Music.
What makes one piece of music better then another? It's a question which has rolled around in my head for a long time. Is music appreciation purely subjective? Or can music be rated good or bad based solely on the sounds that exist within.
And if I love a piece of music, and you dont like it, is one of us wrong? Is it your fault that you cannot fully embrace and enjoy the music that I love so deeply? What is it about music that makes us all believe that most popular does not mean best. This is not the case for many other things in our life, like how we chose our nation's leaders. Why is "what's your favorite band?" such a different question then "what is the best band?" Most of us wouldn't feel at liberty to answer the second question, but the first question brings forth so many answers we dont know what to do with them.
If I spend alot of time listening and analyzing, can i figure out why Weezer's self titled blue album is better then the self titled debut by Theory of a Deadman? Because I am certain that the blue album is better. Both albums use the same instruments, both have electric guitar riffs and solos. Is there a difinitive goodness scale that cannot be seen, heard or counted? Is there's something magical in the darkness which lies between the notes?
Is the blue album only better for me, or is it objectively better? Is it better because Rivers is more intelegent then Theory's Tyler Connelly?
Can an idiot make increadable music? I wouldn't think so. But, that said, how can we rate intelegence? I'm sure there's tons of people who aren't "book smart" that can dream up very deep tunes.
Well, I'm not going to find any answers here. I've planted my seed. I'm off to bed.
How are things going back east?
Last night lead me into today, where i woke up in residence with nowhere to go. I am meeting my cousin at 4:00, downtown. I figured it'd be foolish to spend 2 bucks on a bus home for a few hours and then pay more to hop the bus back. So i've spent the whole day hanging around campus. Up at 9am.
Two highlights of the day. The first was playing piano. I went online in midmorning, cause the piano room had a class in it. I talked to dave for a smidgen, kent, becky. Around noon i found the piano room had emptied, so i played keys for a percentage of an hour. I'd say a large-ish percentage. I managed to link two of my favorite piano riffs together, in a way that doesn't seem to sound forced. I totally dig the flavour of these riffs.
Then I played a bit of a third riff that i've been fooling around with recently. And although i definately couldn't remember the way it had been originally played (i find tempo hard to remember in keys as well as guitar) I did remember all the notes, and i made some very nice sounds come out. I made a neat little transition into something which was half new, and then a slightly less neat transition into something completely new. How lucky you all are to read my amazing tale.
The moral of the story was that I've gotta bring my mini disc to school, and record these riffs on a real piano, cause the recordings on my little set of keys isn't nearly as pretty.
Second highlight of the day: I went to the Fine Arts building and walked around. I walked into rooms where there was jazz playing, and people everywhere were painting and drawing. It was such an amazing place to be. Energy flowed through predrawn colours to minds in motion to fingers which painted. Beautiful cycle of art.
I'm thinking if I should have 4-7 finished songs at some point this year, i'll burn a large handful of cds, and i'll go to the fine arts building and play my songs. If someone wants a cd then i'll give them one in exchange for a piece of art. Whether it be a drawing or a painting or a screwdriver glued to a pencil, whatever these people want to give me for a cd, i'll take it.
I think that'd be a very profitable venture.
G'night chiefs.
Expect a big post about albums in the future. I've already thought a bunch about it, and I look forward to writing it.
So, where to begin? Are we lucky to be born in North America? Most would say yes, but i would wager that there's more people in north america going to hell then, say, africa. We are born into a life of great expectations, where taking things for granted is par for the course. All too often we are proud of our hardships and envious of other's gains, and for some reason the grass is always greener. It's a real shame. New topic.
Ever since aristotle (and likely before him) we've tried to put a label on things. Catagories split into catagories forever. Many times this is a useful thing. In the sciences, it is a complete necessity. But what about it's effect on the arts?
I was talking to Kate about Good News For People Who Like Bad News. And it was brought up that this is certainly more of a pop album then Modest Mouse's previous releases. And i thought it was really strange that "pop" was a genre. Does it make sense that something fits into a certain genre just because it's appreciated by the masses? Apparently so.
