In addition to its contribution to the arts and society, music has been shown to make you smarter and boost your immune system. As the semester nears its end 麻豆精品 S� coupled with the stress of the coronavirus pandemic 麻豆精品 S� UCF has turned to four faculty members from the music department for suggestions on the best music to listen to when your brain needs a break.
Here are their top picks for uplifting music along with a little bit of history about each piece.
From Scott Lubaroff, director of bands
- by Percy Aldridge Grainger (performed by the Dallas Wind Symphony)
Percy Grainger was one of the most significant composers in the early history of the modern wind band and a champion of the ensemble. He contributed dozens of works to what has since become the core band repertoire. 麻豆精品 S�Molly On the Shore 麻豆精品 S�was written in 1907 as a birthday present to Grainger 麻豆精品 S檚 mother. It is a setting of two contrasting reels, 麻豆精品 S淢olly On the Shore 麻豆精品 S� and 麻豆精品 S淭emple Hill, 麻豆精品 S� and most prominently features the woodwind sections of the ensemble.
- by Robert Jager (performed by the United States Marine Band: 麻豆精品 S�The President 麻豆精品 S檚 Own)
Esprit de Corps 麻豆精品 S�is something of a 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S渇antasy-march, 麻豆精品 S� and a tribute to the United States Marine Band, who actually originally commissioned the work. It is based on 麻豆精品 S痑nd is full of contrasting styles, energy, and drama, including a light quasi-waltz in its middle section.
- from the opera 麻豆精品 S�Schwanda, the Bagpiper by Jaromir Weinberger, arr. Bainum (performed by the United States Marine Band: 麻豆精品 S�The President 麻豆精品 S檚 Own)
Schwanda the Bagpiper 麻豆精品 S�was a classic opera in two acts from the early part of the twentieth century 麻豆精品 S� a standard story of love found, love lost, and love found again. Through its use of familiar Czech folk tunes, it earned significant popularity upon its initial release, nearly 2,000 stagings in its first decade. While 麻豆精品 S痵taging of the complete opera are rare since World War II, the instrumental 麻豆精品 S�Polka and Fugue 麻豆精品 S�is still a very popular part of orchestra and wind band concert programs to this day.
From Alex Burtzos, assistant professor of composition
- (Mvmt. II Adagio assai) by Maurice Ravel
Ravel begins the second movement of this seminal work with an expansive, vocalistic line that blends elements of jazz with rhythms drawn from the waltz. When asked about what many consider his most beautiful melody, he responded, 麻豆精品 S淭hat flowing phrase! How I worked over it bar by bar! It nearly killed me! 麻豆精品 S� None of that strain is apparent in the melody itself, which floats effortlessly from moment to moment, sustaining almost three minutes before the entrance of the orchestra.
- by Gorillaz
The cheerful funkiness of this track disguises its sophistication. To create the constantly shifting sensations in 5/4, Damon Albarn (also known as Gorillaz) layers rhythmic ostinatos of different lengths over one another. This results in a constantly surprising metrical scheme, and results in 5-bar phrases, which is unusual in this style.
- 麻豆精品 S痓y Richard Wagner
Wagner 麻豆精品 S檚 overture is a masterclass in how to transform material over time. The simple, chorale-like melody first heard in the woodwinds in the opening bars of the piece returns multiple times, and is subjected to various transformations of meter, orchestration, and dynamics. Every iteration is different, but each one is effective; and taken together, they make for an emotional 麻豆精品 S痶our de force.
From Tommy Harrison, associate director of the School of Performing Arts and professor of music business and technology
- ; ; and by Tommy Harrison Group
Tommy Harrison Group was a band that I was in when I first came to UCF in 2017. 麻豆精品 S疶hough the band is currently on a hiatus, it includes two fantastic musicians: Peter Mosley, the bassist from the multi-platinum group Yellowcard, and noted session drummer, Eric Bailey.
The record was recorded earlier in 2017, but not released until October of the same year. 麻豆精品 S疶he three songs I selected from the group 麻豆精品 S檚 only release were inspired by my new position at UCF. 麻豆精品 S疌oming back to UCF was one of the happiest events of my life, and these three songs have always reminded me of that happy time.
I had always been a fan of UCF Athletics, dating back to my previous appointment from 2005 to 2006. 麻豆精品 S� Knight Time was inspired by the football team, while Spectrum was inspired by the men 麻豆精品 S檚 basketball team. 麻豆精品 S�The Pegasus has been a long-standing symbol associated with UCF, especially when I was in my previous appointment.
From Jeffrey Rupert, director of Jazz Studies
- by Mel Torme
One of the greatest jazz singers of all time swings with a velvet tone, and sings about love in the most joyous fashion.
- by Billy Strayhorn (performed by Ben Webster)
As the title suggests, this Billy Strayhorn composition is about enjoying the finer things in life. Ben Webster has a glorious tone, and provides more information in one note than most can convey in an entire performance.
- by Stan Getz
The most moving third 麻豆精品 S痵tream or perhaps jazz composition about a woman. The improvisation by Getz is beyond imagination.
- by David 麻豆精品 S淔athead 麻豆精品 S� Newman (performed by Ray Charles)
Fathead is about swing, sound and storytelling. Jazz and Blues musicians were far ahead of therapists 麻豆精品 S� they 麻豆精品 S檝e known for quite a long time that the way to get over sadness is to go 麻豆精品 S痶hrough it. 麻豆精品 S�Hard Times 麻豆精品 S痠s a joyous pronouncement of the cathartic process.
