Lazy

      No matter how much you may love something, you will, on occasion, absolutely hate it. For example, I love to write, but I am absolutely hating the fact that I have to squeeze out 300 more words right now. Now I am going to write a really long sentence to help fill my word count but also to achieve my purpose by illustrating that passions don't always produce a satisfactory product. That was not as many words as I had hoped it would be.

      This lack of love, or really, this lack of lust for a passion is pretty common in the musical world as well. Have you ever had to play a sixteenth note run 50 times in a row to nail what would ultimately become a mere five measures of background filler sound? Yeah. Me too. And it sucks! People like the idea of having talent, but don't like to put in the effort required to become talented. Example: me writing this blog post.

      Humans are lazy, and in general, we suck. Yeah I know I'm a jerk, but it's true, right? I see it every single day. High school kids are a splendid example of such laziness, always trying to get out of extra work, leave class early, or avoid a quiz. Why are we so lame? Come on teenagers?! Where is our initiative?! Our drive?! Our passion?!

      I only have to write 64 more words. Better wrap this thing up.

      I love to write, and I love to play music, and I love to read books, and I love to solve equations, but when my “passions” become “assignments”, they loose they're appeal and become tedious bits of paper shoved inside a folder.

 Fourteen more words is no problem for me to write for this fine blog.

How to Properly "Hate" Pop Music

       If you asked me if I like pop music, my answer would be a heck no. I'll say it's trashy and repetitive and unoriginal and that it lacks meaning, and to a certain extent, I'll mean it. But, if I meant it completely that would make me a complete hypocrite, but I don't, which makes me only 4/10ths of a hypocrite and I can live with that. I may not have a whole lot of respect for Jason Derulo as an artist, but when “Wiggle” comes on the radio, you better bet I'll be singing along.

       Hating pop music is kind of a hard thing to do. On one end, pop music really does suck sometimes and your hatred of the genre is completely justified, but on the other end, you can't hate something so basic without being deemed a snobbish hipster who only listens to obscure indy artists that, quite frankly, aren't all that great either. So how do you properly detest such a thing?

       Step One: Don't completely hate it. Pop musicians are artists, too, and probably posses at least a basic understanding of music theory, or so we hope, to validate their position in the musical world. Give them a little bit of credit.

       Step Two: Have an actual passion for music. Hating pop music because it's too “mainstream” is not a good enough reason. One of the most annoying things in the history of forever is when people try to have strong opinions about something that's not really relevant to their life. Hate is a pretty strong word, so if music isn't a serious part of your life, maybe consider a position towards pop music that is along the lines of “strong dislike”.

       Step Three: Don't write off pop music completely. Sure, the mindless spewing of words on topics as advanced as careless partying, substance abuse, and sexual intercourse, does in fact offers no sense of class to our generations musical culture. But, alas, pop music is still a very large part of our culture. Katy Perry may not be a musical genius, but she certainly defines pop culture today, and such a defining figure cannot be written off so carelessly. While I primarily dislike the musical stylings of Miss Perry, I will keep an open mind about her music.

       It's really hard to hate something without coming off as a real jerk, especially something that is so widely loved. The key to true loath, however, is to keep an open mind. The spectrum of human emotion is not black and white, but hate, is a very black word. Instead of trying to jump into a pool of thought that is completely white or completely black, try dipping your toes in the grey area. Hatred is charcoal grey, but ignorance is entirely black, and as they say, “once you go black, you can't go back”. So please, hate pop music-hate it with all your might-but do it with a bit of greyscale-esque class.

Photos found here and here.

Condemning Individuality

       In a musical ensemble, players make subtle adjustments in order to blend with the group. Most of the time, it’s a subconscious decision. Without even knowing it, a string player will shift the position of their finger by a point seventh of a degree to achieve the perfect tone. Sometimes though, the shift is intentional. We may change the direction of our bow to match the principle, or extend a rest when we’ve gotten too far ahead. Either way, musicians are the greatest conformists while remaining the greatest individuals.

