Please help... Elvis Presentation

[amzietamzie]

Hi everyone!

I really need your advice...

Next week I've got to do a 10 minute music presentation on something that I'm passionate about. I have to talk for about 10 minutes and show clips or play songs. Naturally, I decided to do Elvis

The thing is... I want the people who will hear this presentation to get an idea of how great a musician Elvis was. They are really musical and very much into classical music and operas and don't really think much of Elvis, other than the fact that I love him and he got larger later on in his life

It would be easier for me to get up and talk about how wonderful and handsome he was but I want them to discover the musical genius not the icon. Of course converting them into Elvis fans in the process would be great too

So.... I want to talk about how Elvis changed the course of music, his music itself, where he got his inspiration from and who he inspired, his importance in the history of music and his virtues as a musician, as well as a bit about his life and what he was like.

If anybody has any ideas which might be useful they would truly be appreciated

Now I have to end my presentation with a video clip that's meant to kind of sum up what I was talking about. I've been thinking about which performance shows Elvis as a great musician the most but it's very tricky. There are so many to choose from!

My gut instinct was Bridge Over Troubled Water from TTWII as there you see just Elvis and his voice... no fancy moves or dramatic moments but just a beautiful performance that makes me shiver every time.

But I'm still not sure. What do you all think would be a good clip which really shows Elvis' talents off to extreme?

[FlamingStar]

Very interesting what you're going to talk about

yeah, Bridge over troubled water is a really good clip.

Other can be American Trilogy, Unchained Melody or If I Can Dream

[mn-designs]

If you want them to discover what a great voice he has, i should go for: what now my love? from the aloha special, specially the last few notes are brilliant, every note is in this song, really a killer version, makes other performers look like clowns....

[T_J]

Hi everyone!

I really need your advice...

Next week I've got to do a 10 minute music presentation on something that I'm passionate about. I have to talk for about 10 minutes and show clips or play songs. Naturally, I decided to do Elvis

The thing is... I want the people who will hear this presentation to get an idea of how great a musician Elvis was. They are really musical and very much into classical music and operas and don't really think much of Elvis, other than the fact that I love him and he got larger later on in his life

It would be easier for me to get up and talk about how wonderful and handsome he was but I want them to discover the musical genius not the icon. Of course converting them into Elvis fans in the process would be great too

So.... I want to talk about how Elvis changed the course of music, his music itself, where he got his inspiration from and who he inspired, his importance in the history of music and his virtues as a musician, as well as a bit about his life and what he was like.

If anybody has any ideas which might be useful they would truly be appreciated

Now I have to end my presentation with a video clip that's meant to kind of sum up what I was talking about. I've been thinking about which performance shows Elvis as a great musician the most but it's very tricky. There are so many to choose from!

My gut instinct was Bridge Over Troubled Water from TTWII as there you see just Elvis and his voice... no fancy moves or dramatic moments but just a beautiful performance that makes me shiver every time.

But I'm still not sure. What do you all think would be a good clip which really shows Elvis' talents off to extreme?

If they are musicians I would focus on Elvis' great versatility, from the raucous rock 'n' roll of Hound Dog, to the pseudo operatic Surrender. This was not a limited or predictable artist by any stretch of the imagination. Bridge would be quite a good choice to end on. The only weakness is that it's so identifiable with another artist and might present Elvis as some kind of cover artist.

[TEDDYBEAR64]

All Of The Above Are Great Ideas ... You Might Also Consider "how Great Thou Art" As A Closing

[Jim Saidhello]

Amzie -

Sounds fascinating. I'd make the case for Elvis as a gifted and versatile singer, and leave out the part about how he changed the world (these are musical types who care more about skill & virtuosity than success/hype).

The book "Elvis and You" (pp 95-96) has a really neat rundown of Elvis' four main vocal styles, with examples:

Soft, Airy and Falsetto-Like: Mid-60's ballads like Mine, I'll Remember You (1966 version), Sand Castles, and Suppose.

Macho, Dark and Solemn: 50's sound heard in I Got Stung, Peace in the Valley, and the verses of I Was The One.

Classic (Italian) Tenor: Wonder of You, Rags to Riches, American Trilogy, and It's Now Or Never.

Aggressive, Rasping: Party, '68 comeback versions of Tryin' to Get to You and Lawdy Miss Clawdy; also in ballads such as "Release Me" and "If I Can Dream."

Search for the book on Amazon, then "search inside" for the phrase "Some of Elvis' Different Styles of Singing" and you can view the actual pages, which have specific notes on vocal control etc.

Still it seems like quite a lot to squeeze into 10 minutes! Good luck! http://www.tcb-world.com/images/smilies/king.gif

[ForeverTheKing]

Ehi Amy, a very hard work for you!

