether Mike Underwood decides to board the ship of flashing lights, turbulent nights and stalkers. For now, he’s content with being captain of his own speed boat.
For newly released music and performance dates from Mike Underwood, check him out on Layne Underwood MySpace.
Credit: MySpace Music
The Music ‘Business’
By Rob Mason
The word sell-out has been thrown around in punk-rock circles almost since the inception of the genre in the late ’70s, but it seems like more and more bands are being tagged with the term now than ever before. As bands progress throughout their careers and pick up a larger fan-base along the way, they are often offered to play bigger venues and make larger profits. It might seem like the American dream to some, but in a scene dominated by left wing political ideals it’s considered to be a profoundly egregious act.
Perhaps because they have been so openly adamant about their dislike for the way capitalistic societies are run and always dress in black from head-to-toe to showcase their anarchist backgrounds, Against Me! always seem to find themselves at the forefront of the bands being deemed sell-outs, especially after signing to major corporate label Sire Records.
“I’m so used to being called a sell-out now that it doesn’t usually even phase me anymore,” Against Me! frontman Tom Gabel. “We started catching flack even before we ever moved to Sire. When we left No Idea (Records) and signed to Fat Wreck we started hearing the comments and getting the letters. I mean, we wanted to be able to keep making music so we wouldn’t have to get ‘real’ jobs that made us miserable. Our old label couldn’t even afford to get us a $3,500 van which we needed to go on tour. It was a matter of survival, not greed.”
“I still believe in the same things I did ten years ago, but at the same time things have changed,” Gabel said. I’m married now and we’re expecting our first child. I have a family to support. As unfortunate as it is, you need money to survive in this world.”
While Gabel describes the band’s move to Sire as necessary to be able to keep doing what he loves, many of Against Me’s fans still feel jaded by the label change and believe that they are being hypocritical.
“What they did by signing to a major label was completely going against everything they said in their music,” said Mike Diers, a student and long-time fan of the band. “They wrote a song that was about how ridiculous the record industry is and that it’s basically like signing your life away, and a few years later they go out and do just that.”
The song that Diers referenced was, “Unprotected Sex With Multiple Partners,” in which Gabel sings satirically, “We call it our insurance plan/ to stretch the inevitable as far as we can/ gotta make your money while you got the chance/ do whatever it takes to sell it... just how desperate can we be/ go buy our record and see.”
“I don’t understand it,” Diers said. “I mean, I understand wanting to be able to make a living by doing what you love to do, but how can you write a song completely bashing corporate record labels and then go ahead and sign with one?”
Gabel said he understands how it might look to people looking in from the outside, but doesn’t believe he has sold-out. “I feel like I know what my intentions are and I know what I want to do. I want to play music and that's a really simple thing.”
The word sell-out has been thrown around in punk-rock circles almost since the inception of the genre in the late ’70s, but it seems like more and more bands are being tagged with the term now than ever before. As bands progress throughout their careers and pick up a larger fan-base along the way, they are often offered to play bigger venues and make larger profits. It might seem like the American dream to some, but in a scene dominated by left wing political ideals it’s considered to be a profoundly egregious act.
Perhaps because they have been so openly adamant about their dislike for the way capitalistic societies are run and always dress in black from head-to-toe to showcase their anarchist backgrounds, Against Me! always seem to find themselves at the forefront of the bands being deemed sell-outs, especially after signing to major corporate label Sire Records.
“I’m so used to being called a sell-out now that it doesn’t usually even phase me anymore,” Against Me! frontman Tom Gabel. “We started catching flack even before we ever moved to Sire. When we left No Idea (Records) and signed to Fat Wreck we started hearing the comments and getting the letters. I mean, we wanted to be able to keep making music so we wouldn’t have to get ‘real’ jobs that made us miserable. Our old label couldn’t even afford to get us a $3,500 van which we needed to go on tour. It was a matter of survival, not greed.”
“I still believe in the same things I did ten years ago, but at the same time things have changed,” Gabel said. I’m married now and we’re expecting our first child. I have a family to support. As unfortunate as it is, you need money to survive in this world.”
While Gabel describes the band’s move to Sire as necessary to be able to keep doing what he loves, many of Against Me’s fans still feel jaded by the label change and believe that they are being hypocritical.
“What they did by signing to a major label was completely going against everything they said in their music,” said Mike Diers, a student and long-time fan of the band. “They wrote a song that was about how ridiculous the record industry is and that it’s basically like signing your life away, and a few years later they go out and do just that.”
The song that Diers referenced was, “Unprotected Sex With Multiple Partners,” in which Gabel sings satirically, “We call it our insurance plan/ to stretch the inevitable as far as we can/ gotta make your money while you got the chance/ do whatever it takes to sell it... just how desperate can we be/ go buy our record and see.”
“I don’t understand it,” Diers said. “I mean, I understand wanting to be able to make a living by doing what you love to do, but how can you write a song completely bashing corporate record labels and then go ahead and sign with one?”
Gabel said he understands how it might look to people looking in from the outside, but doesn’t believe he has sold-out. “I feel like I know what my intentions are and I know what I want to do. I want to play music and that's a really simple thing.”
Learn to Rock Out!
By Justin Schultz
Maybe the latest video game craze has you hooked. Do you find yourself spending hours playing Guitar Hero or Rock Band? Do the images of performers rocking out in synchronization with your constant button tapping have you dreaming of being the next rock star? Well, you aren’t going to become famous (or let alone play a live concert) by sitting in front of your television with a plastic toy instrument. Maybe it’s time for you to take a chance and learn a real instrument.
Before you register for your rock star union card there’s a few issues you must address first. You will need to chose an instrument to play and obtain one. There is a long list of instruments available to learn. Maybe you want to play guitar, slap bass, wail away at the drums, or toot your own horn. Ultimately, which instrument you choose will be up to you.
It’s important to research an instrument before making a purchase. Guitar Center is an excellent place to start your search for an instrument. They offer beginner packages that include all of the items necessary to start rocking. The sales associates are happy to answer any questions you may have about the instrument.
