Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today’s playlist is curated by Music Library student manager Eliana (class of 2024) and features a selection of songs recorded live.
Best Live Performances
There’s an endless number of incredible live performances, but these are some of the ones that top my list. I suppose being able to see the real thing would be better but a YouTube video is a close second, right?!?
Michael Jackson – “Billie Jean” (Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever at Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, California on March 25, 1983) – An even bigger cultural reset
Rihanna – “Love on the Brain” (Live at Global Citizen Festival 2016) – Performance I would have traded my left kidney for to see live
Beyoncé – “At Last” (For Barack and Michelle Obama – Inaugural Ball January 20, 2009) – A defining historical moment that never fails to bring tears to my eyes
Editor’s note:Arachnophonia (“Arachno” = spider / “-phonia” = sound) is a regular feature on our blog where members of the UR community can share their thoughts about resources from the Parsons Music Library‘s collection.
I, like most young cellists, have a love-hate relationship with David Popper. Popper was a prominent composer of Romantic-era cello solo music in the 19th century. He wrote four concertos, although his most played solo piece is probably “Tarantella.” What some may not know is that in addition to these concert solo pieces, he wrote a book of etudes dedicated to strengthening cello technique – 40 Studies: High School of Cello Playing. As the description might give away, the music in this book is not meant for performance in a recital or concert series. These etudes focus on playing in different positions, frequent shifting, bow control, and much more, meaning some of them sound very strange and complicated to listeners. Some musicians consider mastery of these etudes (among other things) a hallmark of a professional cellist.
While playing through such a book may sound like every aspiring young cellist’s dream, many of them are harder to play than they appear on paper. Then, considering the book has 40 separate etudes each averaging about two pages, you can only imagine how much time and dedication mastering each and every one might take. It’s a wonderful resource – if you have the patience to spend countless hours on them.
Since I was first assigned an etude out of this book, I have struggled and fumbled my way through roughly a quarter of the 40 available to me until I ended up with something I was happy with. I can’t say that I got as much joy out of this type of practice as I have on recent solo pieces I have rehearsed, but I also must admit that playing through the etudes strengthened my playing more than I could have imagined. Thumb position used to be a region of the cello I never thought I would be able to wander into confidently, but after playing Etude No. 1 and 5, I feel stronger and enjoy going high on the instrument. If you are a cellist and don’t have a copy of this book in your library, consider picking up a copy from the Music Library!
Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today’s playlist is curated by Music Library student manager Kiran (class of 2024) and features musical discoveries from her study abroad experience in La Rochelle, France.
La Rochelle, je t’aime
This summer I had the opportunity to study abroad on the coast of France with other UR students. I spent a month travelling, learning, and eating a ton of croissants. Every year, Dr. Olivier Delers takes students to La Rochelle, a beautiful city just north of Bordeaux. Our trip also happened to coincide with two major festivals that happen in the downtown area: Francofolies and FERMA La Rochelle. Francofolies is a four-day music festival showcasing some of the most popular French artists, while FERMA is international film festival that takes place the week before.
Prior to my trip, I had listened to mostly Indian and American music. I enjoy listening to music in different languages, so I had high hopes for Francofolies. This playlist is inspired by my favorite French and Belgian artists, some of who I had the chance to see live in La Rochelle. This trip gave me some of the best memories, and I am so grateful to have experienced everything that this city had to offer.
Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today’s playlist is curated by Music Library Associate Melanie and features some Paul McCartney tracks.
This playlist was inspired by Paul McCartney (sometimes known to British fans as “Macca”) and the delightful quirky streak evident throughout his music career. His odder tracks also highlight the startling versatility of his voice and his interest in experimental recording techniques.
Let’s start with 2 versions of the same song. “Coming Up” was the opening track on the 1980 album McCartney II. The song makes use of synthesizers and sped-up vocals using a vari-speed tape machine.
The video for this version actually premiered on Saturday Night Live on May 17, 1980 and features multiple McCartneys and a couple of Linda McCartneys as a (fictional) band called the Plastic Macs.
