Concert Blog! Jake Minter's Senior Recital

This was a composition major's recital, which I was intrigued by! It was absolutely amazing, the entire time I was in awe of the fact that someone I was seeing in person wrote the songs I was hearing! Usually, when I listen to music, I don't see or connect the composition of it with a face, I generally focus on the performers, so it was different (and awesome) to physically see the person who wrote the music.

The recital was on November 18th, 2013 in Ford Hall at 9pm.

The performances were extremely varied, with Jake Minter singing in most of them. The first number was from an Ithaca College original musical, which will be premiering later in the year I believe, called Gaybraham Lincoln, the song was titled "Insanity." It was sung by a group of students and very much fit a show tunes genre. The next song was a sharp contrast, it was performed with only a trumpet and a vibraphone, it was entitled "Waft." "The Fledgling's Lullaby" followed, from the another Ithaca College original musical, Angels, Demons, and the Rest of Us. The next song was "Triplin' Down," which he wrote in only 4 days! This song also contrasted with the rest of the pieces, it was a rock song. The next song, my personal favorite, was not performed live. After intermission, a large projector screen was set up and a student film A Christmas Moose was played, the score for which was written by Jake. The next song was called "At The End of All Things" and following that was "Heavenly Fathers." The final song, "Between the Earth and Sky" was also from Angels, Demons, and the Rest of Us.

There were several striking pieces, but the two most notable were "A Christmas Moose" and "At the End of All Things." "A Christmas Moose" was a silent animated film about a moose that wanted to be one of Santa's reindeer. The main instrument used in the score was jingle bells. The music during the film reflected the moose's mood: when he was happy, a version of the song "Jingle Bells" was played. But, when the moose was distressed or made fun of, the song transitioned into a discordant version of "Jingle Bells," oftentimes it was hardly recognizable as "Jingle Bells". The music was what told most of the story, since there weren't any words used.

"At The End of All Things" was played by a string quartet with a viola, two violins, and a cello. The beginning of the song was soft and pretty then, as the storyline became more intense, the music became lower and darker feeling and at the end switched back. The vocals had the melody. The chorus of the song was the titular line, ending on a perfect authentic cadence. The final line of the song, however, stopped short at "At the end" and ended on an open cadence, without ever returning home.

"Waft" was very similar to many of the blues pieces we studied, primarily because of it use of a trumpet. The piece started with the vibraphone playing the down beat and the trumpet playing the melody with a mute. Then, the mute was removed and the trumpet repeated the melody, then put the mute back on and played a similar melody again. When the mute was removed, the song sounded very similar to the jazz pieces we've studied. However, I couldn't tell if the piece was written in the 12 bar form.

I enjoyed most of the concert! The only section I wish was done better was contextual information for some of the songs. The context of "Insanity" was explained very well, but the other songs from larger works were not. "Heavenly Father" needed this the most, all of a sudden a student dressed as a priest was singing about an epidemic of Catholic priests molesting young boys. Although the song was well done, it was confusing without any background information. Besides that, I thought the performers and composition were wonderful!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JslbMrm9VTw

Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring"

Throughout history, as each century transitioned into the next, the shift was marked by significant change in social and creative standards. Perhaps the biggest shift in societal and artistic expression was the change from the 19th to the 20th century. The 19th century, or the "Romantic" era, was categorized by a focus on the individual, a worship of nature, and an equal value of emotions and reason. 20th century modernism had a completely different outlook on life. The modern world was pessimistic, chaotic, and fluctuating. Rather than being restricted by cause and effect reasoning, modern thought was open and constantly changing. Stream of consciousness writing flourished; in this style, authors' dictated the character's inner monologue, which was often scattered and slightly chaotic. In art, cubism and surrealism took the stage. Cubism involved the presentation of multiple views in flattened, geometric ways and surrealism portrayed the unconscious mind in implausible images. In these three forms, expression became chaotic and disorderly, rather than conforming to the structure of previous centuries. Through his use of texture and melody, Stravinsky expresses 20th century aesthetics of modernism in "Rite of Spring."

