Famous Female Musicians

MADONNA!

Born: Madonna Louise Ciccone on August 16, 1958 in Bay City, Michigan Madonna attended Rochester Adams High School, and was a straight-A student and a member of the cheerleading squad. After graduating, she received a dance scholarship to the University of Michigan.She convinced her father to allow her to take ballet lessons and was persuaded by Christopher Flynn, her ballet teacher, to pursue a career in dance. At the end of 1977 she dropped out of college and relocated to New York City.While performing as a dancer for the French disco artist Patrick Hernandez on his 1979 world tour, Madonna became friends with musician Dan Gilroy. They formed her first rock band, the Breakfast Club,for which Madonna sang and played drums and guitar. In 1980 she left Breakfast Club and, with her former boyfriend Stephen Bray as drummer, formed the band Emmy. Their music impressed DJ and record producer Mark Kamins who arranged a meeting between Madonna and Sire Records founder Seymour Stein.Her debut single, "Everybody", was released on October 6, 1982, and became a dance hit.

MADONNA!!!

However, she was not happy with the completed tracks and disagreed with Lucas' production techniques, so decided to seek additional help. Madonna asked John Benitez for his help for finishing the album's production. Benitez remixed most of the tracks and produced "Holiday", which was her third single. The overall sound of Madonna is dissonant, and is in the form of upbeat synthetic disco, utilizing some of the new technology of the time, like the usage of Linn drum machine, Moog bass and the OB-X synthesizer. The album peaked at number eight on the Billboard 200, and yielded the hit singles "Holiday", "Borderline" and "Lucky Star".Madonna's look and manner of dressing, her performances and her music videos started influencing young girls and women. Her style became a female fashion trend of the 1980s. It was created by stylist and jewelry designer Maripol and the look consisted of lace tops, skirts over capri pants, fishnet stockings, jewelry bearing the crucifix, bracelets, and bleached hair.True Blue, Madonna's third studio album, was released in June, 1986. It spawned three number one singles on the Billboard Hot 100: "Live to Tell", "Papa Don't Preach" and "Open Your Heart", and two more top-five singles: "True Blue" and "La Isla Bonita".[25][37] The album topped the charts in over 28 countries worldwide, an unprecedented achievement at the time.

MADONNA as an Actress!!!

Madonna starred as "Breathless" Mahoney in the film Dick Tracy (1990), with Warren Beatty playing the title role. To accompany the film, she released the soundtrack album I'm Breathless, which included songs inspired by the film's 1930s setting. It also featured the U.S. number one hit, "Vogue", and "Sooner or Later", which earned songwriter Stephen Sondheim an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1991.

MADONNA The ACTRESS!

In 1992 Madonna had a role in A League of Their Own as Mae Mordabito, a baseball player on an all-women's team. She recorded the film's theme song, "This Used to Be My Playground", which became a Hot 100 number one hit.

MADONNA

The following year saw the release of Evita in which she played the title role of Eva Perón.For a long time, Madonna had desired to play Perón and even wrote to director Alan Parker, explaining how she would be perfect for the part. After securing it, she underwent vocal training and learned about the history of Argentina and Perón.Madonna won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for the role.[101] She released three singles from the Evita soundtrack album including "You Must Love Me" (which won an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1997) and "Don't Cry for Me Argentina"

Madonna the Entrepreneur!

She founded her own entertainment company, Maverick, consisting of a record company (Maverick Records), a film production company (Maverick Films), and associated music publishing, television broadcasting, book publishing and merchandising divisions. The deal was a joint venture with Time Warner and paid Madonna an advance of $60 million. It gave her 20% royalties from the music proceedings, one of the highest rates in the industry, equaled at that time only by Michael Jackson's royalty rate established a year earlier with Sony.Madonna has also created a new clothing line with her partner and duaghter, Lordes, named "Material Girl"

Influential People in Madonna's Career

The death of her Mother.Madonna commented that the first song to ever make a strong impression on her was "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" by Nancy Sinatra her favorite style was baroque, and loved Mozart and Chopin because she liked their "feminine quality".

