What to Listen for in Female Vocalists

Review – Wicked the Musical – Hannah Osborn

female7 — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 00:54:10 +0000

Melbourne’s Regent Theatre has played host to the witches of Oz for almost the past 12 months, with no sign of slowing down. The smash hit Broadway spectacle has dazzled audiences all over the world, and for Australians, it has been no different.

Wicked is centred around the two female characters familiar to us from the L. Frank Baum tale The Wizard of Oz, and based on Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, the best seller by Gregory Maguire. Amanda Harrison and Lucy Durack are the leading ladies of the production, and each deliver commanding vocal and dramatic performances. Harrison brings to life Elphaba Thropp, the green skinned, misunderstood Wicked Witch of the West, and delivers outstanding musical numbers such as Defying Gravity and the Wizard and I. Making her professional debut at the age of 18, Harrison is brimming with experience heard in every note of her performance. Similarly, Durack has an extensive musical background, and delivers a comically delightful Galinda/Glinda the Good, with impressive numbers including the colourful Popular.

Wicked is not just a musical, a show or a performance. It is an experience of a lifetime. The dynamic offering of sound and visual achievement would not be given justice if viewed through any other medium but the one of live stage. From any seat in the theatre, the performances of Harrison, Durack and the fellow cast are captivating. Their voices and stage presence are moving and thrilling, and the Sunday Age labelled it “the hottest ticket in town”. With a vast littering of memorable moments, including Elphaba raised high in the air as she belts out the lyrics to Defying Gravity, this show simply must be enjoyed in the theatre, performed live, to enchant all of the senses.
to book tickets or read more see www.wickedthemusical.com.au

Original, Daring, Unique. Website Suggestion – Hannah Osborn

female7 — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 00:41:00 +0000

Original, Daring, Unique.

I stumbled upon this site when I was looking for information to help me write some of my other blog entries. I think its worth a look to those interested in female vocalists…

http://rateyourmusic.com/list/bron31/original__daring__unique___the_best_female_artists

Its always interesting to see another person’s opinion. The author of this site has included these female musicians based on multiple things – their vocal abilities, song writing, experimentation in musical delivery, and use of technique within genre. By combining all these elements, a list has been constructed of the ten most innovative and unique female artists of pop music history.

I’d love to know what anyone else thinks!

Signing off-Jessie Brown

female7 — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 23:45:31 +0000

When pondering the problems of the music industry in a globalised and instantaneous environment it became apparent that this blog was in a way slapping the music industry in the face. While we critique and comment on music we rely on free videos from YouTube and free music from LimeWire. We expect to be able to show our readers the source of music and yet not pay to be able to do this. At the same time however, we are providing free advertising putting the music on the agenda of our readers and if anything we are operating similarly to a radio program which listeners do not pay for. Kate Holton writes, “the music industry’s many critics say executives need to relinquish more control and could even pick up some ideas from the pirates – people who have created services to download music illegally – who they are fighting” (2009). So are we-as writers of this blog-considered pirates or pioneers?

It was the need to find old music no longer sold in stores which led to the online music revolution. People file shared their music creating an online music community, until sites such as LimeWire saw a market and tapped it. Now the online music community is younger and has become acquainted to an easy and cheap means of gaining music. It has lead to a collection of genres being posted all over the web and the original users of these file sharing spaces have been left with “a kind of collective schizophrenia, born from deep involvement with both classical and popular music” (Kaminsky, 2000). In this respect our blog site can be justified as a means for discussing and resolving this schizophrenia within the audience. Helping the audience to establish where music fits culturally is a purpose of this site, however identifying music a s a cultural phenomena and managing analytically discuss this is a more impotant theme. If this means the use of pirated material than we are just operating within the cultural context we have been discussing. We hope you enjoyed our blog.

Holtton, K. 2009, Music industry urged to embrace the Internet , REUTERS, viewed on http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSTRE50J03U20090120 on 1st June 2009.