I mentioned this to Pat, and he said that it was even weirder that "indy" was a genre. Holy crap. If you ask someone what kind of music they like, and they say indy, then two things are true: this person cares more about their image then their music, and this person thinks they have better taste and morals then you. There are definately good bands that are undescovered, but to like a band because they're unpopular? That lacks sense in my books.
There's lots of weird genres in music though. Punk used to be a well defined genre, full of high paced snare and distorted power chords, with a little more yelling then singing. Now anyone with black eye make-up, a mohawk and a studded leather bracelet is playing punk. This isn't entirely my opinion, but it's more likely the not what the band wants to call themselves. Or at least what the label wants to call the band. Boy bands aren't cool anymore, right?
Speaking of the ill fated boy bands of old, it seems like vocal harmonies have fallen off the face of produced music. By produced i usually mean that the artist didn't write the song, or that the music was written for a goal of making sales, not self expression. I think all produced music is an attempt at popular music, but not all pop music is produced.
Another weird genre, emo. If someone asked me if i liked emo music, i wouldn't know what to say. There's alot of music that falls under the catagory of emo. Dashboard Confessional would be there. So would The Used. I've heard it said that At the Drive-In can be called emo. Needless to say (and yet, i say) the word emo comes from "emotional". I think this basically is meant to mean that emo music isn't that glossy, and that the vocals come across with more emphasis on passion and adventure then on smooth, polite tones. In my books this would put Bright Eyes in the catagory of emo, but i certainly think he's better then that. Better then a title.
I think when people say they like "all kinds" of music, then they usually think music is a fun thing, worthy of a dance and a singalong, but they dont really feel it, or are moved by it on a very high level. If you want to know if someone really likes music, ask them what bands they listen to, if they reel off a few, then they're doing okay. If they say "lots" or "i dont know" then music wont be the way you break through to any sort of cool friendship, maybe they play crokinole.
The only genres i've seen that can well define music tastes are hip-hop and country. Possibly "old rock", but i think if you like old rock, then you're not trying to listen to new music. That's fine by me, but you're limiting yourself. There are people who like hip-hop, and know their shit in the subject of hiphop, but dont listen to much other music. That's fine by me. Same deal with country, although that's less fine by me. I'm sorry, blast me for prejudice if you must, but while "save a horse, ride a cowboy" is a popular country song, I dont plan on showing the genre any respect. Johnny Cash is better then what is now country, there's no need to bring him up.
If someone asks what kind of music i like, i say "i dont know... rock?" If someone asks what bands i like, i can come down with some real personal shit. Ben Folds, Radiohead, Dave Matthews, Matthew Good, Weakerthans, Modest Mouse, Stars, whateva.
Good afternoon.
On Interpoker, i have $283.50
On Pokerroom, i have $235.40
To put you in the right scope of things, December 1st, i had $5.50 total. December 30th, i had $98.65. That puts me at a tad over $400 american this week. If anyone asks, tell them i work at mcdonalds.
This year, i've resolved to be more tidy and orgonised. I think if i just pick one thing then it should be a reasonable goal.
Today i had a startling realization. I have been trying to write lyrics, to write poetry for what seems like a while now. I was talking to Pat about that today. "Have you read any poetry?" he asked. Seems simple in hindsight, but i never put 2 and 2 together on that one. Maybe if i read poetry i'll be better at it. Freaking obvious. So, tomorrow (today) i'm going to the library to get some poetry books. Even though poetry is kinda, y'know, done.
Booyizzle.
What makes one piece of music better then another? It's a question which has rolled around in my head for a long time. Is music appreciation purely subjective? Or can music be rated good or bad based solely on the sounds that exist within.
And if I love a piece of music, and you dont like it, is one of us wrong? Is it your fault that you cannot fully embrace and enjoy the music that I love so deeply? What is it about music that makes us all believe that most popular does not mean best. This is not the case for many other things in our life, like how we chose our nation's leaders. Why is "what's your favorite band?" such a different question then "what is the best band?" Most of us wouldn't feel at liberty to answer the second question, but the first question brings forth so many answers we dont know what to do with them.
If I spend alot of time listening and analyzing, can i figure out why Weezer's self titled blue album is better then the self titled debut by Theory of a Deadman? Because I am certain that the blue album is better. Both albums use the same instruments, both have electric guitar riffs and solos. Is there a difinitive goodness scale that cannot be seen, heard or counted? Is there's something magical in the darkness which lies between the notes?
