Conclusion
When I first began thinking about this project, my approach was very simple. I wanted to look into the role that music has played in my life and how it has influenced my worldview. I have always been fascinated by the process of songwriting, and I thought that I would simply be writing a million different analyses of songs. After looking into the idea a bit more, I realized that the topic was much more complex and multi-faceted than that. My interview with my choir conductor gave me insight into many of the intricacies that come with writing songs. It's not just a simple write-rinse-repeat; it is a process that evolves in different ways. You may have a set of chords or a chorus that you love, and then the next day you could have another idea that you love even more. The Hamilton mixtape is a prime example of this as well. You have the original soundtrack, whose music is indicative of the history it is representing. Then you have the mixtape, which is much more modernized. Every artist covering a song on that mixtape was free to go in whatever direction they wanted, and that is what gave it so much vigor and life.
The cases of musical plagiarism illustrated that musical tactics, such as sampling or chord progression, are fine in some aspects but infringing in others. The songwriter has to be acutely aware of the genre they are writing in and the context through which it exists. There are instances where taking someone else's work and morphing it into something entirely new is considered an artistic vision, but it takes a certain level of mastery in order to do that well. Admittedly, my experience in this subject before doing this project was nonexistent -- I had never written my own songs before. Re-Versed gave me an insight into that world and gave me a newfound respect for a songwriter's craft. I'd like to thank Shohei Kobayashi, Arts Chorale at the University of Michigan, and Raymond McDaniel for helping me turn this project into a reality. Thanks for reading!
*All video credit goes to YouTube and its respective owners