Incorporating Music To Tell A Story Or An Emotion

Ideas to think about:

I’ve been thinking over the past week and during this weekend that maybe we could use music though-out the performance or in parts of the performance. This idea came about after I was listening to “Mockingbird” by Eminem, where he addresses his relationship with his daughter Hailie Jade and his adopted daughter Alaina and then his relationship with their mother Kim. It is a hard-hitting song to listen to by the topic of the song with the lyrics he uses “When I'm gone but I'm tryin to give you the life that I never had” - Eminem's daughters are his priority in life. He wanted to get signed so that he can earn enough money to raise his biological daughter Hailie. After that he adopted two other girls — Alaina (Kim’s sister’s daughter) and Whitney (Kim’s daughter from a previous marriage). Although they’re not his biological children, he still cares about them and tries to give them the best life possible.

http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/e/eminem/mockingbird_lyrics.html

I was then shuffling on my iPod and I realized that most of the music I listen to had strong, vocal lyrics, which make the songs more powerful and are, to me somewhat inspirational. Around the world, many years ago and still to this day we may have loads of different languages but music has combined us all together and it’s a way to communicate through tempo, rhythm, voice, and more. Even if the music is from another part of the world we can still relate to it and communicate through it this also happens through dance and acting.

During my life I have come across hurdles that I’ve had to face and it was extremely difficult copying with things that were going on in my life and I didn’t know how to deal with them. I was under a lot of pressure because I didn’t want to say anything that made me seem weak, but it drove me over the edge and I snapped. I was suddenly in a very bad place and I didn’t know how to over come it, lucky with the support of my family that all changed. I don’t want to go in to detail about it but what I can tell you, no matter how odd you may think this is or childish this might seem, the thing that saved me was singing. Singing was my way of escaping. I didn’t care what was going on around me as when I was singing it feels and still feels like I’m free. I believe the reason why singing helped me was because the emotion I put into the song helped me communicate my feelings and it sounded so raw and pure. I’m not afraid or ashamed of what happened to me but I am so thankful that it did in a way, as it taught me to become a better, stronger person than I was before and if it wasn’t for this I don’t think I would be here doing what I love doing. Most of the songs listed below helped me through those tough times – Demi Lovato and her music is so inspirational, every time I sing or listen to one of her songs I cant help but cry because her emotion she has put into that song makes it so heart clenching. She was admitted into rehab due to self-harm, eating disorders and her bipolar disorder. She recorded “Skyscraper” and she decided that she would record it again when she came out of rehab, but the producer and her both agreed that the song she recorded before she went in there was so pure and raw it sounded like she was crying out for help – which she was and does describe in her lyrics.  

Meaningful and inspirational songs:

·      Black or White – Michael Jackson

·      Earth Song – Michael Jackson

·      Man In The Mirror – Michael Jackson

·      Imagine – John Lennon

·      Skyscraper – Demi Lovato

·      For The Love Of A Daughter – Demi Lovato

·      Warrior – Demi Lovato

·      In Case – Demi Lovato

·      Nightingale – Demi Lovato

·      Fix A Heart – Demi Lovato

·      Chasing Cars – Snow Patrol

·      Ordinary People – John Legend

·      Beautiful – Christina Aguilera

·      The Voice Within – Christina Aguilera

·      Jesus Take The Wheel – Carrie Underwood

·      Fix You – Coldplay

·      Born This Way – Lady Gaga

·      Dare You To Move – Switchfoot

I would love to add our own music into our piece whether that is due to just drums and other instruments or taking it above ourselves and writing a song that expresses an emotion or a story.

This tune would be great to tell our own version of Little Red Riding Hood, as it sounds uplifting by the twinkling of the chimes but with the beating and thumbing of the background music. The music puts you rather on edge, as you don’t know what’s going to happen with the relationship between the chimes and thumping music.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onKxANKeasQ

This music entices the audience as it has a more modern hip/hop background to it but it could hold a deep, dark background or the complete opposite.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LD9db2Tal0

On an alternative side, this piece could be great to tell a story about someone going to war.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrDma3gypSM