Music Appreciation | Monday, period 1

[sharp_as_knives]

"Good morning," Hannibal greeted them all. He was dressed as usual in a three-piece suit of a fairly subtle plaid with a paisley tie and differently patterned shirt. It somehow all worked. "Welcome to the first summer term, and the first class of that term, Music Appreciation. Introductions are traditional, and we've the advantage you won't have gotten tired of them yet."

He waved toward a neatly set up table to one side. "Please, help yourself to coffee, tea, and pastries. As you'll all no doubt soon learn, I enjoy feeding people. I'm Dr. Hannibal Lecter; when I'm not teaching various other artistries, I often teach the culinary arts here."

The other teacher at the front of the room, the one in the black leather who was casually leaning back against the desk, arms crossed over a chest that was openly on fire - sorry, new students - gave a little nod at that.

//And I'm Jono Starsmore. Professor Starsmore is fine if you absolutely have to be formal, but I much prefer 'Jono,' really. Mostly I run the music shop in town and teach classes like music, live entertainment, surviving the end of the world...//

Typical school stuff.

//In this class, Hannibal - and I get to call him that even if you don't - and I will be bringing two different perspectives on music into our lectures, talking about classical and contemporary music and shared themes between them. If, ah, you can't guess which of us prefers which...//

Then you clearly weren't paying much attention. Or you eschewed stereotypes; good for you. (But you'd be wrong in this case.)

Hannibal smiled. "To begin with, now that you've heard our introductions, we should like to hear yours. Please give us your name, grade, and one song with an introduction you feel is memorable."

//It doesn't have to be something great or generation-changing,// Jono added. //I would pick Pearl Jam's opening to Alive as a song with an introduction that immediately grabs me, for example.//

Because of course he would.

"And I might choose Mussorgsky's Promenade to Pictures at an Exhibition," Hannibal said. "It's something many who aren't terribly familiar with Classical music will still have heard, and a theme that runs throughout the entire piece in one form or another, rather masterfully."

He nodded at the nearest student. "So, tell us your information and your memorable introduction. If you don't feel we'd know it, please play or sing or hum it for us." He paused to let the students introduce themselves.

//And that seems to be everybody, which actually brings us to our lecture of the day,// Jono said, giving a little nod. //Introductions. Overtures. Songs that set the mood for the rest of a set, musical, or album to come.//

It had seemed topical.

"What do you think it's important for an introduction to do?" Hannibal asked. "Should it grab your attention, make plain what's to come, or ease you into the music gently? For my pieces today, I have chosen the Overture to Gounod's Faust, the Overture to Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail, and the Einleitung, or overture, to Strauss's Also Sprach Zarathustra, which some of you may have heard before. Listen to them, and see how they introduce what may come next, how they engage you, and what you might expect from the music after them."

//In more contemporary music, especially in the last few decades, modern artists have started a bit of a trend of opening their albums with a short track, usually less than a minute, that sets the mood for the rest of the music to come. They can be anything from instrumentals to short spoken pieces, can be dissonant or intensely symphonic, and might share nothing whatsoever in the way of composition with the other tracks to follow,// Jono said, picking up the ball from there. //So I've got a handful more than Hannibal to share with you today, because of their length, but also because of how diverse they can be.//

He reached for the remote and started clicking through the songs - or just the audio tracks - that he'd chosen.

//For example, the opening track on Our Lady Peace's Spiritual Machines album, R.K. Intro, is six seconds long, and is simply one man speaking some words. The same voice shows up a few more times throughout the album, tying everything together, making it into a bit of a concept album... we'll probably talk about those later. The Offspring use spoken word to a different effect in their intro track, Disclaimer, giving something of a tongue-in-cheek commentary about the content that the rest of the album will contain. The Gorillaz track, adequately titled just, Intro is an instrumental number punctuated by the sound of sirens, giving you a feel for the sort of image the band wants to invoke of themselves when you listen to their music. They Might Be Giants' Theme From Flood makes it very clear that you're listening to the album of a band that doesn't take itself terribly seriously, and Pink Floyd's Speak To Me... well, there's a mixture of heartbeat sounds, spoken word, and clock-ticking sounds that leaves the listener appropriately unsettled while presenting a unifying theme for the album yet to come.//

... He was done listing off intro tracks now. Of course he was cutting himself off with the creepy laughter cash register track. You're welcome, class.

//Intros have become a shorter and simpler beast than the overtures that used to usher in symphonies, but their purpose is arguably the same. Setting a particular mood, stirring up a certain mindset or tying what's yet to come together with a small taste of the rest of it. The songs that follow are often great in their own right, but if an album - or a symphony, or an opera, or any other musical experience - is meant to be listened to from front to back, a composer or band might feel that a primer is necessary, so that the audience is in the proper mood to appreciate the rest as it was intended.//

By the end of Jono's enthusiastic description, Hannibal was looking amused. Welcome to a class where the teacher without a mouth talked the most, students.