Other musical influences included artists Karen Carpenter, The Supremes, Led Zeppelin, and dancers such as Martha Graham andRudolf Nureyev.

Clara SchumannBorn: September 13, 1819 in Leipzig, Germany: Clara Josephine Wieck Died: May 20, 1896

German musician and composer, considered one of the most distinguished pianists of the Romantic era. She exerted her influence over a 61-year concert career, changing the format and repertoire of the piano recital and the tastes of the listening public. Her husband was the composer Robert Schumann. She and her husband encouraged Johannes Brahms, and she was the first pianist to give public performances of some of Brahms' works, notably the Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel.

Her CareerIn March 1828, at the age of eight, the young Clara Wieck performed at the Leipzig home of Dr. Ernst Carus, director of a mental hospital at Colditz Castle, and met another gifted young pianist invited to the musical evening named Robert Schumann, nine years older than she. In 1830, at the age of eleven, Clara left on a concert tour to Paris via other European cities, accompanied by her father. She gave her first solo concert at the Leipzig Gewandhaus.At the age of 18, Clara Wieck performed a series of recitals in Vienna from December 1837 to April 1838.In her early years her repertoire, selected by her father, was showy and popular, in the style common to the time, with works by Kalkbrenner, Henselt, Thalberg, Herz, Pixis, Czerny, and her own compositions. As she matured, however, becoming more established and planning her own programs, she began to play works by the new Romantic composers, such as Chopin, Mendelssohn and, of course, Robert Schumann, as well as the great, less showy, more "difficult" composers of the past, such as Scarlatti, Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, and Schubert. She also frequently appeared in chamber music recitals of works by Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Schumann, and Brahms.

Her CareerClara Schumann's reputation brought her into contact with the leading musicians of the day, including Mendelssohn, Chopin, and Liszt. She also met violinist Joseph Joachim who became one of her frequent performance partners.She played a particular role in restoring Brahms's D minor concerto to the general repertory; it had fallen out of favour after its premiere, and was only rehabilitated in the 1870s, thanks mainly to the efforts of Clara Schumann and Brahms himself.In 1878 she was appointed teacher of the piano at the Hoch Conservatory in Frankfurt am Main, a post she held until 1892, and in which she contributed greatly to the improvement of modern piano playing technique.

Clara Schumann played her last public concert in Frankfurt on March 12, 1891. The last work she played was Brahms's Variations on a Theme by Haydn, in the piano-duet version.She suffered a stroke on March 26, 1896, dying on May 20, at age 76. She is buried at Bonn's Alter Friedhof (Old Cemetery) with her husband.She was portrayed onscreen by Katharine Hepburn in the 1947 film Song of Love, in which Paul Henreid played Robert Schumann and Robert Walker starred as a young Johannes Brahms.

Her MusicAs part of the broad musical education given her by her father, Clara Wieck learned to compose, and from childhood to middle age she produced a good body of work. At age fourteen she wrote her piano concerto, with some help from Robert Schumann, and performed it at age sixteen at the Leipzig Gewandhaus with Mendelssohn conducting.As she grew older, however, she lost confidence in herself as a composer, writing, "I once believed that I possessed creative talent, but I have given up this idea; a woman must not desire to compose — there has never yet been one able to do it. Should I expect to be the one?" In fact, Wieck-Schumann composed nothing after the age of 36.

Her works include songs, piano pieces, a piano concerto, a piano trio, choral pieces, and three Romances for violin and piano. Inspired by her husband's birthday, the three Romances were composed in 1853 and dedicated to Joseph Joachim, who performed them for George V of Hanover. He declared them a "marvellous, heavenly pleasure."Wieck-Schumann was the authoritative editor of her husband's works for the publishing firm of Breitkopf & Härtel.