Stravinsky uses the musicality of "Rite of Spring" to convey 20th century aesthetics. At 9:18, a single, extremely high, bassoon plays the melody of the piece. Then, the bassoon fades out and, at 9:30, Stravinsky adds texture to the piece: he layers finger plucked violins, which have the melody, and violins played with, what sounds like, a quivering bow. At 9:51, the violin melody that had been playing abruptly cuts out and is replaced with loud, staccato notes played by the string and horn sections. Another sudden change occurs at 9:59, when these staccato notes are replaced by quick notes on the bassoons. This quickly switches back to the same short notes of the horn and string section at 10:03. At 10:07, a piccolo plays over the horn and strings' staccato notes, quickly followed by trumpets at 10:09. Between 10:09 and 10:28, the section with the melody changes rapidly, as does the melody. The trumpets, strings, and piccolos layer over each other, creating texture with the various melodies they are playing.

Stravinsky uses fragmentation, juxtaposition, and stratification, 20th century modernist aesthetics, in "Rite of Spring." The quick transition between the various textures and melodies of 9:38 and 9:50, then 9:50 and 9:59, and 10:03 and 10:07, demonstrates fragmentation within the piece. Then, at 10:09, when the piccolos and trumpets play different melodies simultaneously as the strings play the downbeat, Stravinsky is using stratification. As the texture of the piece becomes more diverse and the melody bounces around between 10:09 and 10:28, the different parts begin juxtaposing each other, since each is playing a separate melody, and it remains stratified as the different layers play different, slightly dissonant, parts. At this point, the piece is chaotic, similar to the modern view of life as chaos. Throughout this section of "Rite of Spring," the fragmentation, stratification, and juxtaposition demonstrate the modernist outlook that life is constantly changing and fluctuating. These three concepts are closely related to stream of consciousness writing, the inner monologue of a person rapidly bounces from one thought to another, similar to how the instruments in this song bounce from one melody to another. In cubism as well, various, opposing views are presented simultaneously and, in "Rite of Spring," stratification portrays diversified melodies simultaneously.

Outline:

African Dance & Drumming

The African Dance and Drumming concert took place on Thursday October 24th, 2013, at 8:15 pm. The concert was divided into two sections, the first was several performances done by the African Dance and Drumming freshman seminar, and the second was performances by the campus African Dance and Drumming ensemble. The first number began with males in costumes, I assume, are African cultural traditions, on stage playing an assortment of drums. Then, the females in the group entered the stage in similarly cultural costumes, and began dancing while one member sang a variety of long notes. For me, the entrance was not the most striking aspect of the concert. The next number was a traditional war dance, done by the males in the seminar. The soloist performance followed and, personally, I disagreed with the opinions of those around me. The solo was done by Shannon Frier who played an instrument which I, unfortunately, forget the name of. She learned how to play this instrument when she studied with a group in Ghana over the summer. There were two other performer with her on stage, one playing a cowbell and the other playing a simple drum. Shannon was amazingly talented and knew how to play the instrument very well. That being said, I did not like the sound of the instrument I don't think it's Shannon's fault I don't like it, I believe I would have disliked the sound regardless of who was playing it; it was grating and had an edge to it I didn't enjoy. One of the performances I did enjoy was "Sinta," a dance originating in Papua New Guinea. The drum section on this was incredible, it began fast and loud and steadily continued at the same ferocious pace. It was upbeat, fun, and helped rekindle my enjoyment of the concert.

The guest performer at the concert was a good friend of the teacher of the seminar class (who is also the leader of the African Drumming and Dance Ensemble) from Ghana. Before the first number performed by the ensemble, the professor told us the next dance was ruled as illegal to perform in Ghana several years ago and the guest performer's family were the ones to bring it back to the nation. They did not announce the name of the significant costume piece the performers wore for this dance, so I will try to describe it as best I can. The dance was performed by the males of the ensemble who wore only pants and a waist accessory I can most accurately describe as a large, pillow- like, fanny pack shaped belt with four or five half circles of white rope attached to the front. The goal during the dance was to push these ropes up so they bounced off their lower torsos. This was achieved by the men in this dance thrusting their hips forward. The guest performer's hip thrust was barely noticeable, it seemed as if he was effortlessly able to make the ropes bounce off of his chest. However, the less experienced performers made it evident how difficult this task really is. It was evident they needed a large thrust of their hips to make the ropes rise and fall. Although this was not exactly how the dance was supposed to look, I am sort of glad their effort was evident, so the audience and myself could appreciate how difficult this seemingly simple act is.

