Musical Composition

The composition on music, and how to go about it, has been a large topic in my mind for the past few years. As I have struggled to write what I would hope to be “beautiful” music, I have tried a few different methods. What I have found to be most effective for me is to just “fiddle around” with an instrument (in my case guitar or piano). While experimenting, often absent-mindedly, I often stumble upon something that sounds appealing. It presents a certain mood that either pleases me, or complements my current mood. The product of this experimentation is then refined over time, and sometimes introduced to others for outside opinions. After that, I add lyrics (or leave it as an instrumental). My lyrics are usually taken from a store of poetry and lyrics that I’ve prewritten, in the hopes that I’d be able to write a song with the appropriate emotion for some of the lyrics. The writing of the vocal melody is more of an improvisational process. I just play the music on the instrument and see what melody my brain makes up.

So that’s my whole writing process. But now I will describe to you what I believe to be the proper process. I think many famous composers of music had the ability to transcribe music directly from their brains down to paper. Beethoven, for example, still wrote music towards the end of his life even though he was deaf. This deafness would make my own process useless. So the only method he had left to him was to write down his music directly from his head.

I do have the ability to write music in my head, as this is the basis for improvisation (probably my favourite part about writing music, maybe a future blog post). But when it comes to bringing the music directly into reality, I am lacking. With a small, single noted melody, I could probably figure out it out on guitar or piano. However, anything more complex (and therefore actually worth composing) is very difficult and time consuming. I think it’s just a matter of knowledge. I need to know notation better in order to be able to write the notes down straight from my head. (HA! I haven’t used traditional notation properly since my second or third year of guitar... when I was 13 or 14). I don’t know the nature of chord progressions quite well enough to bring them directly to the guitar or piano after creating them in my head. If only I could find a method of bringing my mind-music (which never stops, by the way) into reality. Then I believe my composition would make a giant leap, and I would progress greatly (oh, if only).

What made all of these classical composers so great (as well as some today, there are geniuses among us, many unrecognized) was the combination of both musical talent, and knowledge. I myself write and play music mostly by ear. Technicality is my weak point. But saying that I use my ear is no excuse. I’m sure these composers all were “ear-musicians”, but they had their knowledge as well. It is something I should work on. I need to learn more technical music knowledge (or relearn).

Maybe when I have more time... (like when I’m retired).

Sigh.

(Thanks for the prompt, D-tin)

Handlebars

Hip-hop, or rap, is a genre of music that very much misunderstood. There is a very small amount of rap that I actually enjoy and listen to on a regular basis. However, I don't think this is because hip-hop itself is an inferior type of music. Far from it. In truth, I believe that hip-hop is just a more difficult style for writing a truly good song. (Now what a "good" song is, that's something for another debate.) But when one such song is successful, it is a beautiful thing.

What needs to be understood about hip-hop is that not every emotion can be expressed by this means. It is not easy, if not impossible, to write a joyful hip-hop song. If that is your desire, steer away from hip-hop. But that's not to say that it is always angry/hateful. It's true that it is easy to write a hateful hip-hop song, because of the aggressive nature inherent in the genre itself. But one can make better use of this aggressiveness.

The one song that I am thinking about right now is called "Handlebars" by the Flobots. It's a song that came out in 2007, and the first time I heard it years ago it hit me as a comical song. "I can ride a bike with now handlebars", it seems a silly line to open up with. Now, listening to the whole song with a more critical ear, I realize that this song is extremely aggressive, and has a message. Through the mish-mash of ideas, the song comes together at the end as an anti-war song. And more than that. This song is about the great potential humanity has. We progress so quickly. However, a lot of this blessed progress is being misused. Where we are finding new ways to help with the problem of poverty and hunger, the progress regarding new ways to kill people is years ahead in technology.

Such a subject needs an aggressive approach, and the Flobots do just this. This song may not be appreciated by everyone, as it is not the style that many like. But give it a try. The music video also helps with the ideas that the band is promoting as well:

Now on a more musically critical note:

When I first heard this song, I thought the rapping sounded somewhat amateurish, as well as the singing. I couldn't put my finger on it, but I knew something was different. I've realized that what is different is that the rapper does not change his pronunciation. He doesn't slur his words, or abbreviate in order to sound "gangsta". He speaks normally, as he does in everyday life, just with a bit more aggressiveness. It is raw, and I find it is more emotional. The singing is also bare-bones. Not extraordinary talent is found in his voice, but it has its own emotion as well.

This song gives me chills.

Interests

One beautiful thing about humans is the fact that we have unique interests. We may have similar interests to another, but there will always be something that differs, or the rankings of these interests will always be different. For instance, I know many people who like music, languages, English literature (specifically poetry) and other things that I'm interested in, but nobody to the same degree as I. I may like music more and languages less, or literature more and music less (but I doubt that...)

But there are also times when I regret this fact. For instance, if I were to make a playlist full of very applicable, emotional, and beautiful songs for someone that I care about, it's quite possible that this idea, however thoughtful, would not actually mean that much to the person. No matter how many times I urge, "Listen to the lyrics of this part, seriously" it will quite probably go unappreciated.

