Aural is defined as: "relating to the ear or sense of hearing" (Merriam-Webster). Therefore, the aural elements of "Glory" will include anything that can be heard from the song. The song itself is meant for a movie that discusses events that occurred during the Civil Rights Movement. Therefore, it includes aural elements from both 2014, when the song was written, and from 1965, the time period the song was written for. You can hear elements of the "soul" styled music in the backup singers who sing the word "glory" during the chorus of the song, but you can also hear elements of modern music from the "rapping" the occurs during the verses of the song. The music is also written to a slow tempo and contains minimal musical instruments in the beginning of the song. This simplicity alludes to the minimalist and peaceful protests that the actual Selma marchers participated in. As the song continues, the music reaches a crescendo and no longer sounds timid, but victorious.
-Louie
Nice post! It's refreshing to read the analysis of the musical elements of the song rather than just the lyrics since the music is what distinguishes it from a poem or speech.
ReplyDeleteReally well done Louie. I applaud you for not only pointing out the aural elements in the song, but also analyzing how the sounds and style reflect meaning. Like Madi said above, its a very different approach to the interpretation of the song. Personally, I think the sound is just as, if not more, important in terms of meaning and message than the lyrics. Of course, it depends on the song and the genre, but in this case I think you did a great job of conveying how vital the aural elements are to the message and feeling of the song.
ReplyDelete-Agustin Aguerre
The opening sentence does an excellent job in giving the readers an idea for what they should be looking for in your analysis. You give sufficient background to the song for people that haven't seen Selma or heard "Glory", which is good. You connect the older genre of soul to the modern genre of hip hop which shows how the song is pertinent to today's audience, which is quintessential to a fine analysis. I like that you depict the song as parallel to the civil rights battle. This analysis top of the line.
ReplyDelete— Jack Wisniewski