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- 1. + A look into the life of a modern-day musician John Mayer Music 1010 Presentation By Jessica Williams
- 3. + The Early Years John Mayer was born October 16, 1977. He was raised by highly educated parents and although the same was expected of him, he soon ventured into the world of music. He bought his first guitar with money he raised working at a gas station 1996 Stevie Ray Vaughan Stratocaster
- 4. + The Early Years (cont.) Left the Berklee School of Music to pursue performing Moved to Georgia with a close friend to begin playing at local venues Attracted young students and appealed to the “artsy” crowd Throughout this occupational transformation, his musical style grew from bluesy jazz to mainstream pop
- 5. + Media Exposure • Mayer releases his first album called Inside Wants Out in 1999 • Performs at the South by Southwest music festival where he signs a record deal with Aware Record Label • Released a second album called Room For Squares which received a great deal of media attention.
- 6. + Scaling the Charts Begins dating Jennifer Love Hewitt Influences his music, as he claims she is his “muse” John wins Grammy in 2003 for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance “Your Body is a Wonderland” 2 additional Grammy Awards Song of the Year for “Daughters”
- 7. + John Mayer Trio • Although many viewed “Daughters” as one of his biggest hits, Mayer was not convinced • John Mayer Trio formed in 2005, joining pals Pino Palladino and Steve Jordan • Seemed Mayer again returned to the bluesy side of music • Collaborated with many fellow musicians • Released album, Try! in 2005
- 8. + Continuum • After the Trio was disbanded, John followed his solo career to produce Continuum, including songs such as “Waiting on the World to Change” • Scaled Billboard charts and won two additional Grammy Awards • Gained mainstream fame and became a pop idol
- 9. + Dating Life John drops off the musical radar to pursue romantic relationships Publicly dates many celebrities Jessica Simpson Cameron Diaz Minka Kelly Jennifer Anniston By 2009 he was working on his music again and won two more Grammys for “Say” and “Gravity”
- 10. + Recent Musical Works • Releases Battle Studies in November of 2009 • Contains hits “Heartbreak Warfare” and “Half of My Heart,” recorded with singer Taylor Swift • Receives mixed reviews • Current album is underway, although official date has yet to be announced.
- 12. + Daughters Released as a part of Heavier Things in 2003 First number one single Grammy – Song of the Year Won over Alicia Keys Won Best Male Pop Vocal Performance According to Mayer, it was originally a supposed “career death” Much more sappy than most of his music up to this point
- 13. + Half of My Heart • Released as part of Battle Studies in 2009 • Recorded with country artist Taylor Swift • Song debuted at #29 on the US Billboard charts • Also appeared on multiple international music charts • Released music video in 2010 • Depicts Mayer as a “runaway groom”
- 14. + Stop This Train Released in 2006 as part of Continuum Composed with friend and former Trio member Pino Palladino Written during a time of “solitary refinement” Makes it a very personal song while Mayer was in a period of self- realization
- 16. + Daughters This song is very soft and sentimental. It evokes a care for “Daughters” everywhere and a general respect for women. The tone is warm and inviting throughout the entire song. It is familiar, which I believe creates a home-like feel to this piece.
- 17. + Half of My Heart This song is steady and upbeat, although the overall meaning of the song can be interpreted differently. It begins cautious and mellow and builds up with use of crescendos and decrescendos. As it is also a duet, the dual voices accounts for much of the melodic feel to this piece. As it is depicting that he is unable to give his whole heart to her, it is significant where Mayer sings alone, as that represents the pieces of himself that are his own.
- 18. + Stop This Train Mayer succeeds in making it clear to the listener that the song is as a train – steady, constant, and unchangeable. Although the timbre changes momentarily, it always returns to it’s constancy This represents life’s challenges, but also shows that the “train” of life does not stop after a bit of darkness The composer uses the tempo to express urgency, as exhibited at 2:31
- 19. + “I hope that what it comes down to at the end of the day is that people believe that I believe what I’m singing. [Music] comes down to being believable.“ - John Mayer
Notas del editor
- John Clayton Mayer was born October 16, 1977 in Bridgeport, Connecticut to parents Richard and Margaret Mayer. As a young child in a highly educated family, he was held to the same expectations, although he was later quoted stating that he “…went to school to get it over with.” During his junior year, he participated in a magnet program at Brien McMahon High School in Norwalk, Connecticut for students wishing to learn Japanese. By the time he was in high school, his fascination with guitar playing had grown and he was playing in his own band, Villanova Junction. After graduating from Fairfield High School, he worked as a gas station attendant until he earned enough money to buy a guitar of his own: A 1996 Stevie Ray Vaughan Stratocaster.
- Although John had originally considered skipping college completely, he was enrolled into the Berklee School of Music in Boston when he was 19 years old. After only two semesters in college, however, he realized he would not be satisfied with studying music, but rather that he wanted to perform it. As a result, he made the decision to relocate to Atlanta, Georgia where he eventually worked on his own music career by putting on shows with a friend at nearby coffeehouses and neighborhood venues. While blues and jazz music were Mayer’s original musical influences, his style began to gradually drift closer to pop.
