CHRISTIAN RAP? March: A Time Line The Dynamic Keyboard Bastille: Let the Storm Rage On U2’s controversial album
A LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Dear Band Geeks, P ia n o Vi r t uo s o s, Punk-Rockers, and Jesus Freaks, We have traveled from all corners of the Woodford County High School, fought many fights, and brought our ideas together just for you. This magazine shows all sides of music, locally and nationally. We tried very hard to flow our ideas together with minimal bloodshed for your convenience. You may just be interested in the history of the piano, like that’s your whole life, so guess what? We got it. Our band of misfits rocks softly to the name of Jesus, making us fun for the whole family of instruments. But seriously, we tried to accomplish a task so impossible, that it took four afterschool detentions and a new keyboard to acheive. The entire spectrum of music is represented right here before you, so try something new. The best musicians are the well rounded ones, God knows I am after this, so get your brass goin’! Your Editor, Gabbie Bolone And co.
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The intelligence in our group resides with Andrew (Drew) Iglehart. The credit of the cover goes soley to him, as he has mastered the art of photoshop.
I am the graphic designer as well as our group leader. I also a member of the WCHS band, my speciality: the french horn. Enjoy!
A Tribute to Contributers
If you ever sense the slightest sarcasm in any of our aticles, you can bet it comes from our layout overviewer, Ben Luckett. His creativity is present in his everyday life as a member of the WCHS band, and especially in his writing.
-Elizabeth Turner Gabbie Bolone is our chief editor. She is a member of our high school’s advanced orchestra and is also an avid supporter of the indie rock scene. The humor in our print could not be possible sans her presence.
Maggie Sunseri is our innovative copy editor. She is both a lover of music and literature and recently finished her first novel.
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Table Of Letter From The Editor
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Contributors Page .............................................................................................................................................2
Table Of Contents
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March. ............................................................................................................................................................................................5
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March. ...........................................................................................................................................................................................5
Contents The Music Industry on Trial
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9 ..........................................................................................................................................................Christian Rap? Christian Rap? .............................................................................................................................................................9 15 .......................................................The Dynamic history of the Keyboard The Dynamic History Of the Keyboard
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19 .............................................................................................The Music Industry on Trial Let The Storm Rage On ..................................................................................................................13 23 ............................................................................................................Let the Storm Rage On
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uhikujyyik,hyku,bhkhlvu Photo of Bourbon Co. marching band taken by Elizabeth Turner
March. 5
The scoreboard’s clock resets yet the screams ensue. Chatter and loud rap music fill the stadium’s atmosphere, but my world is silent as the first drop of sweat trickles down my face, falling to the astro turf without a sound. I am one puzzle piece in a jigsaw of statues. As the calming music of the front ensemble begins, I lift my horn towards my face until the cold, brazen mouthpiece makes contact with my lips, then we step. Back to Bach Marching bands have grown as an important part of American culture beginning in 1907, when the Purdue All-American Marching band set the famous Block “P”. This formation was the first account of a band visually complementing their music: the first shape on a football field. It was the beginning of a musical revolution that is a musical tradition today. Marching band was inspired by military bands and takes on many of those same aspects modernly. Originally, military bands only included brass and percussion instruments. They march in a way similar to that in which young children are taught, which is very similar to stomping. These groups accompany various armed forces at formal affairs and perform patriotic melodies. One of their purposes is to raise morale, similar to today’s marching bands playing pep music at a football game. In 1907, history was made. The University of Illinois performed the first-ever halftime show at a game against the University of Chicago. Since that significant date, highschool and college bands perform their school’s fight song in cheer and occupy those brief midgame minutes with a special show.
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This is what marching band meant for decades: a group of kids who simply catered to the football team. Today, marching band is so much more. The Times They Are a-Changin’ These basic concepts of marching bands (military uniforms, raised knees, and simple figures) continued until 1964, when Drum Corps Associates (DCA) was formed. Eight years later, its junior corps counterpart, Drum Corps International (DCI) was founded. DCI is a world-touring organization that potential members must audition to participate in. They take the best musicians from the USA and Canada and divide them up into two classes: world and open. World class corps are generally larger and more competitive, whereas open class corps are relaxed in comparison. DCI also allows corps from various other regions in the world to participate in the international class if they abide by the guidelines. International corps can compete in open of world class tournaments. DCI has corps centered all over the country so that everybody is within reasonable distance from a camp. At DCI camps, marchers start off learning the “roll step”. This is a very common style inspired by the organization that has now reached high schools galore. In opposition to the traditional stomping across the field as marching, the roll step allows for better auditory and visual quality, for they basically glide across the ground. They plant their heels firmly in front of them with every muscle in their legs tensed up. They then literally roll it forward, shifting their weight and placing the next foot out front. This new and improving
