Frank Zappa Essay

Submitted By Debbisea123
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Pages: 4
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“Peculiar”, “Bizarre”, and “Weird” are all words I would use to describe this very distinctive performer’s name as well as the performer himself, Frank Zappa. His exceptional talents were often overshadowed by the absurd clown-like behaviors he exhibited on stage. Frank Zappa was one of the most talented musical composers of the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s. Although Zappa was recognized as a rock musician with an incredible ability to play guitar, Zappa also composed hundreds of musical pieces that included symphonies and ballet scores. Zappa’s musical talents were like no other. Zappa’s love for music started a very young age at a tragic event, the funeral of his grandmother. As he observed the movement of the candle flames as the choir sang, he saw “Music as a recipe for sculpted air” as quoted in the Los Angeles Times on October 30, 1988. This discovery propelled Zappa into the world of music. As he became more interested in his discovery, Zappa became a self taught guitarist and drummer. After being kicked out of his high school band, Zappa joined up with Don Van Vliet and began their own band called the Black-Outs. Their music was inspired by the R&B music Zappa had accumulated through his visits to the Excello in San Diego and his interest in classical music as well. Their music was a reflection of Zappa’s belief that popular music was “fake black music”. Zappa continued to expand his knowledge about music by spending time in the library researching classical composers like Igor Stravinsky, Edgar Varese and Anton Webern. He was intrigued by their innovation with atonal music. He realized at this point that he had an interest in composing musical scores for movies. After high school, with the help of Don Cerveris, his English teacher, Zappa created his first musical score for a movie called Run Home Show. Shortly after Zappa realized his ability as a composer, he worked in lounges in the Suburbs of Los Angeles. He was not well liked. He would attack the works of the performers and would refuse to play the popular music that many of the club owners wanted. He believed that music was way too serious and created parodies and comical music with the band he was a member of. During his early years, people may have not liked Zappa in the music business but his talent did not go unnoticed. Zappa’s original intention was to compose more serious music, but this did not happen. Instead, Zappa was asked to replace a member of the Soul Giants shortly after a member was asked to leave. The band eventually changed names to The Mothers and became very successful. Not successful enough for Zappa. Zappa broke up the band to focus on his own career more leaving his surprised band members behind. As Don Preston once stated, ‘Zappa likes perfection more than feelings.’ He wasn’t worried about the connections he had with people, he focused more on the message. Zappa’s music was very political and through song he transmitted his political views on racism and education. A song called “Jewish Princess” enraged the Jewish community so much that the ADL (Anti-Defamation League) attempted to keep Zappa’s music off the air because of its anti-Semitic lyrics. As crazy as it sounds, after all of the ridicule and criticism of Zappa’s music, Jazz and Pop magazine voted Zappa pop musician of the year in 1968. Obviously he impressed someone. He also inspired other controversial musicians like Alice Cooper whose theatrical antics caused an uproar at every performance, had a way of clearing out an audience. He would dress up in women’s clothes while ripping up newspaper to stuff in his shirt to simulate women’s breasts. Zappa was impressed by Cooper and wanted to hire him, but his managers wouldn’t
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