
Janelle B. 2025 | BASIS Independent Silicon Valley
- Project Title: Tuning the Narrative
- BASIS Independent Advisor: Jay Jordana
- Internship Location: SFCM
- Onsite Mentor: Aaron Pike
Rush E drives its listeners to furiously bob their heads. Taylor Swift’s Cruel Summer pulls its audience in with its irresistible urge to sing along. In music, the lyrical narrative and the chord progression work in close harmony; thus, my research will investigate the correlation between these two musical elements. I will rely on Internet research to gain deeper theory knowledge, seek guidance from my advisor to help me analyze chord progressions, and draw on my own observations to examine how the lyrics and chord progressions complement one another. The final product of my project will consist of two parts: 1) a distribution table of my findings, where I will highlight the most used chord progression associated with different lyrical themes (e.g. nostalgia, love, grief, and motivation), and 2) a potential song composition that incorporates the most prevalent chord progression linked to nostalgia-themed narratives.