As a vocalist and lyricist, I have been surprised to learn how many of my musician associates are completely oblivious to the words that I’m singing. When listening to and playing music, many instrumentalists tend to hear the orchestration, the harmonics, the rhythmic patterns, the quality of playing, the tonality, etc. They hear the singer’s intonation, timbre, pitch, expressiveness and phrasing—everything but the words—because they are musicians?
Though many musicians may not hear the words, most listeners do, and they also may feel the pain and joy associated with those words. Vivid memories, impressions and intense emotions are readily evoked from the meanings of lyrics.
Ellis Larkins On The Lyric
I had the pleasure and privilege of meeting and singing with the brilliant pianist and sensitive accompanist Ellis Larkin, who, at age fifteen, had been the first black student admitted to Baltimore's prestigious Peabody Conservatory of Music. During his career, [...]
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Though many musicians may not hear the words, most listeners do, and they also may feel the pain and joy associated with those words. Vivid memories, impressions and intense emotions are readily evoked from the meanings of lyrics.
Ellis Larkins On The Lyric
I had the pleasure and privilege of meeting and singing with the brilliant pianist and sensitive accompanist Ellis Larkin, who, at age fifteen, had been the first black student admitted to Baltimore's prestigious Peabody Conservatory of Music. During his career, [...]