The numbers were, overall, fantastic, but my favorite part of the entire performance was the action on stage, it was what was going on behind me. While the seminar class was performing (keep in mind, the seminar has only been practicing this since the beginning of the semester), the more experienced ensemble was seated in the back of the auditorium. Throughout the performances, the ensemble group was yelling encouragement and support to their less experienced counterparts. They were saying things like "Woo!" or "You go girl!" or other similar expressions. It was amazing and awe- inspiring how supportive they were. When the roles were reversed, the seminar class did the same for the ensemble group. It reminded me of our class discussion and study of folk music, they were a welcoming community supporting each other. Although this would probably fit Nettl's definition of "primitive" music, because the only instruments involved were drums and the pieces did originate in African tribes, I could see the similarities between the communal support for one another at this concert and during folk performances and gatherings.

Romanticism!

 

 



Following the Enlightenment era, the Romantic era emerged. The above painting captures many ideals of the Romantic era. Part of Romantic thinking included the belief that, compared to other historical and natural forces, human knowledge is small. The painting above portrays a man looking microscopic compared to the size of the ocean, sky, and mountains. This painting also shows an individual, conforming to the Romantic idea that individuals have "unique, endless potential." Similar to  "The Dreamer," this man is alone with his thoughts and nature, his back facing the viewer, solemnly staring at distant mountains.

This painting presents a sharp contrast to Enlightenment thinking in that it portrays nature as overpowering and out of control, as opposed to the Enlightenment belief that nature represents order and control. Rather than emphasizing society and reason, this painting presents an individual who is clearly in a reflective, emotional state. This directly opposes the Enlightened thought of reason and logic over emotion and passion and epitomizes the Romantic distrust of reason. The subject of this picture is also apart from society, similar to the characterization of the Romantic artist.

The Phrases of Mozart

The period I'm using for this blog is found in Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor K. 466, it's in the 2nd section of this Concerto, called "Romance." In this video, the period takes place at 13:32 and continues to 13:54.

In this section, a piano plays unaccompanied. It plays an arpeggio, therefore the notes are played consecutively rather than simultaneously. the tempo of the piece is allegro and it is in 4/4 time. As stated in the title, the phrase is in the key of D- minor. The phrase is a parallel, interrupted period. The first arc of the period ends on a half cadence, then the second section of the period closes on a perfect authentic cadence.

This period relates to Enlightenment ideals because of its orderliness. The first and second phrases mirror each other exactly except for the cadential change. The order and reason in this reflect the Enlightenment idea of reason and logic over religion. The separation of almost every note played in this piece, the arpeggio form, also reflects an idea of order, each note has a place, just as each question has a logical answer. The 4/4 time signature is also a concept with a clear answer, reasonable and orderly. Four beats per measure and a quarter note gets one beat, it's a logical concept and reflective of Enlightenment ideals.

Reaction to being enlightened on the Enlightenment

I've always been fascinated by periods of drastic social change and separation from the societal norm, especially when those changes continue to affect us today. The Enlightenment period had this brand of long lasting change. During this time, there was a dramatic shift from religion to reason and logic. Art and culture was opened up to the middle class and changed to accommodate this new audience. Opera switched from the Baroque style to a style relatable to the middle class. Had music and theater not switched from being aristocracy based to being middle class based as well, most of the music we enjoy today would not exist. There would be no folk music, made by ordinary people, there would be no iPods so everyone can have music on the go, and I certainly would not have my headphones in right now, listening to my favorite music. These would be liberties only upper class persons could enjoy. Walking through New York City, there would be no street performers with an open guitar case in front of them, there would be no Ithaca Porchfest, and the man playing guitar outside on campus the other day would probably not own it, let alone know how to play. It astounds me something that happened so long ago, forgotten by a great deal of people, still affects everyone, every day.

The Enlightenment period was also the first glimpse of feminism. In the Intro. to Women's Studies class I'm currently taking, we, of course, discuss feminism and issues related to women. However, we haven't discussed the Enlightenment period. Evidence of feminism during this time is present in the "Enlightenment Ideas and Quotes" sheet we received; in this, the quotes use "everyone" and "people," rather than "man" or "he." The quotes are careful to be all inclusive, which seems to be a concept we've lost since then. Even the Declaration of Independence, which was based off Enlightenment ideals, is not all inclusive; John Locke's "Everyone is born equal" is changed to "All men are created equal." Still today, as we discussed in Intro. to Women Studies, "man" and male pronouns are used in almost all documents, textbooks, research materials, etc. In this limited aspect, Enlightenment thinkers were more advanced than we are today.

