Silly Songs to Sinatra

Everyone who listens to music may have a song that they can classify as their favorite, but others may not feel the same. Some enjoy different music genres more than others, causing opinions to arise. A group of Pennridge High School students: Maddie Kuhns, Sullivan Heying, Nathan Esbenshade, and Faith Harden, decided to share their favorite songs with each other and develop opinions on how they feel about each of the songs. They also asked others what they enjoy about music and the memories that music reminds them of.

First is Gunner’s Dream by Pink Floyd which was Kuhns’ song choice. This song is about a gunner who has parachuted out of a plane, and as he falls from the sky, memories of his life flow through his head, allowing him to dream of peace. There is mutual agreement that the introduction using the sound of helicopters sets up the beginning of the song nicely. The use of the saxophone solo and strings in a rock song is unorthodox but highly looked upon by the listeners. It was agreed that the song was different than what would normally be listened to by the individual group members, but was overall enjoyed. The song contrasts with the choices made by other group members, proving that everyone’s taste is different.

Next is Endangered Love, better known as Barbara Manatee from the children’s show VeggieTales, chosen by Esbenshade. This is a love song sung by the character Larry the Cucumber as he is watching what appears to be a soap opera. He begins to dance with a plush manatee doing the tango while the show interjects between choruses. This is a part of the mini-series in the show Silly Songs with Larry which describes what the song is viewed as. The song is very different from other choices made by the group members, from its French style to the vocals used. Some had stronger opinions than others saying it was horrible, others stating that its intention was humor. The general view is that the song contained instrumentals creating the atmosphere for the song.

Following Endangered Love is Reptilia by The Strokes, Harden’s song choice. The song genre falls under a mix of alternative and indie rock. The song’s title means the part of the brain we share with reptiles. This part of the brain connects to instincts and emotions. It is about how different personality traits can benefit your life and others can cause it to decline. The introduction with the use of bass and guitar playing the main riff throughout the verse is praised, and the change of playing at the chorus is also complimented. The raspy vocals matched the instrumentation throughout the song remaining constant. The guitar solo in the song is enjoyed by the audience.

Finally is That’s Life by Frank Sinatra, this was Heying’s choice. The song is a part of the jazz genre of music. This song showcases the ups and downs of Sinatra’s personal and professional life. This song is praised highly by its reviewers even if it is not what its listeners preferred. The general view was that the instrumentation was good and the backup singers fit in nicely with Sinatra’s voice and music. It gives a grand finale vibe, and you can hear the passion in his voice.

These songs vary through genres of music and have mostly been enjoyed by their listeners. The genre of jazz specifically is one that Choir Vice President Michael Yencha would be interested in listening to. Yencha states that he would like to “go deeper and dive into genres like jazz.” Music genre enjoyment varies on the person, Christa Schimitsch, a teacher at Pennridge says, “I will embrace new styles, but still keep to what I like.” Overall opinions change depending on the individual when choosing songs to listen to and enjoy.