       Subtle adjustments may seem like no big deal, and it may seem like an exaggeration to call musicians “conformists”, but we change to fit the mold. And get this: it’s not a bad thing. The tiny changes players make, whether they think about them or not, help improve the piece. If a violinist decides not to move their finger by that point seventh of a degree, claiming they are “unique” or an “artist”, they could end up a half step sharp three measures later, compromising the sound of the entire ensemble. Music is a great form of individual expression when you play solo, or maybe in a quartet, but in a large ensemble, you must conform.

       You may be appalled by my condemnation of individuality, but that would make you a hypocrite. I guarantee, even if you are not a musician, that you make subtle adjustments in order to blend. Do you talk in a different voice when you order food at a restaurant? Do you choose your words differently when you talk to your parents than when you talk to your friends? Do you ever refrain from raising your hand in class or speaking up in discussion? Sometimes we say tiny changes like these are just a different side of us, a polite façade. And it is. We can’t all be individuals all the time. A) We’d all be overwhelmed and B) we’d all be exhausted. There is a large part of us that is dying to stand out, but there is also a smaller, lesser known part that craves uniformity.

       So, I beg of you, please conform. And yet, I still beg you to remain an individual. Nail that accent! Milk that crescendo! Play out that melodic line! But, please, listen for intonation, play piano when necessary, and don't play on a rest. In music, and in life, there is always a balance, whether it be among instruments or among people. Be an individual, yes, but listen to the world around you. The first violinist may carry the melody for nearly the entire tune, but she is not an orchestra, and even a star like herself must know how to blend. 

The Key to Understanding the Meaning of Life

       There are two ways to understand the world: literally and literally. There is no figurative component to understanding. Some people achieve literary understanding through science, others through religion, some from common sense and cold hard facts. However, I believe the key to understanding “the meaning of life” , as the question has been posed, is embedded in literature.

       Literature, is the greatest love of my life. I know. What a dork? But it's true. Even music falls second to my passion for words. Drawing from that passion, I believe that to understand a well written piece, or even a poorly written piece for that matter, is to understand life. When ever you read something, you must know that it is a big long line of thought. You follow directly a small portion of the exact thoughts another person was thinking. When you can understand the inter workings of another human's brain, or even just a small part of it, and then relate it to the similar thoughts you think in your brain, you are understanding a significant piece of life.

       In science or mathematics, this piece of life could be understood by experimentation, data, and equations. In religion, it could be understood by passages of a holy book or visions from God or gods. In literature, that piece of life is understood by you. I don't deny the value of science and math and religion in the understanding of life. It is impossible for us to understand it all on our own. But when we read, be can understand small parts of our world by connecting others' thoughts to our own and others' around us. I think that's valuable. To be able to take a piece of the earth, hold it in your hands and say, “I understand”.

       Music is just another way of writing. In a similar way, we can follow the direct thoughts and feelings of a composer by dissecting their work. Music can almost provide a deeper understanding, as it connects emotions more than thoughts. To understand thought is a victory, but to understand emotion is nearly impossible. Understanding musical thought is complex, and requires a deep knowledge of theory, that I don't possess. I don't understand music as deeply as I understand literature, and even my understanding of literature is just scraping the surface.

       So what is the meaning of life then? And how can it be found within the pages of a book or the stanzas of a poem?

       I'll tell you when I finish reading.

A Favorite Song

       “What’s your favorite song?” is such an awful question. Some people will answer instantly while others stew on their answer, trying to remember any song they’ve ever listened to and formulate a favorite one. For the longest time, I was the latter, but recently, I’ve decided on my go to answer: “I Can Tell That We’re Gonna Be Friends” by the White Stripes.

       The first time I heard this song was actually in the second grade, but I didn’t decide it was my “favorite” until recently. Second grade, oddly enough, was a very influential year for me, and I loved my teacher dearly. At the end of the year, she put together a slide show with pictures of the class throughout the year, and the first song that played to accompany the photos was “We’re Gonna Be Friends” by the White Stripes. By the end of the slide show, I was balling my eyes out. I was very emotional then.

       When I started high school, I started going back to my second grade teacher’s classroom after school and volunteering. High school gets out about forty minutes earlier than elementary school, so I got to work with the kids for about half an hour once a week. At the end of the year, I came in on the last day to watch the slide show, and much to my surprise, “We’re Gonna Be Friends” was still the first song. I felt the same feelings I felt in second grade welling up inside me, although I held it together much better that time around.