Clara Schumann's Scherzo & Piano Concerto

LegacyShe was one of the first pianists to perform from memory, making that the standard for concertizing. Trained by her father to play by ear and to memorize, she gave public performances from memory as early as age thirteen, a fact noted as something exceptional by her reviewers.She was also instrumental in changing the kind of programs expected of concert pianists; to play one's own compositions, she included at least one of her own works in every program, works such as her Variations on a Theme by Bellini (Op. 8) and her popular Scherzo (Op. 10).Clara Schumann's influence has reached us as well through her teaching, which emphasized a singing tone and expression, with technique entirely subordinated to the intentions of the composer. One of her students, Mathilde Verne, carried her teaching to England where she taught, among others, Solomon; while another of her students, Carl Friedberg, carried the tradition to the Juilliard School in America, where his students included Malcolm Frager and Bruce Hungerford.Clara was instrumental in getting the works of Robert Schumann recognized, appreciated and added to the repertoire. She promoted him tirelessly, beginning when his music was unknown or disliked, when the only other important figure in music to play Schumann occasionally was Liszt, and continuing until the end of her long career.

The Critics

Frédéric Chopin described her playing to Franz Liszt, who came to hear one of Wieck's concerts and subsequently "praised her extravagantly in a letter that was published in the Parisian Revue et Gazette Musicale and later, in translation, in the Leipzig journal

The appearance of this artist can be regarded as epoch-making.... In her creative hands, the most ordinary passage, the most routine motive acquires a significant meaning, a color, which only those with the most consummate artistry can give.

Clara's Works1831· Quatre Polonaises pour le pianoforte, Op. 1.1832· 9 Caprices en forme de valse pour le piano, Op. 2. Dedicated to Madame Henriette Foerster, née Weicke.1833· Romance variée pour le piano, Op. 3 (C major). Dedicated to Monsieur Robert Schumann.1834· Walzer fűr Gesang und Klavier. Song with text by Johann Peter Lyser. Published in collection Lyser's Liedersammlung.1835· Valses romantiques pour le piano, Op. 4. Dedicated to Madame Emma Eggers née Garlichs. The Valses were orchestrated but none of the instrumental parts survive.1835· Quatre pieces caractéristiques, Op. 5 (1. Le Sabbat; 2. Caprice à la Boléro; 3. Romance: 4. Ballet des Revenants). Dedicated to Mademoiselle Sophie Kaskel.1836· 6 Soirées musicales, Op. 6 (1. Toccatina in A minor; 2. Nocturne in F Major; 3. Mazurka in G minor; 4. Ballade in D minor; 5. Mazurka in G major; 6. Polonaise in A minor). Dedicated to Madame Henriette Voigt.1836· Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 7: Premier concert pour le piano-forte avec accompagnement d'orchestre (ou de quintour). (1 Allegro maestoso; 2 Romanze. Andante non troppo con grazia; 3 Finale. Allegro non troppo; allegro molto). Dedicated to Monsieur Louis Spohr. A draft exists of the last movement, orchestrated by Robert Schumann and in Schumann's hand.1837· Variations de concert pour le pianoforte, sur la Cavatine du Pirate, de Bellini, Op. 8. Dedicated to Monsieur Adolph Henselt.1838· Impromptu in G major. Souvenir de Vienne.1839· Scherzo No. 1 in D minor, Op. 10.