Kaminsky, Peter M. “Revenge of the Boomers: Notes on the Analysis of Rock Music.” Music Theory Online 6/3 (2000). http://mto.societymusictheory.org/issues/mto.00.6.3/mto.00.6.3.kaminsky.html

Album review – Lady GaGa – THE FAME – Kylie Voght

female7 — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 10:46:28 +0000

Released August 2008

In an interview with MTV explained about The Fame as

“This idea of ‘The Fame’ runs through and through. Basically, if you have nothing—no money, no fame—you can still feel beautiful and dirty rich. It’s about making choices, and having references—things you pull from your life that you believe in. It’s about self-discovery”

While Lady GaGa talks like an empower of the “normal” woman, what does she really convey? Here are some quotes which may show otherwise:

SONG	Quote	Meaning
Just Dance	“Wish I should shut my play boy mouth”	Image of female being play boy, porno, sex image
Paparazzi	“ I’ll be your girl backstage at your show”	Groupie, girls always lead and never follow
Poker face	“And baby when it’s love if it’s not rough it isn’t fun”	Again, porno sex image.
I like it rough		Doesn’t the song title say it all?

So when Lady GaGa talks about feeling “Beautiful and dirty rich” maybe she was just confused and meant to say you can still feel “dirty and beautifully rich”? I’m sure any female vocalist who is willing to promote the stereotypical sex bunny image will make it as far as any Gaga Lady.

And do her “costumes” really show about her?

Forgetting something???

like some pants?

Like a shirt?

Or just being “LADY” like?

SHOULD WE REALLY BE CONVEYING THIS IMAGE/SONG TO TEENAGE GIRLS?

P.S. Although, at least she writes her own music…. did you guys know that Lady GaGa wrote songs for both Britney Spears and PCD?

Subversion-Jessie Brown

female7 — Sun, 31 May 2009 23:42:56 +0000

While female vocalists make up an enormous part of the music industry there are other female’s also subverting discourses around women. Women in rap videos often sing small parts on rap tracks, walk around in barely any clothes, rub up against the male rap artist and are often the subject matter of the lyrics. “Rap music videos sell not only hip-hop culture, but also the very image of its women. They serve as eye candy designed to satisfy an assumed male video audience, affirming critiques of the culture as hyper-masculine and misogynist” (Moor, 2008). Yet when deconstructed these women can be viewed as pioneers rather than submissive singers. Often these women are African American and are idolised by the singers as the image of beauty. This is a complete subversion of the beauty industry which concentrates on one type of beauty-skinny, blond and white. “Hip-hop’s popularity and global appeal has interestingly repositioned the definition of beauty and sexuality away from whiteness” (Moor, 2008). In becoming ‘eye candy’ these women are saying “we are the image of beauty and beauty comes in all colours, we are what men want.” This is a very powerful message within greater society. While this imagery may not promote women within the discourse of music it is promoting a much better image in the beauty industry and greater social world. Next time you see a stereotypical rap film clip don’t diss the female singing in the background because she is breaking outdated social stereotypes previously established by the film, television and music industry.

Moor, A (2008) ‘Still,’ Meridians, Vol. 8, Iss. 1, p. 205. Accessed from ProQuest on 1 June 2009.

A History of Women and Music by Sarah Dawson

female7 — Sun, 31 May 2009 05:59:27 +0000

Whilst thinking about our blog ‘female vocalists’, I began to think about the history behind it. Have women always been a prominent part of the music industry? Did the feminist movement have any influence of the music that was been produced at the time?

After reading some information from ‘Women & Music: A history’, I began to gain an understandng of the changing roles of women in music. http://books.google.com.au/books?hl=en&lr=&id=J1_CQ8MkYP0C&oi=fnd&pg=PR7&dq=history+of+women+singers&ots=BJG7y-x0TK&sig=HVfKDJq_qyDBOPk3jrtVKdtgp30#PPR10,M1

Women have been involved in making music since the dawn of time, however their historical works can often be forgotten, and credit has only started to be given to these female musicians since the late 20th Century.

The feminist movement in the 1960s and 1970s showed the emergence of many studies and theories which focused on the position of women, their lives and contributions that certain women had made to society. It was during this period that scholars in music began to show a greater interest in the work of females. However, there was limited information on women’s musical activities. Music was one of the slowest fields in which music came to the fore, although some progress was made during this feminist movement and females were starting to get more acknowledgement on their contributions to the music industry.