This version peaked at number 2 on the UK singles chart, while in the U.S. and Canada a live version of the song recorded in Glasgow in 1979 was released and became the hit version peaking at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
McCartney’s old bandmate John Lennon really liked the album version of the song, saying “I thought that ‘Coming Up’ was great, … And I like the freak version that he made in his barn better than that live Glasgow one.” So herewith, a playlist highlighting Macca’s “freaky side”. I might have gotten a bit carried away with this list, but there’s so much fun stuff out there, I couldn’t resist! – MAA
“Où est le Soleil?” (A synth-y electronic vibe en français. The lyrics translate as “Where is the sun? In the head. Work.” From Flowers in the Dirt, released 1989)
“Wild Honey Pie” (A snippet in the key of F# major (that’s 6 sharps!). From The Beatles’ White Album, released in 1968)
“Kreen-Akrore” (A lo-fi instrumental jam session. From McCartney, released 1970)
“Mary Had A Little Lamb” (Not a rocker at all, it’s a cute little children’s song based on the nursery rhyme. A non-album single, released in 1972.)
“Hi, Hi, Hi” (Quite a fun little rocker. Banned by the BBC for sexually suggestive lyrics and drug references. A staple of Wings live shows in the 1970s. Non-album single, released 1972)
“Magneto and Titanium Man” (A comic book inspired song featuring Marvel characters. Endorsed by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. From the Wings album Venus & Mars released in 1975.)
“Temporary Secretary” (Another 1980 track from McCartney II. Described in Rolling Stone as an “oddly catchy electro-pop nugget, about a slightly creepy-sounding guy looking to hire a temp.” Can’t argue with that assessment, really.)
“Step Inside Love/Los Paranoias” (This track from the Beatles Anthology 3 begins as a demo of a song for Cilla Black and morphs into an amusing jam session. Recorded in 1968. Released in 1996.)
“Old Siam Sir” (From the seventh and final Wings studio album Back to the Egg, released in 1979)
“Flaming Pie” (A track from the 1997 album also entitled Flaming Pie.)
“You Know My Name (Look Up The Number)” (A rather nutty music hall comedy number recorded between 1967 and 1969 and released as the B-Side to “Let It Be” in 1970. Listen for McCartney’s sleazy lounge singer character!)
Editor’s note:Arachnophonia (“Arachno” = spider / “-phonia” = sound) is a regular feature on our blog where members of the UR community can share their thoughts about resources from the Parsons Music Library‘s collection.
Waitress: The Musical holds a very strong place in my heart and might have the strongest memories and feelings attached to it than any other album could do in my life. And it all started pretty recently.
My senior year of high school, I gave up playing club soccer for the spring. I had played soccer year-round my whole life and wanted to take a break from club sports. I finished my senior season with the high school team as captain and thought that would be a fitting end to the journey. So, I did track and field in the spring to spruce it up and try and build on my winter times (which I had done for 4 years). Since the practices did not eat up nearly as much time as soccer, I still felt I needed something to do.
And so, through a few of my friends who were involved, I somehow got myself roped into joining a school musical (42nd Street). It was more intimidating than anything I had ever done, given I had never tapped, danced, sang, nor acted in my life. It was so out of my comfort zone and I felt worlds apart from anyone else. Given that I try to immerse and be the best that I can at anything I do, naturally, I tried to get myself adjusted to the world of arts.
I basically went to Playbill and found every contemporary musical that was currently playing on Broadway and listened to every single album. Some albums were played more than just once, as I continually listened to them until the lyrics were etched into my brain. Even if I was not totally invested in Broadway like my friends, I at least wanted to know everything about the culture and what I was getting myself into just as I do with any job or sport.
And through it, I heard Waitress. And I listened to it over and over and over and over and over. It became my second most-listened-to album in 2019 on Spotify and three of the songs were in my top 5. The lyrics and the songs were just ultimately too good and did not sound like a traditional Broadway musical songs. When I was younger, I felt a lot of Broadway was dance-heavy numbers, with raging horns and jazz beats, lights, eccentric acting (I did not like stage acting, I felt it was too jittery or not as deep as a film), and crazy costumes. And yet, Waitress was kind of the complete opposite. It took music from Sara Bareilles, a mainstream artist that was consistently played on the radio and turned it into a story. I was hooked. I obviously realized there were tons of other musicals like this, but it was the first one that really opened my eyes to another side of theatre.
