Bambi's Musical Musings

Throughout the course of modern history, music has been used to act as a mirror of sorts, reflecting the current times; how people live, what the celebrate and what they struggle with. Through themes and lyrics, musical artists are able to address many issues, including inequality and injustice, love, loss and personal struggles, creating a timely commentary on the human condition. Music also serves as a time capsule, capturing the trends, ideals and values of a given period. A song I loved as a kid and that my 12-year-old son has recently discovered is Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire” (Joel, American, 1989). Released when I was 8 years old, I remember being primarily captivated by the style of the song, which is a rapid-fire listing of pivotal moments in then-recent world history, spliced with references to celebrities set to Joel’s band.  "We Didn't Start the Fire" serves as both a loose record of the period of 1949 to 1989 and would serve as a great jumping off

In 2016, Lin-Manuel Miranda was best known for his smash hit musical Hamilton . He’d soon come to be known by a younger collective of fans when he was drafted to write the soundtrack for Disney’s latest release, Moana , creating an amazing array of original songs that tell the story of a brave young girl taking a leap of faith to save her people and their entire way of life. The Plot and Background of Moana Moana is a teenage girl living on the fictional island of Motunui. She has an independent spirit and a mind of her own but she feels bound by the expectations of her parents and her people. Her father, Chief Tui, is the leader of her village and it is understood that she will one day take his place as leader. Moana longs to venture beyond the breakwaters of Motunui but for some reason, no one has left the island in years. They have created a safe and comfortable existence on land and according to Chief Tui, there is no reason for them to leave and place themselves in unnecessary dan