Her Works1842· Piano Sonata in G minor (1. Allegro; 2. Adagio con espressione e ben legato; 3. Scherzo; Trio; 4 Rondo).1843· 6 songs: Sechs lieder mit begleitung des pianoforte, Op. 13: 1. Ihr Bildnis. Ich stand in dunklen Träumen; 2. Sie liebten sich beide; 3. Liebeszauber; 4. Der Mond kommt still gegangen; 5. Ich hab’in deinem Auge; 6. Die stille Lotusblume. Dedicated to Queen Caroline Amalie of Denmark.1843· O weh des Scheidens, das er tat.1844· Impromptu in E major (published in Album du gaulois, 1885).1845· Scherzo No. 2 in C minor, Op. 14: Deuxième scherzo pour le pianoforte, Op. 14. Dedicated to Madame Tutein née Siboni.1845· Quatre pièces fugitives, Op. 15 (1. F major, Larghetto; 2. A minor, In poco agitato; 3. D major, Andante espressivo; 4. G major, Scherzo). Dedicated to Marie Wieck. Scherzo originally composed for unpublished Sonatine.1845· 3 Preludes and Fugues: III Praeludien und fugen für das pianoforte, Op. 16: (1. G minor; 2. B-flat major or B major; 3. D minor).1847· Piano Trio in G minor: Trio fur pianoforte, violine und violoncello, Op. 17: (1. Allegro moderato; 2. Scherzo. Tempo di menuetto; 3. Andante; 4. Allegretto). Some emendations on autograph seem to be by Robert Schumann.1848· Mein Stern ("O du mein Stern"). Song with text by Friederike Serre.1854· Variations on a Theme of Robert Schumann: Variationen für das pianoforte über ein thema von Robert Schumann, Op. 20. Dedicated to Robert Schumann.1855· Drei romanzen für pianoforte, Op. 21. Dedicated to Johannes Brahms.1855· Drei romanzen für pianoforte und violine, Op. 22. Dedicated to Joseph Joachim.1855· Sechs lieder aus jucunde von Hermann Rollet, Op. 23 (1. Was weinst du, Blümein?; 2. An einem lichten Morgen; 3. Geheimes Flüstern; 4. Auf einem grünem Hügel; 5. Das ist ein tag; 6. O lust, O lust. Dedicated to Livia Frege.

Quotations

"Clara has composed a series of small pieces, which show a musical and tender ingenuity such as she has never attained before. But to have children, and a husband who is always living in the realm of imagination, does not go together with composing. She cannot work at it regularly, and I am often disturbed to think how many profound ideas are lost because she cannot work them out."

—Robert Schumann in the joint diary of Robert and Clara Schumann.

"Composing gives me great pleasure...there is nothing that surpasses the joy of creation, if only because through it one wins hours of self-forgetfulness, when one lives in a world of sound."

—Clara Schumann.

Carrie Underwood

Carrie Marie Underwood was born March 10, 1983 in Muskogee Oklahoma.Lived in Checotah OKGraduated from Checotah Hich School in 2011 as the salutatorianAttended and graduated from Northeastern State University Magna Cum Laude in 2006

Carrie Underwood: The Early Years

As a kid she performed in her hometown at the Robins Memorial Talent Show, at her church Free Will Baptist Church, and also at many other local Checotah events.In college, she performed in the NSU Downtown Country Show for 2 years

In 1996 Carrie almost received a recording contract with Capitol Records, but it was thrown out when the company went under new managaement.

Carrie Underwood and

In 2004 Carrie traveled to St. Louis Missouri to audition for the 4th season of American Idol.

After her performance in the Top 12 Girls, Simon Cowell stated that she would be one of the farites to win that season.

More on IDOL

After the Top 11 Finalist performance Simon said that Carrie would not only win, but she would outsell all previous IDOL winners.On May 25, 2005 Carrie Underwood became the 4th winner of American Idol.Producers later said she dominated the voting at all times and had a fan base known as "Carries Care Bears"

Albums!

Some Hearts 20051st single "Inside Your Heaven" debuted at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and stayed there for 7 consecutive weeks."Jesus Take the Wheel" was the second single

In August 2008, it reportedly sold over 1 million ringtones and the song was certified Platinum

Other singles include "Don't Forget to Remember Me", "Before He Cheats", and "Wasted"She became the first country artist to have 2 songs hit Platinum Mastertone Status with "Jesus Take the Wheel" and "Before He Cheats"

More Albums!!

Carnival Ride was released October 2007 and went Double Platinum in December 2007Became more involved in the songwriting of this album.Received Best Country Artist Award from Billboard in 2007Singles from this album include "So Small", "All-American Girl", and "Last Name"

Her junior album Play On was released in 2009 The release of this album made Carrie the #2 top selling female artist, behind Susan Boyle, in the 1st week with 310,000 copies soldShe also co-wrote many of the songs on this album

Carrie Underwood...The Actress

She has appeared on many TV shows inlcuding:American Idol (season 4 and many guest appearances)How I Met Your MotherSesame StreetThe Buried Life

She will make her film debut in the 2011 independent movie release Sould Surfer where she will play Sarah HillShe has also hosted the Country Music Awards show for 3 consecutive years with fellow country superstar Brad PaisleyHer music has also appeared in the movies Aquamarine, Enchanted, and Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Random Facts about Carrie Underwood

