Adam Young (Owl City)'s new song:
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Wednesday, 16 May 2012
Thursday, 10 May 2012
Argh...reading your history professor's new class schedule for 2012-13 and knowing you won't be taking a single one of those classes (and one of them is the history of sci & tech, which sounds awesome). Way to ruin my day. ;) [My dad says, why don't you major in history? But the whole point of me going to college is that I would get a degree with which I could quickly find a lucrative job. And I'd make a terrible teacher (history or otherwise), so that's out of the question. Alas.]
This current quarter, two of my classes are International Relations and History of US III (1900 - now). I never get tired of history or political science. History, I've loved since I was born. Poli Sci, approximately since the 2001 election. It's fascinating to me how single events, or decisions, or doctrines, changed the world. And how so many of them came as a result of (or are connected to) other amazing events. How human nature overrides good ideas or 'good' people.
Anyways. Here's a great song I discovered on YouTube recently:
And now I've got to go to Physical Geography class. Have a nice day. ^_^
This current quarter, two of my classes are International Relations and History of US III (1900 - now). I never get tired of history or political science. History, I've loved since I was born. Poli Sci, approximately since the 2001 election. It's fascinating to me how single events, or decisions, or doctrines, changed the world. And how so many of them came as a result of (or are connected to) other amazing events. How human nature overrides good ideas or 'good' people.
Anyways. Here's a great song I discovered on YouTube recently:
And now I've got to go to Physical Geography class. Have a nice day. ^_^
Wednesday, 25 January 2012
By Bill Ebbesen (Transferred from en.wikipedia) [CC-BY-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
After losing a week of school, my classes and instructors are back on track, and at full steam. My first tech writing project is due this week. My history tests are within the upcoming weeks; between now and then, however, there is a lot of stuff I'd better get memorized. I don't mind, though, because I love my history classes.
The first one is part of the U.S. history sequence, focused on the Civil War and Manifest Destiny. It should be interesting. Student participation in this class is largely dominated by two guys who happen to be political polar opposites. One guy carries a soap box to class and climbs up on it at every opportunity. The other guy monitors the soap box on a radar, scanning it for potentially offensive opinions and ready to 'correct' them at any moment. We haven't even reached the very controversial topics yet.
My second history class is Latin American history. It's mostly been geography and population facts so far, but Professor C. seems to enjoy this class more than the others. He got to talking about Brazilian cowboys and sang part of a classic song about them. It was awesome.
The last history class I have is about modern conflicts. So far, we've been going over ideologies, which is very interesting. On the internet and elsewhere, names of ideologies tend to be used interchangeably and pretty loosely, but the subtle differences between them are carefully defined in this class.
Then there's tech writing. Today was our second group presentation; I talked for half of it. It went well,
And it may (ought to) be the first and only time, but I'm glad I didn't study for this presentation. I completely forgot about it and spent most of my 1-hour break watching opera on YouTube. I walked into classes feeling totally confident and positive. I practically cheered for the green lights 90% of the way home. I even finished 2/3 of my tech writing project, right after getting home (this was an extraordinary day).
Now I'll try to finish the other 1/3 this evening. ;)
Thursday, 12 January 2012
Tuesday, 27 September 2011
Earth Prelude / Einaudi
Theme song for the ending of my steampunk book. If you were watching this in a theater, the screen would go blank and the credits would show up at about 3:27. ;)
P.S. If anybody knows where I may legally purchase and download this song, do let me know...I've already checked iTunes and Amazon, and they don't have it.
P.S. If anybody knows where I may legally purchase and download this song, do let me know...I've already checked iTunes and Amazon, and they don't have it.
Thursday, 7 July 2011
On one of my ramblings through the classical music on YouTube, I randomly came across a composer named Alkan (1813 – 1888). I don't think I'd ever heard of him before, but I wish I had.
Alkan, to me, is kind of like a combination of Mendelssohn, Schumann, and Chopin; yet the incredible complexity of Alkan's music sets it in its own world. It's not that it's terribly melodic, in that the melodic lines aren't quite as "focused" as those in Chopin or Schumann. But Alkan's use of chord progression is magnificent; and the overall effect is somewhat abstract, without the horrors of Expressionism or the tedium of Minimalism.
If you have fifteen minutes to spare, check out the Overture for solo piano as well--it's pretty epic.
Alkan, to me, is kind of like a combination of Mendelssohn, Schumann, and Chopin; yet the incredible complexity of Alkan's music sets it in its own world. It's not that it's terribly melodic, in that the melodic lines aren't quite as "focused" as those in Chopin or Schumann. But Alkan's use of chord progression is magnificent; and the overall effect is somewhat abstract, without the horrors of Expressionism or the tedium of Minimalism.