It doesn’t hurt to check out the prices and selection of instruments at your local music shop. Local shops often have a great variety of used instruments. Don’t let the term ‘used’ scare you, this isn’t a car purchase. If the instrument is properly taken care of, it will give you much more use than a new car ever would. Because of the atmosphere of local music stores, you may be able to find an instrument at a more affordable price than the big chain stores. Additionally, because local stores are in competition with national chains, they may be able to give you better insight and a better deal on your purchase.
Learning an instrument doesn’t happen over night, it will take a lot of practice time to start sounding like the next Jimmy Page, Jaco Pastorius, or Keith Moon. Becoming a competent musician requires a lot of dedication and daily practice. It also doesn’t hurt to have some guidance throughout the learning process. There are multiple ways to learn an instrument and the following examples can serve as a guide to assisting you in deciding which method is right for you.
Go to School
Hey, did you know that music is taught in schools? Many colleges offer courses specifically to train aspiring musicians. A major benefit to learning at an educational institute is the advice and critique of your learning will come from a working professional with experience and credentials.
“The teachers at Schenectady County Community College are all so proficient,” said Tony Potente, a guitarist from Albany, “They are above and beyond the average musician. They have it down to a T.”
At a school, you will learn the basic fundamentals, music theory, and be given assignments to practice between your scheduled lessons.
“You learn things the right way the first time rather than having to unlearn bad techniques,” said Potente, “When I first started, I held the pick wrong. It was a bad habit that my instructor and I had to work to break.”
Instructors at colleges share a wealth of invaluable knowledge.
“By the end of my studies, I know that I’m going to be disgustingly good.” said Potente.
The prices of private lessons will vary by institution, but are often quite affordable. If you are interested in taking lessons at a college, it is worth contacting local schools to learn more about their lessons and programs. Who knows, maybe you’ll sign up for additional music courses! (Tuitions vary, Schenectady County Community College offers lessons for $131 per semester plus lab fees.)
Hit up the Guitar Shop
Many guitar shops and music stores offer lessons at an affordable price. However, some caution should be taken when considering lessons at a music shop. There are excellent music teachers working at music shops, but there are also instructors who are happy to collect their fee and merely teach you the intro to the latest Coldplay hit.
“I took lessons at a guitar shop,” said Mark Rosa, 24, a bass player, “It was fun, but it left something to be desired. I spent a month learning two songs from Nirvana: Unplugged. It was like, when are we going to move on to some new stuff?”
To avoid Rosa’s experience, utilize the internet to locate shops that offer lessons, and read the biographies of the instructors. Unlike a college, a music shop instructor may have little or no credentials to their name. It helps to know who you are learning from. Music shops lesson prices vary by location. Prices for lessons may be based on the hour, or by the number of lessons. (Drome Sound, Schenectady NY, $30 per one hour lesson.)
Teach Yourself
You can always take the initiative and teach yourself to play. This method of learning can be successful if the proper time is devoted to it.
“I’m without a doubt a self trained musician!” said Sarah Belawski, a guitarist and drummer from Albany, NY, “I like that it’s about timing. You get to learn at your own pace, and that way it’s something you are doing because you want to do it, and not because you are scheduled to do it.”
It is also beneficial to jam and practice with friends, you might even develop a new style.
“I think the easiest way to develop your own style is to practice with cohorts from all different backgrounds,” said Belawski, “I had a drummer once who was really into electronic music. His beats all had a real techno feel to them. It really pushed me to keep up. We created some interesting sounds.”
There is a bevy of information available on the internet for free. Tablature can serve as a guide for learning songs by your favorite bands.
“Tabs are what taught me to play. I would never have been able to figure out how to read music. Having the songs spelled out in tablature taught me all the different chord progressions just as well as any silly old music theory class ever could.” said Belawski.
Another option to consider when teaching yourself is reading books or watching instructional videos. There are many places to find these sources including libraries, music shops, and the internet. Sheetmusicplus.com offers do-it-yourself instructional books at an affordable price.
(Fast Track Guitar Method 1 by Blake Neely and Jeff Schroedl: $7.95, You Can Teach Yourself Piano Chords by Per Danielsson: $19.95 at Sheetmusicplus.com)
Go! Jam Out!
Hopefully by now, you are walking out the door to your nearest music shop to get an instrument. Think about which method of learning might best suit you on your drive - and remember it’s going to take a lot of practice. Who knows, maybe someday kids will be mimicking your sounds on a future installment of Guitar Hero.
Learn to Rock Out!
Maybe the latest video game craze has you hooked. Do you find yourself spending hours playing Guitar Hero or Rock Band? Do the images of performers rocking out in synchronization with your constant button tapping have you dreaming of being the next rock star? Well, you aren’t going to become famous (or let alone play a live concert) by sitting in front of your television with a plastic toy instrument. Maybe it’s time for you to take a chance and learn a real instrument.
Before you register for your rock star union card there’s a few issues you must address first. You will need to chose an instrument to play and obtain one. There is a long list of instruments available to learn. Maybe you want to play guitar, slap bass, wail away at the drums, or toot your own horn. Ultimately, which instrument you choose will be up to you.
It’s important to research an instrument before making a purchase. Guitar Center is an excellent place to start your search for an instrument. They offer beginner packages that include all of the items necessary to start rocking. The sales associates are happy to answer any questions you may have about the instrument.
It doesn’t hurt to check out the prices and selection of instruments at your local music shop. Local shops often have a great variety of used instruments. Don’t let the term ‘used’ scare you, this isn’t a car purchase. If the instrument is properly taken care of, it will give you much more use than a new car ever would. Because of the atmosphere of local music stores, you may be able to find an instrument at a more affordable price than the big chain stores. Additionally, because local stores are in competition with national chains, they may be able to give you better insight and a better deal on your purchase.
Learning an instrument doesn’t happen over night, it will take a lot of practice time to start sounding like the next Jimmy Page, Jaco Pastorius, or Keith Moon. Becoming a competent musician requires a lot of dedication and daily practice. It also doesn’t hurt to have some guidance throughout the learning process. There are multiple ways to learn an instrument and the following examples can serve as a guide to assisting you in deciding which method is right for you.
Go to School
Hey, did you know that music is taught in schools? Many colleges offer courses specifically to train aspiring musicians. A major benefit to learning at an educational institute is the advice and critique of your learning will come from a working professional with experience and credentials.
