Publication Date

Spring 4-30-2021

Abstract

I conducted an investigation and application of how different types of affection, as expressed in Classical Greek philosophy, are conveyed in commercial music with love songs. I also analyzed how various love songs demonstrate these different meanings of affection. Through my discoveries, I applied the standards of these ideas to my music. I focused on the common characteristics that each love song shares. I divided each analysis of musical ideas and concepts that contain similarities into the six subsections of Jan LaRue’s SHRMGT framework: SHRMG(T) stands for sound, harmony, melody, rhythm, growth, and text. The focus for each song will be on one Classical Greek love type, for example, Storge, a brotherly love. I will match two commercial love songs from five categories of the types of love emotions delineated by ancient Greeks. First, I will select two love songs from each decade between 1950-2010. I chose these love songs because of the lyrical associations and how they express the Greek love style. Each decade will include the two chosen love songs and a mix of the five selected ancient Greek love styles to which each love song is connected. Each commercial love song is from periods ranging from the 1950s to the early 2000s, making a total of ten songs. The span of fifty years of Rhythm & Blues (R&B), gospel, country, jazz, pop, and rock love songs are covered. I will also write, compose, and arrange original love songs from each of the five selected love categories that share the same characteristics as commercial love songs. I will accomplish this through comparison and analysis of each commercial love song and how it relates to the Greek types of affection. The five love types that I chose are Eros, Agape, Philautia, Pragma, and Storge. With the use of this pre-existing musical material, I will analyze the sound, harmony, melody, rhythm, and lyrics.

Major Mentor

Mark Volker

Second Mentor

Tony Moreira

Third Mentor

Jeff Kirk

Department

Music, School of

College

Music and Performing Arts, College of

Document Type

Thesis

Degree

Master of Music (MM)

Degree Grantor

Belmont University

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