She plays guitarVegetarian Member of the Grand Ole' OpryToured with Keith UrbanMajor Influence is Reba McEntireJuly 2010 married Canadian hockey player Mike Fisher

Awards

8 Grammys 6 American Music Awards 11 Academy of Country Music Awards

First female to win back to back Entertainer of the Year trophies

5 Country Music Awards

Taylor SwiftTaylor Alison Swift was born December 13, 1989 in Wyomissing PennsylvaniaAt age 14 she and her family moved to a suburb outside Nashville TennesseeAttended Hendersonville High School for her Freshman and Sophomore yearsHomeschooled for Junior and Senior Years, graduated in 2008

Her Musical Beginning

Influences include Shania Twain, Dolly Parton, LeAnn Rhymes, Tina Turner, Patsy Cline, and the Dixie ChicksAt age 11 she took a demo of herself singing karaoke to record labels in Nashville and was rejected.At age 12 she started writing songs and switched from a 6 string to a 12 string guitar.

At age 14 she was the youngest staff writer at Sony/ATV publishing houseAt age 15, after a performance at the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville, she was signed to Scott Borchetta's new record label Big Machine Records

Albums!

Her 1st single "Tim McGraw" reached #6 on the Billboard Country ChartsHer debut album Taylor Swift spent 8 consecutive and a total 24 out of 91 weeks at the #1 spot"Our Song" became Taylor's first #1 singleIn 2008 Fearless was released at #1 on the Billboard charts.

It sold 592,304 copies in the first week making it the highest debut contry album in 2008.The single "Love Story" became the most paid downloaded single in historyIn 2010 she released Speak NowThe song "Mine" was originally leaked to the internet, but Big Machine released it early to counteract the leak.

UH-OH!!

In 2009 while accepting the MTV VMA for Best Female Video (1st country artist to do so) she was interuppted by Kanye West saying that "Beyonce had the greatest video of all time"Beyonce, while accepting the award for video of the year allowed Taylor to come on stage to finish her acceptance speech

Taylor can act too?!

She can be seen in TV shows and Movies that include:Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert ExperienceCSI: Crime Scene InvestigationHannah Montana: The MovieSaturday Night LiveValentines DayThe Lorax (2012)

Interesting Facts

Started guitar at 10 when a TV repairman showed her 3 chordsThe youngest to win an ACM entertainer of the year trophyHer lyrics are completely autobiographical "it's like reading right out of my diary" she said

Collaborated with:Boys Like Girls- "Two is better than one"John Mayer- "Half of My Heart"

While hosting SNL she paradied her own style of songwritingFans track down the subjects of her songs

AWARDS

7 American Music Awards4 Grammys1 (interuppted) MTV Video Music Award6 Country Music Awards3 Academy of Country Music Awards

Gwen Stefani

Born: October 3, 1969 in Anaheim, CA

Genres:Pop, Ska Punk, Dance, Rock, Electronic, R&B

Occupations:Singer-songwriter, fashion designer, fashion icon, actress, producer, model

Instruments: Vocal & Guitar

NO DOUBTTimeline: 1986 - 2004

Albums: No Doubt (1992), Tragic Kingom (1995), The Beacon Street Collection (1995), Return of Saturn (2000)

Gwen Stefani was motivated and influenced by her personal experiences. Some songs such as "Don't Speak", "Sunday Morning", and "Hey You", were direct results of her life experiences.

Awards: Tragic Kingdom sold more than 16 million copies worldwide,[16] and received several Grammy Award nominations.

Going SOLO!!!

Gwen Stefani set out to make a quick dance record, but this became a large collaboration with other artists, producers and various non-ska influences.

The result was two successful albums. Currently, Stefani has two solo albums, Love. Angel. Music. Baby. (2004), and The Sweet Escape(2006),[24] with combined sales of more than 18 million albums not including sales from singles released from both albums.

The album features a large number of collaborations with producers and other artists, including Tony Kanal, Linda Perry, André 3000, Nellee Hooper, The Neptunes and New Order.

