Kendall McDowell

Turning Point Essay

Kendall McDowell

Country Music 

John Turner

February 23, 2024

Now this may come as a shock but this young black girl from New York City does NOT like country music… Please, hold your gasp until the end but yes this is true. Growing up, my household (and seemingly everything I was connected to) mainly listened to r&b, hiphop, gospel, and the occasional pop station that came on the car radio but that was it. Even in my formative high school years, I found that still no one talked about country music and if we did it was to basically “mock southerners”. Now of course I would never judge someone or base a prejudice amongst them about their music taste but I knew who I was and country was not it. In all honesty when choosing classes for this semester, I was not the most thrilled to be a part of this seminar because it's simply not my style. I still can't say after a few weeks that I've become a changed person, but I will admit that my “hatred” of the genre was more biased from passer by listening rather than breaking down the actual song structure. I realized I disliked country music because I exclusively listened to it as someone who likes music rather than someone who genuinely studied music. 

For some personal background, I was a musician who studied trumpet and piano, so while I may not be keen on scales, I still understand the foundation concepts of rhythms, beats, counting bars and things of that nature. I did think it to be weird when turner always mentioned that he doesn't listen to lyrics, just the song itself… Maybe that's the flow I should have been on all along. 

The assignments that I would say stuck out to my overall adjustment to the class included both the song analysis and the autoharp musical creation. For reasons clearly being that they focused entirely on highlighting the structure of songs rather than attaching too many emotional connections in how the song itself made you feel. In my Song Analysis assignment, I focused on the song Your Cheatin Heart by: Hank Williams. In this study we outlined our songs bar count, verse/ chorus count, musical interludes as well as any other musically significant point that “makes a song”. In my conclusion I found that the song had no build. It was flat from start to finish with its vocal range, lyricism and overall loose structure of only working with the verse-chorus verse-chorus set up. I find this to be intriguing because Hank Williams is a country music legend and to my knowledge, Your Cheatin Heart is a very popular hit of his but technically this song is not doing anything special musically. Each verse, chorus, and the in between musical interlude all were 16 bars each which all instrumentally sounded the same, there was no bridge, pre-chorus or fade outs/ outros and if that information wasnt enough and you really needed to hear about the actual lyrics, out of the 16 lines of lyrics, only 4 were not repeats. So again I ask, why on earth was this so popular?

Before jumping into the autoharp assignment, it is deeply important to highlight another very famous country singer who also did not follow the standard musical format; the one and only Dolly Parton. Known as one of America's sweethearts, Dolly Parton in the country music realm can be noted as a concept writer. Her music tells stories the way others can't. In class, we got to deeply investigate one of her hits, Little Blue Bird. With first listen I presumed the song layout to read as follows: intro, chorus, verse-ish, really short hymn like interlude, verse, bridge like verse, chorus (with added background harmonies), and an outro. As mentioned, I was seemingly confident about my answer until about 5 other people in the room gave their own variation of what was just heard and they too were also confident. So was a room full of honors students completely wrong and confused about the basic ideas of song structure? No! We were all in our own way “correct”. Like Hank Williams, Dolly Parton does not use the typical format of songs we usually see. Of course the example above is one that is very far fetched but that's typically how Dolly wrote. She wrote her story in the format that would best get the point across. On paper it did “make sense” no not at all and it gave me quite a headache to figure out what was actually happening but when just listening to the song for the sake of enjoying music, I think it's a pretty lovely ballad. 

The autoharp assignment in my opinion is the most interesting of all we’ve completed so far this semester, especially for people like me who called the hits of legends “flat”. In theory we were to become DJ Khallid and layer different verse/chorus beats and loops as well as contrast different chord sequences and harmonic rhythms. Not only was this assignment interesting but it was also very difficult because you're unintentionally becoming a music producer trying to make a good hit. I worked on my assignment for over an hour and still wasn't genuinely satisfied with the outcome. 

