Hey MUSIC 111. For my last blog I have decided to talk about Taylor Swift who is a very known pop singer and I think with her talents, she will be included in our textbook someday.

Biography

Taylor Swift was born on December 13, 1989 in Reading, Pennsylvania. Her grandmother was a professional opera singer and taylor Swift followed her footsteps. She was singing at the age of 10 at a lot of local events. She started off as a country singer at the age of 16. Some of her early hits are “love story” and “you belong with me”. This country/pop themed song helped her career and success of her albums. She won a Grammy in 2008 for her album “fearless”. She continued be on the top with her tracks from 1989 like ” shake it off” and “black space” and won many Grammys for album of the year and best pop Vocal album.

Love Story

This song is written and sung by Taylor Swift. It was released on September 12, 2008 by Big Machine Records from Album Fearless.

This song was nominated for the People’s Choice Award for “Favorite Country” in 2008. Also for “Fave Song” at the Nickelodeon Australian Kids’ choice Awards 2009. In 2009, Love story was the country song of the year by Broadcast Music Incorporated.

You Belong To Me

This song was co-written by Taylor Swift and Liz Rose and was recorded by Taylor Swift, also produced by Nathan Chapman on April 18, 2009. This is the third single from her album “Fearless”. Swift was inspired to write this song after overhearing a friend arguing with his girlfriend and from there, she developed a story line.

The song won favourite song at 2010 kids’ choice awards. Also, song was nominated for a Grammy award in 2010 for song of the year, record of the year and best female pop vocal performance. 

Shake it off

This song was co-written by taylor Swift, Max Martin and Shellback and produced by Max Matin and Shellback. Song was debuted at number one on the “billboard Hot 100” for a week in 2014. Song won favourite song at the 2015 People’s choice Awards and was nominated for record of the year, song of the year and Best Pop Solo performance at Grammys in 2015.

Song won Top streaming song at “Billboard Music Awards”, best foreign tune at “Rockbjörnen”, best song to dance to at “radio disney music awards“, sward-winning songs & publisher of the year at “BMI awards”.

Reflection

Taylor Swift has won 10 Grammys award and is the only female artist ever nominated for Top artist of the year at “2018 Billboard music awards”. She also stood up against sexual harassment against ex-DJ in 2013. She refused to back down after things got rough during the trail. she also only asked for a symbolic $1 in damage from Mr. Mueller and pledged to donate to organizations that helps and defend sexual assault victims.

“I acknowledge the privilege that I benefit from in life, in society and in my ability to shoulder the enormous cost of defending myself in a trial like this,” this was said by Taylor Swift herself in her statement and “My hope is to help those whose voices should also be heard.” – Taylor Swift.

She only wanted to win the case so she can inspire women all over the world to stand up against sexual assaults and not be afraid of society.

According to me, she should be in our textbook  as first, she is such an inspiration to women all around and second, she is an awesome pop singer. Everyone loves her.

Works Cited

Montgomery, Daniel. “Will Taylor Swift Make History at the Billboard Music Awards as the Biggest Winner for Top Female Artist.” GoldDerby. May 01, 2018. Accessed August 09, 2018. https://www.goldderby.com/article/2018/taylor-swift-billboard-music-awards-news-408625739/.

Fancystatue. “Taylor Swift.” GRAMMY.com. May 22, 2018. Accessed August 09, 2018. https://www.grammy.com/grammys/artists/taylor-swift.

“Taylor Swift.” Biography.com. May 09, 2018. Accessed August 09, 2018. https://www.biography.com/people/taylor-swift-369608.

“Who Is Taylor Swift? Everything You Need to Know.” Childhood, Life Achievements & Timeline. Accessed August 09, 2018. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/taylor-swift-13896.php.

Hi, this is Jasleen Dhunna. For my second blog post, I have decided to write about Josephine Baker.

Biography

Josephine Baker was born on June 3, 1906 in St. Louis, Missouri. She was a popular dancer and a singer in France during the 1920s. she spent her early years in poverty before she learned to dance and found her success on Broadway. She moved to France in 1920s and became the most popular and highest-paid dancers. She also worked for French Resistance during WWII. Later in 1950-60s, she committed herself to fight for racism in USA. Josephine Baker died on April 12, 1975 of a cerebral hemorrhage.

Breakthroughs for Black Performers

Josephine moved out when she was 14 and got married. However, she got divorced at 15 and then married another man. At age of 19, she joined all black performance in Paris. She was the best exotic dancer of her time. In Paris, the racism was minimal and they welcomed her with open arms as a dance. This is why Josephine loved Paris more than United States. After WWII, she started television and she also married Jo Bouillon and she decided to bring back a castle and village named Les Milandes in which she spent a lot of her money to make it a tourist place.