If you have fifteen minutes to spare, check out the Overture for solo piano as well--it's pretty epic.
Saturday, 2 April 2011
Wednesday, 23 March 2011
Wednesday, 2 February 2011
Felix Mendelssohn was a classical composer born on February 3rd, 1809. Most people would recognise some of his more famous works--the Wedding March and "Hark the Herald Angels Sing", for example. Unfortunately, the larger (but no less excellent) amount of his works is relatively unknown.
His brilliant Italian Symphony was one of my first faves:
His music is so sane. There's no shallow pathos, boring ho-hum repetition, or eccentric abstraction--Mendelssohn's music is deep, but it's also got clarity and meaning. There's genius in it, but it's a sane genius. It's the kind of music that can be solemn or cheerful, light or intense, but likewise uplifting.
Mendelssohn helped bring about the Bach renaissance; and he was also one of the first Romantic composers, finding inspiration from sources like Shakespeare and travels in Europe and Britain. One of his most epic overtures is the Hebrides Overture, or "Fingal's Cave", inspired by the famous Scottish cave of the same name. {My sister and I have also dubbed it "Frugal Smeagol Fingal's Cave"...inside joke. ;) }
Not only did he write the typical classical genres--concertos, sonatas, symphonies, etc--but he also wrote religious music, like the "Hymn of Praise" (Symphony #2).
{Lyrics from Romans 13:12 : "The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light."}
I don't really know why Mendelssohn isn't as well known as other composers. I just hope that someday he gets the same recognition and status as Beethoven, Mozart, and Bach, because he certainly deserves it.
Some of my fave albums:
Mendelssohn: Symphonies 3 & 4 and Fingal's Cave A great intro to Mendelssohn's orchestral music.
Mendelssohn: 5 Symphonies, 7 Overtures This is probably the ultimate CD set for Mendelssohn fans. ;) Four discs of brilliance, and the interpretations/performances are right on, as far as I'm concerned.
Tuesday, 21 December 2010
One of my favourite songs on the new Celtic Thunder Christmas show! {Unfortunately, this song is not generally available on CD. I haven't checked iTunes yet.}
I was rather disappointed by the CD. There aren't many carols or enough group songs, and most of the arrangements tend to sound a little "empty" on the accompaniment. On the other hand, the song selection is pretty good for the whole family, with many familiar song like "Winter Wonderland" and "Let It Snow". And I loved their rendition of "Silent Night" and "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year/We Wish You a Merry Christmas". So, while I probably wouldn't get the CD, I'd definitely buy my favourite tracks from iTunes; and I recommend getting the CD from the library. :)
I was rather disappointed by the CD. There aren't many carols or enough group songs, and most of the arrangements tend to sound a little "empty" on the accompaniment. On the other hand, the song selection is pretty good for the whole family, with many familiar song like "Winter Wonderland" and "Let It Snow". And I loved their rendition of "Silent Night" and "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year/We Wish You a Merry Christmas". So, while I probably wouldn't get the CD, I'd definitely buy my favourite tracks from iTunes; and I recommend getting the CD from the library. :)
Monday, 1 November 2010
Saturday, 30 October 2010
Goal for the weekend: to finish my Spanish homework so that I can watch "Sherlock". The soundtrack is pretty cool:
We have a Spanish testthis next week, and a Spanish composition (rough draft) due this week. Lots to look forward to.
Long-term goal: to finish the research for my historical fiction book (first of a series) by August 2011 (if not sooner, but that seems doubtful). I'm aiming for a more serious, intense, and readable book, compared to previous stuff I've written. The number one thing I want to avoid is letting it get melodramatic. And this time, I don't plan to begin writing it until I know exactly what the characters are like.
Things I've learned recently:
Speaking of writing, I got my story request for the FicSwap 2010 event! :) It's an excellent story request, and I'm looking forward to writing it...
I'm currently learning Danse Macabre, arranged for violin and piano. (The title sounds sinister, but the song itself really isn't scary.) It's one of those short, elaborate, encore-style pieces, and has some great melodies.
I think for my next violin piece, I would love to learn "Melodie", by Tchaikovsky. It's the perfect song to listen to on rainy days:
As a piece of Sherlockian trivia, this song was used in the computer game Sherlock Holmes: The Secret of the Silver Earring (which is a great game, by the way!).
We have a Spanish test
* * *
Long-term goal: to finish the research for my historical fiction book (first of a series) by August 2011 (if not sooner, but that seems doubtful). I'm aiming for a more serious, intense, and readable book, compared to previous stuff I've written. The number one thing I want to avoid is letting it get melodramatic. And this time, I don't plan to begin writing it until I know exactly what the characters are like.
