TRACY CHAPMAN -Qiuyan Tan

Biography

Born on March 30,1964 in Cleveland, Ohio

Went to an Episcopal high school

Began performing her self-written songs at Tuft Campus Radio Station.

Caught her big break in 1986

Brain Koppelman introduced Tracy to his father-Charles Koppelman

Ellio Robert became her manager

About her Music (1)

In 1987, Tracy recorded her first album

Recorded the hit song-Fast Car

Got the best New Artist at Grammy

Recorded “Crossroads” (1989)

On Billboard's 200

About her Music (2) The release of

Matters of the Heart(1992)

But failed to receive any real international fame

Still on the Billboard 200

New Beginning (1995)

Hit song- Give Me One Reason(the best rock song )

Received her fourth Grammy Award in 1997

(3) Worked as an

activist, speaking and performing on behalf of several nonprofit organizations

Including the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and Circle of Life (no longer active)

Composition History 1

Fast Car Talkin’bout a Revolution

Released from her first album “ Tracy Chapman” in 1988

Wrote the song by herself in 1986

A biggest hit song in the other countries in Europe

Released in 1988, with her first album “ Tracy Chapman”

The genre was Contemporary folk

On the Hot 100

Composition History 2

Baby Can I Hold You Tonight

Give Me One Reason

Released in 1988 with her first album

Reached the top fifty in the United States

The genre-contemporary folk

Released on the album “ New Beginning” (1995)

A winner on the Billboard Chart

The genre - blues rock Made up of slow, low-

key tunes and a few upbeat tracks

Listening Guide3:21 Bridge 2 Begins: non-vocal music , repeats some melodies , help give balance in the entire song 4:56 Coda : The rhythm gets slower and slower and becomes descanting. It repeats common themes in order to emphasize a specific idea or emotion

Fast Car 0:18 Verse 1 Begins: From them we

can get the light and brisk rhythm , the tempo of it is perfect.

2:22 Bridge 1 begins: Dissenting voice first, and have a beautiful phoneme conversion when it is accenting

Give me one reason 1:02 Verse 2 begins: The deep voice of the singer

make me permeate in it. The singer sings it using her soul.

2:00 Chorus 1 begins: There is a background vocal in this part, specific chords throughout this harmony .

3:54 Bridge 2 begins: It expresses a different feeling to the audiences . The melodies are hard to disappear.

4:20 Coda: It repeats melodies and it ends the blues .

Baby Can I Hold You Tonight 0:43 Verse 2 begins : A wide range , Melodic

Intervals are small , a smooth or conjunct melody

1:41 Chorus 1 begins: notice a change of Melody and character in the middle

2:34 Chorus 3: a higher pitch than before , quadruple meter with a simple division , the tempo is a little fast .

3:06 Coda : It becomes slower and slower

Talkin’ Bout A Revolution 0:23 Verse 1 : The first part repeats the

melody , melodic intervals is very small 1:29 Chorus: It gives the strong feeling

of the whole song , the contour is assenting .

2:05 Verse 3: A specific pitch is played, a slow harmonic rhythm contains different textures in it.

2:39 Coda : It creates a certain feeling , using the rhythm can change different parts. Because there is a strong influence on it.

Work Cited Biography about Tracy Chapman :

http://www.biography.com/people/tracy-chapman-20872547?page=1

Profile of Tracy Chapman By Espie Estrella, About.com Guide http://musiced.about.com/od/songwriters/p/tracychapman.htm

About Tracy Chapman : http://www.about-tracy-chapman.net/