To make a long story short, it became a habit to listen to the music, and I got pretty good at a couple of the songs on piano. The year I started listening, all of a sudden, an announcement was made that the show was closing January 5th, 2020. I was lowkey upset because I wanted to go so bad to the show, but I would never want to drop the pricey amount to go watch it live.
And then, like the grace of God’s warm light, I was bestowed with three tickets to watch the show. It was gifted as a birthday present. Me and two others got to watch the show two weeks before close, a week before Christmas, and made a whole day trip. We took a bus to NYC at noon, walked around the city for a couple hours, ice skated in Central Park, went out to eat at a nice restaurant, saw the tree at Rockefeller Center at night, and then saw the show at night. The show was even better in person and I got to watch it with people I loved.
Ultimately, after that moment, I knew that album had other sentimental value that could never be replaced. However, a couple of months afterward, I had not actually listened to the album again. Things happened that almost ruined the musical for me and the memories I had attached to it, but I put a positive twist on it and tried to forget some of the negatives.
Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today’s playlist is curated by Music Library student manager Danny (class of 2023) and is entitled “Midnight Delight”.
Midnight Delight
(the title depends heavily on if you enjoy letting your feelings out before a good sleep)
Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today’s playlist is curated by Music Library student manager Danny (class of 2023) and it may be somewhat relatable during exam season. Hang in there!
Editor’s note:Arachnophonia (“Arachno” = spider / “-phonia” = sound) is a regular feature on our blog where members of the UR community can share their thoughts about resources from the Parsons Music Library‘s collection.
Elton John is one of the most successful and influential musicians of all time, known for his expressive outfits and electrifying performances. In 1973, John released Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, a 17-song album that would go on to sell over 30 million copies worldwide. The album, with lyrics written by Bernie Taupin and produced by Gus Dudgeon, is known as one of John’s best works. Some of the best songs on the album include “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” “Candle in the Wind,” and “Bennie and the Jets”.
Ever since I had to analyze Goodbye Yellow Brick Road for a school project, the title track is one of my favorite songs. On the surface, “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” contains rich vocal harmonies, dreamy piano chords, and a crisp drum beat to create a contemplative atmosphere for John to reflect on his life of fame. As a child, I remember my parents singing along to “Bennie and the Jets” on the radio, another personal favorite song of mine from the album. The song has an instantly recognizable introduction and a spectacular piano solo that displays John’s genius piano and composition skills.
Though John struggled with addiction at the height of his fame, he managed to quit his substance abuse and create his own charity, the Elton John AIDS Foundation. Despite his personal struggles, Elton John is one of the most successful musicians of all time, selling over 300 million records and producing many timeless hits that will live on long after his career is over.
Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today’s playlist is curated by Music Library student manager Allison (class of 2022) and features some songs that make her happy. 🙂
Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today’s playlist is curated by Music Library student assistant Kinme (class of 2022) and features a playlist that was inspired by the musical Newsies.
Newsies: The Musical
Synopsis (from Broadway.com):
“Based on the real-life Newsboy Strike of 1899, this new Disney musical tells the story of Jack Kelly, a rebellious newsboy who dreams of a life as an artist away from the big city. After publishing giant Joseph Pulitzer raises newspaper prices at the newsboys’ expense, Kelly and his fellow newsies take action. With help from the beautiful female reporter Katherine Plumber, all of New York City soon recognizes the power of ‘the little man.'”
“Santa Fe” from Newsies
(Jack’s act one closer where he is contemplating leaving New York and finding a better place for himself after losing a battle against Pulitzer)
“Seize The Day” from Newsies
(A show-stopping number from act one where Jack and Davey rally the newsies to take a stand. Filled with amazing taps and acrobatics)
