Role of the Performer
New Directions: The Cover Song Masters
Welcome back to Exploring Music with KT! The performing group I chose for this blog is the fictional high school show choir, the New Directions, from the American television series Glee (2009–2015). The Glee Cast's musical storyline is unique because the groups success is exclusively earned through the reinterpretation of established pop and Broadway music. Since this assignment focuses on the performer, not the composer, they serve as a perfect example of a performing group celebrated solely for their unique vocal arrangements and stage performances.
Introduction
Performances
Glee's rendition of "Don't Stop Believin'" is featured in the shows pilot episode and became the signature anthem for the New Directions. It’s a powerful group performance that perfectly establishes the core dynamic of the choir. You hear a mix of individual talent like Rachel's high notes, and Finn's ability to lead coming together for a lively musical experience. It's their emotional delivery and vocal arrangement that covers this classic song classic into a show choir number.
Lauryn Hill's "Doo Wop (That Thing)" is performed as a duet between the Glee characters Mercedes and Santana for Mercedes's solo album in Season 5. This performance showcases the shows ability to use their performers' specific vocal talents and pay homage to a timeless 90's hit. Mercedes handles the powerful R&B singing, while Santana performs the rapped verses. This cinematic cover highlights the distinction between the two's vocal timbres and technical skills.
Personal Opinion and Musical Analysis
In the "Don't Stop Believin'" performance, the main musical element is the effective use of dynamics and texture. It starts quiet and tentative (soft dynamic), then explodes into a powerful, homophonic fortissimo (loud dynamic) in the final chorus. This change in volume and texture mirrors the emotional storyline of the characters while finding their strength together as a chorus. I also noted the steady tempo keeps the energy high throughout the performance!
With "Doo Wop (That Thing)", my musical element focus is on rhythm and lyrics. Mercedes's delivery of the choruses has sharp contrast with Santana's rapid-fire lyrics and syncopation during the rap verses. Their interpretation uses unique timbre and vocal range of each performer to handle different parts of Lauryn Hill's composition. The song's lyrics about bad relationships underscore the episodes plot of business drama Mercedes is dealing with on her album. They basically turn the performance into a moment about choosing their friendship over whatever their labels want. This showcases the Glee Cast's unique talent by using technical vocal skill as a tool for dramatic interpretation, truly embodying the composition’s meaning.
Works Cited
Hi Katie! I have not personally seen Glee, but I've heard enough of it to learn that Leah Michelle was one of the main cast members. The main reason I learned about the musical comedy was due to Sunshine Corazon, the character played by Charice Pempengco, a Filipino singer who appeared in the second season premiere of the show. She portrayed a foreign exchange student who became Rachel Berry's(Leah Michelle) biggest rival. She goes by a different name now (Jake Zyrus) after coming out as a transgender male and going under chest reconstruction and testosterone treatment. Here's an article about her back when she was still Charice Pempengco: https://www.newsweek.com/asias-rising-pop-star-does-guest-turn-glee-72363
ReplyDeleteHi Katie! I have never seen Glee, or to be honest even heard of it! But reading through your analysis was so informative about Glee and now I am wanting to see it! I loved how you named out each actor who played what in the show, that made it much easier for someone who hasn't seen Glee to understand. I also loved your choices of music throughout the show, it shows how these high school students expressed their identities through music! I personally loved your music choices as well as they reminded me of one of my all time favorite childhood movies High School Musical. I found that the type of songs are very similar to the songs in High School Musical which made me relate to them more. Overall I loved reading your analysis and now I am definitely going to be watching Glee! I found a fun article with some fun facts about the T.V Show Glee and the actors in the show! https://www.marieclaire.com/culture/g33376319/glee-fun-facts-trivia/
ReplyDeleteI have not gotten very far into "Glee" yet, but what I have seen so far tells me that this is an amazing show! I am so glad someone thought to address it, because I never would have. I think I would have loved to hear another song in here, just because "Glee" has so many remastered hits.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your post about Glee’s New Directions and how you connected their performances to the idea of reinterpretation in music. I liked how you described the dynamics in “Don’t Stop Believin’”, the way the quiet beginning builds into a powerful finale really captures the spirit of the group.
ReplyDeleteHearing Amber Riley and Naya Rivera reinterpret Lauryn Hill’s song made me appreciate how Glee gave these classics a new audience.
You did a great job emphasizing the role of the performer in your examples. The New Directions show that performers are not just repeating someone else’s work, they are storytellers who reshape the song through their own interpretation and performance style.
Glee is such a nostalgic show. I loved the show when I was growing up, however lost touch with it after a lot of the drama. Therefore, I have only seen a short bit of it. When Cory passed away, it also changed the group entirely for me, as most of the fans. I think that they did a great job of dynamically combining their voices to bring people together in harmony, and in their moments of a cappella, they perfectly isolated those harmonies to bring the larger group together. Every performance was one to provide alliance to those around them to unite through exciting moments and tough ones. Teens from everywhere were obsessed with the show, and I believe they accomplished exactly what they set out to do-unite teens.
ReplyDeleteHi Katie, I really enjoyed your post about Glee's New Directions. I enjoyed how you provided a history about the series and included some great examples! Glee brought some memorable hits back from the grave and revamped them to coordinate with the present. The show had a youthful spark with an excitable energy that is contagious. While I was reviewing your post, my coworker noticed it on my screen and said, "I love Glee!" Although this precious work presenting fresh new talent was discontinued, its memory lives on. I absolutely love the rendition you shared of Lauren Hill's "Doo Wop (That Thing)." The remake was very lively with wonderful vocals. Lauren Hill is truly an icon! I can understand how challenging it must have been to attempt to match her. I can remember the first time I heard Lauren Hill when she appeared on Sister Act 2: Back In the Habit as Rita Louise Watson. Here is a link featuring her performance of "Joyful Joyful" on the film:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaEH1e_DLm0.
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