“The teachers at Schenectady County Community College are all so proficient,” said Tony Potente, a guitarist from Albany, “They are above and beyond the average musician. They have it down to a T.”
At a school, you will learn the basic fundamentals, music theory, and be given assignments to practice between your scheduled lessons.
“You learn things the right way the first time rather than having to unlearn bad techniques,” said Potente, “When I first started, I held the pick wrong. It was a bad habit that my instructor and I had to work to break.”
Instructors at colleges share a wealth of invaluable knowledge.
“By the end of my studies, I know that I’m going to be disgustingly good.” said Potente.
The prices of private lessons will vary by institution, but are often quite affordable. If you are interested in taking lessons at a college, it is worth contacting local schools to learn more about their lessons and programs. Who knows, maybe you’ll sign up for additional music courses! (Tuitions vary, Schenectady County Community College offers lessons for $131 per semester plus lab fees.)
Hit up the Guitar Shop
Many guitar shops and music stores offer lessons at an affordable price. However, some caution should be taken when considering lessons at a music shop. There are excellent music teachers working at music shops, but there are also instructors who are happy to collect their fee and merely teach you the intro to the latest Coldplay hit.
“I took lessons at a guitar shop,” said Mark Rosa, 24, a bass player, “It was fun, but it left something to be desired. I spent a month learning two songs from Nirvana: Unplugged. It was like, when are we going to move on to some new stuff?”
To avoid Rosa’s experience, utilize the internet to locate shops that offer lessons, and read the biographies of the instructors. Unlike a college, a music shop instructor may have little or no credentials to their name. It helps to know who you are learning from. Music shops lesson prices vary by location. Prices for lessons may be based on the hour, or by the number of lessons. (Drome Sound, Schenectady NY, $30 per one hour lesson.)
Teach Yourself
You can always take the initiative and teach yourself to play. This method of learning can be successful if the proper time is devoted to it.
“I’m without a doubt a self trained musician!” said Sarah Belawski, a guitarist and drummer from Albany, NY, “I like that it’s about timing. You get to learn at your own pace, and that way it’s something you are doing because you want to do it, and not because you are scheduled to do it.”
It is also beneficial to jam and practice with friends, you might even develop a new style.
“I think the easiest way to develop your own style is to practice with cohorts from all different backgrounds,” said Belawski, “I had a drummer once who was really into electronic music. His beats all had a real techno feel to them. It really pushed me to keep up. We created some interesting sounds.”
There is a bevy of information available on the internet for free. Tablature can serve as a guide for learning songs by your favorite bands.
“Tabs are what taught me to play. I would never have been able to figure out how to read music. Having the songs spelled out in tablature taught me all the different chord progressions just as well as any silly old music theory class ever could.” said Belawski.
Another option to consider when teaching yourself is reading books or watching instructional videos. There are many places to find these sources including libraries, music shops, and the internet. Sheetmusicplus.com offers do-it-yourself instructional books at an affordable price.
(Fast Track Guitar Method 1 by Blake Neely and Jeff Schroedl: $7.95, You Can Teach Yourself Piano Chords by Per Danielsson: $19.95 at Sheetmusicplus.com)
Go! Jam Out!
Hopefully by now, you are walking out the door to your nearest music shop to get an instrument. Think about which method of learning might best suit you on your drive - and remember it’s going to take a lot of practice. Who knows, maybe someday kids will be mimicking your sounds on a future installment of Guitar Hero.
PEACE AND MUSIC COLLIDE
By Antonia Forbes
What would you do for world peace? Could you handle countless flashes from photographers and fans and be able to belt out soul lifting melodies in a venue renowned for its intimidating size? Music meets peace. It may not be equivalent in karma points to an unforgettable speech about the harmonious nature of freedom nor may it win a Nobel Peace Prize but a select few of artists of sound and lyrics were invited to partake in this year’s peace festivities under the patronage of Peace One Day. This organization was created by British filmmaker Jeremy Gilley that devised an ingenious yet obvious cry for one whole day of ceasefire and brotherly love. What were you doing on September 21st – World Peace Day? To celebrate the tenth anniversary of Peace Day’s inception an impressive crowd gathered at Le Grand Rex in Paris on September 19th to bask in the peaceful glow of musical ambience. International artists performing that night include Lenny Kravitz, Keziah Jones, Olivia Ruiz, Ayo, Kasabian, Charlie Winston, Saul Williams and Elisa Zylberstein. "I'm delighted to support Peace One Day once again to take the message of Peace Day to the people. Peace One Day is all about uniting the world, and music can drive that message. I'm pleased to be carrying the torch for POD this year” said the main act Lenny Kravitz as reported by Peace One Day.
In Plattsburgh, New York, peace activities spread onto the quaint Trinity Park where members of the community and the Plattsburgh State University joined to celebrate with Earth Dance. In tradition with countries all over the world, participants danced and played in the late afternoon of September 26th. A mix of peaceful jigs were led by the university’s Afro-Brazilian Capoiera team and ended with a small circle of passive prodding of African instruments. For a few days out of the years, from huge stadiums and huge stardoms to small towns and smaller patches of small town grass- harmony reigns.
What would you do for world peace? Could you handle countless flashes from photographers and fans and be able to belt out soul lifting melodies in a venue renowned for its intimidating size? Music meets peace. It may not be equivalent in karma points to an unforgettable speech about the harmonious nature of freedom nor may it win a Nobel Peace Prize but a select few of artists of sound and lyrics were invited to partake in this year’s peace festivities under the patronage of Peace One Day. This organization was created by British filmmaker Jeremy Gilley that devised an ingenious yet obvious cry for one whole day of ceasefire and brotherly love. What were you doing on September 21st – World Peace Day? To celebrate the tenth anniversary of Peace Day’s inception an impressive crowd gathered at Le Grand Rex in Paris on September 19th to bask in the peaceful glow of musical ambience. International artists performing that night include Lenny Kravitz, Keziah Jones, Olivia Ruiz, Ayo, Kasabian, Charlie Winston, Saul Williams and Elisa Zylberstein. "I'm delighted to support Peace One Day once again to take the message of Peace Day to the people. Peace One Day is all about uniting the world, and music can drive that message. I'm pleased to be carrying the torch for POD this year” said the main act Lenny Kravitz as reported by Peace One Day.