marching step is only one of the many ways DCI made marching band more of a theatrical performance, versus it’s former military style. Drum corp also allowed for more complex visual formations. Rather than marching in the classic parade block or standing and playing music in the “block p”, drum corps have drill writers. Drill writers use grids proportional to a common football field to place dots in a strategic manner that displays recognizable shapes. These dots represent where an individual band member should be standing at a specific point in time. The formations are generally relevant to the musical score. After the season’s participants have been chosen and training has ended, touring begins. Twenty-two world class and twenty-four open class corps take a trip around North America. They are judged nearly every single night of their summer, working their way to the top. The season climaxes at a week long World Championship held in August. Getting Schooled This theatrical, high-tension competition season is very similar to that of modern high-school marching bands. Their season starts right before DCI’s ends and they travel a much smaller distance. Rather than playing a show every single night for over two months, they play a show nearly every Friday (football games) and Saturday (competitions) for three months. These competitions span the state and are judged in similar criteria to that of drum corps. To get prepared to read drill, march in different styles, and play an entirely new instrument, marching bands take about three weeks out
of the summer for band camp. This is very similar to conditioning for sports teams: it whips you into shape. They teach new marchers all the basics step by step, so when the time comes to learn the show, marching will be instinctive. Drum majors and section leaders are there to guide this process and make sure every step is perfect. Drum majors conduct the show and are the highest level of leadership within the student body. There are normally at least two, one backfield and the other front and center. Section leaders are the best players/marchers of each instrument. They generally have the most experience, and they are there to guide sectional meetings, help you, or correct you on any personal issues. Marching bands are divided into five classes ranging from A to 5A, based on school population. An average competition will begin with preliminary (prelim, for short) performances. After prelims, they will announce winners of each class and which bands will move on to finals. Once finals have finished, the remaining bands will be placed altogether, versus being divided by class. The scores from all of the competitions are taken into consideration when determining quarter-finalists, semi-finalists, and, eventually, state finalists. State championships for marching band take place over one day and draw in thousands of viewers. Semi-finalists perform in the morning and afternoon to determine which four bands from each of the five classes make finals. These concerts continue late into the night, all twenty bands crossing their fingers in
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An emotional WCHS Band at the senior night football ga McCle
The WCHS band warms up b an Station. Taken
d performs “Annabelle Lee” ame. Photo credits to Justina enney
before a competition at Bryn by Cindy Turner
hopes of being the crowned state champion and getting that blue medallion. More Than Music New sections had to be created for marching band to work. Those percussionists who wished to march around on the field had no way to drag xylophones or marimbas around, which is why drumline started. They basically broke apart a drum kit and assigned individual drums to players. Bass drums, tenor drums, snare drums, and cymbals make up this intense section. The more colorful percussionists (timpanis, gongs, etc) remain at the front sideline (most of the time) for the show’s entirety. They are known as the front ensemble or “pit”. Another organization specific to marching band and drum core is color guard. The “guard” is the most important visual aspect of a halftime show; all eyes are drawn to those graceful dancers. They incorporate flags, rifles, and other props into the show and dress according to the theme. Their gyration is crafted to fit with the band’s music and explain the story on a more visual level. Color guard also originated with military band and grew into a more feminine, performing sport. Their performance directly affects that of the marching band to which they belong in score, which further elaborates on the term “band”. The vocable formerly mentioned does not necessarily refer to a group of musicians. Think of a rubber band, for instance. It is a circle that holds things together, and that is what marching band is. It is a circle of friends and family that has to rely on one another in
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every level. The percussion, the guard, and the band are all scored by separate judges, but when the evening hits, they are all one group that either passes or fails. They support each other as well as the team or army they encourage. Some trends fade in and out with time. Marching band has yet to do so and I have a feeling that it never will. “Band, horns down!” As a french horn player in our local band, Woodford County High School, marching band has consumed my life in the best way possible. Our band is relatively small in membership with 92 musicians. We competed in class 5A last year with our dramatic adaptation of the Phantom of the Opera, “Phantom”. We advanced to state semifinals and had a progressive season. This year, we have been placed into 4A and have had a good start to a great season, dominating our class at every competition with “Beloved”. Our show tells the story of Edgar Allan Poe’s “Annabelle Lee” by incorporating many of the techniques I’ve previously mentioned. We march with the roll step, complex drill sequences, and our color guard wears light blue uniforms to fit with our theme from the line “the kingdom by the sea.” As the last notes of that poetic show ring out, I force my mellophone downwards. That bead of sweat has turned into a waterfall and I can feel my blood pumping quickly with adrenaline. I march off in silence, keeping a stern facial expression until I reach the sideline, where I embrace and congratulate my “family”. By: Elizabeth Turner
Christian Rap? Not an Oxymoron
How can this be? How can a genre that drops f-bombs, objectifies women, and lusts after money and drugs like an addict be Christian, a faith that teaches love and respect? It seems like a paradox, but Christian rap actually exists and thrives. It may not be as big as Eminem or Jay-Z, but Christian Rap is bigger than a garage band by far.
How Rap Came to Be
Rap started more than a century before it was considered a genre of music. Rap was originally used to tell stories to a drum beat by West African artists; this soon spread to the Caribbean and then America. We begin to see rap take root in America in the 1970’s in the neighborhoods of Bronx, NY. These neighborhoods were usually flooded with crime, drugs and sex. This is obviously a reason why we see these themes of cursing and objectification of women in current rap. Rap didn’t truly become a genre until September 1979 when Sugarhill Gang released the album “Rapper’s Delight.” Rap dominated the music scene almost instantly. Rappers began poppingup like Run-DMC and N.W.A. In fact, about a year after the pub-
lication of “Rapper’s Delight” we began seeing white rappers like Beastie Boys and female artists like Salt-n-Pepa. This release of “Rapper’s Delight” lead to what some call the “Golden Age of Hip Hop.” This golden age lasted in the late 80’s to early 90’s. This time period was where, supposedly, hip hop had the most innovative lyrics. This could be said about any major genre. Since it was the beginning of its rise, there were few songs out on the market to be compared to. The artists didn’t have to worry about copyright. They could write about anything they wanted, and in the beginning lyrics had little to do with Christ. Christian rap/hip hop was publicly endorsed and published in 1982, but didn’t really start picking up until the foundation of DC Talk in 1989. The found-
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ers of DC Talk were Michael Tait, currently the lead singer of Newsboys, Kevin Max, and Toby McKeehan, the lead singer of Tobymac. This band made multiple hip hop and rock songs in the name of Christ, such as “In the Light” and “Jesus Freak.” These songs influenced other artists to rise, and paved the path for today’s modern artists such as: Lecrae, Andy Mineo, Trip Lee, KB, Flame, Tedashii, and Grits.