Two seemingly different assignments where you critique and deep dive into the work of an established artist and another where you create your own sound. Why do they matter? I think it helps you understand and appreciate that complexity of what music is and what it can be. As clearly stated earlier, I have no claim to country music but I do respect the creation and concepts it takes to create a great piece. As I delved into country music, I discovered its complexity across decades. I used to think the songs we hear today with artists like the Morgan Wallens, Luke Bryans and even the early Taylor Swifts was all there is to country music but exploring earlier eras, like the 1920’ and1930s with the Carter Family showed me otherwise. Music is in fact what we make it be. I understand for the era it was in, it had no more room but to explore outwords. I think that goes for us as people. Just because something is seemingly working, there are always ways to improve. You hit roadblocks along the way but there's still that uphill climb for growth and newness. This realization wasn't sudden but gradual, sparked by moments like hearing 20th-century ballads. Each era, from the twangy guitars of the '50s to the rock-country fusion of the '60s, left its mark. I also learned about the country's intertwined history with rock, realizing they share roots. This deepened my appreciation for both genres. Jason Aldean's album Wide Open is honestly something I would listen to because of his songs like She’s Country, Fast and Crazy Town. I found authenticity and storytelling depth crucial in country music. Artists who stay true to these qualities give hope for a return to genuine country. Exploring country music has taught me that knowledge is a journey. I'm excited to keep uncovering its hidden gems. I still will not consider myself a country girl but I will start to respect and listen to it more because who knows there still might be a song and artist still out there waiting for me. 

Kendall McDowell

Country Music

John Turner

April 27, 2024

Turning Point Essay 2

As a member of the Executive Team, I held a pivotal role in managing the creative production aspects of our project. Drawing from my background in music, I worked closely with the creative team to ensure their voices were not only heard but also valued across all committees. This involved facilitating brainstorming sessions, acting as a central point of contact between various groups, and maintaining open communication channels with Dr. Turner. At the outset of the project, I approached it with an open mind, understanding that it would be a journey of trial and error. However, over the weeks from eight to fourteen, my perception of the project evolved significantly. Initially, I expected to play a more hands-on role within my team, assuming that my musical expertise would lead to direct involvement in creative decision-making. Yet, as the project progressed, I realized that my primary responsibility was to provide support and coordination for the creative team. This shift in perspective allowed me to focus on ensuring they had the necessary resources and guidance to excel in their roles. Within our team, we adopted a flexible approach, operating as "floaters" to engage with various groups and monitor the project's overall progress. This allowed us to maintain oversight and facilitate communication between different teams, ensuring cohesion and alignment with project objectives. Despite our effective collaboration, we encountered logistical challenges, particularly regarding the lack of a clear layout for providing directions to our subcommittee. To address this, we relied on trust and collaboration, working together to navigate these challenges and ensure all groups felt supported and cohesive. Reflecting on my learning journey throughout the project, I am struck by the transformative nature of my experience with country music. Initially, I held biases against the genre, shaped by my upbringing in New York City and exposure to predominantly urban music styles. However, through assignments analyzing song structures and creating music, I gained a newfound appreciation for the complexity and depth of country music. Critiquing artists like Hank Williams and Dolly Parton initially, I came to admire their storytelling prowess and innovative approaches to songwriting. The autoharp assignment further deepened my understanding of the challenges of crafting hits in the music industry, highlighting the demands and dynamics of the profession. Looking ahead, I believe there are opportunities to enhance learning and engagement across different majors within the project structure. This could involve implementing clearer structures for providing directions and facilitating communication within subcommittees. Standardized templates or guidelines for project management could streamline processes and ensure consistency across teams. Additionally, incorporating interdisciplinary workshops or seminars could foster collaboration and understanding among diverse groups, enriching the learning experience for all participants. In conclusion, my experience in the project has been both enriching and enlightening, challenging my preconceptions and expanding my understanding of country music and the music industry as a whole. Moving forward, I carry with me a newfound respect for the genre's nuances and storytelling, eager to continue exploring its hidden gems and embracing interdisciplinary collaboration in my future endeavors.