"So, what do you think of these various introductions? What is their purpose, and how well do they fulfill it? What, if anything, would you suggest they do differently? Let us discuss it."

Comments

Sign in!

[never-dull.livejournal.com]

Setting a Mood

Re: Sign in!

[intotheout]

Gratuity Tucci

Re: Sign in!

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante

Introductions!

[never-dull.livejournal.com]

Name! Age, class, whatever else you'd like to share about yourself, and one song that you think has a memorable introduction!

Re: Introductions!

[intotheout]

Tip raised her hand a little shyly. "I'm Gratuity Tucci," she said. "Yes, really." No one had actually reacted to her weird name around here, yet, but she'd gotten used to throwing that into intros in front of big groups over the years. "I'm fourteen, and a freshman, and I'm from Pennsylvania. Which is on Earth." That wasn't a habitual addition, but she'd met enough people at the welcome picnic who weren't from Earth that it seemed warranted. "And -- it's not really school appropriate, but the first intro I thought of is the one for Kanye's 'Runaway'. You know, with the piano."

Did they know? The two teachers really obviously had their preferred musical genres, after all.

Re: Introductions!

[furnaceface]

Aw, Gratuity. It's okay, Jono knew exactly that sort of shyness when it came to introducing himself to new people foe the first time. His just kind of came from the whole voice... thing.

//You'll find that, at least in this class, we're not terribly concerned about 'school appropriate,'// he said, a touch warmly. //Censorship has no place in a class about culture.//

A few of his musical selections were going to have some f-bombs strewn about, after all.

//And I'm familiar with that one,// he added. He did run the music shop, after all. //Simple, but striking. It would be difficult to not place what song you're listening to when you hear the start of it, for sure.//

Re: Introductions!

[never-dull.livejournal.com]

"Welcome, Gratuity." Hannibal nodded to her. He might be curious about her name, but he was hardly going to be rude enough to say anything. "As Jono said, we're not terribly concerned with 'appropriate' here. And I'm not familiar with that one. Do you have it with you?"

Re: Introductions!

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante hadn't honestly thought about taking another class from Lecter until he realized it was a music class and, y'know, screw it, he liked music. ... and trolling Lecter.

"I'm Dante, and I guess I'm a junior now," he said, giving a casual shrug. "As for intros, hm-- that old school Nine Inch Nails song. What's it called again? 'Closer'? That one."

This was probably going to be a theme with him. Sorry, guys.

Re: Introductions!

[furnaceface]

Were you aiming to scandalize, Dante? Because Jono was just going to nod his approval. It was possible that he was smirking, though perhaps it was hard to tell behind the fire.

What? He liked Nine Inch Nails.

//Would that be the percussive instrumental part, or the 'violate, desecrate, penetrate' parts?// He wondered. //Either way, it is definitely a song introduction that lets you know what you're in for for the rest.//

In case there was any question what sort of song they were talking about, here, for the rest of the class.

Re: Introductions!

[never-dull.livejournal.com]

"Dante." Hannibal greeted him with a nod. He'd gathered the nature of the song from the discussion with Jono, and was amused; it seemed appropriate for Dante, both as a song he'd enjoy and as the sort of thing he'd bring up in a class. "Do you have the song with you so that we can hear it?"

Re: Introductions!

[that_oldsaying]

Alluka's eyes had gotten huger and huger as she'd realized that she was going to have to say a song. She struggled with that--what song was she supposed to say? what was the right one?--while other people introduced themselves.

In the end, she didn't even know where she'd heard the song, since she didn't think it was the sort of thing Mabel listened to, but she really liked it so... so that was going to have to do.

"Hi, hi," she said, when it was her turn. "I'm Alluka Zoldyck. I'm in the second level now? I, I think that's a sophomore?" You were all lucky she'd remembered that word. "I like my toys and clothes and having friends."

Her toys were most of her friends. Even still. She hugged Mr. Bubbles, her giraffe, to her.

"And, um, I guess the intro I like best is for, I think it's called After The Fall?"

Re: Introductions!

[furnaceface]

Jono took a moment to try to remember the song. It sounded familiar, though it wasn't his usual fare.

//That's October Project, isn't it?// He gave a little nod. //The one with the slow build and the chimes. I know the song you're talking about. Good choice, luv.//

Look, just because it wasn't the kind of stuff he normally listened to himself, didn't mean he couldn't be encouraging when somebody else liked a thing.