In Plattsburgh, New York, peace activities spread onto the quaint Trinity Park where members of the community and the Plattsburgh State University joined to celebrate with Earth Dance. In tradition with countries all over the world, participants danced and played in the late afternoon of September 26th. A mix of peaceful jigs were led by the university’s Afro-Brazilian Capoiera team and ended with a small circle of passive prodding of African instruments. For a few days out of the years, from huge stadiums and huge stardoms to small towns and smaller patches of small town grass- harmony reigns.
Noura Ismaeil: a melting pot of music preferences
By Charlie Peppers
Noura Ismaeil, 22, is a melting pot of music preferences. Growing up in a fashionably liberal household, she was encouraged to flirt with different genres. This has, unsurprisingly, made her a well-rounded music lover. She’s genuinely fond of Michael Jackson’s falsetto. She recognizes the chords of Chuck Berry. She digs the Talking Heads’ hybrid style. However, she grimaces at the vibrato of one scandalous songstress: Britney Spears.
Ismaeil has a strong allergy to the pop princess. Spears’ allegedly “dysfunctional” life has been hyper analyzed, making her musical accomplishments appear dwarfish to some SUNY Plattsburgh students, including Ismaeil. Ismaeil said her ideas of Spears come from what other people say about her.
“As a person who’s completely out of the loop of pop culture,” Ismaeil said, “I’m going to have to say that if I’m on a lunch date with Britney Spears, I would probably be more interested in interviewing her, knowing how it feels to maneuver in a world where every action is conducted on a stage for millions of people around the world, to drool over…”
She said doesn’t believe Spears will leave as deep an impression on the music industry as the Beatles, a British boy band of the 1960s.
“I love listening to the Beatles,” Ismaeil said, cracking a half-smile. “I love music that lots of people can sing along to them. I love the fact that I can to a party or sit around a campfire, and as a way of bonding with people we can all share in what the Beatles did. (The Beatles) are still celebrated today.”
Still, there are SUNY Plattsburgh students who like Spears and the Beatles. Liz Conlon, 21, is one of those students.
Being a veteran of Minor Adjustments, a SUNY Plattsburgh student A Cappella group, Conlon has a bone-deep affinity for contemporary pop music. This makes her highly accepting of bubblegum pop. She confessed listening to Spears’ music, while she was in fourth and fifth grade.
“I think (Britney Spears) is a huge pop culture icon,” Conlon said. “I personally enjoy her music, and I find her comeback to be very strong.”
Although she admires Spears’ ambition, Conlon is awed by the Beatles’ legacy. The Beatles never had to make a comeback. They’ve been thoroughly famous for nearly five decades. Conlon said people of her age are still able to listen to the Beatles’ music because it’s so influential and inspirational.
“People still can’t top what they’ve done musically,” Conlon said. “I think that just shows how important they are to music in general. How they’re able to impact people of our age, in a totally different time period.”
When asked if Spears’ music will be able to impact people of a different time period, Conlon pauses. She concludes this ultimately wouldn’t happen due to sexism, not poor music expressiveness. Unfortunately, Conlon doesn’t believe one female can compete with a group of four males in a band.
“She’s got a history of screw-ups, and people will probably remember that,” Conlon said begrudgingly. “People will always remember more of the negative than the positive. She’s not going to leave as much of an impression, but she’ll still be important.”
Ismaeil, not like Conlon, predicts that Spears’ doomed legacy is due to her plastic lyrics.
“(The Beatles’ music) is a lot more poetic and creative than Britney Spears’ songs are,” Ismaeil said. “I think someone like Britney Spears is going to die out. When a fad like that dies, it dies hard. Hugh Hefner is gonna be remembered way more than Britney Spears. He has a way better chance of being remembered.”
Noura Ismaeil, 22, is a melting pot of music preferences. Growing up in a fashionably liberal household, she was encouraged to flirt with different genres. This has, unsurprisingly, made her a well-rounded music lover. She’s genuinely fond of Michael Jackson’s falsetto. She recognizes the chords of Chuck Berry. She digs the Talking Heads’ hybrid style. However, she grimaces at the vibrato of one scandalous songstress: Britney Spears.
Ismaeil has a strong allergy to the pop princess. Spears’ allegedly “dysfunctional” life has been hyper analyzed, making her musical accomplishments appear dwarfish to some SUNY Plattsburgh students, including Ismaeil. Ismaeil said her ideas of Spears come from what other people say about her.
“As a person who’s completely out of the loop of pop culture,” Ismaeil said, “I’m going to have to say that if I’m on a lunch date with Britney Spears, I would probably be more interested in interviewing her, knowing how it feels to maneuver in a world where every action is conducted on a stage for millions of people around the world, to drool over…”
She said doesn’t believe Spears will leave as deep an impression on the music industry as the Beatles, a British boy band of the 1960s.
“I love listening to the Beatles,” Ismaeil said, cracking a half-smile. “I love music that lots of people can sing along to them. I love the fact that I can to a party or sit around a campfire, and as a way of bonding with people we can all share in what the Beatles did. (The Beatles) are still celebrated today.”
Still, there are SUNY Plattsburgh students who like Spears and the Beatles. Liz Conlon, 21, is one of those students.
Being a veteran of Minor Adjustments, a SUNY Plattsburgh student A Cappella group, Conlon has a bone-deep affinity for contemporary pop music. This makes her highly accepting of bubblegum pop. She confessed listening to Spears’ music, while she was in fourth and fifth grade.
“I think (Britney Spears) is a huge pop culture icon,” Conlon said. “I personally enjoy her music, and I find her comeback to be very strong.”
Although she admires Spears’ ambition, Conlon is awed by the Beatles’ legacy. The Beatles never had to make a comeback. They’ve been thoroughly famous for nearly five decades. Conlon said people of her age are still able to listen to the Beatles’ music because it’s so influential and inspirational.
“People still can’t top what they’ve done musically,” Conlon said. “I think that just shows how important they are to music in general. How they’re able to impact people of our age, in a totally different time period.”
