Linda Ronstandt, "Los Laureles"

Instrumentation: mariachi band, guitar, male singer, violins, trumpets, and Ronstandt's vocals, much different style and sound than the previous song I listened to by her.

Structure: 15 second intro of only instruments then loud and pronounced introduction by Ronstandt. The tempo slows when Ronstandt begins singing. There is a lot of interplay with trumpet and violins while the guitar just sets a beat to the background. Violins play between each verse, serving to bridge one chorus to the next. Additionally the trumpets and violins and accents to almost every lyrical line. Each verse has a similar structure, so the different playing by the instruments between each section adds novelty to the song and diminished redundancy. Song begins with festive tone, but takes on a slower tempo to add to the meaning of the love song. The song is strophic in that each verse uses the same rhythm and sound. Ronstandt's vocal range is very broad, singing low and high throughout the song. The volume stays fairly loud, approaching the level of yelling when Ronstandt accentuates a notes. It is clear that Ronstandt and Ranchera music focuses on getting the message out to the audience.

Texture: The common terms of texture, in my mind, do not compliment the style of Mariachi. However if I had to group it I would say the song mostly moves homophonically, since the instruments are moving along with the singer and main melody. Yet occasionally they offer their own melodies and the song takes on polyphonic traits.

Lyrics/ Response: While doing research about the song I learned that this song is a typical Ranchera song and dates back to the 1920's. I learned that it was traditionally sung by men, as with all Mariachi, and in the original version refers to women as, "cursed women." However in Ronstandt's version she alters the lyrics to refer to women as the "blessed women." Yet the meaning of the song still retains its story about a man losing a woman to another lover. It seems that Ronstandt acknowledges how woman "ruin...men" and that it is their duty to fulfill this social order, and continue to be viewed through the eyes of men who do not appreciate them and "curse" them. I find Ronstandt's performance to be meaningful yet the lyrics to paint a whole other picture of subordination and objectification.

Linda Ronstandt "When Will I be Loved" 1974

In this Country Rock and Role song Linda Ronstandt signs of a women hoping to have her fair chance at love.

Instrumentation: Vocals of Ronstandt, vocals of another male singer, drums, electric guitar, and bass guitar. In the beginning of the song, the vocalists and the guitar play of one another then join together to compliment one another for the rest of the song.

Form: "When Will I be loved" is a repetitive song. As with classic blues it follows a pattern. A-original first verse, A1-same rhythm of first verse with different lyrics, B-entirely new verse with different structure and lyrics, A2-original rhythm with new lyrics, B-exact repetition of B verse from earlier in the song, A-repetition of first verse. The repetition adds to the songs ability to catch in the listener, and make the song stuck in their head for DAYS!

Range: Rondstandt is an alto singer that, despite of the songs repetition, can occasionally push out higher notes with greater volume.

Texture: Although their are many instruments, they all follow the same progression. The texture is thus homophonic and relatively thin.

Lyrics: The song focuses a lot on being catchy and rhyming the lyrics. Yet when you read the lyrics you realize the message is not as upbeat and swift as the song plays it. The major sound key makes the audience feel happiness yet the lyrics are all about this woman who has been objectified and physically abused by the loves of her life. She is questioning whether she will ever "be loved" yet the upbeat and peppy of the song overshadow the message, and make me want to stereotypically put on some cowboy boots and dance.

Lola Beltrán, "Cucurrucucu Paloma" 1965

In this romantic Ranchera style song, Lola Beltrán's powerful and deep voice expresses the urgency of the songs message to the audience.

Instruments: The vocals of Lola Beltrán, male chorus, violins, flute, trumpets, guitar-Standard Mariachi band. The guitar plays a standard chord that sets the rhythm of the song. During a 20 second solo in the middle of the song, all the band instruments explode in rapid playing and excitement. Yet for the most part, the instruments add to further express the message. During the verse about the sad, crying and lonely man who misses his girlfriend, the soft playing instruments add to the gentle and sad feelings that the lyrics try to express. Yet when Beltrán is crying out, "Cucurrucucu Paloma" the instruments play with ferocity and strength, mirroring the lyrics message for the Paloma not to cry.

Range and Volume: Beltrán scales a wide range of notes and volume. Beltrán's singing at the beginning and repetition of the opening verse in quiet tone with loud outbursts of excitement and urgency result in the songs wide volume and vocal range.

Form: The song sings and repeats one verse, with the Chorus being Beltrán's powerful projection of "Cucurrucucu, Paloma" The repeated verse begins softly then increasingly leads up to the loud and strong chorus.

Texture: With the multiple instruments and unique singing style that does not really follow a standard form, the texture is thick and polyphonic.

Response: As we learned from Dr. Jacquez's presentation, Ranchera style was dominated by men, and the presence and prominence of the woman in this song was original and uncommon at the time of the 1960's. Beltrán sings with such raw power that she really demands her audiences attention and admiration. What I liked the most about this song, was that I really felt that Beltrán connected with the message of the song and had a personal need to sing them out.

Joan Baez, "We Shall Overcome" 1960's

As this recording begins, Baez is telling a story of one man's resistance to the draft and the war. She makes an instant connection with her audience and you can hear the audience singing along with her. With her instructions and prompting, Baez truly inspires her listeners.

Using only her voice and her acoustic guitar, the song is very simple. The lyrics follow the same pattern with slight alterations to pitch and different lyrics. Verse one begins, "We shall overcome," then "We shall be alright," followed by "We shall live in peace," then "We are not afraid today ha ha" concluding with the first verse, "We shall overcome" to wrap the song up. In the fourth and final verse, Baez hits a very high pitched note and holds it a couple beats, then rejoins her audience to conclude each verse. As the song progressed and the audiences voice grew stronger, Baez would lower the volume of her voice and let their voice carry the song for a few beats. Then she would lead her audience with her strong projecting alto voice, and calming guitar chords.