- Mayer received a small amount of public exposure through his first independent album, Inside Wants Out , produced by colleague Glenn Matullo and released in 1999. This album featured eight original songs, with backup vocals and instruments by Clay Cook and David “ DeLa ” LaBruyere. After a number of perfomances, John played at the South by Southwest music festival in Texas, where he signed a deal with Aware Records. He then released a second internet-only album, Room For Squares . Following this original production, Columbia Records gave Mayer the opportunity to recirculate the album, adding additional tracks for a larger national release later that same year.
- By 2002, he was dating actress Jennifer Love Hewitt, who quickly became an influential muse to Mayer. The relationship was short-lived but intense, with John himself claiming he had been “madly in love” with Hewitt. Following the end of their relationship, John won his first Grammy in 2003 for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for his hit “Your Body is a Wonderland,” a product of Room for Squares. The awards merely continued after the studio release of his next album, Heavier Things , featuring “Daughters,” which rapidly climbed to the top of the charts. After 2 additional Grammy Awards, including Song of the Year for this same track, he had officially established himself within the musical world of the adult alternative genre.
- Interestingly enough, Mayer originally feared this sentimental ballad would result in “career death” as he felt “Daughters” was too sappy. This perspective seems to have been a major factor in the formation of The John Mayer Trio in the spring of 2005, featuring Mayer alongside bassist Pino Palladino and drummer Steve Jordan. This change of direction from pop-alternative artist to bluesy band member resulted in a series of collaborations with fellow artists, including friend Alicia Keys. The Trio released a live album called Try! after opening for The Rolling Stones in October 2005. However, the band did not get far before announcing they would be taking a break – seemingly so Mayer could focus on his solo career yet again.
- Continuum was released in September 2006 with the help of fellow John Mayer Trio member Steve Jordan. After exposure as both a blues and pop artist, the album coincidentally merged the two styles into a unique combination which was well received by the public. According to Rolling Stone , “it deftly fuses his love for old-school blues and R&B with his natural gift for sharp melodies and well-constructed songs.” The album featured two of the Trio’s previous songs in addition to new tracks, nearly entirely written by Mayer himself. The single “Waiting on the World to Change” was first released to radio listeners on The Ron and Fez Show and reached high numbers as another of his songs to hit the Billboard charts. In addition, he won two Grammys for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance and Best Pop Vocal Album with the release of Continuum .
- The next couple of years displayed John Mayer’s slowed musical achievements and escalating romantic relationships. By 2008, John had publicly dated a number of female celebrities including Jessica Simpson, Cameron Diaz, Minka Kelly, and Jennifer Anniston. After splitting from Anniston, Mayer began focusing more fervently again on his music, when he received five nominations and initially won two Grammy Awards in 2009 for songs “Say” and “Gravity.”
- November 17, 2009 marks the release of his most recent studio album, Battle Studies , containing hit singles such as “Heartbreak Warfare” and “Half of My Heart.” Although the album topped the charts and had relatively good reviews from fans, critics grilled Mayer with mixed signals, which he himself seemed to often agree with. One even noted that “Mayer the singer-songwriter and Mayer the man about town sometimes seem disconnected, like they don’t even belong in the same body.” Although there has been talk of a new album from Mayer, an official release date has yet to be announced.
- “ Daughters” was released along with his Heavier Things album in September 2003. John’s song, “Daughters,” earned him his first number-one single, as well as a 2005 Grammy for Song of the Year where he won over friend and award contender Alicia Keys. During his acceptance speech for this award, he dedicated the song to his grandmother who had died in May 2004. During this same awards ceremony, he won Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, which many accredit to this song as well. The song is track no. 8 on the set list and is listed with the duration of 3:58. It is interesting to note that although the song received tremendous applause from fans, Mayer originally felt the song was too sappy and claimed he worried it to be “career death.” The song has been performed on a number of stages and was recorded for live album Where the Light Is at a concert in Los Angeles at the Nokia Theatre on December 8, 2007.
- “ Half of My Heart” is a song written by John and was recorded with country pop artist Taylor Swift. It was the third single from the 2009 album, Battle Studies, although the song itself was not released for radio listeners until 2010. While still in the beginning stages, it is reported that John felt it necessary to write and record the song with Taylor because of their stark contrast in musical genre, as well as their romantic history. Although primarily sung by Mayer, Swift accompanies Mayer in the chorus and the song’s bridge. The song debuted at #29 on the US Billboard charts and appeared on charts in Australia, Canada, and the Netherlands as well. The duration of the album version is 4:10, while the single version came to 3:52. It was produced under the Columbia Records label. Mayer also produced a music video for “Half of My Heart” which was released on June 1, 2010 to excited fans with a mostly positive response. The video features Mayer singing from an undisclosed location, seemingly playing the “runaway groom” at his own wedding.
- “ Stop This Train” was released in 2006 along with Mayer’s album, Continuum . The duration for this piece is 4:45 and it is listed as track no. 7 on the album. Although John Mayer is officially credited with writing this song, he had additional help from colleague Pino Palladino with the composure. The song has often been interpreted as a reminiscent reflection of life and the way it continues to move forward whether we are ready. Many have attributed this topic to Mayer’s bedridden days while suffering from double kidney stones. It was at this time that he claimed he was going through a time of “solitary refinement,” and it is assumed that much self-realization happened during this period.