//It's good to have you in the class, Alluka,// he added, nodding. //Maybe you'll even hear some more music you enjoy, while you're here.//

It would be useful for the new job, and all.

Re: Introductions!

[crimson_sister]

"My name is Lucille Sharpe, I am seventeen years old and I am now a senior." She sounded rather formal; even if she by now felt she knew Dr Lecter better, being in class was a different thing.

"I have little knowledge about music from eras later than my own, and I chose this class wishing to learn more." And because Dr Lecter was teaching it, but she didn't want to mention that.

"I very much like the introduction to Beethoven's Pathetique Sonata, the one of the first movement.

Re: Introductions!

[thewrathofkaan]

Roscoe had two classes today, but he had dressed to impress with this class in mind: he was wearing a galaxy-print dress with music notes on it and glittery blue sneakers.

He stood up to introduce himself without shyness or self-consciousness. "I'm Roscoe. I'm fifteen and a sophomore and I'm from LA. Kind of an obvious one, but I like the intro to 'Thriller.' The way it builds up with the creaking and howling until it gets to that iconic beat really sets the mood up."

Re: Introductions!

[hexentotchen.livejournal.com]

"My name is Hanna Heller, I'm seventeen, a -- rising senior?" Hanna double-checked her terminology there. "I grew up in Finland, German is my first language, and...." She paused, considering, then said carefully, "Nina Simone's version of 'Little Girl Blue (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wT_Z-D31vbU)'. Which is Old King Wenceslas, and doesn't seem to have anything to do with the actual song, but it works very well."

Re: Introductions!

[imisscookiecat.livejournal.com]

"Hi!" Steven said with some genuine enthusiasm. "I'm Steven, Steven Universe. I'm fourteen and a freshman and this is my first school class ever!"

He was super excited, you had no idea.

"I guess, and I hope this isn't cheating, but the opening to Comet by Mr. Universe is really memorable. The chords just get you going for the opening vocals, you know?"

Listen to the lecture!

[never-dull.livejournal.com]

In which there is an intro to intros, and the outro takes a long time coming.

Discuss!

[never-dull.livejournal.com]

What do you think of the overtures and introductions that your teachers played for you? Did any of them establish a certain mood? Was there anything about them that you might have done differently, or appreciated more than the rest? Did any of them leave you with a taste for more? Let's chat!

Re: Discuss!

[intotheout]

"They're kind of all about being loud or creepy," Tip noted. "Or both. I liked the Gorillaz one, but I think if I heard the disclaimer when I was trying to listen to music, I'd turn it back off."

She actually had several more things she could say about Jono's selections, and she hadn't even started on the classical stuff, but it was her first day of her first class, and she didn't want to end up labeled the brain immediately.

She was mentally trying to tally any intro type songs she might have on her phone, though. Janelle liked intros, didn't she?

Re: Discuss!

[rebelseekspizza]

"That Gorillaz album was a good one," Dante said. "The intro works for it 'cause it's kind of freaky but, uh..."

He trawled his brain for the word. Couldn't find it. "Like you're in a weird-ass dream or something. The Pink Floyd one just builds up your anticipation, 'cause it's like your heart beating along, but I haven't listened to that one in a long fuckin' time."

Turned out he could actually be serious as long as music was involved. "Never been a big fan of the The Offspring one. The tone of the words works, but the sound doesn't really fit the rest of the thing."

Re: Discuss!

[crimson_sister]

"The only one I had heard before was the one by Mussorgsky," Lucille said, "Although played on the piano. I find it expresses the title very well, although it is not one of my favorite pieces. The Overture I'm not familiar with, but the contrast between the dramatic parts and the softer but not sweet parts appeals to me."

Talk to the teachers!

[never-dull.livejournal.com]

One has excellent taste, one tastes excellent is literally on fire. Together... they keep cats? Listen to music? Frequently are transformed into reptiles by the island? Anyway, wait until they ping in.

Re: Talk to the teachers!

[never-dull.livejournal.com]

Hannibal is here! Available, drinking plenty of that coffee himself, and ready for any chatting you might want to do.

Re: Talk to the teachers!

[furnaceface]

Jono is also here! And available! And not drinking any coffee because, you know, his face is on fire.

He's giving this 'not hiding' thing a try. Let's see how that works out, shall we?

OOC!

[never-dull.livejournal.com]

Shannon: I HAVE MISSED THIS CLASS. NOW YOU ALL GET TO BE REMINDED THAT I HAVE RIDICULOUS MUSICAL TASTES. AND THAT I CAN'T MAKE JONO SHUT UP.

Lorelei: And I get to try and remember music classes from college and google ALL THE THINGS!