audience s perception of songs

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  • 8/4/2019 Audience s Perception of Songs

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    Anysongwriterknowsthatasongwillnotmakeitwithouthavingwell-writtenmusicandperfectlycraftedlyrics.Buttheinteractionbetweenmusicandlyricsinasongposestwoquestions.Thefirstiswhichismoreimportantandthesecondiswhichshouldbewrittenfirst.Nevertheless,thesecondquestionisnottrulyanissue;asitissimplyamatterofpersonalpreferenceandhabit.Thequestionthatreallyneedsansweringisinfactthefirst:Whichismoreimportant?!

    Toanswerthisquestion,wehavetoexaminetheaudienceperceptionofsongs.Songsarewrittenforpeopletohearthem;thereforethewaytheyidentifywithsongsismostrelevantandcrucialtothesongwritingprocess.Agoodsongwritershouldexaminehis/heraudiencebeforehandand,consequently,shapethesongtobeaseasilyconceivedaspossiblebyitsintendedaudience.

    AsIbelongtowesternmusicbyeducation(classicalmusic)andtoorientalmusicbybirth(beingfromEgypt),Ihaveexamined-asdeeplyasIcould-theperceptionofsongsbybothArabiclistenersandEuropeanlisteners.Myconclusionisthatthosetwodifferentculturesproducedverydifferentlybiasedpeople.

    TheArabiccultureandlegacyisbasedheavilyonpoetrywhilemusicremainedtr

    ivial.Consequently,forArabiclistenersthelyricscomefirstandmusicisreducedtoamelodicvehicleforthelyricswiththeleastamountofarrangementpossible.LyricscomefirstforArabiclisteners!

    Ontheotherhand,Europesmusicheritageisenormouswithalotofgeniuscomposerswhowillalwaysberemembered.Atthesametime,Europe'sgreatpoetsusedthetypeoflanguagethattodayneedsalotofsimplificationtounderstand.ThemusicreachestheEuropeanlistenerbeforethelyrics!

    So,doesthismeanthatonecanwrite"bad"lyricsforEuropeanlistenersandgetawaywithit?!OfcourseNOT!!Theyeventuallycatchup.Also,Arabiclistenerswillnotlistentoasongwithbadmusic.Theideaisthatifyouraudiencescarelessforlyrics,thentheywouldntappreciateacomplexlyric.Infact,theywo

    uldntunderstanditandwilllabelitasbad.Ithastobegoodbutnotcomplex.Itaboutcomplexity.Arabiclistenerswillsettledownwithanicemelodythatfitsthelyricswell.Ithastobenice,butitCANTbecomplex!!MymotherthinksthatDvoraksNewWorldSymphonyislouderthanmusicshouldbe.Ithinkshemeanttosay:toocomplicatedformusic.Conversely,Europeanlistenerswillnotsettleforanicemelody,youhavetohavestrongchordprogressions,apowerfulbaselineandastrongdrumline.

    So,IwritemorecomplicatedlyricsforArabiclistenersandmorecomplicatedmusicforEuropeanlisteners.StudyYOUROWNaudiencesandseewhattheylikeandtowhichsidetheyarebiased,soyouknowhowtoadjustyoursongscomplexity.Butbeware;sometimeslesscomplicatedmeansmoredifficulttowriteWishyousimpleso

    ngwriting!!

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