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Early life and Beginnings

• Taylor Alison Swift was born on December 13, 1989 in Reading, Pennsylvania

• She was raised on her families Christmas tree farm

• Taylor was inspired to pursue a career in music from her Grandmother who was an Opera Singer

• At the age of 12, Taylor taught herself how to play the guitar

EARLY SUCCESS HIGHLIGHTS• Her debut album (Taylor Swift) in 2006. • Her debut album had five consecutive

top singles. • Became platinum very quickly.• In 2006 she was nominated for the

Grammy’s Best New Artist Award.

Debut Album

• The first single was released when she was a freshman in high school.

• Her self-titled album (Taylor Swift) was released when she was just 16 years old.

• Musically, the album is country music styled and lyrically, it speaks of romantic relationships.

• Released in 2008.• Taylor became the year’s biggest star of any musical genre.• (Fearless) went gold within its first week of being released and stayed at the top of both

Country and Pop Charts for 11 consecutive weeks. • Taylor became the highest grossing artist of 2008

2008 and the release of Fearless

RED, Album• Red is the fourth studio album by

Taylor Swift. It was released on October 22, 2012.

• The album title was inspired by the "semi-toxic relationships“.

• Red debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart

Career Highlights and Awards

• In 2008, Swift won the award for “Female Vocalist of the Year,” “Favorite Female Country Artist” award, and the “Horizon” award.

• In 2009, Swift won the award for “Video of the Year” and “Female Video of the Year” for the song (Love Story) at the CMT Music Awards.

• In 2010, (Fearless) won best “Album of the Year”, her song (White Horse) claimed best “Female Country Performance”, and best “Country Song” at that year Grammy’s.

• In 2012, received the Grammy Award for best “Country Solo Performance” and best “Country Solo Performance” and best “Country Song” for the song (Mean) from her album (Speak Now)

• In 2014 At the 2014 AMAs, the Dick Clark Award of Excellence was awarded for the first time, and it went to none other than Taylor Swift.

ACTING CAREER• 2009-featured in the Hannah Montana Movie: As her-self• 2010-feautred in the movie Valentines Day: AS her-self

Composition History

Unique Facts about Songs

• In her lyric booklets for each album, Taylor Swift capitalizes random letters in the printed lyrics of each song.• These capitalized letters spell out

“secret” messages, which are usually about who or what inspired her to write the song. • She writes her songs based on personal

experiences; especially those that have to do with the men in her life.

“Love Story”

• Released in September 2008.

• The inspiration for this song came from Romeo and Juliet

• Swift was inspired by this story, but she wanted a happy ending.

• “Secret” message: “Someday I’ll Find This”.

“Mine”

• This song was released in August 2010.

• This song is all about a tendency to run from “Secret” message: “Toby”.

“22”• The song was

released as the album's fourth single.

• The lyrics describe the joys of being 22.

• “Secret” message: “ASHLEY DIANNA CLAIRE SELENA”

“Out of the Woods”

• Tells a story of an unsure relationship.

• Song was released on October 27, 2014.

• “Secret” message: “They loved each other recklessly”.

Listening Guide “Love Story”

• 0:00 Introduction: This song is being played in the major mode. The melody is played by the acoustic guitar, with the piano and electric guitar interwoven together. The harmony in this song is consonance, very pleasing and relaxing.

• 0:30 The drums make their first introduction into the song by playing on certain beats of the song. The acoustic guitar along with accompaniment of the piano and electric guitar are still playing the same now familiar melody. The cymbals are heard very faintly in the background, playing on certain beats.

Listening Guide “Love Story” cont.

• 1:03 Chorus 1: The resolution occurs, and the chorus is now played in the major mode. The drums are playing in triple meter. The main melody is still playing in the background, while the violin is playing simple chords.

• 1:24 Verse 2: The tempo has gone back to the original speed. The original melody is being played, with the drums in triple meter. The electric guitar starts playing longer chords than before.

Listening Guide “Love Story” cont.

• 2:14 Chorus-add on: The music stays the same, with extra lyrics added in. With the addition to the chorus, there is more of a dissonance feeling.

