JARED MCCLURE - MUSIC 1010 -MUSIC LISTENING CRAIG E.

FARRIN

SUFJAN STEVENS
 INTRODUCTION
▸ Introduction

▸ Sufjan Stevens

▸ Multi-instrumentalist / Indie Folk

Hello, I am Jared McClure and I will presenting music by the artist Sufjan Stevens. Sufjan, his given name, comes from a figure from the faith tradition of Islam. Despite
the origin of his name he was raised in the midwest portion of the United States and had protestant Christian upbringing. Though he does not claim to practice any
tradition of faith much of his music discusses biblical themes. Sufjan has a diverse range of musical talent, which had begun with acquisition of English horn and oboe in
secondary school. He is most known for his use of banjo and whispery independent folk vocals. He has enjoyed the freedom of being a part of his own independent label
(Asthmatic Kitty) which has allowed him to experiment with many sound scapes, mixing and bending the limits of many genres of music. Sufjan has been nominated for
and won half a dozen music awards and is still vibrantly producing music to this day.
 BIOGRAPHY - UPBRINGING
▸ Born July 1, 1975

▸ Raised in Midwest

▸ Graduates Phi Kappa Beta

Sufjan Stevens was bron July 1st, 1975 in Detroit, Michigan. He was raised by his father, Rasjid, and step mother, Pat. His mother had abandoned the family when Sufjan
was about 1 year old - she had struggled with depression, schizophrenia and alcoholism and moved to Oregon where Sufjan would visit during the summer when he was
a child. She had past from stomach cancer in 2012, which would inspire Sufjan to write an album about his experiences as a child. During his childhood he would learn
how to play the oboe and the English horn while in school at Habor Light Christian School and then go on to attend Hope College in Holland, Michigan. Sufjan attended
graduate school at The New School in New York where his academic success would award him Phi Kappa Beta (“is the oldest academic honor society in the United
States, and is often described as its most prestigious honor society, due to its long history and academic selectivity.”) He completed a Masters Degree of Fine Arts.
During his time in college is where he acquired the skill in strings instruments such as the guitar.
 BIOGRAPHY - CAREER
▸ Asthmatic Kitty (1999)

▸ Illinoise

▸ Recognition

Sufjan had maintained contact with his stepdad even though his mother (Carrie) and him (Lowell) were only married for a few year during his childhood. Through this
connection Sufjan would launch a record label called Asthmatic Kitty Records. The name of the record label was inspired by Lowell’s adopted stray cat that had feline
asthma. This record label would set a platform for Sufjan to record, produce and release music that he was crafting. Amongst his early work was the hit release of
‘Illinoise’ in 2005 which had gained a lot of popularity and hit the top of Billboard’s music charts for Top Heatseakers. “Top Heatseekers are "Breaking and Entering"
music charts issued weekly by Billboard magazine. The Heatseekers Albums and the Heatseekers Songs charts were introduced by Billboard in 1991 with the purpose of
highlighting the sales by new and developing musical recording artists” amongst his success with Billboard he also won to awards from PLUG during their independent
music awards in 2006 for Album of the Year and later in 2007 for Male Artist of the Year.
 BIOGRAPHY - INDIE FOLK
▸ Instruments

▸ Experimental style

▸ Independent artist

Type to enter a caption.

As mentioned before Sufjan Stevens began his musical endeavors with instruments such as the English Horn and the Oboe but he would go on to be recognized for is
ability to hone skills on many instruments, specifically the banjo. Much of the music that Sufjan produces has a folk-like feel centered around the banjo and using a
whisper-like tone of a voice to sing his deep storytelling narratives. Sufjan “also plays guitar, piano, drums, woodwinds, and several other instruments, often playing all of
these on his albums through the use of multitrack recording.” He is also no stranger to the implementation of electronic instruments to produce vast sound scapes that
can memorize the listen and bipolar blurbs of electronic tones that are intermixed in folk style music. And for this reason people attempt to classify Sufjan work as
electronic independent folk. The use of the word independent is important because Sufjan is aloud to try out various styles and concepts of music with out the pressure
of a large recording label that is overly concerned about the sales of an album and how it will be accepted.
 COMPOSITION HISTORY
▸ Seven Swans

▸ Release March 16, 2004

▸ Theme

This song is the title track of the album. This song is taken from Sufjan 4 album release. It is a taste of quintessential style and straight forward quite-folk that he is known
for. Much of the songs on this album have themes that are taken from the Bible as Sufjan crafts them into a narrative.
 COMPOSITION HISTORY
▸ The Age of Adz

▸ Released 2010

▸ Theme

The Age of Adz is the title track to the album in 2010. This song was selected to display the experimental nature of Sufjan Stevens are he employs a myriad of
instruments in order to create a dynamic musical composition. In this listening example Sufjan strays from what his audience expects from him but half way through the
song he again revisits his memorable folk style but this time garnished with electronic instruments.
 COMPOSITION HISTORY
▸ Love Yourself

▸ Release 2019

▸ Theme

Love Yourself was released in 2019. This track is highlighted in this presentation to give an example of the style that Sufjan is currently producing. This track is purely
electronic and harkens back to his older music only in that he maintains a soft spoken vocal output and that it flows in the same slow cadence that he typically writes.
Aside from those details it is a progressive example of his music to showcase a fully electronic, genre altering track from this artist.
 LISTENING GUIDE - SEVEN SWANS
▸ Banjo

▸ Slow tempo

▸ Progressively more instrumentation layering

▸ Climax

In this listening example Sufjan Stevens creates a dark, layered folk driven climax to capitalize on the title of the album, Seven Swans. He opens with a slow picking
pattern on the banjo in a minor key in a 3/4 meter. Next to be followed with firm sustained minor chord played on the piano on the first beat of the measure. Sufjan is
accompanied by a female vocalist as they play through multiple verses, resulting in a climax backed by cymbals and other percussion instruments.
LISTENING GUIDE - SEVEN SWANS PT. 1

0:00 INTRO
Sufjan starts song by using repeating finger picking technique on the banjo in a minor key in a 3/4 meter. The tempo is slow
and is in no hurry to advance the song.