Is the blue album only better for me, or is it objectively better? Is it better because Rivers is more intelegent then Theory's Tyler Connelly?
Can an idiot make increadable music? I wouldn't think so. But, that said, how can we rate intelegence? I'm sure there's tons of people who aren't "book smart" that can dream up very deep tunes.
Well, I'm not going to find any answers here. I've planted my seed. I'm off to bed.
Well, the kelowna weather is back on the upswing. Yesterday I went for a nice walk in the spring air. The birds were chirping, and green grass was poking it's head out of the snow. I took a book with me, and read it as I walked.
How are things going back east?
Last night, I saw a band called "Rant Music". Holy flaming Pharoahs it was good. Six piece band, including Electric Violin and Electric Mandolin. They really put out a sound, I'll tell you that much. I bought their cd. And I got them all to sign it. The lone girl in the band, the violinist, was definately cool. I asked if it would be weird if I got them all to sign the cd case, she said it would definately be weird while giving me a quirky little look. She was also protective of her pen that she signed with, and the next three people that signed all had to go on little hunts for pens. She lent me the pen for the 5th signature i got. And unbeknownst to be, i missed one of them. So i've only got 5 signatures. Mehville.
Last night lead me into today, where i woke up in residence with nowhere to go. I am meeting my cousin at 4:00, downtown. I figured it'd be foolish to spend 2 bucks on a bus home for a few hours and then pay more to hop the bus back. So i've spent the whole day hanging around campus. Up at 9am.
Two highlights of the day. The first was playing piano. I went online in midmorning, cause the piano room had a class in it. I talked to dave for a smidgen, kent, becky. Around noon i found the piano room had emptied, so i played keys for a percentage of an hour. I'd say a large-ish percentage. I managed to link two of my favorite piano riffs together, in a way that doesn't seem to sound forced. I totally dig the flavour of these riffs.
Then I played a bit of a third riff that i've been fooling around with recently. And although i definately couldn't remember the way it had been originally played (i find tempo hard to remember in keys as well as guitar) I did remember all the notes, and i made some very nice sounds come out. I made a neat little transition into something which was half new, and then a slightly less neat transition into something completely new. How lucky you all are to read my amazing tale.
The moral of the story was that I've gotta bring my mini disc to school, and record these riffs on a real piano, cause the recordings on my little set of keys isn't nearly as pretty.
Second highlight of the day: I went to the Fine Arts building and walked around. I walked into rooms where there was jazz playing, and people everywhere were painting and drawing. It was such an amazing place to be. Energy flowed through predrawn colours to minds in motion to fingers which painted. Beautiful cycle of art.
I'm thinking if I should have 4-7 finished songs at some point this year, i'll burn a large handful of cds, and i'll go to the fine arts building and play my songs. If someone wants a cd then i'll give them one in exchange for a piece of art. Whether it be a drawing or a painting or a screwdriver glued to a pencil, whatever these people want to give me for a cd, i'll take it.
I think that'd be a very profitable venture.
G'night chiefs.
I like how I seem to be systematically solving my problems which relate to songwriting. Way back in the day, I had trouble writing riffs I liked. That one was an easy thing to work through, in that I just had to keep playing guitar to get over the hump. Then I had a problem with singing, and after a few spurts of vocal lessons, I feel like I've gained alot of ground. I'm not exactly ready to stop learning, but I certainly feel like I'm on the right path. Along the same timeline I had alot of trouble coming up with nice melodies, my songs felt either monotoned or ripped off, and by playing and singing alot, I feel like i've worked that out. Now I feel my problem is in the poetry, I'm not writing things that are beautiful to read. And because of this I've taken a bunch of poetry books from the library. I feel completely on the right track.
Expect a big post about albums in the future. I've already thought a bunch about it, and I look forward to writing it.
A whole lot to say, with no point in sight
So, where to begin? Are we lucky to be born in North America? Most would say yes, but i would wager that there's more people in north america going to hell then, say, africa. We are born into a life of great expectations, where taking things for granted is par for the course. All too often we are proud of our hardships and envious of other's gains, and for some reason the grass is always greener. It's a real shame. New topic.
