The Piano as the Frame, Week #4
June seems to have flown by! The summer is finally here, school is finally out, and we’re in our last week of piano interpretation. I thought I’d finish off this week with a bang. In this last week of June, we’ll be referring to the piano as a frame to the potency of the person who plays it. Today, your job is to express emotions about Lady Gaga’s song, Edge of Glory.
Creative Idea Gal’s Thoughts
Lady Gaga is the kind of person that commands attention no matter what she does. I think she’s a rare type in Hollywood because she is full of hype but has the chops to prove herself. She has more talent than most contemporary singers, but you would never guess that because she is mostly known for her distracting hairstyles, platform heels, and off-stage antics.
A few years ago, Lady Gaga was featured in a magazine in a stripped down version of her. She was photographed without make-up and with little fanfare done to her hair, looking more like a plain Stefani Germanotta than the mod celebrity she is. It was interesting seeing the excesses removed temporarily because it made room for her natural beauty. The same can be said for today’s song, Edge of Glory. Listen to this barebones version and you’ll see what I’m talking about.
Creative Idea Gal’s Emotion
My emotion for today’s song is “commanding,” because “rapt with attention” is too many words. Watch the video performance http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xD4ICwgZiBs of this song. Pay close attention to the way she sings, modulates her voice, and gets completely engrossed in the words of the song. Of notable interest is also her inspiration for the song, which she discusses briefly at the beginning of the clip.
In all fairness, I can’t say I’m a huge Lady Gaga fan because the extremes are sometimes too much even for me, but I’m happy to change my opinion for this song. If anything, she deserves the critical acclaim she gets for performing this song.
Tips on How to Evoke Emotion in Nonfiction Writing
- Tip #10 – Write well and it will reflect on you as a solid writer
If you think of a dance couple doing a ballroom dance, the man is always referred to as the frame. The man is the silent partner that makes the woman look beautiful and stand out. This week, the piano is the frame. It is a majestic accompaniment that makes its players shine.
Think of your writing as a frame for you. It should be good, silent, and make you look good. Your writing will always reflect who you are as a person and how well you can communicate, persuade, entertain, or inform. Pick a writing style, use it well, and it will speak volumes about you as a writer.
Helpful Resources
“It’s muscular, forceful. Vigorous English comes from passion, focus and intention. It’s the difference between putting in a good effort and TRYING to move a boulder… and actually sweating, grunting, straining your muscles to the point of exhaustion… and MOVING the freaking thing!.”– Brian Clark for Copyblogger
“Every successful writer has a specific style, however reticent or inarticulate that particular writer may be in being able to describe his or her own style. It can be argued that style is what makes good writing. In an our egalitarian age where too many writers and readers insist that it is story that is king and that all other elements of literature must subordinate themselves to the tyranny of the tale, it is the style of the great writers from the past – from Plato to Pynchon, from Austen through Woolf, from Dante and Shakespeare through Hemingway and Nabokov – that makes their otherwise often time-bound stories worth reading generation after generation.” – Dan Simmons, blogger
Writing Prompt 073
Prompt: Express emotions about Lady Gaga’s song, Edge of Glory.
- Step 1: Listen to the song first. Then, watch the video performance. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xD4ICwgZiBs Undoubtedly, Lady Gaga’s appearance is always distracting. Try not to let that influence your opinion of this song. Pay close attention to the emotions she portrays as she sings this song.
- Step 2: Note carefully the comments that are said at the end of this video performance. Do you agree with those comments? Are the comments a realistic description of the way she sang?
- Step 3: Express your emotions about this song. If you’ve never heard the song before or are unfamiliar with its roots, you are in for a treat. Listen to it and watch it as if you’ve never heard the song before. Describe in full detail how this song makes you feel.
Please be sure to leave comments about this writing prompt. We want to hear from you!
About the Author
Amanda M. Socci, J.D., is a freelance writer with 14 years of experience writing professionally. Socci currently cuts her blogging chops on her personal portfolio blog, the Creative Idea Gal blog, and on an online news site, Mount Vernon Patch. Inspired by Nina Amir’s Write Nonfiction in November writing challenge, she created a unique 10-month training program for Writenonfictionnow.com and Writenonfictioninnovember.com blog visitors.
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