Billie Holiday had a lighter voice, given that she did not have a larger vocal scale. For the music video post, I chose her song, “Autumn in New York.” From that, I noticed how distinct her voice is. Her music is very soft and soothing. I found it interesting that because she was lighter than the others in Count Bassie’s orchestra, she was encouraged to blacken her skin, as Katherine states. I find it astonishing that her fellow performers did not want her to be less appealing to black audiences because of her lighter skin. It is also commendable how Billie Holiday rose up from her shaky childhood and early adulthood to become one of the most successful female jazz artists.
Before hearing your presentation and reading your report, I did not know anything about Billie Holiday beyond her name. After hearing her music and story, I am quite heartbroken. Billie Holiday was the child of a broken home, resulting in behavioral problems that had her sent to a cruel school for misbehaved children. In addition, she was sexually assaulted twice as a child. If her childhood wasn’t difficult enough, her rise to fame came with plenty of discrimination and disrespect. Billie Holiday was African American, causing her to stand out among many of the clubs and groups she performed for and with. Songs such as “Strange Fruit” and “God Bless the Child” are chilling mementos of the unimaginable sorrows and struggles she faced in life. Between drugs, hate, and quarrel, Billie Holiday’s life took a nosedive. Her health declined, damaging her voice in the process. She passed away at the age of forty-four. A talented singer, Holiday lived too short a life. Her works are highly influential, showing difficulties she and many others faced. Through her song, she gave a voice to all those who faced discrimination or difficulty at home.
When I first heard, Billie Holiday’s song “God Bless the Child in Class” the hairs on my arms stood up because of how hauntingly beautiful the sound was. I could actually feel the pain that Holiday had carried her whole life in the song and I wanted to learn more about the artist. Although Holiday lived a tragic live and had her life ended tragically early, Holiday lived to pursue what she loved- music- in her life and affected thousands of people with her music. What distinguishes Holiday from other artists of her day is that Holiday is not afraid to push musical boundaries in her music such as composing and singing “Strange Fruits”. This dedication to pushing herself shows clearly in her songs where one can read her emotions clearly whether it is the deep sorrow caused by her life experiences or triumph at her success.
Billie Holiday had a lighter voice, given that she did not have a larger vocal scale. For the music video post, I chose her song, “Autumn in New York.” From that, I noticed how distinct her voice is. Her music is very soft and soothing. I found it interesting that because she was lighter than the others in Count Bassie’s orchestra, she was encouraged to blacken her skin, as Katherine states. I find it astonishing that her fellow performers did not want her to be less appealing to black audiences because of her lighter skin. It is also commendable how Billie Holiday rose up from her shaky childhood and early adulthood to become one of the most successful female jazz artists.
Before hearing your presentation and reading your report, I did not know anything about Billie Holiday beyond her name. After hearing her music and story, I am quite heartbroken. Billie Holiday was the child of a broken home, resulting in behavioral problems that had her sent to a cruel school for misbehaved children. In addition, she was sexually assaulted twice as a child. If her childhood wasn’t difficult enough, her rise to fame came with plenty of discrimination and disrespect. Billie Holiday was African American, causing her to stand out among many of the clubs and groups she performed for and with. Songs such as “Strange Fruit” and “God Bless the Child” are chilling mementos of the unimaginable sorrows and struggles she faced in life. Between drugs, hate, and quarrel, Billie Holiday’s life took a nosedive. Her health declined, damaging her voice in the process. She passed away at the age of forty-four. A talented singer, Holiday lived too short a life. Her works are highly influential, showing difficulties she and many others faced. Through her song, she gave a voice to all those who faced discrimination or difficulty at home.
When I first heard, Billie Holiday’s song “God Bless the Child in Class” the hairs on my arms stood up because of how hauntingly beautiful the sound was. I could actually feel the pain that Holiday had carried her whole life in the song and I wanted to learn more about the artist. Although Holiday lived a tragic live and had her life ended tragically early, Holiday lived to pursue what she loved- music- in her life and affected thousands of people with her music. What distinguishes Holiday from other artists of her day is that Holiday is not afraid to push musical boundaries in her music such as composing and singing “Strange Fruits”. This dedication to pushing herself shows clearly in her songs where one can read her emotions clearly whether it is the deep sorrow caused by her life experiences or triumph at her success.