How can you show who Elvis was in few minutes?

Anyway...I'd choose something of every period or kind of music he sang..Rock, Gospel and so on....to show he wasn't only "The King Of Rock N' Roll"as people think.
The performances already posted are good...with many others...I'd choose Suspicious Minds from TTWII, Baby What You Want Me To Do from '68 Comeback, Hound Dog from Milton Berle Show, Bridge Over Troubled Water from "On Tour", An American Trilogy from the "Aloha"...but I know you have only 10 minutes!

Then it could be interesting to compare him to others singers nowadays, to show how he influenced music but also performances....once I saw his clip of Hound Dog at the Milton Berle and then they showed Micheal Jackson in a videoclip...guess what?The same movements....when he clings to the microphone and stands up the tips of his feet (I don't know if you understand what I mean)...anyway...they showed how Elvis invented the " body language" to communicate and how nowadays everything we see comes from him, in a sort of way.
Justin Timberlake imitates Micheal Jackson....but Micheal Jackson imitaded Elvis.....so....Elvis was the beginning of everything...

Good job, my friend and then...let us know....

[elvisdownunder]

How i'd absolutely love to do this, lucky you

I would pick how Elvis listened to the black singers on Beale street, and listened to the country and western music, and mixed it all together to make a new type of music. How Elvis was the very first to create riots and mass fan hysteria, how he was a different kind of artist nobody had seen or heard before, the controversy, and the barriers he broke through eg: Being filmed from the waist up on Ed Sullivan. The way he wanted his music to be, how he was a perfectionist, how much passion he put in to his songs. The kind of performer he was. His milestones eg Aloha from Hawaii. When you talk about all this, relate it to what has changed today. And finally, clear up the **** fat Vegas myth!

Song that shows his musicianship: Bridge over troubled water from TTWII SE
Song that shows his performing side: Pick something from TTWII

Even though the 50's is probably most exciting, i think one major issue is to clear up how he got fat and just mumbled. Show them one of the best performances from TTWII and they'll think 'Thats not Elvis!'

Good luck to you, and please let us know how it goes

[polksaladhasie]

Hi Amy
Lucky you, to do that but.. very difficult, to put discovering Elvis into 10 Minutes

I agree with the showing of How great thou art or Bridge, good songs to show his voice .

I hope you?ll tell us, how the presentation was and - get them for Elvis

[spanish eyes]

Hi Amy

I think a good video clip to show at the end of your presentation is If I Can Dream. Elvis poured his heart and song into every song he sung and this can be clearly seen when he sings If I Can Dream. It shows Elvis in a serious light putting a message across to the audience of hope, peace and understanding among mankind.

Good luck Amy

[Joe Car]

If you want them to discover what a great voice he has, i should go for: what now my love? from the aloha special, specially the last few notes are brilliant, every note is in this song, really a killer version, makes other performers look like clowns....

I agree, What Now My Love is brilliant, as is Bridge and countless of others. If you're looking for something along the country and western lines, his performance of Just Pretend from TTWII was a classic.

[desiree]

Hi Amy!

That?s a very hard work to do. I mean in 10 minutes! I hope you?ll make it.
Have you considered showing round any books? I mean it?s a short time for sure, buut ppl could watch the pics and maybe even read few lines... I don?t know.
Maybe it?s a bad idea.
The song you play would be something close to classic music like It?s Now Or Never or the above mentioned What Now My Love.
I can?t ehlp you with the clip, and I don?t know if I was any helpful at all, but I wish you luck and pls, let us know how it went!
*hugs*

[riley]

I would say definately If I can dream.

He was at the peek of his beauty, the song was intresting the performance was hearthbreaking beautiful.

[FlamingStar]

I agree with you!


That song shows Elvis' fantastic voice, his style to sing songs and that he was a peacemaker who was kind to all people around him

[sH]

Suspicious Minds from TTWII
Can't Help Falling In Love From EOT

show them something you think your class would like. Suspicious Minds from TTWII have to be one of the best songs to show someone who doesn't know him that much. yes If I Can Dream is a good choice too. There are so many good performances. anyway i would go for Suspicious Minds from TTWII if only one song. you could try to edit some performances in one clip if you have the ability to do that of course. It's not easy to choose only one performance.

Im sure the presentation will be good Amy

[amzietamzie]

Hi everyone!

Thank you all so much!

So many brilliant ideas... you've helped me so much already!

