Anacrusis

For those of you who do not know, the term "anacrusis" refers to a rhythmically incomplete measure at the beginning of a piece of music. More often than not, it is either one beat of part of a beat, but can occur with any number of beats, as long as it is less than than the number of beats per measure, as determined by the time signature. Colloquially, it is known as a "pick-up" or a "pick-up note". However, if you want to sound more sophisticated the next time you go to church choir, use "anacrusis".

I decided that that would be a great way to start this blog--at the beginning of a piece. You are probably familiar with the "Moonlight Sonata" by W.A. Mozart, or at least with the first movement (most people don't make it past there). But, since that title was taken, I decided to call this little excursion of mine after the next-best thing: Starlight Sonata. I hope that it proves entertaining at the very least for you, but I am striving to enlighten and possibly inspire.

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I am a music major. It is the only thing I can see myself doing for the rest of my life, and I have a sincere passion for music. I want to be a high school choir director. However, if I had the talent to make it as a composer of programmatic scores and choral pieces, I think that's what I would choose instead. But, perhaps not: not many people appreciate or even get along with teenagers, and they are certainly the ones who need respect the most. At such a whirl-winded age, with flurries of homework, relationships, and drama, teenagers can feel so flustered they feel they do not belong. But feeling and being are not the same.

In my opinion, it was music, particularly choir music, that saved my in my teenage years. Music caused me to feel less flustered, less alone, less trivial. Instead, I could feel the solemn ponderings of a wanderer, the fast love of two young hearts, or the joyful praises to God who mercifully gave us ears and hearts to hear. It took me for a few moments out of my world and placed me in the center of another, and that in itself was refreshing. It put me in a position with other members of my choir where we could create this world as a combined effort. And that was amazing.

It was then that I realized the power music could have on young minds and how important it is that we take advantage of that. As a music educator, I will be able to. Who else has the power and passion to command a riser-full of flurried teenagers--who want nothing more than to understand and be understood--and create beauty and art and music within the tiled walls of a school?

WHO DOES THAT?

Conductors. Directors. Teachers. Creators.

It is said that some people are born great, some have greatness thrust upon them, and some create their own. It is also said that "through small and simple things are great things brought to pass." If I can, with a small and simple wave of my hand, encourage a small and simple student to pursue the great things they are capable of--if I could change one students' life for the better--I would find joy in everything and would die very happily.

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This blog is for those who have a passion, or even a curiosity about Music. I want to share the knowledge I have with others, and this seems like a good way to do it. The bolded words will always have a definition given at the bottom. Some of the definitions may be redundant, but that's a risk to take because I will never know everyone who reads this. However, this is a blog and not a music class, so if I end up being wrong, I'm sorry.

--SS

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Anacrusis: a part of a measure at the beginning of a piece of music; aka: "pick up note."

Programmatic: music (or art) with a story behind it. Specifically, this can include musicals, opera and movie scores. In some eras (especially the Romantic, int he 1800s) it branched out to other genres as well: overture, oratorio, symphonies, and other forms of works.

Overture: the orchestral music that is played before a show starts. It sets the tone for the story that follows, and in some cases foreshadows events. It is found most often before musicals or operas, but has also been used before plays (with out music in them). During the Romantic era, it was particularly popular to compose an overture for a literary work (IE: Mendelssohn's overture for a Midsummer Night's Dream) that will never be played with the work, but is simply for the listening pleasure of the audience who is familiar with the story and/or characters.

Oratorio: A performance primarily for vocalists that had no acting, but told biblical or religious stories through a choir, soloists, and accompanying instruments. There is no set, costumes, or staging. This was very popular in the Baroque era (about 1650-1750ish).