Music & Us: Our New Playlist

 Wow! I can't believe this is our final blog of the semester! :( I have really enjoyed learning how music connects cultures from all across the world. For the last blog I wanted to really tie it all in and choose some very fun but interesting songs, and that mean something to me in a way. Each of these songs comes from cultures that I have some sort of connection with—through people in my life, places I want to visit, or parts of my own story. Except one—which was mainly for fun but, I can't wait to share them, and I hope they are just as cool to you as they are to me! 

For my first song, I wanted to go over to France, and explore the song "Dernière danse" by Indila. (Europe, Modern)

I chose a French song because number one: my roommate is from France, and I've been curious to hear what kind of music she listens to and number two: I have always wanted to go to France and I think the culture, music, and life there is so cool. This song, "Dernière danse", is a very emotional pop song, I like it because it mixes more modern sounds with that beautiful French lyrics. Even though I don't understand every word, it still has this great tone and vibe to it, you can truly feel the emotion just through her voice. For this song, I did some research and I found that it is about heartbreak and resilience, and I think that is a very relatable topic. I also learned that it is one of the most popular and best songs in France and within French culture. I loved this song, and I even put the lyrics in English next to the song, so I could get a real feel of the song and truly understand and it was great! 

For the next song, I had do some more extensive research for this song, but it was SO worth it! This song is from Vietnam and it is called "Trông Cơm". The cover "Như Quỳnh - Trống Cơm ft. Thanh Trúc, Shayla" that I have attached is a great representation of how the song is traditionally performed. (Asia, Traditional)

I specifically chose Vietnam because my father visited Vietnam in 2020, and he has since then talked about how amazing the culture, food, and music were, so I wanted to explore that for myself more in depth. "Trông Cơm", is a traditional Vietnamese folk song and it is often played during festivals. They use traditional instruments like the đàn bầu, which is a one-string zither, and the trống cơm which is the drum that the song is named after. This song is extremely popular in Vietnamese culture and is enjoyed by many. While listening to this song, I found it cool how upbeat and playful it sounds—it honestly instantly made me happy while listening. I like that you can really tell how connected the community is with their music, and how they use it with celebration. I have always wanted to experience this culture and one day hope to go to the country of Vietnam to learn all about it! 

This next pick was a little closer to home, the artist is Colombian and it is called "La Bicicleta" by Carlos Vives & Shakira. (South America, Modern)

I chose this song because I am currently taking Spanish, the culture is SO interesting to me and I hope to become fluent someday. I wanted to pick something from a Spanish speaking culture, and something that was popular as well, so this song was perfect. "La Bicicleta" is sung by the Colombian artist Carlos Vives and also Shakira, it is super popular across Latin America, and some parts in Mexico as well. This song has a great mix of modern pop feel and traditional Latin American lyrics. It is very upbeat, fun, and shows that we should celebrate everyday life. I've been learning a lot of new Spanish words in my class, some through music as well, so this song is super fun to try and depict what I know. The culture in Latin America is like no other, it truly brings music to life, through language and lyrics. 

My last pick was a little more out of the box and my comfort zone, but I wanted to do something fun and different to end on a intriguing note. I found "I Love a Lassie," which is a traditional Scottish song and performed by Sir Harry Lauder. (Europe, Traditional)

This song immediately caught my attention, and I thought it was the neatest thing. The song is portrayed in a classic Scottish style and there is a strong accent. Throughout the song there is bagpipes, which truly give that iconic sound you recognize almost instantly. The song is very cheerful and a bit funny, it expresses love and interest for a girl named "Lassie". I like how it shows a very different side of tradition—a less serious side. Although it is old-fashioned, it was very neat to listen to and it actually made me smile hearing him sing about this girl he loved so much. This song was traditionally made to keep the country's charm and identity alive, with the bagpipes, the rhythm, and overall tone of the song. 

Wow, this is incredibly sad to write my last conclusion for this class. Making this playlist has really helped me realize that music is one of the best ways to explore the world. Each song tells you a little story about where it came from, the culture, the people, the emotions, and so much more. Even though all of these different cultures are fairly fair apart, the music almost makes them feel close and connected. I truly hope to keep discovering new songs and learn more about lots of different cultures! I can't wait to read everyone's blogs this week, and learn about some new and interesting cultures and music! 

Music & Family

For this blog, I had many great opportunities to interview the loved ones in my family. My mother is the one that I chose to focus on, and I was very surprised by how much I learned about her life and memories just through her connection to music. For her, I noticed that music isn't just background noise but it's something that moves with her in her everyday life. 