The music of this time period is reflective of this shift in societal ideals, as demonstrated in the opera "Don Giovanni." In this, one of the main characters, a woman, is assisted by another woman in her time of need and peasants are recognized and spoken to by a noblemen, Don Giovanni. The simple plot of this opera appeals to the less educated middle class.

All in all, the Enlightenment period had massive, long lasting affects on art, culture, society, and entertainment that still prevail today and continue to change and adjust our society.

Defining Folk Music

The definition of folk music is difficult to put into words; it means something different depending on who you ask. Some people define it in rather specific terms, such as Bruno Nettl, who clearly presents what he thinks folk music is and isn't, such as: folk music is communal creation and not individual, oral not written, folk not concert or primitive, non- specialist not professional, simple not complex, functional not non- functional, and participatory not passive. To others, the definition of folk music is more laissez- faire than Nettl's. To Louis Armstrong, "all music is folk music." To Ani DiFranco, "there's no pomp and circumstance to the [folk] performance. There's no, like, 'I'll be the rock star, you be the adulating fan.'" To Sonny Terry, "It's the closest music to our humanity - it's like a folk music that rises up out of a culture." To Johnny Rotten, “the genuine roots of culture is folk music.” And, to Brownie McGhee, folk music is “music of just plain people.” The culmination of these definitions and more are, to me, what folk music is and what it represents. It can be interpreted, listened to, and defined by anyone, and those definitions can vary from person to person. For some, it’s all encompassing and for others it’s exclusive. Folk music is, essentially, community. Folk music serves as a catalyst to the bringing together of people, it’s more relatable than classical or opera and has a meaning easier to discern than tribal music.

 

For me, if someone believes they are performing or listening to folk music, then they are. Nettl’s categories are too specific, they limit what folk music is, and what it can mean to people. Although there are some restrictions, for example, classical music is clearly not folk music, folk music is more intrinsically defined. If a song or piece of music someone hears makes them feel connected to a larger community and they feel they are welcome and belong in that community, then that music is folk music for them.

 

Perhaps one of the best personal examples I have to define folk music is my experience at Bethel Woods Center for Performing Arts on the day of Richie Havens’ memorial. Richie Havens opened Woodstock with his improvised performance of “Freedom,” he has always said he felt a personal, spiritual connection with the Bethel Woods site of Woodstock so, when he passed away in April, his family arranged for a mix of his ashes and flower petals to be spread over the performance hill on August 18^th. Throughout the day, there were performances inside by many musicians who knew and loved Richie, but, outside on the field that Woodstock took place on, there was a drum circle led by Juma Sultan (Jimi Hendrix’s Woodstock percussionist) and Richie’s longtime percussionist. During the drum circle, Juma and company had drums anyone was allowed to grab and join in the circle. My friend and I each grabbed a drum while my dad played a drum he had brought. We sat in this circle of strangers and played music on the drums in remembrance and celebration of Richie’s life for about an hour. It was, for me, the epitome of folk music. I felt connected to these people I didn’t know and was making beautiful folk music with them, even though I, like most of the people in the drum circle, had no experience playing drums. After the circle, we had a picnic on the field and listened to the other performers, then it was time for his ashes to be scattered. While the plane containing the ashes circled overhead, the drum circle started up again. As the plane kept circling, the tempo of the drums increased, becoming increasingly forte, building and building until the ashes were released, then they faded out, and it was over. Being a part of this community, celebrating the same person, hearing people say “peace” and “love” to one another, and making beautiful music with experienced and inexperienced strangers, gave me the sense of community and belonging listening to folk music should give someone.

If a sense of community and belonging is elicited, that’s folk music. Yes, some of Nettl’s categories are accurate, distinguishing folk from classical, but I think they’re too narrow- minded. The drum circle fits more closely with his definition of “primitive” music, but to me it felt like folk music. The message in Bob Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the Wind” is geared more for listeners of the 1960’s than myself, so I cannot be “participatory,” but it’s still folk music. Bob Dylan’s songs were written by himself, not passed down in an oral tradition or created by a community, but they’re still folk music. Folk music is much simpler than these specific categories, it is a personal feeling and perception of a piece of music, not a checklist of categories.

Below is a picture of my friend and me with Juma on the field!