- Daughters – Duration: 4:01 0:00 Introduction: The song opens with two guitar players in a major key. One seems to be playing the same, constant measure repeatedly in the background, whereas the other plays a distinctive solo harmony. 0:24 Verse 1 Begins: John Mayer begins singing mezzopiano slowly by himself, with only the background guitar playing – it seems like the singer replaced the second guitar which was originally playing the harmony. His tone is warm and inviting. 1:09 Chorus: Pitch raises slightly and tempo increases to a more steady pace, compared to the slow, almost dragging verses. 1:34 Musical Interlude: The bass guitar plays a solo for a few seconds, and although it is not a huge change in the music, it builds up and helps carry the melody into the spaces there are no lyrics. 1:45 Verse 2: Singer crescendos, though the instrument volumes do not change. The singer’s tone goes from soft and friendly to cautious and tempting. Although he is not threatening in the song, there is a sense of warning evoked in this verse. 2:08 Chorus: Pitch raises yet again and the chorus is familiar and nearly identical to the first. 2:32 Bridge: Pitch of both the guitar and singer raise significantly. The bridge starts out forte and seems to build to fortissimo. A piano comes in at 3:01 and begins to play as the bridge builds even more. 3:20 Chorus: By this chorus, the song has built up and remained at fortissimo. The tempo stays relatively the same, although the backup singers sing through more of the end section. The lead vocals are also more passionate and deliberate. 3:48 to End: Tempo begins to slow down, music decrescendos. Instruments and vocals end at the same time, without any kind of “fading out.”
- Half of My Heart – Duration: 4:10 0:00 Introduction: Electric bass guitar starts out the piece along with backup guitars and drums. The rhythm is steady and upbeat. 0:18 Verse 1 Begins: Singer begins to sing solo for the first few lines in a very mellow tone, although the volume is forte. By 0:36, backup singers softly enter to build up to the chorus 0:51 Chorus: Music crescendos and the tempo picks up. Taylor Swift sings an even harmony with the exception of an echo which John sings alone. 1:20 Verse 2 Begins: Tempo returns to its original form; John returns to the familiar verse setup, singing solo at first, allowing for backup vocals at 1:36 adding to the intensity of the lyrics 1:52 Chorus: Tempo returns and picks up and Taylor Swift enters again to sing back up vocals. At 2:06 Taylor is silent and John sings by himself, and then an echo comes in as his voice at 2:09. Taylor returns at 2:11. 2:20 Bridge: Small electric guitar solo, and then the melody changes. John sings solo at first, and then backup singers come in. This time there is an echo, although John sings the first line and Taylor sings the echo instead of John himself. 2:55 Chorus: Similar chorus returns, although it begins out with both Taylor and John singing. The harmony changes and the timbre deepens. 3:37 to End: Taylor and John repeat the same hook continuously. It is not quite a canon, but it is as if they are echoing, until the song dies down and finally decrescendos into silence.
- Stop This Train – Duration: 4:45 0:00 Introduction: Instrumental guitar begins with a steady, repetitive melody. By 0:11 a distinctive beat is indicated by what sounds like a brush on a snare drum. 0:22 Verse 1 Begins: John begins singing solo, while the guitar melody in the background stays constant and unchanging. Lyrics change, but the feel is light, airy, and continually repetitive. 0:43 Chorus: Tone and timbre darken. John’s voice lowers and the although the guitar is continuing steadily, the notes drop in pitch as well. 1:15 Verse 2 Begins: The melody of this verse is the same and the instruments continue to be steady and unchanging. The dynamics are also constant, although John evokes more emotion and concern in this verse as if he is more emotionally invested. 1:37 Chorus: Tempo continues to remain, constant although emotion seems to be building. 2:09 Musical Interlude: A piano begins to play a few simple notes in addition to the guitar, building to the simple, steady guitar melody. 2:31 Verse 3 Begins: The guitar remains unchanging, although the singer’s dynamics grow and evokes a sense of desperation in the music toward the end of the verse. The beat that has been kept steady on the snare drum seems more apparent as if the music is becoming more urgent. At 2:52, the range goes up and the singer uses an airy falsetto voice at a higher pitch, before returning to the constant stability yet again at 3:24. 3:35 Bridge: A different melody begins. Although the guitar remains the same, there are additional background singers. The lead singer (John) grows in dynamic and pitch as the music builds in emotion. The tempo picks up as well, before slowing back down as if a calm is setting in again by 3:54. 3:56 Chorus: Picks right up from the end of the bridge in a slow, quiet manner, although it returns to it’s constant normalcy as it was played the previous two times. The lyrics also change to fit what the singer has learned in the song. 4:18 to End: Instruments continue to play steadily, and finally fade out, never ending “suddenly,” as that would defeat the purpose of the constancy exhibited throughout the song that is meant to be interpreted as the steadiness of a traveling train.