When asked if Spears’ music will be able to impact people of a different time period, Conlon pauses. She concludes this ultimately wouldn’t happen due to sexism, not poor music expressiveness. Unfortunately, Conlon doesn’t believe one female can compete with a group of four males in a band.
“She’s got a history of screw-ups, and people will probably remember that,” Conlon said begrudgingly. “People will always remember more of the negative than the positive. She’s not going to leave as much of an impression, but she’ll still be important.”
Ismaeil, not like Conlon, predicts that Spears’ doomed legacy is due to her plastic lyrics.
“(The Beatles’ music) is a lot more poetic and creative than Britney Spears’ songs are,” Ismaeil said. “I think someone like Britney Spears is going to die out. When a fad like that dies, it dies hard. Hugh Hefner is gonna be remembered way more than Britney Spears. He has a way better chance of being remembered.”
Folk. Classical. Gypsy Jazz.
By Jameson Sempey
Folk. Classical. Gypsy Jazz.
These are just some of the genres Dan Anderson, a musician in Plattsburgh, listens to.
“I listen to music,” Anderson said. “I enjoy all forms.”
The only music he claims that he doesn’t listen to is “most country, and most rap.”
Perhaps the most surprising thing about Anderson’s musical preferences is that he doesn’t listen to funk music.
Anderson, a senior double-majoring in audio production and music at Plattsburgh State University, plays in a funk band called Eat.Sleep.Funk.
“I never saw myself playing with a funk band,” Anderson said. “I didn’t think that I was going to be playing that kind of music ever, and I have so much fun doing it.”
Anderson first joined the band on a tryout basis, as he came down and played his alto saxophone for the members at the time. After that, he was asked to join the band.
The band has played at the hookah lounge in downtown Plattsburgh at least five times, and will look to continue playing there as well as other venues in the near future.
Eat.Sleep.Funk. has brought its funky style to the Monopole every Wednesday night since the Fall semester started at PSUC; and they’ve played two full four hour shows at the venue.
What those listening to the band wouldn’t be able to guess is that Anderson, who plays alto saxophone and does a portion of vocals, only started getting serious about music his senior year of high school, about four years ago.
“You would never be able to tell that he started playing so late in high school,” Matt Dotson, a musician who’s worked with Anderson on many different things. “His talents are very respectable, and he impresses me a lot every time we play together.”
“When I was growing up, with guitar, I wasn’t really trained in anyway just listening to songs and picking them up by ear and looking at tabs,” Anderson said. “I wasn’t really doing anything sophisticated”
On top of playing in Eat.Sleep.Funk., Anderson has taken on a new project with Dotson, and a violinist.
“It’s been over the past 3 years that Dan and I have been trying and planning to bring something unique to the Plattsburgh music scene,” Dotson said. “We discovered this other musician on campus named Mike Underwood who plays violin, and is very talented at what he does, so we decided this year we would take some initiative and invite Mike to jam with us.
After a “phenomenal” and “esoteric” jam session as Dotson described it, that “had very progressive elements of looping guitar parts and looping violin, but an undertone of folk and almost Russian themed melodies,” they decided that they’d continue to make music together.
Anderson, a man of many hats, plays accordion in the group.
“So far it's just a jam band,” Anderson said. “However, I think there’s a lot of potential there.”
Along with playing alto saxophone, electric guitar and accordion, Anderson plays acoustic, bass guitar, baritone and tenor saxophone, piano, and melodica.
When Anderson graduated high school, playing music was not something he thought would be a huge part of his college life.
“I came in just as audio production, I did a semester, and I was really missing playing music,” the Burlington native said.
His intentions as an audio production major were to eventually end up producing music.
Getting back into playing started with saxophone ensembles directed by Daniel Gordon, a music professor at PSUC, as well as taking some music classes.
By the end of Anderson’s sophomore year, he had added music as a major.
Anderson hopes to make a career out of music now, not only playing, but teaching it. After graduating from PSUC, he hopes to take a semester off and then go to graduate school in hopes of one day becoming a professor at an undergraduate level.
“He'll make a good teacher, he'll be one of those weird teachers that makes you do it on your own; he won’t tell you what he wants for an assignment so you have to actually be creative about it,” Kristin McGuire, a fellow music major at PSUC, said. “He'll be funny. I’ll audit those classes, they'd be hilarious.”
Reflecting upon everything-music in his life, Anderson has a hard time picking an event or performance that stands out as his most memorable.
“Playing with all the other kids in the music program – every time when it's not planned and music just happens, that’s been a lot of fun and that’s what’s inspired me to keep going,” Anderson said.
“I'm still waiting for more to happen; it’s all been pretty great so far.”
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Credit: Kristin McGuire/Apostrophe Photography
Folk. Classical. Gypsy Jazz.
These are just some of the genres Dan Anderson, a musician in Plattsburgh, listens to.
“I listen to music,” Anderson said. “I enjoy all forms.”
The only music he claims that he doesn’t listen to is “most country, and most rap.”
Perhaps the most surprising thing about Anderson’s musical preferences is that he doesn’t listen to funk music.
Anderson, a senior double-majoring in audio production and music at Plattsburgh State University, plays in a funk band called Eat.Sleep.Funk.
“I never saw myself playing with a funk band,” Anderson said. “I didn’t think that I was going to be playing that kind of music ever, and I have so much fun doing it.”
Anderson first joined the band on a tryout basis, as he came down and played his alto saxophone for the members at the time. After that, he was asked to join the band.
The band has played at the hookah lounge in downtown Plattsburgh at least five times, and will look to continue playing there as well as other venues in the near future.
Eat.Sleep.Funk. has brought its funky style to the Monopole every Wednesday night since the Fall semester started at PSUC; and they’ve played two full four hour shows at the venue.
What those listening to the band wouldn’t be able to guess is that Anderson, who plays alto saxophone and does a portion of vocals, only started getting serious about music his senior year of high school, about four years ago.
“You would never be able to tell that he started playing so late in high school,” Matt Dotson, a musician who’s worked with Anderson on many different things. “His talents are very respectable, and he impresses me a lot every time we play together.”
