Composer’s Letter:
Picking my topic for this project was easy. I tend to gravitate towards song with meaning that relates to me, so when I found out that I could decode a song of my choice, I knew I had plenty of options. I love No Doubt, they were one of my favorite bands growing up do to their edgy nature, sing songy- tunes that were easy to get the lyrics to stick, and a kick- ass platinum blonde lead singer who seemingly had the world in her hands. I envied the power that Gwen Stefani radiated when she sang and performed, I looked up to that energy, and now that I’m older, and decoding the lyrics in a more sensible way, I am even more proud to have been a fan from the beginning.
The process I had in mind with this sound story project was to add a bit of background to the feel of 90’s to early 2000’s punk music first, introducing the song, and describing the message behind the song with the same attitude and vibe that the song itself and the era it came from represent. Most punk music has an angry undertone, as it represents anarchy, rebellion, and uniqueness. This is the tone I tried my best to set my voice in, so that theme could be understood by the listener’s in my class. I also think that the few curse words that slipped by in my script were totally appropriate in setting a theme of frustration with societies contentedness of these unfair norms.
I am overall pleased with my sound story and I think I’ve accomplished the task of getting my point across, and showing my listeners the story of the frustration that comes from punk music in general, and also the specifics of the song “Just A Girl” by No Doubt. I am sure it is clear to the listeners that Gwen Stefani and I are similar in the sense of having a strong bone for Feminism and speaking up for what is right. I really hope that the tone of my voice carried that same strength to be perceived to the listeners.