emily k(nits, watches, and writes)

As I’ve mentioned a few times (both here and on the Twitters), I was a panelist on a session entitled “Murray’s Gold: The Music of Doctor Who.” I really had a wonderful time with my co-panelists Michaela Schubert, Ramie Tateishi, and (our “faux-moderator”) CJ DeAngelus. It was clear that we are all instructors and really wanted participation from the people attending the session. And the folks that came by for the panel were very eager to chat about the music!

CJ, Michaela, myself, and Ramie

We more or less stuck to what the conference program mentioned in the abstract:

One of the most unique and memorable things about Doctor Who today is its music, and one of the most important parts of that is the composer at its heart: Murray Gold. Our panel will discuss Gold’s musical contributions to the series, as well as the most memorable pieces and themes.

We also spent some time talking about the opening title theme, its changes and iterations, different interpretations and narrative implications of the music, comparing the production values of the Classic and New Series, and a bunch of other stuff.

Thanks to the lovely Chip from the Two Minute Time Lord podcast, I have a recording of the session to share with the masses. I ran it through The Levelator to bring up the volume of the audience questions and bring out the music clips a bit. Hopefully next year we can have another music panel and be in a room with a sound system!

If you liked the panel, please write to Shaun Lyon and let him and the Gallifrey One staff know! We’d love to do it again next year, and be able to play more samples and maybe talk more about the Classic Series in addition to the New.

Special thanks to Chip for being so kind in lending his recorder to me for the session, to my co-panelists for being super awesome, to everyone who attended the panel, to all the kind words and remarks from attendees afterwards, and to Shaun Lyon and Gallifrey One for putting together a panel about the music. I hope we can do it again!

ek

It’s been a long time since I’ve done a music post. So. I am here today to share with you my favorite tracks from A Day’s Refrain. I don’t know all that much about them, except that they were from Jersey and played in DuPage quite a few times while they still existed. If I remember correctly they disbanded some time in 2002. I remember seeing one of their last shows in toddd’s basement. I may even have pictures floating around somewhere.

Anyway. Here are a few tracks from their self-titled album, released in (I think) 2001. Wow, 10 years ago. And it still sounds incredible.

A Day's Refrain

We Grow Numb

Rebecca

D1

ek

You know, sometimes, I think picking complex/difficult exercises is really good for my students. Things that are open-ended, things that even I’m not sure I have a good answer for. Like this clip from Blackpool (BBC, 2004):

I used this clip in my discussion sections of Introduction to Music and Film Sound this morning. Watching them struggle with making their arguments about what’s happening in the clip was really interesting. Many focused on diegetic vs. nondiegetic. Some of them tried to argue one way or another, and some couldn’t. The point being … you can make an argument for neither/both in this clip. As long as you qualify your argument and make your point clearly and meaningfully we will be happy! I also made the point to them that they can talk about expectations caused by convention, and discuss how this clip subverts them. When “Cupid” starts playing, it’s safe to assume that there is an audio advance going on. But as soon as she looks up and starts singing you retroactively realize there wasn’t an advance, and that some kind of audio dissolve occurred. Or maybe the subverted audio advance was itself a dissolve? I don’t even know. But it made for interesting discussion in class today.

Also, this clip is cool because it has what I consider a “visual audiodissolve.” When Ripley stops singing as he sees the pin, we’re given a visual indication that the song has dissolved out and the performance is ending. Very cool. “The Boy With a Thorn in His Side” does the same thing at the beginning. When the dancers start moving in the background we’re given a visual clue that a performance is about to begin. They could have easily used the song just as underscoring, and again, convention let’s us feel safe about that assumption, but the dancers indicate that it is a performance and not underscoring or an audio advance.

Sometimes I feel like complicated examples are easier to use in discussion than straightforward ones. Well, at least they’re more interesting.

Apparently people are noticing that I am posting old DuPage Hardcore recordings.

Neat.

So. I was contacted by a former member of The Nineteen of Salem, who subsequently sent me a few of their unreleased tracks in the interest of finally getting them out there somewhere for people to check out. I can’t tell you much more than that. So, enjoy!

Executive Order Number 9066

257 in the Afternoon

Richard

ek