The Fab Four-Role of the Performer

 The Fab Four

The Fab Four is a tribute band that was formed in California in 1997. The Fab Four bring back the English Beatles band that was formed in 1960 in Liverpool, England. The Beatles band member's best-known lineup consisted of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Stars. The Beatles were an active band until 1970 becoming some of the most iconic international stars and commercial success. Biography of the Fab Four: The Fab Four was founded by Ron McNeil who impersonated John Lennon. The band begin to perform Beatles music in southern California initially. The Fab Four have had many people play through the years. The current members are Ron McNeil, Ardavan Sarraf as Sir Paul McCartney, Gavin Pring as Geroge Harrison, and Erik Fidel as Richard Starkey (Ringo Starr). The Fab Four has toured around the globe covering most of the Beatle’s songs and additional post-Beatles band songs by the members of the original band. Their current touring schedule from the band's page still has them performing in 2023. My favorite cover songs they do are “Get Back” and “Come together”.

 

Fab Four “Get Back” Sacramento, CA 3/6/20. The Fab Four performed this Beatles cover the in the United States in this video. The song was originally written by Paul McCartney and was originally released on April 11, 1969.

Rhythm- The electric guitar plays a 4/4 rock n roll beat while the rhythm guitar, drums, and bass keep time with clean Timbre. The melody of the sound makes you want to sing along right where you are standing.

Harmony- The bass player and the crowd are in harmony singing while the energy is so vibrant! The pitch of the electric guitar lead riff makes the music intense and captures the ear.

Fab Four's “Come Together” played this song on the cruise ship Norwegian Pearl on 8/17/07. The song was originally written by John Lennon and was originally released on October 6, 1969.

Harmony-The harmony of the instruments playing together and the singers singing the lyrics makes this piece appealing to the listener as the music sounds very full and complete.

Timbre-The tone of the lead guitar is distorted and the rock n roll rhythm sounds relaxing with the sound stopping and restarting. It gives the listener the ability to really feel the dynamics of the music and engages the audience to want to hear more.

 

I enjoy the sounds and energy that the Fab Four produce. They sound very similar to the Beatles when they are performing their cover tunes.  I believe that people of the baby boomer generation appreciate a cover band like the Fab four as it brings back memories of being a teenager and reminiscing about listening to the Beatles or watching them live in concert. I hope great cover bands continue to perform great works of music that were composed by historical and future artists.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Works Cited

“Come Together.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 29 Mar. 2023, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Come_Together.

“The Fab Four (Tribute).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 28 Mar. 2023, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fab_Four_(tribute).

“The Fab Four: The Best Beatles Tribute Band.” The Fab Four: The Best Beatles Tribute Band, https://www.thefabfour.com/.

“Get Back.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 30 Mar. 2023, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Get_Back.

 

 

A Musical Trip Through Inuit Culture

The Inuit people of the Circumpolar North have a musical tradition that includes singing, dancing/storytelling, drumming, and throat singing. Throat singing is usually performed by women, it can be a game between two women. While throat singing is performed in other cultures in the Russian Arctic, Northern Japan, Scandinavia, Tibet, Mongolia, and South Africa. Inuit people's uniqueness is that it is female-focused. The oral traditions that have been passed on from generation to generation without documentation of when throat singing begin make it hard to discern when Inuit people began to throat sing. Inuit throat-singing is considered a verbal art.

 

Canadian Inuit regions where throat singing occurs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Elements of Inuit music/singing

Timbre-relatively small melodic range/microtonality.

Complex rhythmic organization. You can hear the up and down pitch changes and energetic and concentrating sounds.

Elements of throat singing (or katajiaq in Inuktuk).

The type of traditional competitive song is considered a game. This is unique to the Inuit.

An example of overtone singing. A unique method of producing sounds vocally.

Harmonic elements can be heard by breathing and guttural noises. These noises are made to mimic the Inuit way of life of the animals, birds, and sea mammals that sustain their way of life.

Rhythm is often set when holding each other's arms and the back-and-forth signing noises,

Functions:

Traditionally used in spiritual ceremonies, i.e., before a hunt or to sing to children. While the men were out hunting the women would gather and perform throat singing. At times the women would be so close that their lips would touch and the air from each other’s throat and nasal cavities would go into the other woman and her body would be like a resonator.

 

Karin and Kathy Kettler, throat singers, and drum dancers performing at the Circumpolar Music Festival (via Alaska Dispatch/Vimeo).

 

I personally enjoy the sounds and energy that the Inuit throat singers produce. When the duets are competing with one another, it gives the music more energy and influence for the spectator. The sounds, dynamics, and versatility have interested me to learn more about throat singing and how the sounds are produced in the human body.

 

These are a few examples below of Inuit Throat Singing

 

Lowell Folk Fest - NukariikInuit throat singing - YouTube

 

 Inuit throat singing - - Video Search Results (yahoo.com)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

Works Cited

“Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada.” Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada, https://indigenouspeoplesatlasofcanada.ca/.

Richardson, Jennifer. “Inuit Throat-Singing: A Guttural Game Gets a Cultural Resurgence.” Atlas Obscura, Atlas Obscura, 30 Jan. 2014, https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/throat-singing-from-canada-s-inuit#:~:text=The%20Inuit%20live%20mostly%20in%20the%20polar%20region,1999%E2%80%94as%20well%20as%20Northern%20Quebec%20and%20Baffin%20Island.