Concert Blog #1

The concert I attended for this post was Jazz Night at the TC Lounge on the 14th floor of East Tower on Thursday, September 20th. It was absolutely amazing! The night consisted of various members of the student jazz club playing a variety of jazz tunes, primarily improv. I could not believe how wildly talented the students were. The instruments used were a piano, a drum set, a distorted electric guitar, a bass cello, a saxophone, a trombone, and a trumpet. For each set, the various musicians would just wander on and off the "stage" area, which was really a barely sectioned off area where the instruments were. It amazed me how easily the musicians could play the improvised songs, they all flowed beautifully and never sounded dissonant or off. The theories we learned in class regarding cadences and staying in a specific key made me feel like it would take hours, if not days, to compose a piece that followed all of the rules and sounded great, but these people were able to make it up on the spot, incorporating PACs, IACs, and HCs and always, as far as I could tell, ending on a closed cadence. It amazed me! They all transitioned smoothly and simultaneously from forte to piano to complete silences followed by forte entrances.
I'm not sure of the names of the performers, it was a lot of musicians approaching and picking up their instrument, playing for a bit, then sitting back down, nothing was formal and no one was specifically introduced. In jazz music, the incorporation of a distorted guitar is unusual, but the songs with it used sounded wonderful and completely fit in with the jazz theme of the night. There was a bass solo played with a drum keeping a steady beat in the background, and the song was beautiful (and improvised!), but what really struck me was how passionate the bassist, and all of the musicians that performed, were. The bassist was grooving the entire time he was playing and everyone was smiling and having a blast while they were performing. Seeing how much fun they were having immeasurably increased my overall enjoyment of the night.
At one point, the bass and saxophone were playing together and the bassist began playing the melody of Stevie Wonder's "Superstition" and the saxophonist caught on and they played the melody together for a while. During this, a drummer, pianist, and guitarist stepped up and joined in; they then went off on a long stretch of improvisation and, without any cue, at least not that I could see, they circled back into the "Superstition" melody. The ebb and flow of the song amazed me, especially how well they transitioned to and from "Superstition" without it sounding dissonant.
There were vocalists incorporated as well, one of which sang his rendition of Nat King Cole's "Orange Colored Sky." His rendition, both the vocals and the instrumentation, was much smoother than Nat King Cole's, which made it flow better with the smooth, casual setting. The AABA form of this song, along with the jazz style, reminded me of "It Don't Mean a Thing" from the chapter reading we had.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the music and atmosphere of the jazz night, and will hopefully be attending every week!
Below are some pictures from the night:

PORCHFEST

I absolutely adored Porchfest! I thought it was the coolest event, it was absolutely amazing to see everyone come together to hear the music. I didn't pay too much to all of the technicalities of the music they were playing, I was so wrapped up in the magic of it all.
One of the songs I did pay special attention to was played by the first porch we stopped at. I didn't catch the name of the performers, but the song that struck me was about life in the town of Ithaca. The singer speaks about how, when he first moved to Ithaca, he constantly thought of his hometown and his "heart just wasn't in it." He then goes onto say that, since he's been living in Ithaca for almost thirty years, "this ol' town is now my home." I'm pretty sure the song was in AABA form, with the B being a saxophone solo near the end. Throughout the song, there's repetition of "woahooo," with bursts of the saxophone marking the transitions from one phrase to the next. The beginning lyrics describe the singer being lost when he first came to Ithaca. Then, during the chorus, the lyrics described how Ithaca has become the singer's home, in which the saxophone plays almost constantly, contrasting the first verse when the saxophone hardly played. The addition of the saxophone during the chorus made the chorus sound much livelier than the first verse, reflecting how the lyrics describe the singer as feeling at home during the chorus.
I thought it was amazing to see the lesson we learned in class about folk music
creating a sense of community demonstrated in real life. Not only did the groups of people surrounding the local bands demonstrate that community, but this song about Ithaca put the cherry on top of the close- knit, community vibe of the day.
I can't wait to go back next year!!

Just a little Something

Hello! I hope you are all having an excellent week thus far! I haven't completely grasped the concept of cadences; I understand them at face value, but I have yet to fully understand the minute details within the overall concept. I can, for the most part, distinguish between an open and closed cadence, but I cannot distinguish between an IAC and a HC. Therefore, I have decided to focus on a song written in 32 bar AABA form: "Something" by The Beatles. This is one of my all time favorite love songs, mainly because of the message expressed on the lyrics. Saying that an innate part of someone else, an unnamable, irrevocable trait, is what is beautiful and wonderful about them is an absolutely lovely sentiment, in my opinion.