• 2:43 verse 3: The tempo has slowed considerably with the dynamics of each instrument becoming softer. The melody of the acoustic guitar and piano are played faintly in the background where the timbre of the electric guitar is easily heard.

• 3:34 The violin has its solo by playing the beginning of the melody a little faster. The dynamics of the drums are played faintly in the background to keep the violin with the rhythm of the music.

• 3:56 Music ends.

Listening Guide “Mine”

• 0:00 Introduction: This song is played in the major mode and has a feeling of consonance. The drums start out playing to the beat of the music where the electric guitar soon comes in. These two instruments become the main melody of the song.

• 0:18 Verse 1: The drums are the only instrument being played while the 0:49 Chorus 1: The tempo has become much faster. The drums and electric guitar are playing the main melody. The electric guitar and the drums show a very unique sense of rhythm in the chorus: play a note, pause, then play again.

• 1:09 Verse 2: Tempo has gone back to the original. The drums are still playing the melody, and the electric guitar is added into this part.

Listening Guide “Mine” cont.

1:40 Chorus 2: The tempo increases. The dynamics of the electric guitar are louder so it is heard over the beat of the drums in the background. While the electric guitar is playing, the drums take on a slower tempo for a quick three count.2:19 Bridge: This segment has more of a dissonance feel. The tempo starts out fast, but then it gradually slows. The drums dynamics have become louder to keep the rhythm going, while the electric guitar plays repeated notes. 2:50 The tempo slows considerably. The drums and electric guitar are still playing. As the drum and electric guitar play their last note, the vibrations echo and become the music now.

Listening Guide “Mine” cont.• 3:04 The tempo and dynamics of the instruments both increase.• 3:20 Chorus: The drums and the electric guitar go back to playing

the main melody. This chorus is different than the previous choruses because the back-up singers are singing more.

• 3:39 The drums play their final beats, while the electric guitar continues playing until it smoothly fades out to the soft vibrations of the electric guitar.

• 3:52 Music Ends.

Listening Guide “22”It feels like a perfect night to dress up like hipsters And make fun of our exes, uh uh, uh uh. It feels like a perfect night for breakfast at midnight To fall in love with strangers, uh uh, uh uh.

Yeah, We're happy, free, confused, and lonely at the same time It's miserable and magical. Oh, yeah Tonight's the night when we forget about the deadlines It's time

Uh oh! I don't know about you But I'm feeling 22 Everything will be alright If you keep me next to you You don't know about me But I'll bet you want to Everything will be alright If we just keep dancing like we're 22, ooh-ooh 22, ooh-ooh

Listening Guide “22” cont.

"22" is a pop song lasting three minutes and fifty-two seconds, mainly accompanied by a twangy acoustic guitar, invoking a country pop influence from Taylor Swift's conventional repertoire. The song is written in the key of G major with a tempo of one hundred and four beats per minute. Swift's vocals span one and a half octaves, between G3 and D5.

Listening Guide “Out of The Woods”

Verse 1:Looking at it now It all seemed so simple We were lying on your couch I rememberYou took a Polaroid of usThen discovered (then discovered) The rest of the world is black and white But we were in screaming colorAnd I remember thinkin'

Listening Guide “Out of The woods” cont.

• "Out of the Woods" is a synthpop song with influences of 80's pop music.

• It is written in the key of C Major with Swift's vocals spanning two octaves, between G3 and E5[8] and runs three minutes and fifty-five seconds (3:55).

• Featuring heavy synths and percussion, the song is given an arrangement that combines both 1980s and modern elements.

Bibliography• CMT. n.d. February 2012

<http://www.cmt.com/artists/az/swift__taylor/bio.jhtml>.• Songfacts.com. n.d. February 2012

<http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=20304>.• Yahoo! Music. n.d. February 2012

<http://music.yahoo.com/blogs/our-country/taylor-swift-reveals-song-subjects-in-hidden-messages.html

• Red Lyric Book-2012• Fearless Lyric Book-2008• 1989 Lyric Book-2014