The New Woman/early feminism/sexual empowerment of women

Baker retuned to United Stated in August 1963 to be present at civil rights march in Washington, DC. This march pushed for equal rights for all races. A popular Stork Clun in New York rejected her and from there, she started a full-on media battle with pro-segregation columnist Walter Winchell. She also adopted children to form her family which was called “The rainbow Tribe” and this was to show that anyone can be brothers and sisters regardless of face. after this act, May 20 is known as Josephine Baker’s day.

 The merger of song and dance/The Charleston

 WWII

Baker was married to Jean Lion who was a French industrialist. They got divorced by 1940. She became a Red Cross nurse where she watched over refugees and helped them smuggle when Germany occupied Belgium.

Source cited 

1. Josephine Baker. (2018, January 19). Retrieved from https://www.biography.com/people/josephine-baker-9195959
2. Josephine Baker Biography. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.notablebiographies.com/Ba-Be/Baker-Josephine.html
3. Josephine Baker. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.redhotjazz.com/josephinebaker.html
4. Jerkins, M. (2017, May 26). 90 Years Later, the Radical Power of Josephine Baker’s Banana Skirt. Retrieved from https://www.vogue.com/article/josephine-baker-90th-anniversary-banana-skirt

 

Hi, my name is Jasleen Dhunna. I am in my fourth year of Microbiology and Immunology. For my first blog post, I have decided to write about Jelly Roll Morton.

Background

Jelly Roll Morton was born on October 20, 1980 in New Orleans, Louisiana. He was an American pianist and songwriter vest known for this influence on modern day jazz during 1920s. Jelly Roll Morton died on July 10, 1941 in Los Angeles, California. He was a mix of African, French and Spanish but he adopted the last name of his stepfather, Morton. He learned to play piano at the age 10 and a few years later, he started playing in the red-light district bordellos. This was where he earned his nickname “Jelly Roll”. He blended ragtime and minstrelsy with dance rhythms which is now known as Jazz. Morton moved out as a teenager and toured the country where he was earning money as a musician, gambler and pimp. He believed that he was the original inventor of Jazz. In 1922, after moving to Chicago, he produced his first recording. In 1926, he led a seven -eight- piece band called “Jelly Roll Morton’s Red Hot Peppers” which was comprised of musicians who were well versed in the new Orleans ensemble style. The band earned national fame with hits like “Black Bottom Stomp” and “Smoke-House Blues”. Morton ran the group for four years which marked the highest point of his career as a composer and pianist. Morton moved in 1928 to New York city and he recorded tracks like “Kansas City Stomp” and “Tank Town Bump”. During the great depression, Morton drifted away from music. As during that time, his music was considered old-fashioned and he did not have temporary work to do during that time. Therefore, from 1931-1937, his appearance was very little. However, in 1938, Alan Lomax recorded him for a musical interview for the library of Congress.  In 1939, Morton went to New York for a comeback, where he did lead a few band sessions such as “Sidney Bechet”, “Red Aleen” and “Albert Nicholas”. Late 1940’s, Morton decided to move to Los Angeles for more but he died. His music became famous again as New Orleans Jazz after his death.

Songs by Jelly Roll Morton

This is a Jazz composition and it was composed by Jelly Roll Morton in 1925 and was first titled as “Queen of Spades”. This song was recorded in Chicago by Jelly Roll Morton’s Red Hot Peppers for Victor Records on September 15, 1926. This song has all the elements of Jazz and the harmonic basis is simple, he used standard II-V-I progressions. I choose this song because it was one of the most famous songs by this band in 1926.

This song was published in 1915 as “the jelly roll blues” by Ferd Morton. This was the very first Jazz record published and it survived during that time was a hit. Morton’s piano playing was born of ragtime and he played melody with thumb of his right hand which allowed him to play harmonies above the melody with all fingers that were left. His record was his first piano solo in Richmond, Indiana.

This record was published in 1926 as New Orleans Jazz which had 12-bar blues form. It is one of the famous songs by Jelly Roll Morton’s Red Hot Peppers. It was recorded at Webster Hotel in Chicago, Illinois where Jelly Roll Morton was the pianist.

It is a popular tune and song written by Joe “king” Oliver in 1926. However, Doctor Jazz as a record was made by Jelly roll Morton and red hot peppers in 1926 as an example of New Orleans jazz counterpoint.

The source Page

1. Jelly Roll Morton. (2014, April 02). Retrieved from https://www.biography.com/people/jelly-roll-morton-9415945
2. Meddings, M. (n.d.). JELLY ROLL MORTON. Retrieved from http://www.doctorjazz.co.uk/page10.html
3. Jelly Roll Morton. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.rockhall.com/inductees/jelly-roll-morton
4. Jelly Roll Morton. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.neworleansonline.com/neworleans/music/musichistory/musicgreats/jellyroll.html

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