BY BRIANNA SKELTON
ISSUE NO. 32 | OCTOBER 2021
October means temperatures are dropping, leaves are falling, pumpkin spice and everything nice, and just around the corner Halloween! Bringing out that niche genre of Halloween music we see filtering through the sound waves on the radio.
THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF MODERN DAY MUSIC SCHOOL
Unlike the twinkling Christmas tunes that will follow in the subsequent months, those who are looking to delve into all things spooky are ready to dive into those darker tunes. We’re here to give the fun breakdown to all things Halloween music. What makes Halloween music what it is? Where does it come from? When did these catchy jingles filter their way into the mainstream? And, we’re here to tell you what you’ll dig in and find on our must have spooky list. Some songs start with an ominous creaking door, the howling wind, a THUD or CRASH causing the listeners to feel the stark contrast from the everyday tunes that are typically being played on their Spotify playlists.
It's Time to boo-gie
Setting the right mood is something all artists and musicians are attempt to do for music. Those that have dug into the world of all things creepy know giving a rush of adrenaline awakes the listener to feel as if they are being transported deep into the world they’re creating. The history of Halloween music starts back to where Halloween originated, finding ourselves back in times of ancient Britain and Ireland. While it was very common for there to be music during this time it was often dictated as only “pure” or “holy” to ward off the lingering evil that came around every year around this time. Jumping to the 1950’s there was an up-pick in the ever popular blues music that was often deemed “evil” which would start the brewing of spooky themes. It wasn’t until the 1950s and ‘60s that were received the first welcomed Halloween specific music to groove too. You’ll find both radio stations and Spotify/Apple playlists starting to have an increase pickup in Halloween songs just two weeks shy of the holiday, culminating with the highest plays on the spookiest day of all, Halloween. Loving the idea of adding some new tunes to your every day playlist, that’s where those who enjoy Halloween music are winning.
IT'S TIME TO BOO-GIE
CONT...
While these songs might be more popular around this time of year, generally pop / rock genres find themselves embracing the ever growing popularity of all things scary and frightening. Good news for all you Halloween music lovers, feel free to rock it all year long! While we don’t know what the next decade of frightening or creepy music might come along thanks to the ever growing ability to spread music through fast moving share-ability like Tik Tok what we do know is we do know the songs to get us dancing and those sensation of goosebumps appearing… For those looking to keep things a little more family friendly, you’ll often see playlists filled with songs like: “Monster Mash” by Bobby “Boris” Pickett & The Crypt Kickers “Spooky Scary Skeletons” by Andrew Gold finding its resurgence thanks to Tik Tok “Witch Doctor” by David Seville “I put a Spell on You” from “Hocus Pocus” - who doesn’t want to sing along to a Halloween classic “Superstition” by Stevie Wonder - a several decade old favorite “This is Halloween” from “The Nightmare Before Christmas” - for those Disney lovers of the world, we’ve got something for you too “Thriller” by Michael Jackson Those looking to ‘add a little spice’ intertwined in the more classic Halloween tunes might want to thing about giving these fellow darker songs a listen: “Highway to Hell,” by AC/DC “Werewolves of London,” by Warren Zevon “Somebody’s Watching Me,” by Rockwell “Sympathy for the Devil,” by the Rolling Stones “Bark at the Moon,” by Ozzy Osbourne Now go one, go all, and crank up the tunes through Hallow’s Eve.
