a celebration of multimodal composition in LANG 120, HUM 124, and FYS 178

Category: Original Music

Circle Above Me – Animated Music Video

by James Evans

for Traywick LANG120

Gospel Choirs: My Discource Community

by Justin Williams

for Graves LANG120

Late at Night

Original music by Joy McCravy

Composed as a companion to my personal narrative, “The Nuances of Literature, Language and Conversation”

created for LANG 120 with Leslee Johnson

Enkidu (Humanities Song)

original music by Evren Centeno

created for HUM 124 with Leslee Johnson

Artist Statement

In The Epic of Gilgamesh, the most striking theme to me is the evasion of mortality and the desire to have one’s name and importance go on forever. Gilgamesh’s awkward existence between god and human makes grappling with his limitations even more difficult. He feels like he can accomplish anything, and his desire to do so leads to the death of his greatest friend Enkidu. He was given a strength that makes him feel greater than the people around him, but he was also given their weaknesses; over the course of the epic, he has to learn to accept this. I find this to be deeply human and modern in a way most ancient texts can’t be. We’ve grown so much as a race that we possess powers that almost feel wrong to have, yet we all will arrive at the same fate one day: death. In my song, I wanted to capture Gilgamesh’s feelings of denial, grief and confusion. It was, however, very difficult to interpret this text into song. With lyrics and verses being so brief and short, I didn’t feel like I could stuff and specific plot points into the song, so the lyrics are a somewhat general reimagining of Gilgamesh’s struggle told through his perspective. I made the song pretty spontaneously and didn’t want to overthink anything, so I may have been able to make it more directly related to the text, but I felt that in the modern context of a song, it made more sense to release myself from the specifics of the epic: this is a reimagining afterall. I had a blast making the song. I really felt as though I was able to get lost in the process, adding harmonies, little bits of rhythmic texture and more! It was a fun and thoughtful project: I had to be mindful of the text I was working with but I was still able to let loose and let myself create!

Confidence

original music by Nathan Bolinger

created for LANG 120 with Leslee Johnson

This song is a representation of my personal narrative, in
which I explain how music has been a big factor contributing to
my self confidence. The chorus tells the story of me earlier this
year when I began making music. When I finished my first song
I went to everyone that I was close to and got their opinions
on it. The reactions I got were unexpected and everyone
seemed to love what I created. This is what sparked the
confidence I didn’t always have. In the first verse I explain how
I didn’t believe in myself. But then, I discovered a method of
making music that changed the way I viewed my abilities. I’ve
always loved singing but I never thought I was any good until
I heard the feedback from my peers. I’d also like to note the
style of this song which is greatly inspired by my favorite artist
Juice Wrld. His work translates into mine in everything I create.
I’ve had some tough times, and to combat that I would sit
down and just listen to his music and distract myself from
whatever I was struggling with. Music was always my escape
but now it’s starting to feel like my future.

Love Songs

by Rayenne Scovil, Sabine Timol, Sailor Williams, Amanda Johnson, Riley McDonald, Kayley Johnson, Alexis Bell

When it comes to love, especially of the romantic sort, the ways humans express it and songs and poetry seems almost timeless.

I say someone in another time will remember us.

Sappho (Voigt 147)
630-570 BCE

Compare the ancient lyrics to a collection of lovesongs from present time. How do your favorite lovesongs measure up? Post suggestions in the comments below!

From Papyrus Chester Beatty I: A Cycle of Seven Stanzas 
– Egypt 11th Century BCE
Beginning of the sayings of the great happiness (First Stanza)

. . .She looks like the rising morning star
At the start of a happy year.
Shining bright, fair of skin,
Lovely the look of her eyes,
Sweet the speech of her lips,
She has not a word too much. . .
Her legs parade her beauty;
With graceful step she treads the ground,
Captures my heart by her movements.
She causes all men’s necks
To turn about to see her;
Joy has he whom she embraces,
He is like the first of men! . . .

created for HUM 124 with Leslee Johnson

The Hammer

by Nathanael Bryant

a punk song exploring ancient texts

created for HUM 124 with Elena Adell

Songs for Humanities

by Brandon Grovenger

“Mourning Enkidu”

“Xibalba”

created for HUM 124 with Valeria Tezzon