Kyler Bagley

Third analysis paper/ Music

Mrs. Boone

Iration

The Reggae Rise Up recently performed here in Utah at the

Infinity Event Center. I was fortunate to attend this unique performance

on February 4th, 2017. This performance was different than your

ordinary Reggae concert. It was unique because this concert lasted for

8 hours and included 6 different reggae groups and included two

separate stages in the venue. The venue itself was massive, with two

levels of reggae fanatics screaming and cheering. There was a warm

glow of yellow, red, and orange lights throughout the building,

preparing me for whatever music was about to be played. The music

was vibrant, and had a booming quality to go with it. There was a spark

of happiness booming out repeatedly as the music was played. Overall,

the performance was overwhelming with excitement and happiness.

Although there we 6 Reggae bands, Iration was the band I was excited

to see. I have listened to their music for years and when I listened to

their song, Time Bomb I felt a sense of sadness because I would

listen to that song over and over when something tragic happened in

my life.

The first song that stood out to me was Time Bomb, with a very

smooth flow to the tempo. This piece incorporated the whole band and

engaged everyone to sway to the melody of their instruments. The first

note got the crowd screaming as the timbre came off to be very warm

and breathy, making your feelings come to ease. Creating the energy

to standout as a soft crescendo as the band came together as one and

created a bright and explosive environment. Allowing the texture

stood out as a polyphonic as the performers worked together to bring

the most exhilarating tone to your ears. The lyrics of this song, Time

Bomb, is what really stood out as if I felt a sense of sadness, but

allowed me to move and dance as the crowed swayed back and forth.

The song describes a girl as a ticking time bomb who is about to

detonate if you dont take control and take care of her. Which is why I

got a sad feeling from this piece. I use to listen to this song with a

significant other who made me feel like I could accomplish anything if

we were together. We had to separate because we lived 1000s of

miles away from each other and figured it would be best. Other

elements that were incorporated in this piece were lights. The flashes

were like glistening blue beams that gave the piece a sense of purity

as if water was flowing throughout the venue.

The next piece that stood out to me was, Turn Around. it wasnt

so flowy and smooth as the last piece, but had some similarities as the

melody and beats per minute go. This pieces starts with the drums,

bass, and guitar doing quick and sharp pitches, until the vocals joined

and then the tempo took a 360. The tempo became very mellow and

quite slow as the guitar kept the same sharp and quick strumming of
the cords. Keeping the melody at a constant pace and allowed it to

flow as the other instruments played their piece. Its something they

would call a chilled beat. The energy that came from the vocals had

a medium tone, but very raspy and energetic feeling. The timbre of

his voice didnt fluctuate between a high or low pitch, but stayed at a

constant. Which gave me the idea that he was doing it on purpose to

give it that nasally scratchy feel. He also didnt show as much emotion

with his facial expressions because of the timbre of his voice. He didnt

close his eyes to hit those high notes or make those gorilla lips for

those really low pitches, but the instruments is what gave the song

that forte feature. The lyrics also told a story of a girl that he had

potentially hurt during a relationship and he wanted her to understand

how sad he felt and how he wasnt ready to let her go. Although, he

sang about how she was everything to him and how he was surprised

that she stuck around for how badly he treated her and wanted to

apologize and tell her that he has changed his ways. The title of the

song describes it all; I wont let you down, so wont you Turn Around.

Overall, the concert made me feel a variety of emotions and

passion for the Reggae genre. Although, the music kept a similar

melody throughout their performance the music felt alive. There were

pieces that were quieter than others, then back to the thrilling,

booming, and energetic movements. This repeated itself throughout

both pieces. The first piece, Time Bomb, made me feel a sense of ease
as it brought back memories from the past. This piece allowed me to

experience a lot of emotion of sadness, but happiness because that

significant other is still apart of my life. The second piece, Turn Around,

gave me a completely different feeling as the intro brought me to my

feet and allowed me to engage in their music. It still had a 60-80 BPM,

which gave me the energy to bounce and sway back and forth with

their melody. This song made me want to go out and chase the girl of

my dreams instead of feeling sad for what happened. It made me want

to take charge and make the best of what I have right in front of me.

In conclusion, this performance took me on the ultimate thrill-

ride as I experience different forms of emotions. Which made it easy

for me to connect and relate to their music in every way, shape, and

form. I was able to analyze how the use of artistic values came into

play, which allowed me to relate and feel their emotions through their

music. I was truly impressed and cant wait to experience another

performance similar to this one.