Things I've learned recently:
- Writing for an audience/age-range is a must, if I want my book to have any relevance.
- Even plot-driven books can suffer from mediocre characters...
- ...and in the same vein, characters (and real people) have motives. I have to figure out why they are bad, good, heroic, annoying, etc.
- I'm not very good at ending chapters, so I should outline them first.
- Short, momentous conversations work better in short stories or films, than in novels.
Speaking of writing, I got my story request for the FicSwap 2010 event! :) It's an excellent story request, and I'm looking forward to writing it...
* * *
I'm currently learning Danse Macabre, arranged for violin and piano. (The title sounds sinister, but the song itself really isn't scary.) It's one of those short, elaborate, encore-style pieces, and has some great melodies.
I think for my next violin piece, I would love to learn "Melodie", by Tchaikovsky. It's the perfect song to listen to on rainy days:
As a piece of Sherlockian trivia, this song was used in the computer game Sherlock Holmes: The Secret of the Silver Earring (which is a great game, by the way!).
* * *
The Celtic Thunder Christmas CD is waiting to be picked up at the library, so maybe I'll be posting about that soon. :) I can hardly believe Christmas is only a couple of months away. I guess I should start thinking about buying Christmas presents and cards...
Saturday, 16 October 2010
...orchestral sheet music will be read from an electronic device. The fonts, brightness, and size of music notes will be customizable. The concertmaster himself will be able edit all the violinists' bowings simultaneously, via wireless connection to each electronic device. Page turns will be operated with a simple tap of the musician's foot. Dynamic markings will glow red as the electronic device determines whether you are playing quietly enough...or not.
Until then, page turns are left to Marian, who finds them exceedingly awkward. Real books are all very well. Real sheet music is quite another thing.
If there is one thing better than playing in a live orchestra, it is hearing a live orchestra. The music doesn't sound the way it should unless you are in the audience's shoes. And it is much more relaxing to be a member of the audience. Especially when it comes to those moments when you are playing at a rate of more than 2,160 notes an hour, or more than 8 notes per second.
As Mr Rochester says, "arithmetic, you see, is useful".
* * *
This summer I found a very pretty piece of fabric. It's red and has a lovely pattern on it that imitates embroidery or something similar. I'm going to make an 11 1/2 inch doll dress with it, but this time it will be Baroque, early to mid-1700s style, sort of like this 1740s gown. I've never sewn something from that era, so it's about time! :) I'm really looking forward to sewing it, during Christmas break.
Apart from homework and other nice stuff like that, I've been working on one of those stories that you write without a definite plot outline in mind. I really don't even know how it's going to end, or how long it will be. And already one of the characters has turned out to be vastly more eccentric than I had imagined. I've been experimenting with present tense, so that most of the description is in present tense and the dialogue/action is in past tense. It actually sounds far less awkward than it sounds. :) I've also been writing poetry. I usually write it when something's bothering me, and it's interesting to see how easy it is to write in rhyme when you're not feeling well. Writing poetry puts me in a better mood, too.
As far as reading goes, I've been reading a somewhat obscure book by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, called Beyond the City. It was written at about the same time he wrote A Study in Scarlet, or thereabouts, and there are definitely similarities to his writing style in the Sherlock Holmes series. In some ways, Doyle is an underrated writer. His writing is so efficient, vivid, and interesting. The dialogue in his books may be the very best I've read. A great example of how to write fiction.
Speaking of stories, Nina of Wickfield is having a writing event at her blog: FicSwap 2010. :) I don't know yet if I can participate, but it sounds fun!
Do you like writing poetry? Do you have any special projects planned for Christmas break? And do you like real sheet music as much as real books?
P. S. Apologies for the blog design. I'm still trying to figure out how I want it to look. :P
Friday, 8 October 2010
What's your favourite everyday, "academic", creative-writing font? Mine is Georgia 11px, but my newest fave is Cambria, 15px, which I'm using right now. It's been around a while, but it's fairly new to me. :P Cambria is underrated, in my humble opinion...
Oh, and I found yet another favourite violin piece! It's now on my list of songs to learn...
This piece (with orchestra accompaniment) was the encore of a concert we attended recently. I don't care if a concert is already 2 1/2 hours long...I LOVE encores. :) Sometimes they're even better than the concert itself. At this concert, they also played Mendelssohn's Hebrides Overture, which was EPIC. They played it faster than I'm used to, but it was really cool. I think a great deal of the depth and detail of a symphony (or overture) is lost in recordings, so it's always interesting to hear orchestral music live.
