Listening Log

Post below your weekly Listening Logs.  Please make a your own new post for the first week and then post each subsequent week (2-5) as a comment under your original post..

Instructions (from Syllabus)

Throughout the course, you will be responsible for closely listening to 1 song of your own choosing per week and writing three (3) lists of notes: (1) 2-3 phrases/lyrics that strike you; (2) 2-3 repetitions you notice (in the music and/or the words); (3) 2-3 changes that you notice (in the music).

10% of Final Grade

20 thoughts on “Listening Log”

    1. Hey Kwame man, the instructions are on the syllabus but from what I understand I believe we post our initial response here and then based on feedback we revise it and post our revised response in the shared google drive folder.
      “10% Listening Log | Throughout the course, you will be responsible for closely listening to 1 song of your own choosing per week and writing three (3) lists of notes: (1) 2-3 phrases/lyrics that strike you; (2) 2-3 repetitions you notice (in the music and/or the words); (3) 2-3 changes that you notice (in the music)…
      Submitting Revised Work Using Google Drive Folders
      All essay drafts, Listening Logs, and revised blog posts will be turned in using a Google Drive folder that each student will create and share (using link sharing) at the beginning of the course by filling out the Portfolio Submission Form on the website, which will ask for a link to your folder. Keep all of your work there—I will periodically check on it throughout the course and will be calculating 60% of your final grade (see above) based on what is in this folder at the end of the class.”

  1. Listening Log Assignment: song used – Adore You by Harry Styles
    1) Three phrases in the song that striked me were:

    “You don’t have to say you love me
    You don’t have to say nothing
    You don’t have to say you’re mine”

    They striked me because these lyrics represent relationships in modern 21st century such as no commitment, and label-less to the youth which allows the person to feel less pressured in what a relationship is really like.

    2) Three repetitions I noticed in the song were:

    “I’d walk through fire for you
    Just let me adore you
    Like it’s the only thing I’ll ever do”

    It seems that the chorus in the song always repeats these three same phrases.

    3) In the song, I did not notice any changes it always stayed on topic along with the same tone which is a happy one.

  2. Listening Log Assignment
    Song: Fake Love
    Artist: BTS
    1) 3 phrases in the song that striked me were:
    “사랑이 사랑만으로 완벽하길
    Hoping love will be perfected with only love
    내 모든 약점들은 다 숨겨지길
    Hoping that all my weaknesses will be hidden
    이뤄지지 않는 꿈속에서
    In this dream that won’t ever come true
    피울 수 없는 꽃을 키웠어
    I grew a flower that couldn’t be blossomed”
    These lyrics strikes me because the lyrics are saying to love yourself first before you can love others.
    2) 3 repetitions I noticed were:
    ” Love you so bad, love you so bad
    널 위해 예쁜 거짓을 빚어내
    For you, I’m enacting a pretty lie
    Love it’s so mad, love it’s so mad
    날 지워 너의 인형이 되려 해
    I’m erasing myself to become your doll
    Love you so bad, love you so bad
    널 위해 예쁜 거짓을 빚어내
    For you, I’m enacting a pretty lie
    Love it’s so mad, love it’s so mad
    날 지워 너의 인형이 되려 해
    I’m erasing myself to become your doll”
    3) 3 changes that you notice
    I haven’t noticed any changes to the song. The tones are the same expressing love and emotions towards someone you like.

    1. Good–please turn this into your own post (and then post subsequent “entries” as replies to your original post). Thanks!

      PS. Keep listening carefully for changes. Music is constantly changing–sounds move from low (bass) to high (bird-like), rhythmic patterns shift, melodies repeat for awhile, then morph into something else. Let’s talk about listening for changes when we meet on Zoom.

  3. Listening Log Week 1
    Song – “All I ask” by Adele
    1.) “No one knows me like you do.
    And since you’re the only one that matters
    Tell me who do I run to?”

    These lyrics strikes me because when she sings this part I can feel the pain in her voice when she asks who do I run to. Her tone stood out to me mostly.

    2.) “Take me by the hand while we do what lovers do
    It matters how this ends
    Cause what if I never love again?”

    In the song Adele repeats these lyrics 3 times throughout the entire song.

    3.) “ I don’t wanna be cruel or vicious
    And I aint asking for forgiveness”
    This part of the song the song completely slows down almost to a stop then
    “All I ask is
    If this is my last night with you
    Hold me like I’m more than just a friend
    Give me a memory I can use
    Take my by the hand while we do what lovers do
    It matters how this ends
    Cause what if I never love again?”

    When this last part of the song comes on after the stop to the music the song picks up and Adele picks the beat up as well as her tone and volume. She becomes louder and more powerful as she closes the song.

  4. Song: Emotionally Scarred – Lil Baby
    Repetitions:
    “Young age, learned how to get paid”
    “Big stage, long way from Section 8”
    “I know I wasn’t there for you, at least I said I’m sorry”
    Noticeable Changes:
    -The tempo slows down when Lil Baby starts rapping his second verse.
    -The bass and hi hats stop when the chorus is played for the final portion of the song.
    -A flute can be heard only when the hi hats come back before the bass.
    Striking Phrases:
    “I never call myself a G.O.A.T., I leave that up to the people”
    “Everybody can’t go to the top, I had to leave some people”
    “I know emotions come with lies, so I tell the truth all the time”
    I resonate with these lyrics because the artist is talking about self improvement and focusing on his own wellbeing. Some may call this selfish, but I realized that caring too much for others’ opinions of you can stall your progression through life.

  5. “If love is overrated” by Gregory Porter

    Lyrics that strike me : “If love is overrated
    Let me be the one that is naive
    If love is overrated
    Let me be the one that is deceived”

    The sentence “ If love is overrated” came to my attention because love is a feeling that money cannot buy, but in the song Gregory is trying to pay for love.

    Repetition:

    Let me be the one that is naive

    And

    Let me be the one that is deceived

    Changes:

    The song goes on one tone and one rhythm. In the beginning we have the sound of a piano , strings, and a drum. The music kind of changed with some percussion instruments in the middle and at the end they added a brass instrument.

  6. Song : FACE by BROCKHAMPTON

    Lyrics that strike me :

    “It feels like I can see the past in your eyes”

    “But I got the dream and if you believe, then I can take you somewhere that is pristine”

    “But I got a plan for ya, I’m taking a stand for ya, I care for ya”

    Based on these three lyrics, you can tell that the song is about making someone happier or taking them to a better place in their life. The past in their eyes can be pain that they show and easily shown in their eyes.

    Repetitions Noticed:

    “ I just wanna love ya”

    “I just wanna hold ya”

    “Tell me what you’re waiting for”

    Changes Noticed:

    The lyrics go from making it seem like the intention is to get the other person to open up and let them change their life for the better, but once the chorus ends and BROCKHAMPTON starts the verse in a different tone and the lyrics also change to him being scared to trust and wanting nothing to do with the person he’s trying to make happier sometimes.

    Tone changes

    Meaning behind lyrics shifts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.