Why Christian?
The questions still remain: Why do these rappers sing about Christ instead of the usual sex, money, and drugs? What caused these rappers to focus on Jesus? Their stories can shed some light on this question.
Andy Mineo
Andy Mineo was a regular
On July 17, 2012, Lecrae and Andy Mineo made a suprise free concert in SOHO, NYC. His “passion & the rawness� drew many people into an Apple store, and even more on the stairs outside. Image borrowed from christianpost.com
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Picture of Andy Mineo rapping while Lecrae watches at the surprises concert at SOHO, NYC. Image borrowed from christianpost.com
kid growing up in Syracuse, NY. He has described himself in multiple interviews as being a trouble maker. Because of his anger issues, he was expelled from public school in fifth grade. His sister was going to a Christian church camp to be a counselor, and Mineo’s mother begged him to go with her. He reluctantly went to the camp, and while he was there, other Christians started to influence him. He was told that a man named Jesus
died on a cross for his sins. He felt convicted and became a Christian, but his battles were far from over. He came back from camp with no mentors, no Bible studies, and nothing to help him grow with Christ. He slowly began to return to his old ways. His love of rap began when he and a friend began to rap to instrumentals. They would buy singles from their favorite artists and create their own raps. This small action is what led to his later suc-
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cess in the Christian rap industry. Mineo eventually bought his own recording equipment and started recording himself, his friends, and some people who would pay Andy Mineo to record them. By age 17 he had money, fame, and his own home studio. Mineo eventually connected with an avid community of Christians when he checked out an organization called T.R.U.C.E. (To Reach Urban Communities Everywhere) in college. This community of Christian artists encouraged Mineo to give his life back to God and start following Him again. After his regained faith, he started making more friends in the business of Christian rap, such as Lecrae, Trip Lee, Tedashii, and Flame. These friendships lead to the featuring of Andy Mineo in multiple songs, such as “Background” by Lecrae. This also worked inversely: other rappers frequently appeared in Andy Mineo’s music. For example, Lecrae is featured in Andy Mineo’s song “Let there be Light”and KB and Trip Lee are featured in “The Saints.” Mineo continues to create iconic songs in the name of Christ. I’d encourage listening to the albums “Heroes for Sale” and “Never Land.”
Lecrae
Lecrae has a similar story and a similar outcome as Andy Mineo. Both were troubled kids when they grew up, and both were changed by Christ. Lecrae has very openly admitted that he has done some
Lyrics to “Let There be Light” [Chorus:] We livin’ in a dark world, how they gonna know If we don’t put His glory on display and let it show So let there be light, let there be light, Let there be light, let there be light
Andy Mineo’s album containing “Let There be Light”
bad things before knowing Christ. Some of the things that he did when he was younger were drugs and alcohol. In some interview videos he has admitted to pointing a gun at a car and seeing the driver panic because it “was fun to see their reaction.” His mother tried to bring him to Christ just as Mineo’s mother had, but it went horribly wrong. She told him that he needed to start reading the Bible, or he would end up in a more troubled state. Lecrae took the bible she gave him, and he started ripping the pages out. Lecrae came to Christ when he was invited to go to a Christian conference in a city. He said yes for shallow reasons: mostly to meet girls. The minister at the conference started talking about things that really resonated with Lecrae. He described the beating and the death of Christ, and Lecrae realized that Jesus died for the drugs, the alcohol, and everything else that he did. Lecrae repented at that conference, but his spiritual battles were far from over. He went back home and slowly went back to his old ways of drugs, alcohol, and girls, similar to Andy Mineo. After a while, he finally prayed to God and asked him to do something dras-
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[Verse 1:] I was in the dark, like the basement My heart used to love sin, then He changed it Lo-look what grace did, couldn’t live without her Got no strength on my own, yeah I’m livin’ solar powered Gettin’ bright lit, this ain’t no light switch I can’t turn it on and off, Lord come ignite this I wanna be that flame in the dark where no light is While I’m in this frame, I show them who the Christ is When they see my deed’s deed, I’m just being me I hope that they seeing You, every time they seeing me Treatin’ others the same way that I would want them treatin’ me Yeah we say it all the time, but that ain’t done so easily So Jesus give me Your heart, mine is deceitful Then give me Your eyes, I wanna see people Same way that You see ‘em, ‘cause You all that they need It’s like I’m Peter, though I’m fallin’ You still callin’ me to feed ‘em [Verse 2:] I took a trip back to the ‘Cuse, I saw my old gran’ gran’ Ran into my boy Ox, man it had me broken ‘cause He was been doing things that I know I had taught him Back when I was in sin, now I know the world’s watchin’ You’re given hands, feet, tongue, eyes and the like To show the world what we really prize is the Christ So take that Romans 12:1 apply it to your life Let your light shine, your body’s a living sacrifice This is worship, with you on th`em verses The light in you could be darkness So are you certain, I pray Father search in Show me what competes for your throne On the seat of my heart, so I leave that joint alone All I know that is I’m prone, to wander and to roam So put fire in these bones, by Your Spirit make me strong If we like that we on, it’s time to make Him known We illuminate the dark ‘till the day He comes home [Verse 3:] I was made to light it up, city on a hilltop And I know the only way so hit me when you feel lost Yeah, so put your shades on, you know lower your frames ‘Cause when His glory shine, you gon’ lower your frame Higher than smokin’ Mary Jane on an aeroplane His name’s great, that’s why Crae is livin’ for Jesus mayne Much love to the folks in the church Lighting up the world while they’re puttin’ in work Even when it hurt, man we can’t stop now Something caved in when the cave caved out But we can’t lose what we never did earn Walk with the Son so my lights gon’ burn Never giving up and I’m never gon’ turn Glowing in the dark ‘till the Lord return Yeah, Genesis 1:3 on mind homie So let there be light, I’m tryna shine homie
Photo of 116 Clique in their music video “Man Up Anthem.” (Left to right) Pro, Lecrae, Trip Lee, KB, Tedashii, Andy Mineo and Sho Baraka Photo borrowed from whoiskb.com
