Music & Me!

Hi! I'm Martha-Bryan! I am a Freshman here at Converse, and, while I am majoring in Interior Design, I had originally planned to major in Contemporary Music and Media Applications. Even though I decided that wasn't the best fit for me, music has always played a huge role in my life, whether through listening or making it, and I'm really excited to be taking this class! 

A little bit about me: I was actually born in Spartanburg, but my family ended up moving to Atlanta when I was about four. Since then, I've moved a few more times around Georgia and South Carolina, but we just recently moved back to Spartanburg within the last two years:)

I have two older siblings (one brother and one sister), and lots of cousins, aunts, and uncles who I LOVE to make music with. Like I said earlier, music is a huge part of my life and how I express myself, and that mostly stems from being surrounded by such a musical family! Someone is always singing or playing an instrument when we get together, so it's virtually impossible for us to see each other without having some sort of jam session!

Now to the music! 

I've been listening to a LOT of bôa recently (I'm actually listening to them as I write this.) In particular, I've been listening to their 2010 album Twilight, which, fun fact, was originally released in 1996 in Japan under the name The Race of a Thousand Camels. While it's impossible for me to pick a favorite song from this album, I have been listening to "Little Miss" the most recently. I love how they handle the switch from the more delicate and bouncy sound of the verses to the intense chorus (I particularly enjoy the change in the guitar's tone and melody), as well as how they chose to end the song. That abrupt switch from the grungy feel of the chorus to the more funky/jazzy outro is really satisfying to me (especially considering how it applies to the subject matter of the song.)

Another album I've been listening to is Illuminations by Buffy Sainte-Marie (I actually love to listen to this album with bôa's Twilight.) Illuminations is genuinely like nothing I've ever heard before. Not only does Buffy Sainte-Marie have a very unique way of singing, or really of making music in general, but her storytelling is fantastic! The album is extremely dynamic, opening with the hypnotic song that is "God Is Alive Magic Is Afoot", and twisting from the somber, haunting stories found in songs like "The Vampire" to that of psychedelic rock like "Better To Find Out For Yourself".

Here's one of my favorites from the album!

One piece of music that is important to me is Jack Johnson's "Upside Down". The first Curious George movie was a favorite of mine and my brother's growing up. So much so that my parents bought the movie's soundtrack on CD for us to listen to at night while we fell asleep. There were lots of songs on the album that were, and still are, very near and dear to me, but this one is extra special since it's the only one that I still listen to today.

Another song that will always be important to me is "Tender Shepherd". My grandmother always loved Peter Pan, so we watched it a lot growing up. Every night before we went to bed, she would come to tuck us in and would sing "Tender Shepherd", except she would change the number of sheep and where they were to match where our other cousins and siblings were. Even now, she still sings it to us when she comes to say goodnight:)

A kind of music that I struggle to connect with is new-age country. I certainly don't hate it and can even somewhat enjoy it if it's the only listening option. I think what I struggle with is not the music itself, but how far it's strayed from authentic country music. The overall sound has completely changed, with the norm now being what I personally consider somewhat overproduced. Along with this, there has been a huge shift in subject matter. Old country is much more focused on storytelling than country music today, with songs like Marty Robbins' "Big Iron" or Loretta Lynn's "Coal Miner's Daughter". I think, overall, I feel modern country is surface level compared to its roots. 

Bonus Music!

One song I LOVE, and that is also very important to me, is Eric Whitacre's "Water Night". This will forever be one of my favorite songs. I love choral music, especially dissonant pieces, but that isn't the only reason I love this song. I was involved in my school's choral program throughout middle school and high school, and this was the first "serious" piece I ever got to perform. One of my favorite memories is when our choir director took us outside into the echoey skywalk during class to rehearse it. I still get goosebumps when I think about it!