“When I was growing up, with guitar, I wasn’t really trained in anyway just listening to songs and picking them up by ear and looking at tabs,” Anderson said. “I wasn’t really doing anything sophisticated”
On top of playing in Eat.Sleep.Funk., Anderson has taken on a new project with Dotson, and a violinist.
“It’s been over the past 3 years that Dan and I have been trying and planning to bring something unique to the Plattsburgh music scene,” Dotson said. “We discovered this other musician on campus named Mike Underwood who plays violin, and is very talented at what he does, so we decided this year we would take some initiative and invite Mike to jam with us.
After a “phenomenal” and “esoteric” jam session as Dotson described it, that “had very progressive elements of looping guitar parts and looping violin, but an undertone of folk and almost Russian themed melodies,” they decided that they’d continue to make music together.
Anderson, a man of many hats, plays accordion in the group.
“So far it's just a jam band,” Anderson said. “However, I think there’s a lot of potential there.”
Along with playing alto saxophone, electric guitar and accordion, Anderson plays acoustic, bass guitar, baritone and tenor saxophone, piano, and melodica.
When Anderson graduated high school, playing music was not something he thought would be a huge part of his college life.
“I came in just as audio production, I did a semester, and I was really missing playing music,” the Burlington native said.
His intentions as an audio production major were to eventually end up producing music.
Getting back into playing started with saxophone ensembles directed by Daniel Gordon, a music professor at PSUC, as well as taking some music classes.
By the end of Anderson’s sophomore year, he had added music as a major.
Anderson hopes to make a career out of music now, not only playing, but teaching it. After graduating from PSUC, he hopes to take a semester off and then go to graduate school in hopes of one day becoming a professor at an undergraduate level.
“He'll make a good teacher, he'll be one of those weird teachers that makes you do it on your own; he won’t tell you what he wants for an assignment so you have to actually be creative about it,” Kristin McGuire, a fellow music major at PSUC, said. “He'll be funny. I’ll audit those classes, they'd be hilarious.”
Reflecting upon everything-music in his life, Anderson has a hard time picking an event or performance that stands out as his most memorable.
“Playing with all the other kids in the music program – every time when it's not planned and music just happens, that’s been a lot of fun and that’s what’s inspired me to keep going,” Anderson said.
“I'm still waiting for more to happen; it’s all been pretty great so far.”
Credit: Kristin McGuire/Apostrophe Photography
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Issue #1: Drugs and Alcohol
Welcome. You are now reading the premiere issue of 309: The Online Magazine. The theme of this first issue is drugs and alcohol. Happy reading, and please be sure to bookmark us!
Alcohol and Drugs: A College Staple
By Rob W. Mason
From the downtown bar scene to fraternity and sorority parties, it’s evident that alcohol and drugs play a large role in the lives of many college students in America today. Some may have an occasional drink or two on the weekend and perhaps smoke a joint once in awhile, while others finish off a case of beer, an eighth of marijuana or an 8-ball of cocaine on a nightly basis. Either way, drugs have become synonymous with college life.
“I recently came across a study that found almost half of all college students in the United States abuse drugs or alcohol at least once every month,” Sherrie Gillette, Director of Clinton County Addiction Services, said. “That’s nearly 3 million students across this country using illegal drugs or binge drinking on a regular basis. Those numbers are really quite alarming”
While the percentage of students who abuse drugs and alcohol is very high, it doesn’t seem to shock many students when they find out. “I’m actually surprised the numbers aren’t higher,” Plattsburgh State senior Ross McCallister said. “Drugs and alcohol are everywhere across campus; especially alcohol. I can’t think of a single person off the top of my head that I know here who doesn’t drink.”
Statistics compiled by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse seem to back-up McCallister’s statement. According to NCASA, alcohol is the favored substance of abuse on college campuses by far. They do state, however, that marijuana and prescription drug use has dramatically increased since the mid-’90s.
When speaking with students on campus, the number one response as to why they use drugs or alcohol was simply, “to have a good time.” When asked whether or not they worried about repercussions or consequences that might come about from their substance abuse most said it never really crosses their mind.
“When you’re out on a Saturday night boozing it up and having a good time with your friends, what ‘might’ happen is usually not something you’re thinking about,” said McCallister.”
What might happen from abusing alcohol and drugs usually isn’t at the forefront of the users thoughts, but perhaps it should be. According to Plattsburgh State University Police Officer Jon Bombard, “Somewhere around 80% of all arrests that we make on campus involve drugs or alcohol in one way or another.”
Alcohol and other mind altering substances are a part of everyday life on college campuses, and most likely always will be. The use of alcohol and drugs is often followed by negative lingering effects on students, the schools, and the community in general. “Students are using these substances and not worrying about the consequences,” Gillette said. “We need to educate them on the risks of engaging in these behaviors so hopefully they will be able to make smarter decisions which will benefit everyone in the end.”
From the downtown bar scene to fraternity and sorority parties, it’s evident that alcohol and drugs play a large role in the lives of many college students in America today. Some may have an occasional drink or two on the weekend and perhaps smoke a joint once in awhile, while others finish off a case of beer, an eighth of marijuana or an 8-ball of cocaine on a nightly basis. Either way, drugs have become synonymous with college life.
“I recently came across a study that found almost half of all college students in the United States abuse drugs or alcohol at least once every month,” Sherrie Gillette, Director of Clinton County Addiction Services, said. “That’s nearly 3 million students across this country using illegal drugs or binge drinking on a regular basis. Those numbers are really quite alarming”
While the percentage of students who abuse drugs and alcohol is very high, it doesn’t seem to shock many students when they find out. “I’m actually surprised the numbers aren’t higher,” Plattsburgh State senior Ross McCallister said. “Drugs and alcohol are everywhere across campus; especially alcohol. I can’t think of a single person off the top of my head that I know here who doesn’t drink.”
Statistics compiled by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse seem to back-up McCallister’s statement. According to NCASA, alcohol is the favored substance of abuse on college campuses by far. They do state, however, that marijuana and prescription drug use has dramatically increased since the mid-’90s.
When speaking with students on campus, the number one response as to why they use drugs or alcohol was simply, “to have a good time.” When asked whether or not they worried about repercussions or consequences that might come about from their substance abuse most said it never really crosses their mind.