tic - otherwise he would eventually hurt someone or himself. Something happened, alright. He was driving down a winding road when he crashed. His car started rolling, and he didn’t have a seatbelt. Glass was everywhere, but he only had a piece if glass in his arm. Besides that he was unharmed. After this neardeath experience, Lecrae started living for Christ. He began volunteering at a juvenile facility, and the kids there became very attached to him. He began rapping songs that he wrote when he was struggling. The kids would ask him to do these songs over and over because thats what helped them hold on to their faith. Lecrae told himself that rapping was what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. He eventually created his own record label called “Reach Records” and make over 7 albums including “Rehab” and his newest album “Anomaly” published August 2014. These are only a few of the Christian rappers that exist, but their stories are a roaring, collective battlecry. As it can be clearly seen, these rappers are
influenced by Christ and they reflect it in their songs.
Hymns of the 21st Century
Rappers could have amazing back-stories, but their songs could still be terrible. This is definitely not the case. Christian Rap has everything from meaningful, slower songs to fun, upbeat songs. Along with their stories these rappers talk about their experiences through their music.
“Let There be Light”
“Let there be Light” is on Andy Mineo’s second mix-tape called Formerly Known. This song is based off of Genesis 1:3: “And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.” This song has influenced many people. Andy Mineo said in an interview that after a concert a man came up to him and told him that he was about to commit suicide, but changed his mind after hearing the song. I love this song, it gives hope that there is light if you reside in Jesus Christ, and that the same light is there for everyone. Light is for everyone.
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“Man Up Anthem” This is a more upbeat, “fun” song, and if you’re a guy, you might want to listen to it. This song is made by a group called 116 Clique. They are a bunch of Christian rappers gathered together. Their name comes from Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.” This song calls us to become more of a man, so we can be more pleasing to God. “Background” “Background” was written by Lecrae in his album Rehab. This song focuses on letting Jesus take over and following his lead. A lyric that stands out for me is: “So let me just shadow you, just let me trace your lines Matter of fact, just take my pen, here, you create my rhymes ‘Cause if I do this by myself, I’m scared that I’ll succeed And no longer trust in you, ‘cause I only trust in me And see, that’s how you end up headed to destruction Paving a road to nowhere, pour your life out for nothing.” We seem to try to make ourselves higher. We pour out our lives to make that next A or that next promotion, but how far will that get us? In the run of eternity it means nothing. God will not judge us on whether we were the strait A student, a dropout, the poorest of the poor, or the richest of the rich. He will judge us on whether we followed him and believed in him or not.
Lyrics to Background by Lecrae [Chorus:] I could play the background I could play the background Cause I know sometimes I get in the way So won’t You take the lead, lead, lead? So won’t You take the lead, lead, lead? And I could play the background, background And you could take the lead
Lecrae’s album containing “Background”
This song points to a verse
that has influenced many songs: Matthew 16:26. (“What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?”) Let God take the lead, and he will do amazing things with you and your life.
Thats a Rap
As for everything, rap can be useful for tearing people down and satisfying ourselves or it can be used to build each-other up and to point to something more than ourselves. For every genre there is a Christian version. For example: rap, hip hop, and contemporary. There is only one question that remains: how long will Christian rap continue? Only God can tell.
By Andrew Iglehart
[Verse 1:] It’s evident you run the show, so let me back down You take the leading role, and I’ll play the background I know I miss my cues, know I forget my lines I’m sticking to your script, and I’m reading all your signs I don’t need my name in lights, I don’t need a starring role Why gain the whole wide world, If I’m just going lose my soul And my ways ain’t pure if I don’t live according to Your Word I can’t endure this life without Your wisdom being heard So word, to every dancer for a pop star ‘Cause we all play the background, but mine’s a rockstar Yeah, so if you need me I’ll be stage right Praying the whole world will start embracing stage fright So let me fall back, stop giving my suggestions ‘Cause when I follow my obsessions, I end up confessing That I’m not that impressive, matter of fact I’m who I are, a trail of stardust leading to the superstar [Verse 2:] I had a dream that I was captain of my soul I was master of my fate, lost control, and then I sank So I don’t want to take the lead, ‘cause I’m prone to make mistakes All these folks who follow me, gon’ end up in the wrong place So let me just shadow you, just let me trace your lines Matter of fact, just take my pen, here, you create my rhymes ‘Cause if I do this by myself, I’m scared that I’ll succeed And no longer trust in you, ‘cause I only trust in me And see, that’s how you end up headed to destruction Paving a road to nowhere, pour your life out for nothing You pulled my card, I’m bluffing, You know what’s in my hand Me, I just roll and trust you, You cause the dice to land I’m in control of nothing, follow you at any cost Some call it sovereign will, all I know is you the boss Man, I’m so at ease, I’m so content I’ll play the background, like it’s an instrument [Bridge:] I know I’m safest when I’m in Your will, and trust Your Word I know I’m dangerous when I trust myself, my vision blurred And I ain’t got no time to play life’s foolish games Got plenty aims, but do they really Glorify Your name And it’s a shame, the way I want to do these things for You, yeah Don’t even cling to you, take time to sit and glean from You It seems You were patient in my ignorance If ignorance is bliss, it’s ‘cause she never heard of this
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Image borrowed from static.squarespace.com
The Dynamic History of the Keyboard
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Man has always wanted a form of entertainment that can be adjusted freely to suit anyones preference. One of the first solutions to this predicament was music. With an instrument a person could entertain themselves or others with endless tunes and different genres of music. But, these earliest instruments were only able to play a single tone at a time. The real future of music lie in harmony: the sounding of multiple tones at once that complement each other. Our ancestors had no harmony with which to serenade their ears. This was radically changed by the invention of the predecessor to the modern piano: the hydraulis.