We’ve got another well accomplished voice coach for this month's coach spotlight! I had the pleasure of being able to grab a few minutes of her time and ask some questions in hopes of getting to know her a little better and her life and interests outside of the MDM walls. Lily Lothrop ( she/her ) hails from Pittsfield, Massachusetts — just a hop, skip, and a jump from Upstate New York, spending a lot of her life growing up in the depths of the Berkshires. From a young age she had a passion for music, starting off young and enrolling into a music school much like Modern Day Music. From there her passion continued to grow leading her to Smith College in Northampton, MA for her undergraduate degree. Lily notes that Smith College “is historically a women’s college, and I found that super empowering!” It continually strengthened her love for music where she would go on to join groups such as “chamber choir, glee club, voice lessons, and was even musical director of her a cappella group!” While her major was in Music with a concentration in Vocal Performance, she developed a fondness for the general liberal arts. Not to mention, by the time Lily would graduate she had almost completed both Italian and education minors simply because Smith College gave her the ability to love the classes. When asked what made her grow up loving so much, Lily was quick to explain that “my mother said that when I was little we would visit my grandparents and I would try and sing along to the opera they played. I guess this is to suggest that music was always in me — or I was always fascinated with it.” Seeing that spark in Lily from a young age drove her mother to enroll her in an all girl’s choir from the age of seven which would later develop into vocal lessons that she’d spend the next eleven years honing her talent at. Now she gets to live out one of her many big dreams, finding a “full-circle moment” when she signed on to be a coach at MDM. Lily went on to tell me that “when I think about wanting to be a coach, I think about all of my coaches I’ve had. Especially when I was just starting, it was really intimidating to make mistakes or not know what I was doing in lessons. I want the kids I teach to know it’s okay to be unsure, to make mistake, and to do it wrong. Lessons are for learning, and we have to make mistake to learn!”
It’s a breath of fresh air to see the coaches showing the fellow students to embrace the vulnerability, that so much beauty can come out of those moments and show us the raw and emotional bits that we come to love in music. While Lily still has big hopes and dreams ahead of her, in the times of COVID, those have been place temporarily on the back burner but she looks forward to expanding her horizons soon enough! For the last bit I wanted to get to know Lily Lothrop the person, not the just the coach, and dive in to know her a little better. If you’re looking to enjoy the same jams as Lily, she’s a diehard fan of Joan Sutherland and Leontyne Price — both queens of opera. Want to know how much of a Mozart lover she is? One only has to be around her when she is watching TV and should a classical pop up in the show or movie? She can pretty much call it out on demand. Now that’s not to say that she loves only classical music, she ( like myself! ) is an avid Taylor Swift fan. “I grew up with her, I was 7 when her first album came out. Now I’m 22 and she’s still making music? Who else is doing that? Plus it’s been really cool to hear how her voice has developed a richer and deeper tone over the years.” Much like Taylor, Lily has had her own time growing into who she is as an artist, letting herself grow, develop, and focus in on what she likes as an individual. Looking for an insiders recommendation? Right now she can’t stop playing MGMT Little Dark Age. Often her weekends are spent hanging out with her playful cats or maybe snacking on a delicious croissant from Placid Baker while milling around at the Troy Farmers Market. Exploring the little town of Upstate New York, attempting to find all the secret beauties the state has in-store for her while getting in some last minute hiking while the weather is still nice outside. Lily Lothrop’s tip for musicians: “Don’t feel discouraged if your music practice isn’t coming together quickly. Most of this takes so much time to integrate. But once you take the time to learn it slowly, it becomes second nature, and that is well worth it!” Take a peak at Lily’s senior recital: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmOsCxgH6so
OCTOBER CALENDAR
1 - International Music Day! 1 - Ben Zoleski Solo, Katie O'Byrnes, 7-10pm 1 - Vagabond (Tony), Twisted Vine, 6-9pm 2 - Under the Den (Ben), Fall Fest Voorheesville, 7-11pm 8 - Under the Den (Ben), Bound by Fate Brewing, 6-9pm 9 - Under the Den (Ben), 151 Restaurant and Bar, 7-10pm 11- Columbus Day, Indigenous Peoples’ Day - WE ARE OPEN 15 - Karaoke Night (All Ages), Noteworthy Resources' Center, 8-11pm 16 - Ben Zoleski Solo, Spa City Tap and Barrel, 6:30-9:30pm 29 - Ben Zoleski Solo, Spa City Tap and Barrel, 6:30-9:30pm 31 - HALLOWEEN
This is my last Cailin's corner, as we welcome Michaela O'Donnell as the new Modern Day Music General Manager! I will still be around doing social media/marketing for MDM! Be sure to congratulate Michaela in the office and look out for "Michaela's Corner" next month for office reminders, news, and announcements.
A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR OUR NEW STUDENTS in SEPTEMBER!
Addyson T Ephren T Sawyer L Joseph G Katharine K Jessica M Kristin C Aubriana F Noah S Haleema M Aariyan K Henry C Maria K Louis K Kinsley D Ava B Adam P Maurielle B Jhon B Bella D Ethan S Jerry C Anaya C Travis H Gabriella M Marisa L Clara W Daniel G Ana E
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