Music
That's the title, just plain "Music", it'll be alright.
So anyways, if you know me, you will know this ... people piss me off most of the time, and I've come to realize this more and more with respect to music. Music, we hear it all the time, and truthfully we don't even have to think about it and we know its there. The melodies, the emotions, the dynamics, all these things we process, hear and understand. We don't even need to be conscious of doing so. This in turn leads to two problems (in my opinion); 1, people assume that music is just as simple to create, break down, and truly understand it, as it is to listen and unconsciously feel it; 2, other "musicians" take the fact that people aren't really "listening" and exploit this by making uncreative, familiar sounding, music that people unintentionally enjoy (whether they are doing this on purpose, or they are just ignorant themselves is unknown). I'm going to talk about point 1 for now, I may talk about point 2 in the future, but until then, just turn on your radio go to the first pop or rock station you find and actually listen (hear the sometimes horribly awful lyrics and the uncreative I-IV-I-V chord structure).
Alright here we go, problem 1, ... and I'm going to try my best to express my thoughts without sounding like a pretentious bastard (I'm really trying not to). Music at its best can take multiple forms, one is when it sounds so simple that it's perfect. These cases give people the thought that it's easy to make good sounding music, ... so they go out and buy a guitar. They then pick it up, and grab a pick (because this is all they know), and strum the fuck out of it, but then it hits them ... "Holy Crap! ... I can not keep a decent rhythm at all, it sounds like a giraffe falling down the stairs." ... and then this ... "I tried to change the chord but my fingers kept hitting other strings, and if one finger is on the wrong string or in the wrong place it sounds like disgusting garbage." All of this is true [1], and these examples are besides the point, I just wrote it out because I'm on a ranting streak. [2]
Starting my point again. Think about taking music at a university, what do you think of? You probably think of a group of well dressed lads and wo-lads playing violin, viola, cello etc, to Summer by Vivaldi (you know, the song they play when ever you see a university on T.V.). Is that as far as you go? I think most people stop there and go "Sweet! I love that song." and then start thinking about partying after the song is over, "Man what a sweet day, we played that song for about 8 minutes and then I nailed a chick, lets party!" Forget the difficulties of playing that song and focus on comprehending that song, and possibly writing songs like that. The theory knowledge you need to know is enormous! Chord progressions, melody making, voice leading, chord structures, and on and on, those were baby examples. When talking to people about these things I get the impression that they think music courses are just listening to examples and telling people how you feel, and then picking up your axe and strumming a C chord just long enough for your prof to write down A+. Music is not easy to understand, and it's difficult to make it sound simple, just as much as it's difficult to make it sound complex. But within all of this there is so much room to be creative, and inventive. It is possible to express your feelings and ideas to other people, but it takes time and work. All of it fascinates me, makes me want to understand it more, be creative, try new ideas, and make music.
The moral is, if you don't know the answer to, and don't care about, this question: "The key of F# has ______ sharps, and they are _,_,_,_,_,_." then you shouldn't be taking music in university.
[1]: I am in no way saying people shouldn't think this way and go get an instrument. It's a perfect way for people to begin to understand and have fun. Music makes you smarter.
[2]: I love you karma.
So anyways, if you know me, you will know this ... people piss me off most of the time, and I've come to realize this more and more with respect to music. Music, we hear it all the time, and truthfully we don't even have to think about it and we know its there. The melodies, the emotions, the dynamics, all these things we process, hear and understand. We don't even need to be conscious of doing so. This in turn leads to two problems (in my opinion); 1, people assume that music is just as simple to create, break down, and truly understand it, as it is to listen and unconsciously feel it; 2, other "musicians" take the fact that people aren't really "listening" and exploit this by making uncreative, familiar sounding, music that people unintentionally enjoy (whether they are doing this on purpose, or they are just ignorant themselves is unknown). I'm going to talk about point 1 for now, I may talk about point 2 in the future, but until then, just turn on your radio go to the first pop or rock station you find and actually listen (hear the sometimes horribly awful lyrics and the uncreative I-IV-I-V chord structure).
Alright here we go, problem 1, ... and I'm going to try my best to express my thoughts without sounding like a pretentious bastard (I'm really trying not to). Music at its best can take multiple forms, one is when it sounds so simple that it's perfect. These cases give people the thought that it's easy to make good sounding music, ... so they go out and buy a guitar. They then pick it up, and grab a pick (because this is all they know), and strum the fuck out of it, but then it hits them ... "Holy Crap! ... I can not keep a decent rhythm at all, it sounds like a giraffe falling down the stairs." ... and then this ... "I tried to change the chord but my fingers kept hitting other strings, and if one finger is on the wrong string or in the wrong place it sounds like disgusting garbage." All of this is true [1], and these examples are besides the point, I just wrote it out because I'm on a ranting streak. [2]
Starting my point again. Think about taking music at a university, what do you think of? You probably think of a group of well dressed lads and wo-lads playing violin, viola, cello etc, to Summer by Vivaldi (you know, the song they play when ever you see a university on T.V.). Is that as far as you go? I think most people stop there and go "Sweet! I love that song." and then start thinking about partying after the song is over, "Man what a sweet day, we played that song for about 8 minutes and then I nailed a chick, lets party!" Forget the difficulties of playing that song and focus on comprehending that song, and possibly writing songs like that. The theory knowledge you need to know is enormous! Chord progressions, melody making, voice leading, chord structures, and on and on, those were baby examples. When talking to people about these things I get the impression that they think music courses are just listening to examples and telling people how you feel, and then picking up your axe and strumming a C chord just long enough for your prof to write down A+. Music is not easy to understand, and it's difficult to make it sound simple, just as much as it's difficult to make it sound complex. But within all of this there is so much room to be creative, and inventive. It is possible to express your feelings and ideas to other people, but it takes time and work. All of it fascinates me, makes me want to understand it more, be creative, try new ideas, and make music.
The moral is, if you don't know the answer to, and don't care about, this question: "The key of F# has ______ sharps, and they are _,_,_,_,_,_." then you shouldn't be taking music in university.
[1]: I am in no way saying people shouldn't think this way and go get an instrument. It's a perfect way for people to begin to understand and have fun. Music makes you smarter.
[2]: I love you karma.
posted by Simon Stewart at 10:49 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home