Real-Life Communication
Composer Buster Alan says music is all about communication. "It
has to communicate a message, a feeling or be an experience. Sometimes music
can do that all by itself. Sometimes the lyrics can too, but we call those
greeting cards, not songs."
Music is a form of communication that can
be more expressive than just words alone. Emotions, goals or events may need
to be declared through a composer's music. They may want to communicate
something that is personal or something that is commercial. The composer must
decide what they should create to accomplish this. Different tempos, keys,
instruments and sounds will all have different effects.
Musical composers
also need communication in the business side of their jobs. If they are employed
by someone else, at some point they will probably have to explain what they
are doing and why. They need to be able to talk about their music so that
others can understand.
You are a composer. You have been asked to write
an advertising jingle for a new hotel.
This hotel is geared towards
families and the younger set. It is affordable and offers plenty of entertainment
for families and young adults. The city is known as a beautiful place close
to the water and the mountains. There is skiing, swimming, boating and hiking.
It
is considered a good place to take a family. There is a lot to do when in
the city, and the hotel is built with that in mind. The hotel is centrally
located, and close to many of the things that families or young adults would
like to see.
You need to write a piece of music that will reflect the
feel the public will expect from this hotel. Your clients have asked that
you compose the music in such a way that it appeals to the age group you are
trying to attract.
Describe the music you would write. Is it slow or
fast tempo? Which decade is it patterned after? Think about those and other
questions before you write.