Each week I will add a new composer for you to learn about at home!
This week we will be learning about Beyoncé
Beyoncé Gisselle Knowles-Carter wears many hats -- she is a singer, songwriter, producer, and actress. Beyoncé was born on September 4th, 1981 (making her 38 years old, and still rockin' it!) She was raised in Houston, Texas where she lived with her mother, father and younger sister, Solanage, who is also a singer and songwriter as well (they are the first set of sisters to both have had no. 1 albums -- how cool!) Ms. Knowles-Carter began singing and dancing at a young age, and was in several groups during her childhood. It was finally after years of hard work that Beyoncé began to find success in her late teens as the lead singer of the group Destiny's Child. Her father was the group's manager, as well as Beyoncé's manager, and often he would have the girls rehearsing 12-16 hours a day. Today, Destiny's Child is considered one the best-selling girl groups of all time (WOW.)
In the early 2000's Beyoncé expanded her love of performing to the acting world and began accepting roles in movies. Also during this time she released her first solo album which debuted no. 1 on the US Billboard 200. At the end of that decade Beyoncé split from her old manager and released more solo albums and also married successful rapper Jay-Z. Most recently she appeared as the adult version of Nala in the new Lion King, and contributed multiple tracks to the new as well as producing and curating the rest of the soundtrack.
Throughout her career Beyoncé has worked hard to earn the many accolades she has received. She has been recognized by several different organizations over the years for her contributions to pop culture, music, and film. Ms. Knowles-Carter is one of the world's best selling artists, as she has sold over 100 million albums across the globe. She is also the most nominated woman for Grammy's, and has won 24 total. In 2014 she became the highest paid black woman in history. There is no doubt that Queen Bey has hustled for as long as she has been in the public eye, and even longer. Her story truly shows us the value of hard-work and dedication.
This is one of her most popular songs with over 419 MILLION views on youtube!
This is a high energy dance song from Queen Bey. Challenge - see if you can keep up with her dancing for the entire video!
I hoped you enjoyed this week's composer as much as me! Let me know your thoughts via the message center on the homepage or my email at beilfussd@mesick.org.
As always, please drop me a line with any requests!
This week we will be learning about Patrick Stump
Patrick Stump is an American singer, songwriter, producer, film composer, and actor. Patrick Stump was born on April 27th 1984 in Evanston, Illinois -- a suburb of Chicago. Stump grew up playing music, initially starting on the drums. When Stump initially auditioned for Fall Out Boy, it was on the drums. However, he ended up filling the role of lead vocalist and guitarist.
During his time in Fall Out Boy Stump wrote most of the songs with lyrical contributions from bassist Pete Wentz. Patrick Stump found extraordinary success in Fall Out Boy, and during that time he worked with several bands as a music producer. A music producer is someone who oversees the the sound recording and production. A producer can be in charge of an entire album, or just a song or two. Stump produced several tracks for Fall Out Boy during his time with them as well as other artists, such as: The Hush Sound, Gym Class Heroes, and Good Charlotte.
In 2009 when Fall Out Boy took a break, Patrick Stump began working on his solo album called "Soul Punk." The album mixes elements of pop-punk, funk, and R&B (rhythm and blues). Then, around 2015, Stump began composing music for amusement park rides, soundtracks, and film scores. He wrote the ride score for the Incredible Hulk Coaster at the Islands of Adventure theme park in Florida, and also wrote the song "Who's the (Bat)Man" for The Lego Batman Movie. Patrick Stump is still a fan of pop-punk music, but has decided to focus most of his attention on composing for movies.
Here is a Fall Out Boy song called "Immortals" that was featured on the Big Hero Six soundtrack.
Here is a song from his solo album called "Spotlight (Oh Nostalgia)"
Here is the track he wrote for The Lego Batman Movie called "Who's the Bat(man)"
I hope you enjoy our composer of the week! Let me know what you think via the message center on my homepage or email at beilfussd@mesick.org.
Have any requests? Let me know!
This week we will be learning about Anaïs Mitchell!
Anaïs Mitchell is an American songwriter, singer, pianist, guitarist, and playwright (fancy word for someone who writes plays!) Mitchell was born on March 26th, 1981 and began writing songs when she was 17 years old. By the time she was 22 year old, Mitchell won her first songwriting award from the Kerriville Music Festival in 2003 for being a new folk artist. The following year she recorded her first album, Hymns for the Exiled, which caught the attention of famed folk artist Ani DiFranco who signed her to Righteous Babe Records.
When Anaïs Mitchell was 25 years old she released the first draft of what has been her most popular work, Hadestown, in 2006. Hadestown is a folk opera that is based on the Greek story of Orpheus and Eurydice. When Mitchell released the final album for Hadestown in 2010 it was met with excellent reviews. She has since been able to adopt Hadestown for the stage and it premiered on Broadway on April 17th, 2019 where it is still running.
Here are a few excerpts from when the folk opera Hadestown before it was adopted for the stage:
Here is a trailer for the stage version of Hadestown:
Compare and contrast the different versions. What did you like about each? Which one do you prefer? Feel free to message or email me your responses at beilfussd@mesick.org
I hope you enjoy our composer of the week, and don't forget to let me know what you think!
Have any requests? As always, feel free to email those to me at beilfussd@mesick.org
This week we will be learning about Vulfpeck!
Vulfpeck is an American funk band formed in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 2011. The four original members met when they played as a rhythm section together during their time in the school of music at the University of Michigan. Though they are often joined by a variety of rotating guests, the four main members are: Jack Stratton (keyboards, drums, and guitar, as well as founding member), Theo Katzman (guitar, drums, and vocals), Woody Goss (keyboards), Joe Dart (bass).
After their initial performance together at the University of Michigan, Jack Stratton came up with the idea of creating a German version of the 1960's and 70's studio bands. Studio bands work for a recording studio to accompany (or back up) a recording artist. As a result, Vulfpeck collaborates and regularly tours with guest musicians.
Their first single released was "Beastly," which features a bassist Joe Dart.
This is one of their most popular songs called "Back Pocket."
Let me know what you think about Vulfpeck! I hope you enjoy!
Have any requests? Let me know!
This week we will be learning about Joanna Newsom
Joanna Newsom is a American composer, singer, and harp player (she also plays other instruments, but harp is her main instrument.) She was born on January 18th, 1982 -- making her 38 years old. She was born and raised in Northern California by two musical parents. Her father was a guitar player, and her mother was a piano/keyboard/conga player. Newsom and her two siblings were not allowed to watch TV or listen to the radio growing up, but they were exposed to a wide variety of music by their parents.
Ms. Newsom attended a special performing arts school where she studied theater and music, where she studied theater and music. When she was five, she asked her parents to start harp lessons, and she took to it right away. When it was time for her to go off to college, Joanna decided to study composition and creative writing. Today she is considered one of the most influential composers of the folk and indie music scenes.
Here is one of her most recent pieces called "Divers"
Here is one of her most popular pieces called "The Sprout and The Bean":
Let me know what you think of her music! I hope you enjoy!
Any requests for a specific composer? Send it to me!