In the mid 1990s, there were studies of nuns and their music from the years 1600-1725. These studies showed that there were some brilliant music pieces by North Italian Nuns that had previously been neglected in the music industry. At the time the women compiled the music, nobody was interested in it as it was created by Nuns. However, in the 1990s when this music was brought to the attention to the modern society, scholars Robert Kendrik and Craig Monson researched the traditional views about the place of nuns, convents and their music in Early Modern Europe, and their music became known.

In the past decade, another forgotten group of women has emerged from the shadows. These were composers, conductors, performers and performance outlets of classical music. In past times, these women were often ignored and treated condescendingly

Another intersting site regarding this issue was http://www.uwsp.edu/music/pholland/301/index.htm

This site discussed two historical women composers.

This is an image of Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179). Hildegard is most famously known as a mystic and has written many theological works, however in recent years more attention has been paid to her compositions. In the last few years, her recordings have become increasingly available.

Another famous historical musician is Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel (1805-18-47)

Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel faced an ongoing struggle against convention and her own family throughout her life in order to publish music. Her brother was a famous composer (Felix Mendelssohn), and the two of them would often put on concerts together. Not long before her death, Hensel overcame her struggle and she published a number of works.

Today, in a modern society, women have equal opportunites and no longer have to fight oppression, however it is important not to forget the ongoing struggle that women did have in becoming a part of the music industry.

Lilly Allen CD Review By Sarah Dawson

female7 — Sun, 31 May 2009 05:57:25 +0000

Lilly Allens most recent single “Not fair” is cheeky and Allen is daring to go where most artists do not. The song is catchy and cute, and whilst it was not as big a hit as “The Fear” it was still a great success!

Allen’s clever, sly lyrics (which are shown below) are covered up by her sweet and inncocent tone. She is singing about her boyfriend who is ‘bad’ in bed, however the song has a country and western feel to it.

“There’s just one thing that’s getting in the way
When we go up to bed you’re just no good
Its such a shame
I look into your eyes I want to get to know you
And then you make this noise and its apparent it’s all over”

“Oh I lie here in the wet patch
In the middle of the bed
I’m feeling pretty damn hard done by
I spent ages giving head
Then I remember all the nice things that you ever said to me
Maybe I’m just overreacting maybe you’re the one for me”

It raises questions of music censorship and the position of women in the music industry. Lilly Allen is a popular artist and is in fact one of my favourites, however this song made me think what the reaction would be if a male sang a song about a woman being disappointing in bed or something of a similar nature. Would there be a public outcry about the disrespectful nature of the song? Our blog has had a stong focus on the oppression women have faced and their role in society and the music industry, but are they using this vulnerability to get away with disrespecting men and exploiting their position? I would be interested to hear what u guys think about it!

The cult of Hannah Montana- Jessie Brown

female7 — Sun, 31 May 2009 03:45:22 +0000

Hannah Montana is one of the most powerful female artists to date, yet Hannah is a fictional character. Her alias Miley Cyrus also has a very prominent singing career topping the charts with her single ‘The Seven Things I Hate About You’. Hannah Montana started as a television show partly produced and starred in by Billy Ray Cyrus, an old pop star. His daughter was given the lead role and the show revolves around the supposed ‘real life’ of Miley attempting to live a double life as singing sensation Hannah Montana and local school student Miley. Hannah Montana is a perfect example of fan culture. She has over 1 000 fan sites, such as:

http://www.hannahmontanarocks.com/

http://www.hannahmontanaefan.com/

Not to mention the merchandise sold with the Hannah Montana brand name. There are shows, dvds, cds, clothes, shoes, toys, games, drink bottles, microphones, coasters, dinnerware, furniture and more.

Visit this link for all your merchandise needs:

http://hannahmontana.tystoybox.com/

The demographic for this brand is between the ages of 5 and16, yet the audience can range to people in their thirties. While this fan base is said to arrive after Disney identified a gap in the market, blogger Steve Anderson has a different opinion. “While Billy Ray continues to benignly pimp his daughter, whose career is a whole lot more than his ever was, the cult of personality that seems to be sprouting up around her is getting downright creepy. If they keep on at this rate it’s only a matter of time before the Cyrus Compound starts welcoming in twelve year olds for contact with the mothership” (http://www.kwanzoo.com/social-trivia/the-cult-of-hannah-montana-miley-cyrus-uber-alles.shtml). Either way Hannah Montana is an icon rivaling the likes of Marilyn Monroe.