Simen, Patrick, TEDDYBEAR64, Petra, Maria, Joe, Riley and sH- Some really good songs there! I agree with all of the choices and each appeals to me in different ways. Wish I could show them all. I hadn't really considered What Now My Love but looking back at it, it is now a definite possibility! Dramatic numbers like How Great Thou Art were also something I was thinking would be good but again, am finding it hard to decide. If I Can Dream was something I've been considering definitely as it is truly an amazing performance and has such a powerful message to go along with it, not only showing Elvis' greatness as a performer but his attributes as a human as well. But I wasn't sure about it, as I'm not sure about anything! But truly great performances there, all of which appeal to me...

T_J- Yes, I was thinking that that might be a possible flaw in Bridge as they have all heard the famous Simon and Garfunkel version. But then again... Elvis certainly does make the song his own. The reason why I was thinking Bridge was because there's nothing flamboyant or over-the-top in the way he sings it, if you know what I mean. He barely moves, and all you hear is purely his beautiful voice. But I don't know sigh... And, yes, I think that focusing on his versatile voice would be good as they are all musicians yet really only think of Elvis and the early music...

Jim Saidhello- Thank you so much! That is so useful and you've really helped me breaking his voice down simply! And I agree with you about leaving out how he changed the world. I think people are expecting me to stand up and talk about how beautiful he was and how the world would be so different without him and how I love him so much, but I want them to get new respect for him by seeing him as a musician, a hugely talented one at that.

Ale- Again, good songs and I think comparing him to modern musicians would be a good idea so thank you so much

Scott- Some really good ideas! Yes, I am definitely determined to dispell that image of him in the 70s as being an overweight Vegas singer. That's why I was kinda thinking of something from TTWII or later as most people have heard of his early music yet there's a whole other side to him if you dig a little deeper and his voice was so powerful and beautiful in the 70s, as was he! But then I can't forget the earlier peformances either lol! Agh I want to show them everything!

Piia- Yes, I have now realised that 10 minutes is so limited that it might be a good idea to pass around some books, or hand-out sheets or something so they can take in information as I talk as well. Thank you!

Thank you all so much! I'm trying to get some notes organised this week so I'm ready. I'm actually looking forward to it as I get to rant about Elvis and this is a real opportunity to prove to people that Elvis was more than Elvis the Pelvis, Las Vegas, 60s movies, a blooming sandwich and jumpsuits... even more than the King or Rock'n' Roll... I want them to respect him and understand his lasting impact, and I think that through discussing his musical attributes, characteristics and achievements I can possibly do that so it should (hopefully ) be good. I'll let you know!

Thanks again... I've got a few more ideas now and please if anyone can think of anything, please keep them coming

[Wendy56]

Hi,

I went to a similar experience. I talk about Elvis whenever I can. I haven't read all the replies to this thread (sorry), but I hope you consider to play songs of each era. Guess you're gonna give some facts about songs, right?

Anyway, I love 50s, so I may recomend As Long As I have You and Mystery Train. (I love them all! ) Can tell about the fact of Elvis being identified only by his 70s years while the 50s don't figure much in people' mind. (I did it)

You may play a song of each music gender Elvis used to sing: rock'n'roll, country, blues, and of course, gospel (An Evening Prayer). Or you can play a song from the Aloha and the 68 Come Back Special shows too. What about If I Can Dream and An American Trilogy? And, why don't you play a concert song and talk about how hard did Elvis work with his concerts. (I did that too )

Good luck!

[amzietamzie]

Hi again

I did the presentation yesterday and it went really well so am quite happy... in the end I went for If I Can Dream, and had lots of songs as clips throughout the talk, demonstrating what I was saying, and also just cos I felt guilty about leaving them out lol!

I didn't talk about his life or a huge amount about him as a person- instead, I wrote a time line of his life with pictures, which they could keep. I talked about the music that influenced him, who he influenced, his sudden explosive arrival, the instruments he played, his voice and how it changed throughout his career together with the music he sang and that which he loved.

I think it went well... I think people saw him in a different way at the end and, I hope, had a bit more respect for him. They had never really thought of him as a musician, and only one really knew anything about him, so I was really pleased when I saw them tapping their feet in time with the music and occasionally making comments like "Really? Wow" which was very cool ... and at the end, one of them said that they had never thought much of Elvis but now they wanted to borrow one of my albums

Thank you all so much for your help (Wendy... thanks also) as you gave me so many ideas and helped me so much

Incidentally... the talk didn't last 10 minutes... well, it was supposed to but I have now discovered that it is physically impossible for people to discover Elvis in such a short time, so I may have gone on... for another 10 minutes Ah well... I had fun

[FlamingStar]

Thanks for telling

I'm so glad you did it well.

[spanish eyes]

Amy

Good job on your presentation, glad you had fun.

It just goes to show that Elvis' music can touch everyone whether they are a fan or not