A Key Beginning
The hydraulis is the earliest predecessor to the pipe organ and was invented in Greece. Created by Ctesibius of Alexandria around 300 BCE, it had many small pipe on a platform and used water to create air pressure to produce sound from the pipes. The instrument had many keys and was played like a modern piano. It produced a loud sound and was usually played at outdoor events. Recently in 1992, a partially complete hydraulis was found in Greece and reconstructed to what it would have looked like in about 100 BC when it was created. It had 24 small pipes and 2 sets of keys by which the instrument was played. Over time the mechanics of the instrument were adjusted to make it easier to maintain and play. A leather bag that could be filled with air was introduced in the 2nd century AD as an easier way to supply wind to the pipes.
The next innovation came with the portative. It was a very small and portable instrument. The portative was a miniature pipe organ that was played with the use of both hands. One hand would pump the bellows in the back of the organ that supplied air to make the sound. The other hand would play the keys to make the music. The portative was used in medieval times from about 1100 to 1500 AD. The first permanent organs starting popping up in the mid 1300s. With organs, the keyboards played with your hands are called manuals and the pedals played with your feet are called pedalboards. The first permanent organ had three manuals and a pedalboard and was located in Germany. It was powered by ten men who pumped the bellows. With organs, depending on the notes you play on the manuals, the sound is produced by either a single or a combination of pipes. A major innovation that occurred around 1450 was the predecessor of the stop. On an organ, a stop is a knob that can be turned on or off to stop certain pipes from sounding within note tones. Before the invention of the stop, the player was forced to deal with all the sounds and couldn’t control much of the sound being produced. An instrument that was an early predecessor to the modern piano was created in the late medieval period. This new instrument’s name was the clavichord. It was invented in about 1300 and was a rectangular prism supported by four wooden legs. The translation of clavichord literally means key and string. To produce sound the clavichord had small metal wires that would be tapped by a metal blade. The keys on this instrument would
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be placed at the right end of the rectangle with the soundboard on the left. Early in its life, the clavichord had at most four octaves but, as time progressed, the range grew to about six octaves. The clavichord was also unique in its ability to allow the player a dynamic range. Depending on if the clavichordist pressed the keys forcefully or gently he could produce a loud or soft sound. The clavichord was wildly popular from about the 1500s to 1700s through the Renaissance, Baroque, and Classical periods. Even though the clavichord was a very useful and innovative instrument, it needed many changes. The instrument was too quiet to perform with and was mainly a practice instrument. Thankfully these problems were solved with the next chronological keyboard. Another famous piano predecessor invented in the late medieval period is the harpsichord. The harpsichord greatly resembled a grand piano in its shape but was longer. The keys of a harpsichord are like a seesaw. You can only see half from the outside and when it is pressed it rotates on a pivot so that the part of the key inside the instrument goes up. The harpsichord differed from the clavichord in the ways its sound was produced. Instead of hitting a string with a blade the harpsichord plucked strings. When a key was pressed, the part of the key inside the body of the instrument forced up a small metal piece that plucked the strings. The vibration of the string is the sound. The harpsichord was popular in the renaissance and baroque periods and was phased out in the 18th century because of the introduction of the piano.
The Most Dynamic Instrument By far the instrument that has evolved the most over its 300 year existence is the piano. It was invented in about 1700 by Bartolomeo Cristofori and three of his original pianos still survive. His three remaining pianos are from the 1720s and show us what the early versions of the instrument looked like. Two of the three have four octaves and the third has about four and a half. Also, his pianos had no metal frame and were very lightweight. His pianos were in the shape of a grand and greatly resembled a piano of today. The earliest pianos had no pedals, as they were introduced later. The piano was a combination of the earlier clavichord and the harpsichord. It retained the dynamic control of the clavichord while also retaining the overall loudness of the harpsichord. The sound was produced by hammers that were padded hitting strings when keys were pressed. The original name of the piano was fortepiano, which means loud soft in italian, referring to its ability to change dynamically. Another early name was gravicembalo col piano e forte which translates to harpsichord with loud and soft. Over time the instrument evolved to greater expand its musical possibilities. Much of this came from the work of three men: Broadwood Stodart and Backers. People of the time wanted a piano that was louder and easier to give performances with, so in 1777 the team of men made an innovation. They used the case of a harpsichord and made a piano out of the shell. This
Above thestandard typical pedal set up a modern piano. The pedals This is is the setup of of piano pedals. From left to from left to right are una corda, sostenuto, and then sustain. http:// right, una corda, sostenuto, and sustain. This picture was en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Steinway_grand_piano_-_pedals.jpg borrowed with permission from Wikipedia.
