Comments on: Alice Walker and “the Notion of Song”

By: Taylor Nault

Taylor Nault — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 14:05:55 +0000

Aretha Franklin is who I would acknowledge as the person that best describes the “notion of song”. Unlike other new and upcoming artists in our time, Aretha has actual talent. Though she didn’t make as much money as the new artist do now a days, I still feel that she is the best of and talented singer out there. She expresses true feeling in the songs that she sings, and shows you what she’s feeling. To me she represents a well-rounded singer that has been through many troubles in her life. She pushes through it all to become as talented as she is today. When you think of some of the best singers in the world, you have to name Aretha Franklin as one of them. All her songs have some truthful meaning behind it, meaning that actually matters. I hate hearing all this gibberish on the rap stations, it makes no sense. Aretha’s is what brings the reality of things to our own ears.

By: Brandon Coakley

Brandon Coakley — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 12:13:27 +0000

Aretha Franklin really expresses the voice and the notion of song. Although, recently Aretha has been having some bad eating habits, but her voice is so well toned it makes up for it. She uses a magnificent tone that contracts her audience and soaks them in. It’s like she is trying to tell a story, through her voice, expressing it through past. She is proving that Black women do not receive enough respect. I enjoy this type of music because it helps me understand how it was back in the slave years, and how i have to earn respect. This helps me work harder in life. Other than Aretha, the original notion artists were slaves singing in the fields while at work together. Slaves started the stories and i strongly agree the Mrs. Franklin took this origin to a different level .

By: Mariah Fyvie

Mariah Fyvie — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 22:53:12 +0000

Areatha Franklin represents the “notion of song” because of the heart and soul she puts into her music.Women didnt have many rights back then so it was hard to get where she was.She fought and never gave up on her dream.When you listen to her mucis you can feel what she is sayin because it came for the heart.Her music has the kind of orginality that music today needs and the kind of soul that brings you in.She is the greatest soul artist in history.I dont think anyone can compare to her.She brought so much to the table that artist today can’t.She had that natural voice and knew how to use it.

By: Amanda Yorch

Amanda Yorch — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 22:54:30 +0000

Areatha Franklin best represents “notion of song” because she sings from her heart. Back then women did not have the rights like we do now. When she sings she puts her heart and soul into it. You feel the emtion that she feels when she sings. Its beautiful. Back when women didnt have equal rights you had to fight so hard to be able to do what you wanted to do. She fought for what she wanted and she got what she wanted, she acheived her goal.

By: Tre'Von Salter

Tre'Von Salter — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 14:45:09 +0000

In my opinion, Aretha Franklin is the best choice in representing the “notion of song”. Aretha sings from her heart and soul it is great passion for her to sing. She expresses all of her emotions in her songs very well. She doesn’t just write stuff for no reason like most artists do today. Aretha’s were straight from the heart. It was hard back then to become a singer. It wasn’t just if you could sing you’re good. She wanted it that bad and she is known as one of the greatest soul artists in history. When she sings, you feel what she is feeling because she expresses her felling so much. She brings lots to the table ad her singing might be a similar problem somebody else has and she might say what she did and helps them. That’s why I think she is the best choice in representing the “notion of song”.

By: Bre Thurham

Bre Thurham — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 21:53:50 +0000

I personally think that the slaves best represent “notion of songs”. They sing from their hearts, because through singing thats the only way that they expressed themselfs. Slaves sang from how they really felt. Singers now a days usually sing about a bad breakup or about how they got cheated on. If you hear slaves songs you can feel the pain that they felt, because they expressed it so well and we know what they went through. So to me slaves would be our “notion of songs”.

By: Ray Tillman

Ray Tillman — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 12:56:58 +0000

Aretha Franklin best represents the notion of a song because she has her own style of singing. If you listen to singers that came before her such as Billie Holiday, she doesn’t try to sound like them at all. Aretha has her own unique style and this is what makes her standout from being just another singer to one of the greatest of all time. Back when Aretha sung, they didn’t have as much technology in the studio that make your voice sound sharper or change it completely. This is why singers today sound the same.

By: Yasmine Jones

Yasmine Jones — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 00:10:45 +0000

In my opinion Aretha Franklin definitely represents Alice Walker’s “notion of song”. When you listen to her music you can definitely tell there is some kind of feeling behind it. In some of her songs you may hear the pain she have endured while growing up. While in other songs you may hear the joy of falling in love or being happy where she is in her life. Whether that feeling be sadness, happiness, pain, frustration, or any other type of feeling you can tell that it’s there. When I listen to Aretha Franklin, she definitely sings from her heart and soul. Her songs are not just about how somebody may have done wrong by her. Some of her songs are just about respect and love. Her songs are basically about everything.

By: Virginia Vasquez

Virginia Vasquez — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 01:54:50 +0000

I believe that Areatha Franklin best represents “the notion of song” because she is not just singing a song about her life, She is singing from her soul, there is a message and a meaning behind the songs she sings. It is not about heartbreaks, cheating, drugs. It is about how she feels, she sing with a passion and when she sings you feel what she is singing, its like your in her shoes. She also has a beautiful voice which makes you want to listen to more of her songs.

By: Emily Lack

Emily Lack — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 14:53:57 +0000

Billie Holiday, she sings with the notion of song. She normally sings from her heart. It’s beautiful. She sounds as though she means every word. It makes me feel like I am there listening to her. She’s got soul. Billie Holiday represents it more than anyone in our days.