Bob dylan presentation
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Final Project: Bob Dylan
By Taylor Cox
Music 1050
Robert Allen Zimmerman, now legally known as Bob Dylan was born on May 24, 1941 and continues to live today. He is one of the most famous composers from the 1960s and has created and performed some of the richest songs in history. His influential songs have been part of the American culture for the past fifty years. These songs still are significant and applicable to our society today which is one of the main reasons Dylan's fame has not diminished.
Dylan grew up in Hibbing Minnesota and discovered his interest in music at a young age. His main interests included blues and country music as a toddler and then as a teen rock n' roll had a big influence on his life. He played in several bands throughout high school and into college but his interests soon turned more toward American folk music in 1985.
"The thing about rock'n'roll is that for me anyway it wasn't enough.. There were great catch-phrases and driving pulse rhythms, but the songs weren't serious or didn't reflect life in a realistic way. I knew that when I got into folk music, it was more of a serious type of thing. The songs are filled with more despair, more sadness, more triumph, more faith in the supernatural, much deeper feelings," explained Dylan regarding the unique style his music had to offer.
This explanation from Dylan perfectly describes his style of music. His lyrics are real and have a lot of sentimentality. They range from sad to uplifting, religious to hopeless, and at times even shocking. Dylan once performed on Veteran's Day in 2002 at Madison Square Garden. He played his famous song titled "Masters of War." One of the thousands present said "the audience roared in recognition and approval when he sang the lines, 'And I hope that you die, and your death'll come soon.'" The powerful lyrics were written more than four decades before the event and were a response to the nuclear arms race of the Cold War. Although this was the case, the lyrics still had so much feeling associated with the simplicity of the message.
Dylan continued to produce his own style of music which had a huge impact on society at the time. In 1964, his songs "Blowin' in the Wind" and "The Times they are a Changin'" became some of the well known songs for the rising civil rights and anti-war movement. He had a unique talent to bring people together and in agreement with such important issues.
"By showing that you could tackle significant social issues in such a serious way, and unify people around songwriting that has absolutely transformed culture around the globe," stated music journalist Alan Light
His music inspired many people over the years. The Beetles mentioned him as 'a musical influence' and even hard rocking' Jimmy Hendrix often performed some of his songs. It is said that no other musician has had as big of an influence on music that Bob Dylan has. Hendrix later performed his own style of protest song as he played The Star Spangled Banner in a way to portray the sounds of war on his guitar. It is said that other protest songs were Hendrix's influence to create the masterpiece he did.
Dylan's protest songs are some of his most famous songs and have so much history behind them. He portrays his message in such a persuasive way that it truly makes you wonder. In his famous song "Blowin in the Wind," Dylan states that the answer to several problems is just blowing in the wind. He shows so much sentimentality in the lyrics and you can really tell that the song is about what is being said. He makes it known that no one will ever find the answer, that it will never be caught. His last verse is one of the most eye-opening in my opinion:
Yes, how many times must a man look up
Before he can really see the sky?
Yes, how many ears must one man have
Before he can hear people cry?
Yes, how many deaths will it take till he knows
That too many people have died?
The answer my friend is blowin' in the wind
The answer is blowin' in the wind.
Dylan created many masterpieces during his young years and as he aged continued to be successful. He picked up on a half acoustic half electric style in 1965 when he created his album titled "Bringing it all Back Home." He was booed by his fans after picking up the electric style but later was again accepted. His style has been created and recreated several times and he continues to play a significant role in music at the age of 72.
I personally see Bob Dylan as a musical genius. He did what others wouldn't do, and created what others could not create. While I was in high school I had a teacher that introduced me to Bob Dylan. He would often play his music on the guitar at the end of class and have us all sing along. He told us to all focus on the lyrics and the meaning they had. As I learned about him my senior year of high school I was astonished by the authenticity of Dylan. He truly is a very influential person and has helped music to progress and have meaning behind it.
By Taylor Cox
Music 1050
Robert Allen Zimmerman, now legally known as Bob Dylan was born on May 24, 1941 and continues to live today. He is one of the most famous composers from the 1960s and has created and performed some of the richest songs in history. His influential songs have been part of the American culture for the past fifty years. These songs still are significant and applicable to our society today which is one of the main reasons Dylan's fame has not diminished.
Dylan grew up in Hibbing Minnesota and discovered his interest in music at a young age. His main interests included blues and country music as a toddler and then as a teen rock n' roll had a big influence on his life. He played in several bands throughout high school and into college but his interests soon turned more toward American folk music in 1985.
"The thing about rock'n'roll is that for me anyway it wasn't enough.. There were great catch-phrases and driving pulse rhythms, but the songs weren't serious or didn't reflect life in a realistic way. I knew that when I got into folk music, it was more of a serious type of thing. The songs are filled with more despair, more sadness, more triumph, more faith in the supernatural, much deeper feelings," explained Dylan regarding the unique style his music had to offer.
This explanation from Dylan perfectly describes his style of music. His lyrics are real and have a lot of sentimentality. They range from sad to uplifting, religious to hopeless, and at times even shocking. Dylan once performed on Veteran's Day in 2002 at Madison Square Garden. He played his famous song titled "Masters of War." One of the thousands present said "the audience roared in recognition and approval when he sang the lines, 'And I hope that you die, and your death'll come soon.'" The powerful lyrics were written more than four decades before the event and were a response to the nuclear arms race of the Cold War. Although this was the case, the lyrics still had so much feeling associated with the simplicity of the message.
Dylan continued to produce his own style of music which had a huge impact on society at the time. In 1964, his songs "Blowin' in the Wind" and "The Times they are a Changin'" became some of the well known songs for the rising civil rights and anti-war movement. He had a unique talent to bring people together and in agreement with such important issues.
"By showing that you could tackle significant social issues in such a serious way, and unify people around songwriting that has absolutely transformed culture around the globe," stated music journalist Alan Light
His music inspired many people over the years. The Beetles mentioned him as 'a musical influence' and even hard rocking' Jimmy Hendrix often performed some of his songs. It is said that no other musician has had as big of an influence on music that Bob Dylan has. Hendrix later performed his own style of protest song as he played The Star Spangled Banner in a way to portray the sounds of war on his guitar. It is said that other protest songs were Hendrix's influence to create the masterpiece he did.
Dylan's protest songs are some of his most famous songs and have so much history behind them. He portrays his message in such a persuasive way that it truly makes you wonder. In his famous song "Blowin in the Wind," Dylan states that the answer to several problems is just blowing in the wind. He shows so much sentimentality in the lyrics and you can really tell that the song is about what is being said. He makes it known that no one will ever find the answer, that it will never be caught. His last verse is one of the most eye-opening in my opinion:
Yes, how many times must a man look up
Before he can really see the sky?
Yes, how many ears must one man have
Before he can hear people cry?
Yes, how many deaths will it take till he knows
That too many people have died?
The answer my friend is blowin' in the wind
The answer is blowin' in the wind.
Dylan created many masterpieces during his young years and as he aged continued to be successful. He picked up on a half acoustic half electric style in 1965 when he created his album titled "Bringing it all Back Home." He was booed by his fans after picking up the electric style but later was again accepted. His style has been created and recreated several times and he continues to play a significant role in music at the age of 72.
I personally see Bob Dylan as a musical genius. He did what others wouldn't do, and created what others could not create. While I was in high school I had a teacher that introduced me to Bob Dylan. He would often play his music on the guitar at the end of class and have us all sing along. He told us to all focus on the lyrics and the meaning they had. As I learned about him my senior year of high school I was astonished by the authenticity of Dylan. He truly is a very influential person and has helped music to progress and have meaning behind it.