turned out to be the world’s first grand piano. They became very famous for their new piano and made pianos for people such as Joseph Haydn and Ludwig van Beethoven. Overtime, the Broadwood firm expanded the range of the piano to seven octaves by 1820. But, not every composer used the Broadwood pianos. Chopin preferred Pleyel and Liszt used an Erard. One change to the look of the piano was the creation of the upright piano. It has all the same parts as the grand piano but its wires are running vertically not horizontally. It is sometimes called the upright grand because it is very similar to the grand but just upright. These flat-backed pianos are much more common in residential homes because of their ability to be put against the walls. With a grand you need a lot more space than
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with an upright. One big difference with the upright and “normal” piano are the pedals. On many upright pianos, instead of a sostenuto pedal in the center, they have a celeste pedal. This pedal is similar to the una corda pedal in that it dampens the sound. But, because of the vertical design of the piano the mechanics of the pedal must be switched to operate in the new shell. The Celeste pedal dampens sound by moving the hammers closer to the wires, which doesn’t allow them to move as much or hit as strongly. This pedal is also unique in that it can be locked into place and does not need to be pressed by the player the whole time. Under any modern piano you will find three pedals, and these pedals have seen many changes over time. The first pedal
created was the una corda pedal by Cristofori himself. Its job was to diminish the sound that was able to be produced by the piano and reduce volume. When first created by Cristofori the una corda “pedal� was operated by the hand, but this only allowed the performer to play with one hand while using the technique. The next form of this pedal was the knee lever that allowed the player to use both hands and use the lever at the same time. Next was the sustaining pedal which lifted dampers off the strings and allowed them to vibrate freely. This also started with a hand operation and then went to a knee lever and then by foot. This pedal is rarely found in Classical period music but started to be incorporated much more in the Romantic period.
The third and last pedal is the sostenuto pedal. Its function is to hold onto some notes while letting others go. The pedal only raises dampers on the notes that were held when the pedal was pressed. For all notes after the pedal is depressed the dampers are normal and the notes unaffected. This pedal is by far the least used of the three main pedals and is only required for music by a few composers. Typically the layout of the pedals is una corda, sostenuto, sustain from left to right. As musical forms and styles changed over time so too did the keyboard instrument. The keyboard has slowly made evolutions that changed how music was written and enjoyed. From its lowly beginnings as a greek hydraulis to the modern grand it has changed monumentally. While the keys are
This is ontThis of the first pianos ever created. It wasfrom built 1722 by Bartolomeo isvery an original Cristofori piano and it isCriscurrently tofori in 1722. It is housed in a museum in Rome. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/ housed in a museum in Rome, Italy. This picture was borrowed with wiki/Bartolomeo_Cristofori#/image/File:Piano_forte_Cristofori_1722.JPG
permission from Wikipedia.
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one of the only parts that stayed constant throughout, the keyboard morphed with the growth of the manual range and the addition of pedals and musical capabilities. Its weird to think that when Mozart played his music, it sounded nothing like if we were to play the very same song on a modern piano. We always have to keep in mind that music and its instruments are dynamic. By Ben Luckett
http://mm.antiquepianoshop.com/
U2’s “Songs of Innocence” Album Cover Art.
THE MUSIC INDUSTRY
ON TRIAL U2’s newest album proclaims “innocence” in its title, but is this classic Irish rock band truly innocent in their recent controversial album giveaway? And, if so, then who is guilty? On September 9th, 2014, U2’s Songs of Innocence was distributed - free of charge - to all of Apple’s 500 million iTunes subscribers. This act was not entirely well-received by these customers, some perceiving it as an invasion of privacy or even an abuse of power. Others praised Apple for this generous gift, and U2’s broad fan-base cheered at the album’s release. After all, free is a
better price for a U2 album than the standard ten dollars. In response to the complaints, Apple installed a oneclick option to remove the album from customers’ purchased items. Now the simple act of clicking a mouse removes the free album from anyone’s account. While some applauded Apple’s efforts, many others are still up in arms about Apple’s sneaky maneuver. The current statistic shows that Apple exchanged a whopping $100 million for the use of U2’s record and lead single, “The Miracle (Of Joey Ramone),” which played during its commer-
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cials for the iPhone 6. This promotional exchange turned out to be beneficial to both parties, regardless of whether or not the action was perceived in a negative light by the public. Guy Oseary, U2’s manager, attempted to establish a positive spin on the controversy in his recent interview with Billboard, saying: “U2 worked five years on this album, they poured blood, sweat, and tears into the project, and we were really confident with it. The goal was: how do we reach as many [people] as possible?” Aside from all of the hard work put into the making of this
band in history. The Huffington Post said of them: “like The Who before them, U2 wrote songs about things that were important and resonated with their audience”. For such a well-respected band, one has to wonder why so much of the hate has been directed at the band itself, rather than at Apple. Scrolling through the one-star ratings of Songs of Innocence on iTunes, it is evident that more than half of the negative reviews are bashing U2 for the “attack of privacy” rather than critiquing the actual music. If the band members and manager are speaking the truth when they assert that the main goal of this album’s free - and possibly intrusive - release was simply to reach a large amount of people, to show them the raw and personal music U2 has constructed, then it is hard to hold
them accountable for a somewhat questionable distribution of their work. The act of pointing figures becomes increasingly more difficult when taken into account that the iTunes’s user agreement clearly states that the action is permissible for anyone who checks the “agree” box. Many have made claims that U2’s stunt is the epitome of spam; that Apple abused its power by sending a collection of music to all of its 500 million subscribers. Google Dictionary defines spam as: irrelevant or inappropriate messages sent on the Internet to a large number of recipients. To those who have no use for Songs of Innocence, or simply do not care for U2, this album is most certainly irrelevant in their eyes. If this really is the start of a major commercial shift with-
in the Apple company, Songs of Innocence will not be the only piece of “spam” users can expect to receive. What Apple did was risky, and there are always pitfalls to risks that involve millions of people; you just simply can not please everyone. That being said, there are better ways Apple could have executed this major giveaway. Instead of automatically downloading the album to everyone’s devices, Apple could have sent out a mass notification to every user’s device asking them whether or not they wanted the free album in their library. That way, U2 would reach 500 million people without a backlash. Users would have had the choice from the beginning whether or not to accept this gift, instead of having to wait for Apple to install a one-click
U2 performing in Anaheim, CA on April 1st, 2005. Used under creative comments license.
