SLIDE 1
JOHNNY MERCER
an introduction to:
award-winning songwriter & lyricist
Johnny Mercer?
W H O is
JOHNNY MERCER award-winning songwriter & lyricist W H O is - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
JOHNNY MERCER award-winning songwriter & lyricist W H O is - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
an introduction to: JOHNNY MERCER award-winning songwriter & lyricist W H O is Johnny Mercer? - Full Name: Johnny - John Herndon Mercer Mercer - Born: - November 18, 1909 in Savannah, Georgia - Died: - June 25, 1976 in Beverly Hills,
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SLIDE 3
- Full Name:
- John Herndon Mercer
- Born:
- November 18, 1909 in Savannah, Georgia
- Died:
- June 25, 1976 in Beverly Hills, California
- Musical Influences:
- The scenic countryside, regional African
American music, concerts in the park, and local dances.
- Career:
- Johnny Mercer wrote many popular songs
that went to the top of the charts! He also contributed songs to more than 100 movies and 23 theatrical productions!
Mercer
Johnny
SLIDE 4
Did you
Know?
- Johnny Mercer wrote his first song
at the age of 15!
- It was called “Sister Susie Strut Your
Stuff.”
- Say what? Johnny Mercer did not know
how to read music?!
- That’s right! Johnny Mercer wrote
- ver 1,400 songs without knowing
how to actually read music!
- Most of his song drafts were written
using the letter names of the pitches in the melodies he created! Check
- ut these pictures!
- Johnny liked to fit his words to a
melody.
SLIDE 5
JOHNNY’S DRAFTS
See how Johnny wrote his songs using the letter names that represent pitches on the piano and other instruments? So cool! Sometimes, his lyric and melody drafts were written on napkins or even… toilet paper!
SLIDE 6
JOHNNY’S DRAFTS
See how Johnny wrote his songs using the letter names that represent pitches on the piano and other instruments? So cool! Sometimes, his lyric and melody drafts were written on napkins or even… toilet paper!
SLIDE 7
JOHNNY’S DRAFTS
See how Johnny wrote his songs using the letter names that represent pitches on the piano and other instruments? So cool! Sometimes, his lyric and melody drafts were written on napkins or even… toilet paper!
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Johnny Mercer:
ON how he writes words to the music
“I feel music like a composer… I understand the music. I know where the accents should come. I don’t mean to sound conceited when I say this, but I’ve
- ften had a lot of good lyrics loudsed up by
writing them first because the guy doesn’t understand the meter that I wrote. I’d rather try and catch the mood of his tune.”
SLIDE 9
Johnny Mercer:
ON what it takes to be a collaborator.
Every songwriting team works differently! How interesting that there’s no only one correct way of writing a song!
“First of all, great talent and integrity, that’s
what I like. I like a guy who writes his way and his way is so high that it starts where
- ther guys leave off. They’re all different.
Everyone is different. ”
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JOHNNY’S COLLABS
Johnny Mercer loved to collaborate with
- ther talented
composers, musicians, and
- ther artists.
- Johnny Mercer
composed music for only some of his
- lyrics. Most of
the time, he worked as a lyricist with a composer to write a song!
SLIDE 11
Awards
Accomplishment s
and
Johnny Mercer won many prestigious awards and nominations for his songs!
Including:
2 Golden Globe Awards! 4 Academy Awards! 2 Grammy Awards!
SLIDE 12
Your Turn!
N O W it’s
Let’s collaborate and write your own song!
SLIDE 13
References
- Accentuate the Positive Activity
Workbook
- www.johnnymercer.org
- http://library.gsu.edu/mercer
- http://research.library.gsu.edu/mer
cer