Tempo: the tempo is moderate. The repetition slows the song down and does not seem to demand much from the artist or the audience.

Texture: The song has two distinct actions happening during this performance. As a listener it is clear that Baez's voice and guitar accompaniment form a thin homophonic texture, with a single melody. Yet when the audiences voices grow stronger, the texture becomes much thicker and polyphonic due to the thousands of other voices accompanying.

Lyrics/ Message/ and Influence: The song expresses a wish for peace and power of the people. Each verse, in a calming tone and rhythm, encourages the listeners to find peace in their lives despite the Vietnam war and other political problems of the time. The massive eruption of applause at the end illustrates how well this message resonated with the audience. It also shows a support for a female performer to sing a powerful song of instruction.

Odetta, "Glory Glory" 1956

Odetta makes this recording of "Glory Glory" unique by using only her vocals to evoke feeling and reaction from her audience.

Instrumentation: Using her deep and soothing voice, Odetta performs, "Glory Glory" in ballad form. Odetta sings the majority of the song at a low volume and alto manner, yet hits higher and louder notes on the emphasis of the word "hallelujah," which is sung in the commonly repeated line, "Glory, Glory Hallelujah, When I lay my burden down."

Texture: Due to the recording being done only by Odetta's voice, the texture is very thin and monophonic. The lack of instrumentation add to the ballad's influence to relax and subdue the audience.

Meter: The pace of this piece is very slow. There exists a slow rhythm that naturally comes from the songs repetition. The slow rhythm makes the song move slowly and prolongs the repeated chorus, adding to a lack of movement in the song.

Lyrics/ Style of the song: The song stresses the line, "Glory Glory Hallelujah, When I lay my burden down." Out of the four verses, three of them are the repetition of this line. When the audience thinks about the meaning of the phrase they can only agree that it is always a relief to let go of the stress and burden's of life. Odetta was greatly involved in the Civil Rights Movement, and in this context we can imagine Odetta dreaming of one day when she no longer has to fight for her rights, and can put to rest the "burden" of protest and inequality.

Importance: By only using her voice to convey her message, Odetta assures her audience of her independence and prominence. Her voice and programmatic music ignited African Americans to continue to fight for civil rights.

The Marvelettes, "Please Mr. Postman" 1961.

The Marvelettes reached great fame and recognition with this 1961 US Billboard Hot 100 hit that reached #1 for the year. The catchy, upbeat song with a agreeable message to the social/political time, sung by the perfect girl group was loved by US citizens.

Instrumentation: The song is lead by the low and scratchy voice of Gladys Horton, with the three other women singing backup. The backup singers stress some of Horton's words and their clapping in the recording suggests that, in a live performance, they would offer choreography to the performance. To add a rhythm to the song I heard drums and a piano being played with lively energy to match the song's upbeat rhythm. The speed of the song is quick and lively. It allows for the teens it was targeted to, to dance and be social. It also helps express the singers desperation to get a letter from her boyfriend who is away at war. With the opening verse, Horton sets up the standard for the majority of the song. There is no large range in volume or notes, yet Horton uses melismatic singing to stress the crucial nature of the mailman to "wait."

Texture: The texture seems to be homophonic because the lead singer and chorus work together throughout the song and move at the same speed, and compliment one another. The drums and piano are defiantly in the background yet they set the beat and adds some tones to the piece. Horton and the band are working together to produce a well orchestrated, Please Mr. Postman.

The Marvelettes targeted the youth with their iconic girl group appearance, friendship, and assimilation to the socio-political era. While they experienced success with "Please Mr. Postman" it was also a hit that landed them into an industry focused on uniformity and image, and less on talent.

Joni Mitchell, "Woodstock" 1969.

"Woodstock" by Joni Mitchell has a distinct sound. With electric piano and Mitchell's unique voice, the combination adds to the songs message.

Instrumentation, Range: Electric piano, Mitchell's voice, and a small chorus of women are the instruments used in "Woodstock." Throughout the piece the piano plays continuously throughout the whole song, acting as an assistant to Mitchell's tone while Mitchell sings, and as a solo entity during the beginning and ending of the song. Mitchell's voice covers a broad range in notes and volumes. Mitchell rapidly swings from low notes to high to surprise her audience and simultaneously make the song very hard to sing along with. She sings in a mostly syllabic structure but prolongs the notes at the end of each phrase to add emphasis to the rhythm and "theme and variation" style of the song. The chorus singers only sing at the end of the chorus, "and we got to get ourselves back to the garden." The chorus women offer chant like, "hey hey" to add a very aboriginal chant sound to the song. This idea is emphasised in the last minute of the song when Mitchell begins to just sing a variation of odd and almost unappealing sounding notes.

Texture: The style of this song is homophonic. Mitchell's voice and the piano are moving rhythmically together throughout the song while also maintaining a distinct melody and accompanying harmony. The correlating movement and few instruments produces a thin texture to this piece.

Mitchell's "Woodstock" is clearly a programmatic song. She is expressing her idea for peace and "getting back to the garden" a place of growth, nature and purity. She references the Woodstock festival with its "song and celebration" and with "500000 strong" to connect directly with her immediate audience and also to connect with an audience in the future. Listeners now can use Mitchell's song to learn about the festival and about the political and social attitudes of the late 1960's. Mitchell performs a song that is relevant and powerful enough to continue to affect all generations.