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album, the band has also stated multiple times that Songs Of Innocence has been their most personal album yet, hinting that it might even be the band’s last. An important component of the controversy, that also happens to be the most overlooked, is the concept of unity. This album was given to 7 percent of the world’s population - which makes it the most shared collection of music in all of iTunes history. An entire 500 million people were given this album, free of cost, and in a world constantly dividing itself into different factions of people, having something that was shared by a large chunk of the population is an altogether unique concept. Music has always served as a uniting force: often transcending nationality, religion, political views and social class. Songs of Innocence had a chance to bring a multitude of different peoples together; uniting them through the emotional stringing together of words and melodies. Although international unity played a role in this controversy, iTunes users’ privacy was also called into question. The issue of privacy really stems from a deeper question: Are any of the Apple devices truly our property, or are they Apple’s? Apple controls all of iCloud, and has demonstrated just how far they will use that control whenever and however they want to. If Apple made a deal with U2 to get an album on millions of peoples’ devices, what is stopping them from making similar deals with other bands - or movie and
U2’s Bono and Adam Clayton showing the band’s bond on stage. Used under creative comments license.
TV producers? This transaction could be the start of a major commercialization of the cloud we once thought was off limits to corporate control. There is no doubt that Apple has it expressly written in their terms of agreement that users are not in any way protected from mass media give-aways on any of their devices and at any time. But by signing this agreement, are customers really allowed to complain when Apple follows through with what their power allows? “We wanted to make a very personal album,” Bono told Rolling Stone’s Gus Wenner. “Let’s try to figure out why we wanted to be in a band, the relationships around the band, our friendships, our lovers, our family. The whole album is first journeys — first journeys geographically, spiritually, sexually. And that’s hard. But we went there.”
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Obviously a lot of hard work went into the making of this album, but the real kicker is just how personal the songs turned out to be. “Iris (Hold Me Close)” is a song about Bono’s deceased mother, whose death affected his childhood profoundly. In addition, “Cedarwood Road” was named after a road Bono once lived on. He recalls the raw emotions that led to his yearning to be heard musically. Songs of Innocence is far from U2’s first album - the band having been active since 1976 - and their musical legacy is not something to be taken lightly. U2 has sold more than 150 million records, and Rolling Stone placed them at number 22 on its list of the “100 Greatest Artists of All Time”, while ranking Bono the 32nd-greatest singer. U2 has won a total of 22 Grammy Awards out of 34 nominations, more than any other
U2 has released a total of thirteen studio albums, a feat not many bands can say they’ve accomplished.
option after receiving a stream of complaints. On the other hand, if U2’s goal was to unite the world with touching, intimate and free music, then a mass notification might not have been enough. Maybe this option was considered, and waived off. Maybe Oseary and Bono simply said: “Go big, or go home.” After all, a one-click removal option was eventually added, and getting unwanted free music is not exactly an international threat or tragedy to the public. There are so many more pressing issues for the world to
work itself up over than an Irish rock band’s album giveaway. What Apple did might have been spam, an invasion of privacy, or an abuse of power. It also could have been a simple, promotional maneuver to get people excited for the release of the iPhone 6. U2 might have struck a scandalous deal with a big corporation to boost themselves back into the top of the charts. They also might have spent years working on a final, personal album that they felt should reach the hands of as many people as possible. What is for certain is that this
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controversy will leave a mark on the music industry’s history, and will surely be debated for years to come. When it comes to the question of who is guilty, maybe the guilty party is neither Apple nor U2. Maybe the culprits are the people who made a fuss over something as trivial as an album giveaway. By Maggie Sunseri
LET THE STORM
R
GE
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Taken by Mike Sunseri.
The storm has already swept the nation, but that wasn’t enough; it’s coming back for round two. Thats right stormers, Bastilles’ first tour of North America didn’t really end in June, they are coming back across the country this October! Their first big hit in the US, “Pompeii,” reached number one in 2013, and we went crazy for it as a nation, but outside of the extreme fangirls what do we really know about them? Whats the real story behind this British-rock boy-band that is taking the world by, yes, storm.
classes. College student Dan Smith turned his path to music. Having played music for much of his life, he had promising talent on guitar and mic. Dan began as a solo act, but shortly after entering the music world, he decided to take on others and form a band. A recent interview with Dan revealed that he had played with the four before they were an official group, making the transition to ‘band’ easy.
