Week 3: Join Together

“You don’t have to play
You can follow or lead the way
Oh won’t you join together with the band
We don’t know where we’re going
But the season’s right for knowing
Oh won’t you join together with the band” – The Who

The song “Join Together” by The Who perfectly sums up this week’s progress. I have a total of three bands now, working on this project with me, two in which I have hand picked the members. “Hand picked” seems dramatic, in reality I grouped them based on proximity and musical interest. One band (consisting of BISV seniors) had their first rehearsal this week as well! 

As for my personal background research, I have been reading the book “How Music Works” by David Byrne, and he poses interesting ideas about music. For centuries, music has been shaped by its surroundings. Folk music from areas in Africa, for example, rely heavily on percussion, because it is played outdoors. Classical compositions played in cathedrals had simple melodies, as complicated ones would be messed up by the acoustics of the place. As performance spaces and sound technology changed, music, too, evolved. 

If you have ever been to a concert, you must have noticed how different the music sounds from the recorded version. As technology improved over the decades, and music recording became possible, there was a definitive change in the sound. The artist no longer needs to get your — or the crowd’s — attention; you are actively listening to their music from the comfort of your own home. There are now more background voices, melodies, or even whispers from the vocalist which can all be heard on recording. Music had become both more intimate and experimental. 

Practicing some new songs during rehearsals. Recording covers or even original songs in the studio. Performing popular songs in front of a crowd. Each of these acoustic environments require different techniques and will result in a different energy. As the project progresses, I hope to document the differences between music produced in these areas. 

Today, my first band (we’re still thinking up a name) got to record three songs in the studio! They played live, which means that all instruments and the vocalist were playing into mics at once, while being recorded. It was a quick and easy process and we got some nice takes of three covers: “Fly Me to The Moon” – Frank Sinatra, “Cherry Wine” – Grentperez, and “Nothing” – Bruno Major. Tune in next week for more!