Lyrics and Meaning- Jessie Brown

female7 — Sun, 31 May 2009 03:01:13 +0000

Previously our blog has looked at Alanis Morrisette. I would like to use her song ‘Isn’t it ironic’ to analyse on the basis of the meaning of lyrics. It is clear that catchy lyrics do not necessarily need to make sense. For years Morissette’s song has been confusing individuals about what irony is with her absurd and incorrect lyrics.

For example:

“It’s like rain on your wedding day.”

This would only be ironic if you were the weather man and predicted the weather.

“It’s like a traffic jam when you are already late”

This would only be ironic if you were the town planner and on your way to a town planning meeting.

“He waited his whole damn life to take that flight
And as the plane crashed down he thought
“Well isn’t this nice…”
And isn’t it ironic… don’t you think”

No this is not ironic either. Unless you were the person who serviced the plane’s and decided to take the week off so you could go on the vacation you were travelling to.

To view further lyrics of this song visit:

http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/alanismorissette/ironic.html

Below is a funny remake of the song so that the lyrics are actually ironic.

Inskip believes musicology of songs is what produces meaning rather then the lyrics (2008). For example, Blues is a genre of jazz which requires no lyrics and yet can produce the same sad emotions from its audience as a love ballad can with its strong empathetic lyrics. On the other hand lyrics can be the defining feature in a genre, such as country music which requires a story to be told throughout the song, or rap which relies completely on iys words being spoken. While lyrics can be ‘silly’ they often describe a point in time. For example a lot of 60s music was written while artists were under the influence of drugs. While the words may not make sense they are perfect examples of the point in time.

While Morissette clearly did not understand her lyrics, they can be an important factor in music depending on the genre of music and the audience.

Sources:

Inskip,C., A MacFarlane, P Rafferty, Meaning, communication, music: towards a revised communication model Journal of Documentation, V64 N5 2008 pp:687-706

Embracing the Internet – Nat Setz

female7 — Thu, 28 May 2009 09:15:18 +0000

Developments in technology, particularly those relating to the internet, have ensured that the role of computers are becoming increasingly important in relation to the production, distribution and consumption of music. At present, the consumption and distribution of music via digital computer networks is of most concern to the music industry as it is the most prominent way in which listening practices are being reshaped by new technologies (Jones, 2000).

Unfortunately, this new technology also has what Kate Holton describes as a “dark side” – referring to the people who have used the internet to create services to download music illegally (2009). This of course has the industry severely pissed off as they are loosing big dollars, however, thankfully some can still see the internet as the great opportunity it is as a vehicle of innovation which can expand and redefine the industry.

Michael Robertson, the head of MP3Tunes, urged the industry to go further and allow more experiments with their music: “There is innovation happening but it’s coming from the dark side of the Internet, from pirates, from the underground. And that is showing where the industry is going to be. ” (Holton, 2009)

The connection of the personal computer to the Internet also brings potential for the consumer to be connected to a wide variety of music, broadening the scope of the consumer’s listening possibilities (Jones, 2000). One female vocalist who has seen this opportunity presented by the Internet, and used it to her advantage, is Lily Allen.

With her record label prioritising other artists, Allen utilized the social networking site Myspace to share her music with the world. In November 2005 she created a Myspace page and began posting demos which attracted thousands of listeners and offered her the most valuable asset an artist can hope for – exposure. As a result of this popularity, her label was convinced to allow her more creative control over her album, and in March 2006 she received her first mainstream coverage, appearing on the cover of The Observer Music Monthly which included an article about her success through Myspace.

In an interview with Pitchfork, Allen talks the impact of Myspace on her career. It is interesting to note the emphasis that is laid on the fact that there were no “industry machinations” behind her Myspace success with Allen stating “my record company didn’t even know what MySpace was!” This gives an idea of the powerful tool the internet has become in the distribution and consumption of music and the way it is transforming the music industry in a real way.

To read the interview visit – http://pitchfork.com/features/interviews/6476-lily-allen/

Lily Allen’s Myspace page – http://www.myspace.com/lilyallen

References:

Jones, S. (2000) “Music and the Internet” Popular Music 19, pp 217 -230

Holton, K. (2009) “Music industry urged to embrace the internet” – http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSTRE50J03U20090120?sp=true