Ever since aristotle (and likely before him) we've tried to put a label on things. Catagories split into catagories forever. Many times this is a useful thing. In the sciences, it is a complete necessity. But what about it's effect on the arts?
I was talking to Kate about Good News For People Who Like Bad News. And it was brought up that this is certainly more of a pop album then Modest Mouse's previous releases. And i thought it was really strange that "pop" was a genre. Does it make sense that something fits into a certain genre just because it's appreciated by the masses? Apparently so.
I mentioned this to Pat, and he said that it was even weirder that "indy" was a genre. Holy crap. If you ask someone what kind of music they like, and they say indy, then two things are true: this person cares more about their image then their music, and this person thinks they have better taste and morals then you. There are definately good bands that are undescovered, but to like a band because they're unpopular? That lacks sense in my books.
There's lots of weird genres in music though. Punk used to be a well defined genre, full of high paced snare and distorted power chords, with a little more yelling then singing. Now anyone with black eye make-up, a mohawk and a studded leather bracelet is playing punk. This isn't entirely my opinion, but it's more likely the not what the band wants to call themselves. Or at least what the label wants to call the band. Boy bands aren't cool anymore, right?
Speaking of the ill fated boy bands of old, it seems like vocal harmonies have fallen off the face of produced music. By produced i usually mean that the artist didn't write the song, or that the music was written for a goal of making sales, not self expression. I think all produced music is an attempt at popular music, but not all pop music is produced.
Another weird genre, emo. If someone asked me if i liked emo music, i wouldn't know what to say. There's alot of music that falls under the catagory of emo. Dashboard Confessional would be there. So would The Used. I've heard it said that At the Drive-In can be called emo. Needless to say (and yet, i say) the word emo comes from "emotional". I think this basically is meant to mean that emo music isn't that glossy, and that the vocals come across with more emphasis on passion and adventure then on smooth, polite tones. In my books this would put Bright Eyes in the catagory of emo, but i certainly think he's better then that. Better then a title.
I think when people say they like "all kinds" of music, then they usually think music is a fun thing, worthy of a dance and a singalong, but they dont really feel it, or are moved by it on a very high level. If you want to know if someone really likes music, ask them what bands they listen to, if they reel off a few, then they're doing okay. If they say "lots" or "i dont know" then music wont be the way you break through to any sort of cool friendship, maybe they play crokinole.
The only genres i've seen that can well define music tastes are hip-hop and country. Possibly "old rock", but i think if you like old rock, then you're not trying to listen to new music. That's fine by me, but you're limiting yourself. There are people who like hip-hop, and know their shit in the subject of hiphop, but dont listen to much other music. That's fine by me. Same deal with country, although that's less fine by me. I'm sorry, blast me for prejudice if you must, but while "save a horse, ride a cowboy" is a popular country song, I dont plan on showing the genre any respect. Johnny Cash is better then what is now country, there's no need to bring him up.
If someone asks what kind of music i like, i say "i dont know... rock?" If someone asks what bands i like, i can come down with some real personal shit. Ben Folds, Radiohead, Dave Matthews, Matthew Good, Weakerthans, Modest Mouse, Stars, whateva.
Good afternoon.
I am proud to say that i am now playing poker the way it is meant to be played: Profitably.
On Interpoker, i have $283.50
On Pokerroom, i have $235.40
To put you in the right scope of things, December 1st, i had $5.50 total. December 30th, i had $98.65. That puts me at a tad over $400 american this week. If anyone asks, tell them i work at mcdonalds.
This year, i've resolved to be more tidy and orgonised. I think if i just pick one thing then it should be a reasonable goal.
Today i had a startling realization. I have been trying to write lyrics, to write poetry for what seems like a while now. I was talking to Pat about that today. "Have you read any poetry?" he asked. Seems simple in hindsight, but i never put 2 and 2 together on that one. Maybe if i read poetry i'll be better at it. Freaking obvious. So, tomorrow (today) i'm going to the library to get some poetry books. Even though poetry is kinda, y'know, done.
Booyizzle.