School has been keeping me "extraordinarily busy", so my blog posts will be much less frequent and probably impromptu (impromptu! I don't even like that word, but oh well...). But hopefully there will be at least twice as many new blog posts when Christmas break comes. :) Meanwhile I'll be reading and commenting on blog posts as often as I can!
Oh, and I found yet another favourite violin piece! It's now on my list of songs to learn...
This piece (with orchestra accompaniment) was the encore of a concert we attended recently. I don't care if a concert is already 2 1/2 hours long...I LOVE encores. :) Sometimes they're even better than the concert itself. At this concert, they also played Mendelssohn's Hebrides Overture, which was EPIC. They played it faster than I'm used to, but it was really cool. I think a great deal of the depth and detail of a symphony (or overture) is lost in recordings, so it's always interesting to hear orchestral music live.
School has been keeping me "extraordinarily busy", so my blog posts will be much less frequent and probably impromptu (impromptu! I don't even like that word, but oh well...). But hopefully there will be at least twice as many new blog posts when Christmas break comes. :) Meanwhile I'll be reading and commenting on blog posts as often as I can!
Monday, 27 September 2010
And here's another (half-humourous) quote from my Moby-Dick quotes collection:
"One often hears of writers that rise and swell with their subject, though it may seem but an ordinary one. How, then, with me, writing of this Leviathan? Unconsciously my chirography expands into placard capitals. Give me a condor's quill! Give me Vesuvius' crater for an inkstand! Friends, hold my arms! For in the mere act of penning my thoughts of this Leviathan, they weary me, and make me faint with their outreaching comprehensiveness of sweep, as if to include the whole circle of the sciences, and all the generations of whales, and men, and mastodons, past, present, and to come, with all the revolving panoramas of empire on earth, and throughout the whole universe, not excluding its suburbs. Such, and so magnifying, is the virtue of a large and liberal theme! We expand to its bulk. To produce a mighty book, you must choose a mighty theme. No great and enduring volume can ever be written on the flea, though many there be who have tried it."
Wednesday, 1 September 2010
This piece--the adagio from Haydn's 44th Symphony--has been haunting me for a whole week. Last Wednesday I found myself randomly (and I mean RANDOMLY) humming the main theme...I knew I wasn't making it up, but I couldn't figure out who wrote it or what it was from! It bothered me the rest of the day, especially when I wasn't sure if I was singing it right. Then, the next day, I had forgotten the theme, and decided to just forget about it all together. And then, later, I was trying to come up with a counter-melody for Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, when I suddenly remembered this theme (which fits in quite well with part of the Moonlight Sonata)! I couldn't decide if the composer was Mozart, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Beethoven, or even Grieg..... But today I finally remembered. :) By chance, I've heard this exact movement twice (on different days) on our classical radio station; though I really liked it, I didn't think it had made that big of an impression on me.
Anyway, this post is probably interesting to no one but myself, but I'm sure glad that mystery is cleared up. ;)
Saturday, 28 August 2010
Tuesday, 29 June 2010
The Song/Music Tag
What was the last song you listened to?
"Danny Boy" by Celtic Thunder
What is the longest a song has been stuck in your head?
What is the longest a song has been stuck in your head?
Not sure. That happens to me pretty often, and it's usually songs I can't stand.
If you were an artist, what genre would you sing?
Celtic, pop, and/or soft rock. Like Celtic Thunder. ;)
What is your favorite piece of music you've performed in front of an audience?
I would say it was a Christmas medley that my community orchestra performed at a retirement home, not too long ago. The audience sang along, and the last song was "Silent Night"...it was the most beautiful performance I've ever been a part of. Just hearing people sing like that, and to think that that music brought everyone together for ten minutes, makes it my favourite.
What piece of music best describes you when you are happy?
Either the HMS Indefatigable theme song from the Hornblower TV series, or the Endless Ocean theme from Master and Commander. :D
What piece of music best describes you when you are angry?
Possibly the theme from Bach's Chaconne (for solo violin).
Name your two favorite songs from movies:
"Into the West" from Return of the King, and "All I Ask of You" from Phantom of the Opera (not sure if this counts, because I haven't seen the movie and I like the original cast recording better). I also love "I've Got a Golden Ticket" from Willy Wonka. ;)
Name your two favorite songs not from movies:
Well, two of my faves are "Take Me Home" and "Lauren and I" by Celtic Thunder.
What song makes you want to dance?
Technically, it's not a song, but the Swan Lake waltz by Tchaikovsky!! I think it's one of the best waltzes ever...
Who do you choose to do this tag?
Nina, Earwen, Maggie, Gwyn, Milli, and anyone else who wants to do it!
Nina, Earwen, Maggie, Gwyn, Milli, and anyone else who wants to do it!
Saturday, 19 June 2010
Friday, 21 May 2010
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
