Melody is a linear line of single notes. As the main theme, the melody gives a song its memorable and cohesive musical idea. Melody is the tune you hum when your favorite song comes on the radio.
A melody is simple. But not really. It may be the most memorable part of a song, but it’s also the hardest to write.
Listen to the Melody
There are four primary melody lines running throughout the Arlington Museum of Art’s current exhibition (now through September 24). Simply put, the melody lines are the four exhibits which make up the entire exhibition:
- Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour Collection
- Girl in a Country Song: Women of Country Music
- Hometown Harmonies
- Toni Martin: Butterfly Kisses
Each exhibit (melody) tells us at least one memorable and cohesive idea about itself, such as:
- Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour Collection: Taylor Swift is an evolving, boundary-pushing artist whose virtuosity is expressed through her ability to claim a moment of time (or Era) as her own.
- Girl in a Country Song: Women of Country Music: Women who rose to the ranks of superstardom in country music were able to break boundaries only by remaining true to themselves.
- Hometown Harmonies: Three of today’s most successful recording artists from Arlington were recognized and nurtured early on for their talent.
- Toni Martin: Butterfly Kisses: Even against daunting odds, art can be a powerful vehicle for connecting with others.
Savor the Harmonies
Music consists of three main elements—melody, rhythm, and harmony. While the first two make a piece of music memorable, it’s the third element, harmony, that elevates a song through a blending of beautiful complexities and interrelationships.
For long-time AMA supporters who are familiar with its curatorial dexterity, it isn’t a surprise that all four exhibits currently on display at the Arlington Museum of Art are harmonic.
Even at first glance, “girl power” is a clear theme running throughout the building. From Loretta Lynn to Maren Morris and Dolly Parton to Taylor Swift, the artists featured in all four exhibits broke (and continue to break) records through relentless creativity, talent, and passion for their craft. This includes award-winning celebrity photographer Raeanne Rubenstein, who captured most of the images in Girl in a Country Song (photos courtesy of the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum).
Professional barriers faced by women artists is also a universal theme. From Patsy Montana in the 1930s to The Chicks in the early 2000s to Mickey Guyton only a few years ago, women continue to face challenges such as underrepresentation, pay gaps, sexual harassment, race and gender bias, ageism, censorship, and lack of inclusion.
Just as challenges presented themselves to the artists featured in our exhibition, a collaborative spirit is even more powerfully represented. Families supporting aspiring artists. Communities supporting local artists. Artists supporting each other at every stage of their careers. The insatiable drive to collaborate creatively, as well as a genuine desire to help one another, that runs throughout the lives of these women artists is truly inspiring.
Time (aka “Eras”) is literally in the name of the Taylor Swift exhibit, but we’ve come to appreciate the multiple ways “time” applies as an overarching theme throughout our exhibition. Maybe the most universal theme is that, even in the case of careers that seemingly took off quickly, years of dedication, practice, and a strong sense of purpose were required to achieve “overnight” success.
Inside our Exhibition
TAYLOR SWIFT | THE ERAS TOUR COLLECTION
Curated by the AMA from Swift’s own private collection, this exhibit celebrates the 12-time Grammy award-winner’s depth of artistic expression. The collection features eight costumes worn by Swift, photographs representing four of her creative periods or “Eras,” a career timeline exploration, video interviews and bonus content available on any smartphone (bring your earbuds), and more.
GIRL IN A COUNTRY SONG: WOMEN OF COUNTRY MUSIC
Over a dozen rarely-seen photographs, two costumes, in-depth narratives, and smartphone-accessible music videos paint intimate portraits about some of the most legendary women country music artists of all time. Many images in the collection were captured by award-winning celebrity photographer Raeanne Rubenstein.
HOMETOWN HARMONIES
Curated by the AMA in partnership with the artists themselves, this exhibit includes personal memorabilia plus music videos and interviews (accessible by smartphone) from three award-winning women whose musical careers began on the stages of Arlington: Mickey Guyton, Kirstin Maldonado of the Pentatonix, and Maren Morris.
TONI MARTIN: BUTTERFLY KISSES
This solo show of works by the multi-talented, Dallas-based artist Toni Martin includes four mixed-media pieces from her Butterfly Kisses series and several other inspired works.
Sources
“The Parts of a Song” blog post, Songtrust
“What is Melody in Music?” blog post, Landr
“Music 101: What Is Harmony and How Is It Used in Music?” MasterClass