“When you’re out on a Saturday night boozing it up and having a good time with your friends, what ‘might’ happen is usually not something you’re thinking about,” said McCallister.”
What might happen from abusing alcohol and drugs usually isn’t at the forefront of the users thoughts, but perhaps it should be. According to Plattsburgh State University Police Officer Jon Bombard, “Somewhere around 80% of all arrests that we make on campus involve drugs or alcohol in one way or another.”
Alcohol and other mind altering substances are a part of everyday life on college campuses, and most likely always will be. The use of alcohol and drugs is often followed by negative lingering effects on students, the schools, and the community in general. “Students are using these substances and not worrying about the consequences,” Gillette said. “We need to educate them on the risks of engaging in these behaviors so hopefully they will be able to make smarter decisions which will benefit everyone in the end.”
Drug Charticle
By Charlie Peppers
Psychedelic zombies, better known as “flower children,” spring to life in Giltz Auditorium. Clad in dead fashion trends, these zombies curl around the aisles and flank audience members. Twisting and swerving, their surprisingly nimble bodies move in what could be misread as gestures of a dark ritual. All migrate to the stage, a temporary bone yard. However, no audience member’s brain is being inhaled through a voodoo bong. The zombies are simply belting lyrics about their precious era: the Age of Aquarius. The zombies are here to rock.
The zombies are SUNY Plattsburgh students, byproduct of the theater program.
Christian Amato, 21, chose to breathe life into Hair, a musical encapsulating the rebellion of “flower children.” He said he originally thought it would be “great for students, especially freshmen, to have a musical waiting for them, to kick off the year.”
“It’s such a high energy show,” Amato said. “It’s also the 40th anniversary of Wood Stock. It had to be Hair.”
Although Amato has performed “musical CPR” on Hair, the characters in the show use drugs more frequently than they sing and dance. The fictionalized characters are mostly American teenagers, experiencing the Vietnam War through the lens of indifference. Amato suggested drugs were an outlet for the characters’ unwavering energy.
Unsurprisingly, the counter-culture of drugs left a deep impression on future generations and the college scene.
Dr. Olivia O’Donnell, professor in the political science department, gives her two cents on the role different drugs played in the Age of Aquarius and ultimately the 2000s.
LSD
“The use of LSD and Marijuana (was big in the late 1960s). It became a mind-expanding drug. It was used as a drug to treat psychosis and mental health. It became part of the psychedelic era. There was this notion that dropping acid would alter your mind, see things you normally wouldn’t.
Marijuana
“At the same time there was a move to legalize marijuana. Marijuana wasn’t addictive as tobacco was. It became life blood of the hippie movement, the anti-war movement. Students still use it now.”
Psychedelic zombies, better known as “flower children,” spring to life in Giltz Auditorium. Clad in dead fashion trends, these zombies curl around the aisles and flank audience members. Twisting and swerving, their surprisingly nimble bodies move in what could be misread as gestures of a dark ritual. All migrate to the stage, a temporary bone yard. However, no audience member’s brain is being inhaled through a voodoo bong. The zombies are simply belting lyrics about their precious era: the Age of Aquarius. The zombies are here to rock.
The zombies are SUNY Plattsburgh students, byproduct of the theater program.
Christian Amato, 21, chose to breathe life into Hair, a musical encapsulating the rebellion of “flower children.” He said he originally thought it would be “great for students, especially freshmen, to have a musical waiting for them, to kick off the year.”
“It’s such a high energy show,” Amato said. “It’s also the 40th anniversary of Wood Stock. It had to be Hair.”
Although Amato has performed “musical CPR” on Hair, the characters in the show use drugs more frequently than they sing and dance. The fictionalized characters are mostly American teenagers, experiencing the Vietnam War through the lens of indifference. Amato suggested drugs were an outlet for the characters’ unwavering energy.
Unsurprisingly, the counter-culture of drugs left a deep impression on future generations and the college scene.
Dr. Olivia O’Donnell, professor in the political science department, gives her two cents on the role different drugs played in the Age of Aquarius and ultimately the 2000s.
LSD
“The use of LSD and Marijuana (was big in the late 1960s). It became a mind-expanding drug. It was used as a drug to treat psychosis and mental health. It became part of the psychedelic era. There was this notion that dropping acid would alter your mind, see things you normally wouldn’t.
Marijuana
“At the same time there was a move to legalize marijuana. Marijuana wasn’t addictive as tobacco was. It became life blood of the hippie movement, the anti-war movement. Students still use it now.”
How to throw a great and cost efficient College Party
By Ronald Mello
Every student who has been to a college with on-campus housing has at one time in their lives been to either a lame or boring college party and in turn have thought about throwing their own parties in either rented or bought apartments or houses. For those who have turned those thoughts into actions and are currently living off-campus and looking to throw great, cost efficient party this article is for you. .
What day should you have your party on?
First and foremost you have to pick a day of the week and keep that day consistent. If you know a lot of people who don’t have early classes on Friday then have your party on Thursday night. If a lot of people have classes early Friday morning then by all means have it Friday night. Pick a night and stick with it to ensure the party-going masses don’t get confused as to when your party is. Having your party on the same day each and every week ensures the same people are going to come back week after week.
How should I advertise?
The most important aspect of advertising is publicity. You want people talking about your house and the parties thrown in it. Just make sure that everything is off paper and online sites such as Facebook and Myspace. This is because it could warrant unwanted attention by the authorities who will not balk at putting a stop to your party. It’s much better to have people talk about your party and let it be known you’re throwing one through word of mouth.
Kegs Vs. Cans and how much should you charge?
How much you charge will depend entirely on what method of serving drinks at your party. There are two ways of selling beer at parties. One is by having the host charge each guest $5 dollars to enter their house. This includes a refillable plastic cup which can be filled at one of the kegs that can be found within the house.
“To fill a keg costs around $45 dollars,” says Webb Travis, 22, a graduate student of SUNY Plattsburgh who was host to last year’s parties at 92 Court Street. “So basically nine kids buying a $5 cup allows you to break even on a keg, and since your going to have more than nine people at your party you can afford more kegs and still maintain a high profit.”
