This is a post dedicated to Music. The. Big. M.
Not just any World music, not only classical music, but ALL sorts of music.
Yup.
My spirit has just rekindled its passion and love for Music.
I left music behind me for 2 years.
It was partially my fault and due to other circumstances influencing it.
I hated Music at one time because of a terrible memory, something which happened back when I was 14 years old.
I now realise how childish I have been acting..
Why build up a wall of defence built with the essence of hatred, rebellion and retaliation?
Listening to rock music and emo music has just made it worse. My taste and exposure to Music became rigid and limited.
Well, that wall has been cracked, and now, the pathway and the land is clear for expansion and exposure. I should have, learned to love Music even more during that period. Not hate it. How stupid.
I went to the piano today and touched the keys which seemed like an archeology artifact.
I have left my piano to collect dust for too long. It's time to give life to it again.
The dust collected has been wiped off, the memories have been wiped off along with it.
A new beginning has started.
For a start, I sat at the piano today for 3 whole hours.
I am so glad that for once, I can play music with the expression and the technicality that I need to produce the interpretation and the presentation of that piece of music. I can now play the Music that has been playing in my head and heart all this while, music which were locked up and the only avenue of release is when I'm in the shower, humming and analysing a piece that is in my head. This is the first step. The next step, is to put all of my extensive and elaborate improvisation of a lot of music which has been in my head all this while but unheard of in reality into solid sound.
I revisited all of my past memories which has evolved around and involved Music.
And I have realised, that I do miss it very much.
Each genre of music has its own unique feature. Irregardless of whether it is pop, rock, punk, jazz, classical, romantic or baroque.
Baroque is really beautiful when it comes to the chord harmonisations and the technicality and the clear articulation that it requires. I am really mesmerised with the ingenius musicians who could fill up the melody with harmonisation of the choral voices with only the aid of the main melody in print. I don't think anyone does this now. I bet they'll say, why torture the brain when you can have it all in black-and-white print? Why wreck the brain when you need to use it for expression? [p/s: In the Baroque era, which is from 1600-1700, they play the harpsichord. No wave or change in the amplitude that it produces. Hitting (or rather, in my dictionary, bashing) the keys will only break the strings. Haha. Now you get it?]
Classical music is light and it is soothing. It sings to the soul and it clears the dark clouds in the skies. That's why babies listen to Mozart now. The wave that his music produces is so smooth and stable that it can really construct your thoughts in an extremely organised way.
The romantic period music is expressive, lyrical and beautiful with a touch of chromaticism to really give it colour and poise. Simply beautiful.
20th Century Music. This includes jazz, neo-classicism, blues, impressionist and world music of today. Jazz, well, given the right feel and beat, it can really brighten up a dull place [I will say that Norah Jones's jazz is more of like jazz of the dead. Try other kinds of jazz. Like the soundtracks of Chicago]. Blues just get you all whoozy and deliriously drunkardly happy. [I love American composer, Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue!!!]
Neo-classicism is the improvisation of classical music which is really soothing to the ears. Take the soundtracks of Pride and Prejudice as an example. Perfect epitome of neo-classical music. [I love playing Dawn!!!]
Impressionist. I really love this type of music, come to think of it, no matter how many times I tell my sister that I hate her playing. The truth is, I really love her expression and her interpretation of impressionist music. Simply beautiful. Everytime she plays Grieg's Sonata in E minor, it brings a rush of memories back to me back when I was 14, before the incident, when I was carefree and bubbly. Everytime she plays the piece, I get this smell that is really awesome which I can never find anywhere else. Nope. No perfume can compare to this wonderful sweet-smelling smell. I love waking to her Arabesque; lyrical, soothing, full of flow and it just makes you sway with the feeling that everything in this world is going to be all right. Yes, I miss my sister's beautiful playing although I accused her of being overly expressive and emotional [not forgetting eccentric] in my previous blog. This is what sisters are for.
I have to thank my sister for she is the catalyst and the one who has encouraged this sudden rekindling of passion and love for music. Thank you.
World music. Pop is just fun and soothing to the ears whether it is a boyband or a bitch like Britney singing. I admit, I like Britney's music. Toxic, My Prerogative, Me Against the Music ... Punk is fun too!! Love the All American Rejects, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Avril's old music and ladadida. I can't possibly mention every single band lest this post is going to be ridiculously long. Love songs, well, it's nice to listen to when you're suddenly feeling generous or lovey dovey. I love Rock music because it's just so upbeat and there's so much angst in it that I can just release all of my hate and anger into it. I especially love the guitar works and the drums. If there's piano works used in the music, it's absolutely awesome!
I love alternative music too!! Garbage for example, Meredith Brooks, Linkin Park. Hmm, come to think of it, I remember how dumb I was, singing "I'm A Bitch" by Meredith Brooks aloud in school with the class teacher staring at me. Haha. And how me and my sister used to bob our heads to the beat of Garbage's I Think I'm Paranoid and also Drop Dead Gorgeous by a band [I forgot the band's name *blushes*]. I was first introduced to Linkin Park when my sister sang the line "SHUT UP!!!! SHUT UP!!!! SHUT UP I'M NOT TALKING TO YOU!! SHUT UP!!!" Yup. She sang that to me. Apparently, I was seriously really overbearingly irritating in my younger days. Haha. I'm glad I peeved the shit outta you sis!! [Come to think of it, where did the Garbage and Meredith Brooks-loving sis go to?? Norah Jones robbed you away from me!!!]
Overall, I realised that when the soul sings, the thick and heavy veil of hardships and heartaches in this world slowly thin, lighten and eventually dissipate. That's when your heart opens up again to the world.
I am glad that I can now at least express and play Beethoven's Sonata in F minor without rushing like a runaway train at certain points or bashing the piano. Like what the examiner wanted, it was full of drama and sudden change of mood swings. I'll have to say that there's a lil too much of angst in my playing still. But it's a start. I'm not the clockwork player playing only the notes and what I'm merely supposed to do anymore!! Hah!
Come to think of it, there is A LOT of technical stuff which I have to work on. [And this includes frigging scales practice!! Urgh.]
Haha. Hello Music. Thank you for reviving this soul of mine.
Yup. You study/do Shakespeare's work, this is how you'll end up looking. Bald. Panda-eyed with seriously terribly sagging, black eye-bags. And you can even adorn a book as your shirt collar.