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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