Stefani created the album to modernize the music to which she listened when in high school.

The album debuted on the U.S.Billboard 200 albums chart at number seven, selling 309,000 copies in its first week.It sold well, reaching multi-platinum status in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada. At the 2005 Grammy Awards, Stefani was nominated for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, and at the next year's awards, Stefani received five nominations for Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, Best Pop Vocal Album, and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration.

Famous Songs during her Solo Career:Rich Girl, What You Waiting For?, Hollaback Girl, Cool, Wind It Up, 4 In the Morning

In 2008, Gwen Stefani returned to NO DOUBT, going on Tour in the Summer of 2009.

Interesting Facts about Gwen StefaniStefani's unusual and dynamic vocals have been noted for their "deep vibrato" and Stefani has been described as having a "unique vocal prowess". In the single "Cool", her vocal range covers close to two octaves.Stefani is a natural brunette, though her hair has not been its natural color since she was in ninth grade.Stefani was depicted in wax by Madame Tussauds Las Vegas on September 22, 2010 at The Venetian (Las Vegas).In response to the 2011 Japan Earthquake, Stefani donated $1,000,000 to the relief effort.

Stefani has been influenced by and compared to pop singer Madonna. She told Elle magazine in 2007, "A lot of my influence came from her early work, like directly, like a Xerox. "However, Madonna told a reporter that Stefani was a copycat and said that "She ripped me off." Stefani responded, "Some people say that I copy her. But show me one girl my age who was not influenced by her."

Janet Jackson "Queen of Pop"Janet Damita Jo Jackson was born May 16 1966 in Gary IndianaGrew up the youngest of 10 kids in Los Angeles With a love of horses, she wanted to be a jockey, but her Dad forced her into entertainment"No one ever asked me if I wanted to go into show business...it was expected"Instrument- Vocals

The Start in Show Business

1973- Appeared in a Las Vegas stage show with her siblings at the age of 7None of the Jackson children were allowed to call their dad "Dad". He was to be called Joseph since he was their managerShe started out as an actress not a singer/dancer

TV Credits

1976- 'The Jacksons" variety show (with 7 of her 9 siblings)1977- Good Times1979-1980- A New Kind of Family1981-1982- Diff'rent StrokesFame2004- Saturday Night Live2004- Will & Grace2010- American Idol Finale

Janet and her Music1978- First song recorded, a duet with brother Randy "Love Song for Kids"1982- signed with A&M records at age 161982 first album release entitled Janet Jackson1986, cut her dad and family out of her entertainment career."When I Think of You" off of her third album Control became her first #1 hit1991 left A&M Records for a multi million dollar contract with Virgin Records1997 "Together Again" became her 8th #1 single and stayed on the Billboard Hot 100 for a record 46 weeks "All for You", recorded in 2001, is one of her more iconic hits

Janet and Michael JacksonIn 1994 she collaborated with her brother Michael on "Scream"It became the first song to ever debut in the top 5 on the Billboard chartsIt also holds the record for most expensive video ever made totaling at $7 million Won a Grammy for Best Short Form Music VideoAfter his death in 2009, Janet performed "Scream at the MTV Video Music Awards as a tribute to him

Movie Credits

1993- Poetic Justice2000- Nutty Professor II- The Klumps2007- Why Did I Get Married?2010- Why Did I Get Married Too?2010- For Colored Girls

Random Facts!! She is also a dancer and choreographerShe is very loyal to her familyShe is a writer

True You: A Journey to Finding and Loving Yourself

She and her siblings were home schooledShe never stuck to one genre of music

R&B, Soul, Hip Hop, Rap, Pop, Rock, and Dance

10 Studio Recorded Albums

Awards and Influences

1999- World Music Awards- Legend Award2nd most successful artist of the decade (behind Mariah Carey)2000- American Music Awards Award of Merity2000- First winner of the MTV Icon Award

Musical Influences include:

Prince, Michael Jackson (brother), Jermaine Jackson (brother), Dionne Warwick, and Diana Ross

Dance Influences include:Fred Astaire and Michael Kidd