Exam Tips and The Day The Music Died

Hey guys, so I have been getting a lot of e-mails from you about what might be on the test or how to study for the test, etc. I am not going to give a study guide because I think that would just hand you guys an A, but I will give you some pointers on what to look over and what Dr. McKeen and I are going to be looking for on this test. Before I get into that I want to thank everyone who participated in the blog survey, your feedback was really helpful and for the remainder of the semester I am going to try and accommodate your suggestions.

Ok, so the test as we discussed in class will be 2/3 lecture questions and 1/3 reading questions. Dr. McKeen's email today gave the readings to study so I suggest you all read the articles twice. Most of his questions on the readings will be specific and just skimming them will do you no good. Answering the reading questions correctly will give you a good chance at a solid grade.

As for the lecture questions, if you have been to class and have been reading this blog then you should be fine, but if I were taking the test I would study the major figures from each lecture. Don't spend so much time on the artists on the periphery because it is unlikely we will test you on them. It is important to know what each figure contributed to music, and if necessary society. Also, know where they recorded and for what label. McKeen is big on associating artists with labels, producers, cities, and so forth. Linking all these things together will give you a good understanding of the artist and his/her environment. Know Sam Phillips! Know Sun Records!

You should also study factors that make rock n' roll. What constitutes rock? What factors have caused rock to evolve? How did rock differ from era to era?

When studying specific songs, look for the ones that either had great commercial impact or great societal impact.

That is really all I can tell you and I have probably already said too much. If you guys have any other questions contact me via e-mail, or and I shouldn't do this but I may get some panicky students, by phone at 407-222-2379. Try to make it before midnight if you call.

So, on Monday we talked about a very monumental moment in rock n' roll history, the day the music died. On Feb. 3rd 1959 after leaving their Winter Dance Party tour site in Iowa, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. Richardson aka "The Big Bopper" all died when their plane crashed. All you guys know what happened as we talked about in class, so instead we are going to talk about the importance of the artists on future generations, especially Buddy Holly.

YES, HE IS THE SUBJECT OF THE FAMED WEEZER SONG!

Buddy Holly's real name is Charles Hardin Holley, and like Chuck Berry he is probably one of the first real creative forces in rock n' roll music. He was a pretty complete musician learning guitar, banjo and mandolin proficiently by the age of 15. Paul McCartney and John Lennon said they were persuaded to begin writing and playing their own music when they found out that Buddy Holly was writing his own songs. It may sound a bit trite today, but in the 50's this was a big deal. As you'll remember many artists at the time were interpretive and had people at their respective labels writing songs for them. Even giants like Howlin' Wolf and Muddy Waters reaped the success of songwriters like Willie Dixon. What set Holly apart from a songwriter like Chuck Berry is that he centered most of his songwriting around love. He was deeply emotional and sentimental without sacrificing sincerity. He also took the B.B. King blues approach of making the woman the object of the song, rather than himself, or he would personify like in "Heartbeat." He neglected the narrative style of Berry, but he was much more dynamic as a singer and as a songwriter. Buddy Holly records all sound different, he wasn't afraid to mix rock n' roll with 50's pop, so in that way, he wasn't as pure a rock n' roll figure as some might suggest. Songs like "Everyday" and "True Love Ways" are evidence of this mixing.

I have personally ripped a couple of Buddy Holly lines for some of my songs. In my song "Something to Say" I use a phrase from Buddy's "Words of Love"..."Give me something to say/To tell you that hearts can change/My words of love are all gone/So I'll pack my bags and move along/If you'll give me something to say." I also used his concept from "Midnight Shift" to highlight a cheating lover in my song "Songbook."

Buddy also formed the model rock n' roll band The Crickets. They were a four piece, lead guitar, rhythm guitar, bass, and drums set up. Many other bands would copy this model because it gets maximum productivity on stage with minimal members. Although it does require that one guitar player become proficient at singing and playing at the same time. Guitars can be layered and harmonized without sacrificing vocals.

If you want to see The Crickets in action check out these videos....http://youtube.com/watch?v=Ko0qw3nHwdU and http://youtube.com/watch?v=4PYXZEkAC4E&feature=related

Holly is remembered as one a true, unique figure in music. His look is unmistakable, his hiccupy, short-breathed singing style has been copied, his songwriting was simple, poetic, sincere, and also fun, and of course he had great success and influence in about 18 months or so. For a short, detailed biography of Holly I am going to give you guys a helpful website that I use to learn more about artists, it's called allmusic.com. Here is a link to Holly's site...http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:fifpxqe5ldae. I find this site much more reliable and comprehensive than wikipedia. As for listening recommendations for Holly I suggest "The Definitive Collection" or you can buy "The Chirping Crickets" or "Buddy Holly." Those albums serve well but like Chuck Berry, he anthologizes nicely.

Unfortunately I have to go to work, so I will post the rest of this later. In the meantime, listen to "Oh Boy", "Rave On" and "Midnight Shift."