The second and less commonly seen option is allowing people in for free and selling actual beer cans for $1. Letting in people for free and only selling cans isn’t as efficient as kegs because people will bring either their own beer or liquor and will only purchase from you if they are in need. Still by buying a 30 pack of Keystone or Milwaukee’s best for $15 dollars ensures that as long as you sell half the box you at least break even. Great parties can be thrown using this method and be may be profitable, but just not a nearly as profitable as kegs.
Crystal Gropper, 21, who owns an off-campus apartment, does something out of the norm. She will either charge a small fee to get in or will have people give her money in advance to go out and get beverages. Though not as big as other house parties in the area she stills sees a fair amount of people because of how she conducts herself. She said, “Friends will bring other friends because they know they will have a good time at my place.” She then went on to say that, “interacting with the guests is just as important as not running out of beer and drinks.”
What extra incentives should you have at your parties?
Shots in general are an additional way to drink for those who don’t like the taste of beer and is a quicker way to get drunk for most. Selling shots alongside beer, from either kegs or cans, can be an additional source of revenue.
“We’ve sold shots for $1 each, and depending on the brand of liquor, often make a good $30 to $50 dollars on every bottle,” says Travis.
Roughly 100 Jello shots can be made in under an hour since it won’t be just you doing all the work. By having your room mates help out you can a lot made up quickly and the girls love them. Another thing to have is games whether its beer pong, quarters, or cards. Music and dancing is another crowd pleaser which everyone seems to enjoy.
What do you do about the cops?
One of the most irritating and annoying aspects of off-campus parties is the eventual breakup by police. This occurs nearly every weekend to at least one party and by following these tips you can be sure to keep your party under the radar. Make sure to keep all light in. This means covering your windows with blinds, drapes, blankets, or card board. Another dead give away to a party happening in your domain is people hanging out around your house. Get everyone inside as quickly as possible and when they leave make sure they are on their way far from your house. Fines from the police can cost anywhere from $50 to $200 and can double for each successive offense.
How much money should you begin with?
Throwing a great party doesn’t just happen. It takes time, organization, and planning. A good estimate to begin would be $300. This pays the cost for cups, 4-5 kegs, liquor, or 30-packs. The most important thing to remember is to have fun with it and learn from your past experiences. If 4-5 kegs are too much, get less for the next party. As long as people show up and drink your party will be a success.
Every student who has been to a college with on-campus housing has at one time in their lives been to either a lame or boring college party and in turn have thought about throwing their own parties in either rented or bought apartments or houses. For those who have turned those thoughts into actions and are currently living off-campus and looking to throw great, cost efficient party this article is for you. .
What day should you have your party on?
First and foremost you have to pick a day of the week and keep that day consistent. If you know a lot of people who don’t have early classes on Friday then have your party on Thursday night. If a lot of people have classes early Friday morning then by all means have it Friday night. Pick a night and stick with it to ensure the party-going masses don’t get confused as to when your party is. Having your party on the same day each and every week ensures the same people are going to come back week after week.
How should I advertise?
The most important aspect of advertising is publicity. You want people talking about your house and the parties thrown in it. Just make sure that everything is off paper and online sites such as Facebook and Myspace. This is because it could warrant unwanted attention by the authorities who will not balk at putting a stop to your party. It’s much better to have people talk about your party and let it be known you’re throwing one through word of mouth.
Kegs Vs. Cans and how much should you charge?
How much you charge will depend entirely on what method of serving drinks at your party. There are two ways of selling beer at parties. One is by having the host charge each guest $5 dollars to enter their house. This includes a refillable plastic cup which can be filled at one of the kegs that can be found within the house.
“To fill a keg costs around $45 dollars,” says Webb Travis, 22, a graduate student of SUNY Plattsburgh who was host to last year’s parties at 92 Court Street. “So basically nine kids buying a $5 cup allows you to break even on a keg, and since your going to have more than nine people at your party you can afford more kegs and still maintain a high profit.”
The second and less commonly seen option is allowing people in for free and selling actual beer cans for $1. Letting in people for free and only selling cans isn’t as efficient as kegs because people will bring either their own beer or liquor and will only purchase from you if they are in need. Still by buying a 30 pack of Keystone or Milwaukee’s best for $15 dollars ensures that as long as you sell half the box you at least break even. Great parties can be thrown using this method and be may be profitable, but just not a nearly as profitable as kegs.
Crystal Gropper, 21, who owns an off-campus apartment, does something out of the norm. She will either charge a small fee to get in or will have people give her money in advance to go out and get beverages. Though not as big as other house parties in the area she stills sees a fair amount of people because of how she conducts herself. She said, “Friends will bring other friends because they know they will have a good time at my place.” She then went on to say that, “interacting with the guests is just as important as not running out of beer and drinks.”
What extra incentives should you have at your parties?
Shots in general are an additional way to drink for those who don’t like the taste of beer and is a quicker way to get drunk for most. Selling shots alongside beer, from either kegs or cans, can be an additional source of revenue.
“We’ve sold shots for $1 each, and depending on the brand of liquor, often make a good $30 to $50 dollars on every bottle,” says Travis.
Roughly 100 Jello shots can be made in under an hour since it won’t be just you doing all the work. By having your room mates help out you can a lot made up quickly and the girls love them. Another thing to have is games whether its beer pong, quarters, or cards. Music and dancing is another crowd pleaser which everyone seems to enjoy.
What do you do about the cops?
One of the most irritating and annoying aspects of off-campus parties is the eventual breakup by police. This occurs nearly every weekend to at least one party and by following these tips you can be sure to keep your party under the radar. Make sure to keep all light in. This means covering your windows with blinds, drapes, blankets, or card board. Another dead give away to a party happening in your domain is people hanging out around your house. Get everyone inside as quickly as possible and when they leave make sure they are on their way far from your house. Fines from the police can cost anywhere from $50 to $200 and can double for each successive offense.
How much money should you begin with?
Throwing a great party doesn’t just happen. It takes time, organization, and planning. A good estimate to begin would be $300. This pays the cost for cups, 4-5 kegs, liquor, or 30-packs. The most important thing to remember is to have fun with it and learn from your past experiences. If 4-5 kegs are too much, get less for the next party. As long as people show up and drink your party will be a success.
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