That, however, is not the point of this post, so let's get into the thick of it.
The song begins with a short introduction comprised of a small drum roll and a few chords on the guitar, after which the AABA form begins. The first 'A' ends after the lyrics, "I don't want to leave her now/ You know I believe and how". The second A continues, during which George sings about "somewhere in her smile" and "something in her style." At the beginning of the 'B' section, George begins with the lyrics, "You're asking me, will my love grow?/ I don't know, I don't know." This switch from lines beginning with the word "something" to beginning with a whole new idea, rather than just a new word, also marks the change from 'A' to 'B'. The latter half of the 'B' section replaces lyrics with a guitar playing the melody overtop of a downbeat. At the conclusion of this, the final 'A' section begins with the lyrics, "Something in the way she knows/ And all I have to do is think of her."

During the three 'A' cycles, the same rhythm is repeated. A drum keeps the downbeat, with a slight drumroll near the middle of the phrase. A guitar plays along with the drum, at times changing its dynamics so it's louder and more pronounced than the drumbeat, and at times playing at a similar volume. Near the end of the 'A' phrase, a piano picks up in volume and begins a steady beat, while George begins singing the lines that end the 'A' phrase. To transition from one 'A' to the next, the lyrics and other instruments drop out and a guitar plays a short solo.

The 'B' cycle is marked by a guitar keeping a steady beat, while a series of short drum rolls plays overtop.

By using a form that is primarily composed of the same sound, the speaker's message that he loves an unchangeable, innate part of the woman he desires is enhanced. This aspect of her cannot be changed, similar to how the melody is hardly changed. The change in the melody, or the addition of the 'B' section, serves to enhance the speaker's ambiguity about what it is exactly that attracts him to this woman.

Bus Stop- The Hollies

Hello all! I hope you had a great Labor Day weekend!
During my high school experience, I didn't enroll in a class even remotely related to music theory, so I have no prior experience with this subject. After reading the textbook, I was left feeling confused, frustrated, and a little down. With this wide range of pleasant emotions, I began to explore the iTunes of my mind, mentally scrolling through my favorite songs. I considered using a song to match my low mood, but I'm not really the type of person to dwell on a bad mood; instead, I try to fix my mood. With this in mind, I decided I would pick one of my favorite feel good songs for this assignment: "Bus Stop" by The Hollies.

Part of my frustration comes from the fact that I have no sense of rhythm or beat; you can even ask my prom date, every attempt of mine to dance to the music failed miserably. I guess my trouble with this comes from the way I think about things; I am very logical. I need a detailed step by step process on how to do something, and I think things through almost meticulously. In trying to do this assignment, I asked a music major how to keep rhythm, and after laughing a bit, then realizing I was serious and giving me a puzzled look, she told me it's instinctual, and that I should just be able to "feel it." But that's not how I function most of the time, I don't usually trust instinct alone and I automatically, almost involuntarily, disengage my instincts and think about things logically. So having my only option be to "trust my instincts" and to "feel the music" left me very concerned. Therefore, my observations in this post may not be 100% accurate, but I'm in unchartered territory here, so I guess you'll just have to go with it (and please correct me if I'm wrong, an honest reply is a nice reply!).

So, here it goes!
The song is in 4/4 time, with a lively, upbeat rhythm. Throughout the song, the singer describes how he met his wife at the bus stop on a rainy day by offering her his umbrella to share. Throughout the song, he says that everyday, despite the weather or season, they used the umbrella together. Their relationship remains constant, despite the "wind or rain or shine." To demonstrate this, the music remains lively and upbeat throughout, but changes in its melody. Throughout the piece, polyphony is used, however the melody is never regular. Each change in melody is separated by a quick drum roll. The constant change in melody is used to demonstrate the constant weather changes occurring during their relationship. The singer, however, employs such techniques as constantly repeating the events of their first meeting, polysyndeton (during the chorus, putting 'and' between every word in "wind and rain and shine"), and drawing out certain words, such as "umbrella," "shine," and "mine." By using these techniques rooted in repetition or lengthening sounds, the speaker demonstrates how long their relationship lasts, despite the changing seasons and conditions represented by the music. The umbrella as a symbol represents the strength of their relationship and its ability to weather any storm, literally and figuratively.
Overall, the song is happy and lively, and hopefully puts you in as good a mood as it puts me!
Enjoy your day!!