Thursday, January 2, 2014

Welcome to Clef Notes!


Welcome to the 90.9 WGUC music blog: Clef Notes. My name is Jessica Lorey and I am the Classical Music Director at WGUC. Allow me to be your guide as you follow our new blog through the wonderful world of music.  

How does the music you listen to move your emotions? Whether it creates joy in your heart, stirs a somber mood, or brings back a memory from days past, every piece that you listen to conjures up some sort of deeper feeling within. The musical term for this type of emotion is “affection.” The word “affection” is used within the music world to describe an emotion created while listening to any given composition. The word originated during the Baroque era (period of music ranging from ca. 1600–1750) as an aesthetic theory known as the Doctrine of Affections. At the time, composers believed that only one type of “affection” (or emotion) could be moved at a time, and for this reason they would compose entire movements that would remain consistent in rhythm, texture, melody, and harmony. It was not until the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries that composers realized that they could play around with their listeners’ emotions by adding contrast and colors to their work. Use the word “affection” at your next social gathering and I guarantee you will sound impressive!

So tell me, how does music “affect” you? The purpose of this blog is to open up the world of music and discover how it enriches our lives. We’ll discuss major musical events, pieces, musical gossip, and how all of these matters “affect” us. I welcome your comments related to your own experiences listening to music. I hope this blog will be your connection to a community of music lovers and we can all discuss our discoveries within the music we love.