       That’s why I say “We’re Gonna Be Friends” by the White Stripes is my favorite song, because it brings me back to such a happy time in my life. I think that’s what a favorite song should be. It’s not what you listen to most, or whatever you’ve been loving on the radio. It should be a song that has impacted you. It should make you feel something.

       I don’t listen to my favorite song very often. Most of the time, I listen to the classical radio on Pandora, and sometimes Olly Murrs’ station, too, but I save my favorite for special occasions. Sometimes I'll listen to it when school's been crumby. Sometimes I'll listen to it when school's been great. Sometimes I'll listen to it just because. Like an old friend, it's always there, and never fails to make me smile. 

The Uniting Force

 

 

Photo found here.

       I think all the uniting forces of the world can be boiled down into two core categories: love and loss, and even in the case of loss, there is still love. Well my friends, music is love. It is love and loss and so many other things, and for that, it unites us all.  

       I'm not sure there is such a thing as a person who doesn't like music, and if such a thing does exist, its exactly that: a thing, not a human. Even people who aren't super into music still like music. It's impossible not to. There's music in movies, commercials, and TV shows. We hear it on the streets and in restaurants. We hear it blaring out of the headphones of the person sitting next to us on the bus. We hear it at carnivals and loud parties and football games. If you think liking music is a choice, it's certainly not. Music exists in the same way your left hand does: rarely thanked, but constantly present. No one chooses to like their left hand.

       But still, we all could say we rather enjoy having our left hands, just like we could all say we enjoy a bit of music. Sure, not all of us could talk about it for hours, but we could muster up a bit of small talk. Not everyone can pick up a violin and carry a tune, but we can all hum a few bars of our favorite song. A sacred few choose to play the viola, but loads of people can play a chord or two on the guitar. Whether we have a complex, basic, or nonexistent knowledge of music, we are all united because of it.

       Music is love. I said it earlier and I'll say it again. Music. Is. Love. It's not just love songs. No. Music is the product of a passion. Music is the raw and the confined bits of our lives. Music is a human thing. It hasn't been around forever, but it's been around long enough. People have built their lives on it, and everyone else has built their lives around it in one way or another. Music is everything we want and need it to be! Healing! Joy! Sorrow! Forgiveness! Like cotton, it is the fabric of our lives! Our left hands! Our hearts! Our minds! What is music not?! Something so broad must be like a thread, stringing us up by our belly buttons and making a beautifully diverse garland of us all. 

I am NOT a "Gangster"

       As of last Friday, I have discovered, much to my dismay, that I am NOT a gangster. I used to believe I was hip and cool, but after using the word “hip”, I don't think I can make that claim.

       If you know me outside of my blog, you'd know that I am most definitely not a gangster, and even if you do only know me by my posts, you could probably assume the same. Alas, I myself did not come to this conclusion, completely, until this past Friday, when I did some audio work for a rapper in the grade below me. Previously, I had thought myself to be a reasonably cool-ish person, but I now realize that I might as well be 87 years old. Here's why: a haiku titled “Why I don't have swag”

I bake cupcakes, yo

I knit scarfs and read big books

cat socks are my bae

       While knitting and baking surely don't qualify as gangster activities, there is another major thing that's keeping me from being a legitimate “G”. I am, primarily, a classical musician. And what I realized while working with a rapper was that musical terms between genres are not the same. For example, I tried to use the word “accent” to describe to the rapper how he should hit certain notes, but that didn't mean a thing to him. One time, when he fumbled over his words, he said he was “tweekin” but that didn't mean a thing to me.

       So how do you cross barriers like these in music? Sure, they're not huge, but there is definitely a different approach to how certain genres go about making music. Now, I'm all about cross overs in music, but how do we do that? Seriously. I'm asking. Please help.

       I know I'm not a gangster, and as much as I wish I could “roll with the homies”, I don't think I ever will, simply because that's not who I am. Being who you are is certainly more important than blending less awkwardly with other musicians, but I think it's still good to branch out and collaborate with different genres. And anyways, who says a little awkward is a bad thing? I may not be a genuine gangster, but the important thing is that I branched out and got to experience a style of music I was not previously accustomed to. And, honestly, who expects interactions between a rapper and a orchestral musician not to be just a little bit awkward?