Or if I find a poem that really speaks to me, and I show someone who is also into poetry, he may not actually enjoy the poem. He may even just pass it off as another poem, even though I'm silently shouting at this person the realize the beauty of the intricacies, nuances, and ideas of the poem. Sigh.

But this is when thoughtfulness comes into play. If I want another person to appreciate the beauty of something, I have to pay attention to their own interests. I have to study them as a person and realize what exactly they find beautiful or truly inspiring. And when this is done properly, and I bring something to their attention that they love, it is one of the most amazing feelings in the world.

And still, at times I wish everybody loved what I love. But then I realize that if everyone did love what I love, I would no longer have anything to distinguish me.

That was a bit messy, but I think I got everything down.

Musical Musings

Here's a note I wrote on Facebook, before I had this blog:

The last few times I've listened to music driving home, I've had the same train of thought. This music, at this time of night, really really affects me. It affects my mood, it affects how fast I drive, it affects what time I go to bed when I get home, and it affects what I think about. After about 8 years of playing music, and a few years of writing it, I've come to a very important realization. Though perhaps a bit late.

Music affects nearly everyone. From the tone deaf to those who have perfect pitch, almost everyone will sing along to a song they enjoy. And nearly all of those people will be emotionally affected by this music that pervades their minds so easily. If I, as a music writer, have such a power to affect peoples' emotions, shouldn't I be very careful with it? Musicians have an important responsibility, and have to realize this.

This is why I automatically have distaste for young rising stars like Justin Bieber or Miley Cyrus (people reading this, don't turn this into a Bieber or Cyrus debate, I've had enough of those) writing music about falling in love with a member of the opposite sex, which is something I'm pretty sure they haven't really experienced yet. They are putting ideas and emotions in the heads of other youths who begin to believe that this is what love is, among other concepts that influential musicians have written music about.

So I say to music fans, be careful what you listen to, because a song can so easily change the way you are, for better or worse. And I say to aspiring musicians like myself, be careful what you write about, and try to stick to what you are familiar with. You are putting ideas and emotions into other peoples' heads, and that is a big thing. We must also remember that what we do should be to the glory of God. This applies to both listening to and playing music.

Aurora Borealis

The Northern Lights is one of the most beautiful sights I've experienced in my short lifetime. Not only the lights themselves, but the atmosphere in which one can observe them. The first time I saw them was at Shuswap Lake (one of my favourite places in the world) out on the dock with the crickets, and the soft lapping of the water on the pebbles and larger rock surfaces (not a geologist, though I wish I knew some more rock names), with the lights of civilization across the lake. This lake is surrounded by green mountains, and above the rounded peak of the mountain opposite our little beach I could see some faint green ripples. It's like a mix of light and water.

The second, and last, time was just this Thanksgiving weekend in Smithers. This was easily more impressive than at Shuswap, and more memorable. Sitting in a hot tub with a few of my best friends in nearly freezing temperature. It was one of the most serene and peaceful moments of my life. Never before had I felt the majesty and beauty of God's creation so powerfully.

Here, I liked it so much, I wrote a poem:

A ripple of faint green
runs along the horizon,
and a ripple of frost
runs between my shoulders.

Hosts of birches,
tall, thin, and white,
frame the luminescence
and wave in return,
the cool night air giving life
to their long, bony fingers.

Beauty in Everything

I'm not going to write, "hey, I'm Richard, I'm new at this blogging thing", because it's not true. I'm not new to blogging, but it's been a long time. And back then, I just wrote silly things that I figured made me sound philosophical and deep.

Not much has changed, really.

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Recently, as in today, I had a few conversations with a couple of friends concerning and idea that had popped in my head. I like to sum up this idea in a wise sounding saying: "A secret to happiness is finding beauty in any situation".

Now by this I don't mean the conventional optimism. I'm speaking, for one thing, of contentedness. To be content is to find the beauty in the situation you are in. This involves being thankful to God for putting you in that situation.

This also applies to relationships. And by relationships, I mean those with the opposite sex. I was reminded this summer during a Bible Study I did with my friends of the importance of contentedness in my status (I didn't want to say relationship status, because that's too... Facebooky). It is important to realize the beauty and be content with the idea of being single before entering into a relationship.

Another meaning to be pulled out of this concept could be finding beauty in your current location. Living in the Fraser Valley makes this easy. We have copious amounts of stunning lakes, myriads of coniferous trees, and mountains all around. On a recent trip to Smithers, I didn't feel the same way, at least not immediately. We arrived at night, in the dark, in the rain. I felt that I was in an alien place, and quite uncomfortable. The next morning, however, we drove on a small road, regarded by birches on either side, and refreshed by the crisp, cool atmosphere. Then I began to feel comfortable and relaxed. This is when I realized the beauty of Smithers. Even more so later when enjoying the astounding Northern Lights from a hot tub at 2 in the morning.

Lately I find that it is not hard to find the beauty in my situation. God has blessed me incredibly, and I and constantly reminded of this by my friends, music, literature, and everything else I love. When rating troubles on a global scale, a tough essay ranks very, very low.

- Richard Baartman