Music Analysis

            Music Analysis

A single music can have lots of meaning for each one of us. It may not produce common understanding or meaning for all of us. If someone analyzes music and tells to audience this means that, it may not give sense for all of them. As Copland mentions “nothing really tells him what he should be hearing, no treatise or chart or guide can ever sufficiently pull together the various strands of a complex piece of music-only the inrushing floodlight of one’s own imagination can do that” (Anna Tomasino. ‘’Music and Culture’’ 2005: p.6). If someone surveys what the meaning of a single music among audiences he will come up with different ideas and concepts. I am not arguing here that music doesn’t have to undergo analysis but the analysis has to be done by each listener. Of course for the best product of music, it has to pass many evaluations by professionals. When I am questioning myself, why do I like that music? I say “because there I have some place in it, those words in some way speak to me”. Those words are telling me my memory, my experience, what is in me.  When we listen to different music we are taken away to the situation where we heard of it, what happened, all in all it reminded us the surrounding state.

I don’t have any knowledge on music scale, its tone, symmetry or pitch; so I will not be confused what is best and what is worst in it but I am enjoying it. It travels me miles away to where I was. It gives me exclusive meaning. When Copland tells his profession as musician he said “I have vigorously hissed, at other times as vigorously applauded; in both circumstances I remain comparatively unmoved.  Why should that be?..... but once out of my hands the work takes no personal credit”( Anna Tomasino. ‘’Music and Culture’’ 2005: p.7). This is like beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Each individual mind contemplates its own meaning and worth.  

Most of the time I hear music but; sometimes I listen to it. When I am listening, the value it worth amplifies. Each lyric speaks and it really helps me to know it well. The beauty of music is it has everyday meaning for one who is attended to it.  When I am indulged in music it relaxes me, it exceeds my contentment, and it talks me with every emotion I am just feeling. When Etheridge shares her experience hearing the Beatles she said “I thought that I had heard the voice of God. It was the most incredible thing I’d ever heard, and it moved me in a way I had never before experienced” (Anna Tomasino. ‘’Music and Culture’’ 2005: p.11).

Therefore I am not interested if someone is analyzing my music and telling me its connotations. The wording, the tone, the instrument even the mess-up has its own meaning for me. I analyze my music by not hearing, I do listening. When I listen to it, it has a special worth to me. It touches my sprite, my soul. It exceedingly feels me with peace. It attends to my memory.  

Bibliography

Anna Tomasino. ‘’Music and Culture’’ 2005. Pearson Education Inc.

genres of writing

While I was reading Mr. Copland’s lecture I felt his influence about his ideas, it seems he is imposing them on his audience. It is almost framed and authoritarian. The message is clearly channeled only from him; he did not participate his audience or entertains their feeling/ideas. Of course for him it has an advantage; he can easily convince his audience especially if he is orator -power is on his pulpit. He used lecture method to convey his ideas. The lecture process hinders ones creativity by blocking the other side’s point of view, since it is mostly not an open type of discussion it leads to “here it is because I say so”.  For instance I don’t agree by what Mr. Copland said on professional and layman understanding of music. I can say my little boy doesn’t need to imagine and activate his back mind to have fun, dance and or to be happy. Had it been I have discussion with Mr. Copland I will tell him “music is understandable for fetus”.

When a lecturer presents his/her lecture interruption is minimal. Since the method is one way it is easy to convene and manage the audience. As the channel is one way participation is therefore minimal. As we know many of our colleges prefer lecture methods. This may be a challenge for some students who have difficulty of note taking especially in keeping up their pace with the instructor’s presentation. After taking lecture notes we have to read them as soon as the lecture ends, otherwise what we have wrote in those wonderful moments will be puzzle to understand or lost their appeal after sometime. Let me tell you my experience I am a little bit shy in asking questions in my classes, even though I didn’t understand what was said I tend to refrain myself from asking questions. Sometimes I get also lost in the middle of those talks.

While lecture is performed audience has to sit and sit until the session ended; imagine most of our afternoon summer classes.  The other drawback of lecturing is it is difficult for the instructor to know how much has been understood.  But for sure for some of us who prefer learning through hearing it is an ideal way.

 Let’s see another type of writing style. I had started my journal when I have my first boy as a way of keeping his memories and mine too. It is a wonderful thing to put all the challenges, the amazement, the unexpected happenings - you know you can write what ever happened in each day. When you read it after some time it makes you laugh, it creates flashbacks, and it gives you credit and lesson. But be careful not to sink on those bad memories. Especially if the journal is accompanied by pictures it speaks more than thousand words. The good thing about it is, there is no right or wrong idea it is just me. I know sometimes it takes your time but it is worthy, but remember to keep it secret it may back fire on you.

Imagine you are alone feeling bad or hurt, who can rescue you other than writing and writing your feeling, I think it is stress reliever. When I read Cobain journal I can understand his anger and pain, of course he used wrong wordings. But it puts you in his feeling so that you can understand what he has been through. In such kind of writing style no one can tell you to maintain formality….it is a little sanctuary of your freedom.

I really loved the way Quindlen tells her story in her personal essay it takes you to her life journey interestingly. I love the flow it creates imaginative movie. When you see journals of Cobain the ideas are jumping from experience to experience and the flow was not maintained. Quindlen’s essay whereas makes you eager to know the end of the story. When we see Touré article on Nas it looks like reporting, which I prefer to see it through TV than reading it.     

Music and my life

All day long my radio is attending me worship music. I love LORD and I do want every minute of it to remind me the wonderful things GOD has done for me and he is going to do.  The music I listen helps me to fortress faith on my GOD. When I feel down it uplifts my sprite, and most of all it gives me hope. When I feel lonely I increase the volume of the music so that I feel I am not lonely. Music has helped me to understand the meaning of love and to love others. When I feel cold, bad, grouchy it brings my good strength to overcome those feelings. Music saves me from violence- in my life and in my family life as well. When I feel angry it calms me down. Music has also swept away my bad memories. When I hear certain music it reminds me the wonderful places me and my husband had visited especially those first years of our relationship and the wonderful memories we have.  When I miss my family back home I listen to my mom’s favorite song which raises my feeling, that mom is near to me. Those songs take me to a journey across the miles. When I hear my cultural songs, furious flame leaps in my heart, I remember those freedom songs that trembled dictatorship power. Those songs helped me to love my country and to know its history.

I love listening to my iPod, when I am running and doing my aerobic exercise, it gives me the energy to finish those hardy minutes.  

I always make my little boy to listen to classical music when he lays on his bed; I know it will feel his disturbed day with peace. He is three now, he always asks me to turn on the music after his bed time story. I guess my understanding on music has also works well on him. Since he was infant I love to sing him nursery rhymes, this really creates a strong bondage between us. It wonderfully thought him how to say I love you mom, isn’t that amazing. Barney’s song “I love you, you love me we are happy family” is our favorite lyric since then.  

These days our kids are stolen by technology; such as cell phones, video games, television and the like. Though they are PG rated, at least 10 minutes violence is observed. As parents we have therefore needs to be extremely careful on those Medias. I will not let my children watch or hear violent music that trigger disturbance, violence, hate and that reflects inferiority. As a parent I will show and coach them the best side of music, to realize its meaning and to live accordingly.  When we see some of hard rock and rap music they have bad influence on their audience. They lead their audience to be violent, criminal, to practice unsafe sex, to use alcohol and drugs, to be disrespectful and to practice behaviors that are out of the social norm.

For sure as always music will keep me nearer to GOD, be my shelter in feeling my mind with peace. It will keep me on my right truck, and will help me to show my love to others in the future.