Building Bastille
So who were the lucky guys Dan chose to take with him to the top? Chris Wood on Drums; Where were you in 2010? Were you just starting William Farquarson on Bass, Keyboards, and a new job, or dying to finally graduate and start Guitar; and Kyle Simmons on Keyboards, Peryour life? People, and their aspirations, change. cussion, and Bass. With all these multi-talented I know that I am not the same person I was then men, playing gigs is easier, because they all either. You become less interested in Senior know what the others are supposed to be doprom, and more concerned with finding the per- ing. Originally there was a cellist and a violinist fect college. Believe it or not, lead singer-songin the group, but eventually it dwindled down writer Dan Smith didn’t aspire to be a musician to just the 4 main boys. until college, and now he’s topping the charts all They started out small, at pubs and gigs, but in over the world. So where was Dan Smith, the December of 2010 Virgin Records offered Bassinger with stage fright, in 2010? tille a record contract, with their debut single Long before “Pompeii” was blasted through car “Overjoyed”. “Flaws”, their second single, was stereos and ear buds, Bastille was just a thought; released in 2011, along with “Icarus”. In march something that might be fun to do between of 2013 the entire album was released to the
In the Beginning There was Dan
THE STORM WAS BREWING
c2010 2012
2013
“Flaws” was re-released, and hit number 21 on the UK top 40. Music featured in television shows such as the “Vampire Diaries” and “Hollyoaks” Q Magazine calls “Overjoyed” the “track of the day” British Newspaper named them the ‘new band of the day’ “Pompeii” hits the top 100 charts at number two in the UK and number five in the US The album hit number one on the United Kingdom album statistics Supporting act for Muses’ concert series “The 2nd Law Tour” in May and June The band appeared on the cover of Notion Magazine Performed live on Saturday Night Live “Bad Blood” named biggest selling album of 2013 in April Began the first North American tour for “Bad Blood” Played on “Late Night with Seth Meyers” in June Played at Californias Weenie Roast in May with bands like “The Neighbourhood” and “Fall Out Boy”
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2014 NORTH AMERICAN TOUR 5/13 Raleigh 5/15 Miami Beach 5/16 Buena Vista 5/17 St.Petersburg 5/18 Gulf Shores 5/21 Richmond 5/25 Boston 5/27 Columbus 5/28 Cleveland 5/31 Irvine 6/1 Pittsburgh 6/2 Clifton Park 6/4 Indianapolis 6/6 New York
10/11 Fairfax 10/13 Boston 10/14 Montreal QC 10/15 Toronto
OH
10/17 Cincinnati 10/19 St. Paul 10/21 Chicago
10/23 Detroit MI 10/24 Rochester
public, and spent more than three weeks at the top of the charts. Britain went bonkers for Bastille, and from there, they sailed.
The Rise and Success
Just two short years later they were on their way to Hong Kong for the Clockenflap Music Festival, their first performance outside of Europe. They had officially gone international. “Overjoyed” was the initial big release for the group, but “Bad Blood” made it big in the UK soon after Europe heard them. “Pompeii” was next on the hit list, sending a Bastille craze through America. Having been discovered, they began to be nominated for more and more awards all over the globe. Nominated for 18 awards ranging from Teen choice to Best Single, the award was given to them for four: British Breakthrough Act, International Breakthrough, Best cover, and Choice Rock. “Radio.com” called their comeback a “victory lap”, and it truely is. Many venues had to change locations and reschedule due to the overwhelming amount of people who purchased tickets. In fact, in an interview with Elisa Bray, Dan admits that: “I don’t think anybody, least of all us, expected the album to go to Number 1.” Although initially he didn’t like being on-stage, Dan tells ‘After the Press’ that they enjoy touring. “We’re all quite excited to play some more shows and to go to places we’ve never ever been and just seeing what the crowds are like.”
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Fanbase
Since the first release of the album, it has sold more than two million copies in the United Kingdom alone. The video for “Pompeii” has more than 90 million views on youtube. The download for it has like 3 million* The fanbase for Bastille calls themselves the stormers, due to the storming of the Bastille, a French prison, in the French Revolution. So why the name “Bastille” then? Lead singer Dan Smiths’ birthday falls on July 14: the Day that, in 1789, the Bastille was taken by an angry mob.
Reviews and Style
An attendee of the recent 10/17 Cincinnati concert, Maggie Sunseri, would rate the show a 9 out of ten. She says: “They were excellent live performers. They engaged well with the crowd.” on a scale of 1-10 BBC rated bastille an 8.0, while Art Rocker, a British music promoter and reviewer, gave them a stunning 10 for 10. On almost every review site the fans have not only played “Pompeii” the most times, but they have rated it as their favorite song on the album. Some classify them as pop, rock, and indie, but what is their true musical style, and what does everyone think of them? “The band lurches between indie, pop, emo, nu-metal, and club-friendly dance.” -Enjoli Liston, from “The Independent”. Matthew Horton, from BBC Music claims: “Neither explicitly synth-
The cover art for the first Bastille official album “Bad Blood”
led nor crunchy with guitars.” He says that the debut is very gratifying, and: “Feels like a solution.” Dan himself was caught labeling his band in an interview with Amy Davidson for “Digital Spy”. He states that: “We thought we would just be some indie band.” They did admit, also, that the band plans to release another album in 2015. The world waits eagerly for the future of Bastille and what they will accomplish next. Dan said: “There’s not a minute of the day when my phone’s not going off and I have to make a decision on something.” and to be quite honest I don’t think that phone will shut up for a while, Dan. Bastille is a revolution. Storm on.
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Specializes in serving scool bands and orchestras throughout Central Kentucky by providing repairs, rentals and service.
Borrowed from hurstmusic.com
Directions: Hurst Music is located on the northeast corner of Richmond Road and Mount Tabor in Lexington Kentucky across the street from Hardees and next door to Captain D’s restaurant.