Role of a Performer: Frank Sinatra

 Frank Sinatra 

Musical Journey 

Both singer and actor Frank Sinatra was born on December 12, 1915, in Hoboken, New Jersey. He was an only child to his parents, who immigrated from Sicily to the U.S.  He became interested in music after he watched Bing Crosby perform. He was very involved in music throughout his high school career. He was a part of the Glee Club and performed at local nightclubs. He did not get recognized right away, but Radio exposure got him attention from Harry James. Sinatra saw this as a great opportunity and made his first recording with him in 1940, playing "All or Nothing at All". After this recording, he joined Harry James' band, but only 2 years in, with the success of songs on the tops of chats he decided to give a solo career a chance. Sinatra's solo career blossomed throughout 1943-1946; he was at the top of the charts with singles. Once he reached some fame, he was drafted for war, which he said he felt very lonely during, as he was meant to be a performer. He was in a few movies throughout 1940-1950's which adds to his great stage performance. He was naturally good on the stage, never lacking confidence. He reached high fame throughout his movie performances and musical journey. 

Performances 

"Fly Me To The Moon"

Fly me To The Moon

Introduction

Fly Me To The Moon is personally a favorite of mine. Frank Sinatra's voice is amazing throughout the song and is so peaceful to listen to. When I joined the jazz band in 9th grade, I got the opportunity to play "Fly Me To The Moon" for our winter performance. I remember being so excited to play it for others as I was the pianist for the Jazz Band. "Fly Me To The Moon" was written by Kaye Ballard in 1954 but was covered by Frank Sinatra and arranged by Quincy Jones in 1964. Sinatra's cover of "Fly Me To The Moon" is the most famous version of the song. Sinatra featured a Punt Basie Orchestra for "Fly Me To The Moon," which made him associated with the space program. What I found amazing is that "Fly Me To The Moon" was played on the Apollo 11 Mission. 

Performance/Musical Analysis

Frank Sinatra's cover of "Fly Me To The Moon" was incredibly done. He covers the amazing song with his baritone voice that booms throughout the entire song. Sinatra changed "Fly Me To The Moon" by changing the big band arrangement by Quincy Jones and he changed the Rhythm of the song, he did this by changing the time signature from 3/4 to 4/4. Changing the time signature gave the song a swing, upbeat feel. By changing the tempo and time signature of the song, Sinatra is able to perform his way throughout the song even though he did not originally write it. Not only did Sinatra change the time signature, he also changed some of the lyrics throughout the song to allow him to show off his vocals. For example, Sinatra changed the lyrics from "Let me sing" to "let me play among the stars". By changing the vocals, he was able to fully shine on stage. I really enjoyed how he put his own twist on the song "Fly Me To The Moon". Sinatra on stage was a natural at interacting with the crowd, and performed with his stunning voice with a ray of different instruments behind him. His performances never lacked anything, making sure his audience enjoyed the entire show. Overall, I think Sinatra's performance of "Fly Me To The Moon" was incredibly done with a fun new twist of the song by changing the Rhythm. Not only do I love this song, but I also love that it has the memories of Jazz Band behind it!

"Pennies From Heaven" 

Pennies from Heaven

Introduction

"Pennies From Heaven" is a song that always reminds me of a cool winter day, whenever it is winter, I find myself listening to this song more. "Pennies From Heaven" was originally written by Arthur Johnston and Johnny Burke for the 1936 film by Bing Crosby. Sinatra covered the song twice once with Count Basie in 1962 and released it as a single and he also covered it on his 1956 album"Songs for Swingin' Lovers!" on Capitol Records.  

Performance/Musical Analysis

Frank Sinatra's cover of "Pennies From Heaven" was done well twice. Both of his covers of the song "Pennies From Heaven" were very similar; in both covers, he changed the Rhythm of the song. Sinatra personally loved swing music, and I have noticed he changed most of his cover songs to a swing rhythm. Sinatra changed this song to a swing big band arrangement, which had a relaxed driving swing tune. Sinatra does this by changing the tempo to around 125 BPM, Count Basie's opening introduction (starring piano, guitars, bass, and drums), and a full brass and saxophone section (starring four trumpets, trombones, and five saxophones). He also shared the message of the song of hopefulness and optimism, encouraging his listeners to look for the silver lining in each situation. Not only did Sinatra deliver a great musical experience for his crowd, he always interacted with the crowd by talking with them and acting confident on stage. Specifically, in this video, he was playing "Pennies From Heaven." it was raining, and Sinatra was outside performing in the weather and making jokes about it. That is only one example of how great Sinatra's performance skills were. 

Work Cited 

Biography.com Editors. “Frank Sinatra - Death, Songs & Life.” Frank Sinatra, https://www.biography.com/musicians/frank-sinatra Accessed 6 Nov. 2025. 

McDowell, Jay. “The Out-of-This-World Story behind ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ by Frank Sinatra.” American Songwriter, 23 Feb. 2024, https://americansongwriter.com/the-out-of-this-world-story-behind-fly-me-to-the-moon-by-frank-sinatra/

“Pennies from Heaven (Song).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 9 Oct. 2025,  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennies_from_Heaven_(song)#:~:text=It%20was%20recorded%20in%201936,album%20Bing:%20A%20Musical%20Autobiography.

-Gabby Sincraugh