Joni Mitchell is famous for her emotional and musical range within her songs. Her voice forms part of this and she has influenced many female singers and musicians since the 1960s
and 1970s when she was at the height of her fame. Much of her music was folk in style, playing mainly guitar or piano, but she moved into more complicated jazz in the 1970s.
Joni Mitchell’s Music:
- 1969- Chelsea Morning- A folk song about living freely.
- 1969- Both Sides Now- Heart-breaking song about ambition and failure.
- 1970- Big Yellow Taxi- A song about looking after the environment but also about a
failed relationship. - 1971- River- This song has now become a Christmas classic.
- 2007- One Week Last Summer- An instrumental song which won a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Pop Song in 2008.
Interesting Facts!
- The polio she contracted when she was 9 weakened her left hand, so she
created alternative tunings on her guitar to make it easier; she later used these tunings to create non-standard approaches to harmony and structure in her song writing. - Joni was well-known for her distinctive voice. She was able to sing in three octaves so her pitch could range from very high to low, although her voice has become lower in age.
- Joni studied art at college. She continued to produce artwork through her life, as well as write and perform music.
Listen to Joni’s Music!