We started off talking about her first vivid musical experience and that was about her seeing the Oak Ridge Boys in concert as a kid. "It was my first concert and it was amazing!" she said. She mentioned that her parents often played music around the house, and her dad had an especially strong influence on her. She had many vivid memories sitting in the car with him, and listening to his 8-track of Pink Floyd's, "The Dark Side of the Moon". Those car rides really taught her how powerful music could be in shaping her memories and emotional journey. 

Growing up, my mom listened to music through 8-tracks, then cassettes, and later CDs (the bad part about that is I only barely knew what those were before she explained). But today she loves to listen to XM radio, she is always trying to get me to have it in my car, and I always tell her I just use Spotify and AUX and she is like what? Back on the point of music, she has always loved Christian, pop, and classical music, she said her favorite song right now is "In Jesus Name (God of Possible)," by Katy Nichole. Her favorite artist is Lauren Daigle, "because she crosses over genres, her voice is amazing, and she's a true musician." 

Music, as she said, has helped guide her through the many different seasons of life. Specifically the song "Voice of Truth" by Casting Crowns motivated her to go back to school and earn her teaching degree. "Unwritten" by Natasha Bedingfield, gives her motivation when she runs. So depending her mood, she'll listen to different generes—she LOVES classical while cooking (I can definitely attest to this), Christian music when she's sad, and a little bit of everything while running. Church music has always also played a big role in her life. She sang in the church choir growing up, and remembered singing "Go Tell It on the Mountain." She does love to joke that she's "probably tone deaf," which kind of makes sense why I feel that way too, but she always dreamed of learning to play the flute or even join a group like Celtic Woman as a violinist. 

The part of the interview I found the most sentimental to me was when I asked how music has influenced our family. She mentioned that it's always been around the house, and me and my sister grew up singing along to Christian songs like "God's Not Dead" by Newsboys, which also happened to be my favorite song, and my first EVER concert. My mom also believes that music connects our generations and that it's a way to share emotions, memories, and faith. Talking with my mom reminded me of how much my own musical taste has been shaped by her love of meaningful songs and lyrics. Although, I didn't realize this but music has had an incredibly big impact on me and my life, and has truly shaped me to be the person I am today. 

Down below I have attached some examples of some of the songs mentioned, and I hope you guys enjoy listening to them as much as I did! 

"In Jesus Name (God of Possible)," by Katy Nichole. 

"Voice of Truth" by Casting Crowns. 

"Unwritten" by Natasha Bedingfield. 

"Go Tell It on the Mountain." 

"God's Not Dead" by Newsboys. (My FAV song EVER)!!! 

Pink Floyd's, "The Dark Side of the Moon" 

(I found an 8 track version on YouTube, I'm not sure how accurate this is to the actual one in the car, but I think this one sounds pretty neat either way + I kind of am becoming more interested in 70s and 80s music)

Music & Traditions

Hey everyone! So, I don't really come from a family with big music "traditions," BUT— there are definitely some songs that I have had apart of my journey that have impacted me majorly. Some of these songs played during fun times with friends, others at holiday gatherings, and some that I'm excited to hopefully incorporate into my future life events! 

Even though I don't really have super formal traditions with music, there has always been a sense of meaning embedded in certain moments. For this specific blog, I want to share three songs that have kind of just stuck with me over the years and explain why they are so important to me. Each song has its own special story or "tradition" in my life, and I can't wait to share them! 

My first song is a song that always brings back so many memories for me, it is Party in the USA by Miley Cyrus. You can laugh a little (I know it's cheesy to some people).

So, this song has always been a big part of my life, and mainly in the fun moments with my friends and at school events. At my high school, we had something called cotillion, this was basically a dance where a bunch of girls from my school that were in cotillion asked people to go, and the money that was made from the tickets was donated to charities in our community. This was basically like a fun social event, but to raise money and spend time + dance with friends! So back to the song, every single time we went to cotillion, we would play Party in the USA. It always made everyone's energy go up, and everyone knew all the words which made it super fun. The funny thing is, that it mainly became a tradition for me because it was played at both of my proms I attended. It's just kind of unique and cool that at every big event in school we played this, so it kind of just stuck. My boyfriend and I even have our prom photos where this song was playing, so that helped to tie the song to a personal memory for me. 

But, besides the events from school, this song also has other relevance in my life. Every single time...and I mean every...single...time...I get in the car and I have aux, it never fails that I play this song. It always instantly brings up the mood, and it makes me feel like I'm just so energetic, and brings back all the fun memories I have had with it. For me, Party in the USA, will always hold a special place in my heart and I don't think I will ever get tired of hearing it—in fact, I'm listening to it as I type this! 