0:38 VERSE 1 He breaks in with vocals using a very quiet whisper like voice that match the slow pace of the song.

Sufjan breaks into the chorus for the first time in the song. His banjo strikes the first note with more power in order to queue
1:15 CHORUS
the listener in on theme. Repeating the title “sevens swans, seven swans, sevens, swans”

There is a brief hesitation before the piano joins Sufjan’s finger picking on the 1 of the 3/4 rhythm. The piano play a sustained
1:45 MIDSECTION
minor chord over and over through the instrumental break.

2:15 VERSE 2 Sufjan returns to first verse unaccompanied by the piano.

LISTENING GUIDE - SEVEN SWANS PT. 2

3:10 VERSE 2 Sufjan is joined by female vocalist who matches tone like a quiet whisper singing right over the top of Sufjan.

Sufjan hesitates before starting to strum the banjo with slightly more strength than before. The piano picks up again with
3:35 BRIDGE bold, sustaining chords. The snare drum and cymbals develop a ascending slow march.

5:36 BRIDGE/CHORUS Sufjan repeats the lyrics of chorus over the build of the bridge to a mixing and overlaying composition.

As all of the layering of the chorus and the bridge come to a climax a few more keys are played delicately on the piano to
6:18 OUTRO
bring the song to rest.
LISTENING GUIDE - THE AGE OF ADZ PT. 1

0:00 INTRO
Four beats of a metronome play in an electronic tick. Immediately there is a dismal bass that sounds on the 1 of the 4/4
medium paced rhythm. Trills of electronic synthase intermixed with the booming bass.

A chorus of human voices is added to the mix that bring a more inviting tone as they vocalize non-lyrical tones. During this
0:22 PREVERSE time there are many tones of electronic buzzing that are rising and falling.

Sufjan comes in with medium strength tenor range voice. Multiple layers of his voice are added and reverberated to give
0:51 VERSE 1
depth.

1:48 VERSE 2 Sufjan adds another verse. Keeping the same cadence and feel as the first.

A chorus of similarly toned voices are added as they sing in unison. The stereo effect of chimes and beeps are bouncing
2:24 CHORUS
back and forth as they collaborate to continue the rhythm as posture of the composition.
LISTENING GUIDE - THE AGE OF ADZ PT. 2

3:08 BREAKDOWN
Most of the instrumentation cuts out and the voice of Sufjan is accompanied by a fraction of the instruments playing during
the chorus

There is a slight buildup as the melody winds back up before the chorus comes back in full swing with a steady sound of the
4:15 CHORUS bass on the 1 of the 4/4 timing. Horns are sounding and strings play quick, ascending strokes

4:47 CHORUS CONT. Sleigh bell joins the mix it makes contact each quarter note. 1 2 3 4 - giving the chorus a more dialed, smooth texture.

Everything is stripped away only leaving a slow plucking of the guitar and falsetto voice that carries on. Slowly other
5:03 BREAKDOWN
electronic tones are interspersed.

More voices are added to accompany Sufjan who are repeating what he says. It begins to feel like tension is coming to a
6:24 BREAKDOWN CONT.
close.
LISTENING GUIDE - THE AGE OF ADZ PT. 3

7:00 OUTRO
Guitar accompanies Sufjan. Finger picking a quick melody as Sufjan sings over it.a harp is stroked and small rapid
electronic drums make quick trills.

7:58 END Sufjan repeats the line of lyrics with guitar as song comes to a close.
LISTENING GUIDE - LOVE YOURSELF PT. 1

0:00 INTRO Soft synth notes escalate and fall, rising in volume, playing on the eighth notes of a 4/4 time signature.

0:14 VERSE 1 Sufjan comes in with whispery singing tone. Electric drums join him that have bouncy digital repeating effect.

Sufjan comes in with the full and developed feel of the chorus and the main story of the composition. It only plays for half the
0:40 CHORUS
length. The drums are playing 8th notes on the ride cymbal giving back bone to the chorus.

Sufjan builds a tempo right before the ride comes back in to play which gives maximum height to the song. High chorus is
0:53 PRECHORUS
added to the mix to give robust texture.

1:34 INSTRUMENTAL BREAK Many synth notes are being played over the top of one another to give a soaring effect to the song.
LISTENING GUIDE - LOVE YOURSELF PT. 2D

2:54 CHORUS 2
Much of the synth embellishment are taken away and fast 8th notes cymbal embellishment are added. There are vocal call
backs joining the mix to create vocal layering.

3:23 OUTRO The instrumentation dies down and all that is left is the same synth that started the song.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
▸ "Junkmedia: An Interview with Sufjan Stevens". Junk Media. August 13, 2006.

▸ "Sufjan Stevens's Musical States of Mind". The Washington Post. October

7, 2014.

▸  "About Us". Asthmatic Kitty Records. November 28, 2006.

▸ "100 Best Albums of the 2000s". Rolling Stone. August 5, 2016.

▸ "Grammys 2019 Nominees: The Complete List". Billboard. December 8, 2018.