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pic creds: https://polysyllabicprofundities.com/2013/06/15/when-the-stars-align/
From some reason when I was reading this chapter I couldn't help but think of this picture and quote about when the stars align. I feel like this quote embodies the perfect moment since its all about timing and something unexpected happening, something you cant plan. But when it does happen it creates this perfect line or in Ratliff's case this perfect moment where the song comes full circle and creates something so moving.

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Not a great quality picture but its one I took when I went to his concert and he sang the song "Lay Me Down" Like I had mentioned before it was truly such a moving experience that you could just hear the emotion in his voice. I got goosebumps and I couldn't help myself from stopping and staring at this perfect moment he had created in this song. I had heard it plenty of times on the radio but the way he performed it live was something completely different and so real. I loved it!

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"Lay me down" Acoustic version by Sam Smith

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"Lay me down" Acoustic version by Sam Smith

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This is the acoustic version of the example not in Ratliff's book. I wish I could have found a live version but this one is just as powerful and showcases that one moment at the end of the song that I talked about in explanation. Its what I consider to be a perfect moment to me, and may not be the same for others but I love hearing it every time, it never gets old.

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Lay Me Down - Sam Smith (Acoustic Lyric Video)

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Here is one of the musical examples in Ratliff's chapter that I also chose to showcase in this padlet. I liked this music video for the song especially because it shows pictures of him and his wife and him singing so even though its not live you still get a feel to what the song is about. It also showcases that jaw dropping moment that Ratliff pointed out in the chapter where you can feel him sing this powerful not and then just let it go with this sigh of relief which is so neat.

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"A perfect moment is often wordless, or indirect if it has words. It is the song blushing: and unplanned or perhaps only semi planned occurrence in which the music suddenly embodies its own meaning." pg. 228

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"A perfect moment is often wordless, or indirect if it has words. It is the song blushing: and unplanned or perhaps only semi planned occurrence in which the music suddenly embodies its own meaning." pg. 228

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This was another quote at the beginning of the chapter that really stood out to me. I was having some trouble wrapping my head around the concept but when I read this quote it helped me a lot. It talks about how it doesn't have to be about the lyrics to the song but more how the song is sang and felt by the artist and the listener. It also explains that this moment is often spontaneous and not planned because how could you plan a perfect raw moment? It wouldn't be perfect or nearly as meaningful if it was.

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"I stopped breathing and felt as if a splinter were being withdrawn from my skin." pg. 227

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"I stopped breathing and felt as if a splinter were being withdrawn from my skin." pg. 227

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I chose this quote because it immediately stuck out to me when I started the chapter. This is such a vivid quote that I could easily picture in my mind and feel. We have all had this feeling when hearing a certain song or moment in a song so to see him explain it so perfectly made this chapter a lot easier to understand. Just what an incredible metaphor especially  for this trait! one of my favorites from the book thus far.

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Find at least one musical example outside of Ratliff’s playlist and justify its inclusion – how does it exemplify this musical concept?

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Find at least one musical example outside of Ratliff’s playlist and justify its inclusion – how does it exemplify this musical concept?

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When I heard about this element I couldn't stop thinking about Sam Smith and his music. I find his music so powerful and moving while still portraying such emotion. The song I specifically chose was his acoustic version of “Lay Me Down” I chose the acoustic version because I get chills everytime I listen to it and it's so simple that you can hear all the emotions he's portraying in his voice throughout the song with just the piano playing in the background. Towards the end of the song he sings the chorus so loud and just holds out the note you in “Next to you” he has been singing pretty loud throughout the piece with several moments that were nicely done but this last note he sings just really makes you stop in your tracks. You can feel he's been going through this whole song and then he finally makes it to the end where he comes to the acceptance that it will be okay even if the person he loves isn't there. He doesn't outright say this but you can feel it in the song and the way he presents himself. I have also heard him sing this live and it's even more incredible because the whole audience feels that emotion and stops for this one moment holding your breath to see what he will sing next. It's truly the perfect moment in my book and I think it fits in Ratliff’s playlist seamlessly

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Examine at least one musical example in Ratliff’s playlist in detail – how does it exemplify this musical concept? 

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Examine at least one musical example in Ratliff’s playlist in detail – how does it exemplify this musical concept? 

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From Ratliff's examples I chose Frank Sinatra's “Goodbye” because I had previously heard this song and thought Frank does a wonderful job with this musical element in a lot of his songs wich Ratliff also mentioned. This is the song that really helped this element click for me because I heard the moment Ratliff explained right off the bat. Even though Sinatra was singing words and it was a really meaningful song it wasn't about the words but it was about how he sang them. He didn't plan to sing them this way it was just how he was feeling in that moment and he was able to express so much emotion in that one moment. The O held out from “Long ago” was one of the longest held notes and sang so powerfully that you can just hear the raw emotion and power in his voice and as soon as it ends you can just feel how defeated he feels. So many songs can make you feel a certain way but this one isn't about the lyrics but instead about the way he portrayed it even when he didn't do it on purpose. That's what makes the song so moving. That one moment.

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Do you agree with Ratliff’s arguments regarding this musical element?

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Do you agree with Ratliff’s arguments regarding this musical element?

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I do agree with Ratliff's meaning of a perfect moment. It was a little hard to understand at first and I think can be interpreted in a lot of different ways depending on the listener and the song. When he gave the quote about having a splinter being pulled out of him that was a truly vivid example that I could really relate to (which is why I included that quote in my padlet as well) He explains it so eloquently and he understands that everyone may not have the same perfect moment as him but that it's truly a feeling someone is listening or performing a song and is usually unexpected. We can try and plan a perfect moment they just happen when it needs to happen or it feels right, thats why its such a pure trait. I had not really known how to explain this feeling before or put it into words when I hear a certain song but this ecmpoasses that overhwmling feeling or sensation you get when listening to a really moving song to you.

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Define and Evaluate 'The Perfect Moment'

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Define and Evaluate 'The Perfect Moment'

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A perfect moment can be very different for everyone. But in specific is a certain moment in a song where you can feel it in your whole body. It's a pause or the way the singer sings a certain note. Maybe an instrument comes in unexpectedly and starts playing another melody. In general it is a moment in a song where it can take your breath away. Like Ratliff said, nothing in music will be perfect but this is a way for us to explain this momentous moment in a piece. It often doesn't have words but more of a meaning behind the notes being played or the way the singer sings that note. It's not usually planned and is a spontaneous moment no one is expecting nut when you hear it you know exactly how powerful it can be to a song. We won't all agree on the same perfect moment but it's something you feel in your heart that speaks to you without using words and without flat out telling you to feel something. Which is why it can be so very special in a song or to an artist or audience member.