Another "song" that really holds a special place in my life is Silent Night, (it is technically a hymn), which is written by Joseph Mohr, and was composed by Franz Xaver Gruber. I have always heard this hymn during one of the busiest times in the year—Christmas. At my church's Christmas Eve service, this hymn is a BIG part of the evening. Everyone gathers together in the dimly lit sanctuary, and we are all holding candles as we sing this hymn together. 

This hymn itself is very simple but holds an extremely powerful message. Every time I hear this it is at our midnight service, but even though I'm tired it still brings me back to a quiet place and a sense of calm and hope. It helps to remind me of the the true reason for the season of the holidays, and it also helps to remind me of having joy and prosperity. 

One thing that I like most about this tradition, is that it's the same thing every year but yet it is still so refreshing and feels like home. The lyrics are always the same, the meaning is always the same, and yet every year I feel like I deeply understand more. Here is a beautiful performance of Silent Night, that is similar to my church's service—I tried to upload a video of my church's service but unfortunately it would not work :(

The last song I want to share is Die With a Smile by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars. This song has become an especially big tradition for me—me and my boyfriend always play this song and love to sing it together. This is a song that I would love to incorporate into my future wedding someday, mainly because it is such a big deal to me. 

For us, this song is way more than just music, it's a constant reminder to live life with pure happiness and joy, no matter what. The lyrics is quite literally talking about embracing a smile in both the good and bad moments of life. This really speaks to us, because this is how we approach life and our relationship. 

Listening to Die With a Smile together has become one of those little traditions that feels so comforting and never gets old. This song not only brings us closer but also helps to us to cherish our bond, even when things get tough. Just imagining this as a part of my future wedding just feels perfect and truly a full circle moment. 

Although I never realized it, music has been a major and powerful part through many important moments in my life. Whether it was from dances and high energy of Party in the USA, the peaceful and comforting hymns from Silent Night, or the personal significance of Die With a Smile. Each song holds a special place in my heart and my story, and I'm excited to keep building on these traditions and create new memories with music. 

Music & Me

 Hi everyone! My name is Jessie Simpson, and I'm so excited for this semester. Growing up, I was definitely more into sports oriented activities rather than music, personally I didn't really have much exposure to music at home or around me. Since sports were a big part of my life, I continued to pursue that passion here at Converse on the women's tennis team. So, while music wasn't always something that I was accustomed to, I'm really looking forward to learning more about it this year! 

I grew up in South Carolina, in a small town called Greer. I have a younger sister who is currently a junior at Greer High School. I have a dog named Kinnley, she is a beagle mix, super active and surely keeps me on my toes. I am currently attending Converse to further my academic career and double-majoring in Early Childhood Education and Hispanic Studies. I am super enthusiastic about this class and to learn all about the different cultures, their music, & more. Fun fact about me: I have a rational fear of ketchup. 

1. An example of something that I like right now: 

As of right now, my go-to song is Always Been You by Jessie Murph. I personally love this song because it is so emotional and her vocals truly capture those emotions she is feeling. The way that her voice flows with the sound track and the lyrics, it all blends very well together, which makes it super relatable and comfortable to listen to. I usually just play this in the car or even when I just want a moment to reflect on things. It is one of those songs that really sticks with you emotionally, but that is not too heavy or sad. I love the mix of the acoustics and her vocals, it almost feels like I'm hearing it for the first time every time I listen. Plus, I also like that her name is the same as mine, it makes me feel a little cooler! 

2. An example of music thats deeply important to me. 

One song that has been extremely meaningful to me for a significant amount of time is Rescue by Lauren Daigle. This song is truly the way to me personally, my faith is an extremely important part of my life and this song truly captures it. The message of true hope and reassurance helps to remind me that no matter what challenges I face, that I am never alone. I grew up listening to this song on the radio, but it never truly moved in me until some very dark moments in my life. While listening to this song, I felt comforted and strengthened at the same time. This song is and will always be one of my favorites and a source in times of doubt. 

3. An example of a music I don't really connect with. 

A song that I find really hard to connect with is Shape of You by Ed Sheeran. I can understand why it is so popular, it does have a catchy beat and rhythm to it. However, for me personally, the repetitiveness of the lyrics and melody doesn't really hold much meaning to me. I usually prefer songs or artists who use their songs to tell a more in depth story through their lyrics. I feel like this song is more like background music rather than something I can connect with on a personal level. Also, I've heard that some people feel as the song's main focus is on physical appearance, this can be a sensitive topic, and personally, as a young adult woman, it's not something that I find helpful or comfortable to listen to. 

Overall, I'm excited to broaden my music taste this semester, and get to learn about my peers choices of music! I am also intrigued to learn about music in different ways, and all the layers that make it so meaningful.