I've tried to be a pragmatist and realist for most of my adult life, so I don't put much stock in such notions. Still... there are things that have happened in my life that simply can't be explained away using logic and reason.
The details of this scene will only resonate with Dawgs of a certain age, but the story itself transcends age or generation. Please bear with me.
When I was a little, little kid- I mean, 5-6-7 years old- I had a weekday (or should I say weeknight) ritual. Monday through Friday- wherever I was, whatever I was doing, I was hardwired to hear the words: "Good night, Chet. Good night, David... and good night from NBC news." It was the daily sign-off to the 'Huntley/Brinkley Report,' the precursor to The NBC Nightly News.
Now- a 7 year-old kid has ZERO interest in the News of the World. I couldn't have cared less what was on that show from 6:30 to 6:55 PM. But at precisely 6:58 PM, I'd race to the TV set, and slam my ear against the speaker, so I could listen to the 'sign-off music' that accompanied the rolling credits on the screen. It was simply the most compelling thing I'd ever heard... and I never missed a chance to take it in.
Some nights were more 'news-intensive,' with extra spots that featured correspondents reporting from far-flung places like Viet Nam, Cambodia, and Bangladesh. Those were 'bonus nights' for me- because it meant that I got to hear an extra 10-15 seconds of that wondrous music, while the extra credits were rolled.
I was 14 years old when I finally pieced together what I'd been hearing as a kid. I was enrolled in a Jr. Hi class called "Collegium Musicum"... a "music appreciation" class that was geared for serious players/students, instead of the usual General Music elective course offered to the general school population.
Here's how it all went down: Bob Mix (the choir director, and teacher for Collegium) dropped the needle on a 12" LP. He played the beginning of the piece for about 4-5 minutes, so we could hear how the entire piece was set up. He then skipped about 20 minutes of music, and dropped the needle again... on MY JAM.
Once again, the world collapsed around me- and I was swept away by those same magical tones that had captivated me when I was almost 10 years younger. Brain-melt time! The instant I heard those first few seconds of music, Total Recall took over. I'd found that Holy Grail Of Sonic Bliss that had so captivated me in my younger years. Mr. Mix didn't lift the needle on the next section... and for the first time in my young life, I got a chance to hear that movement from start to finish.
At the end of the class, Mix told us what we'd been listening to: Beethoven's Symphony #9. Movement 2 ("Scherzo.").
That following Saturday, I had to do the usual morning routine- helping My Pops and Uncle Babe deliver pianos and organs that had been sold at Porter's Music Store during the previous week. They had one of those revolving wire kiosks that held LP's in the middle of the showroom floor... and I scoured every rack, looking for My Music. I found 2 different recordings- and snatched them out of circulation on the spot. They were mine, yo! I pretty much broke even that weekend... the money I'd made from working my 'Three Aces Moving' job barely covered the cost of those two LP's, but I didn't care. I could make more money next week. I needed these albums. I dominated the playing time on that old Magnavox console for the next couple weeks.
_________________
Fast-forward to 2014.
This Sunday, I get another shot at Beethoven 9. It's my 10th time playing this incredible masterpiece as a paid professional. We had our second rehearsal tonight, and when we began the Scherzo, I had that same visceral response to those opening gestures as I did when I was a li'l kid: the hairs on the back of my neck stood up, I was instantly energized, and was immediately transported back to those evenings when I'd break off whatever I was doing- and race to the TV, to hear that incredible stuff that followed the words: "Good night, Chet. Good night, David... and good night from NBC news."
I'm now wondering how many more times I'll get to perform this incredible masterpiece before I play it for the (very) last time.
Such is the power of music.
This weekend, we're playing center stage at The Huntington Center... home to The Walleye, our local semi-pro hockey team. We'll be performing with 4 supremely gifted singers/soloists, and we'll be joined by over 1,200 local singers (pro/am/college/HS) in the big, boffo finale: the famous 'Ode To Joy.' The gig is almost sold out, and we'll be playing to a bigger crowd than could ever be fit into our usual venue.
I'm now a half-century older than I was when I'd race to that old Admiral black & white TV- to hear that tinny-sounding, ultra-compressed snippet of High Art. In all that time, and after all the hundreds of thousands of notes I've played, those familiar opening bars still turn me into that little kid who needed that music like a starving man needs food.
Such is the power of Music, from my observation.
__________
I didn't write up all this junk for no reason. I'm curious about the rest of you... and how music plays its role in your daily lives.
1. Does music move you? Emotionally, intellectually, spiritually? 1a. If music does move you, please share why you think it does. (Trust me- there are NO wrong answers to this question. That's the great thing about Art...) 2. Do you have a 'personal fave' that never lets you down? If so... what is it- and why? 3. Is music a "Time Machine" for you? Can a familiar strain take you back in previous time in your life? 4. If a person mentions a piece of music that you know, can you 'hear' that music in your head? 5. What music 'speaks to you'... and why?
As a teacher/performer/ambassador, I'm 'incurably curious' about the effects that music has upon those who don't "crank it out" for a paycheck.
Feel free to answer any, some or all of the above questions. Say whatever comes to mind. Let's take this thread wherever it might go, shall we?
OK as somebody with a completely different taste in types of music as you here you go buddy
1. Does music move me... YES it sure does, and it's Emotionally 1a. It can move me either because of the beat of the song, or most of the time because of the story the song is telling. It could be a love story, happy, story, sad one, angry one, it can run a full range of emotions. 2. I do not have a personal fave. but once I hear something I like I will always like it. It will never get old to me and I won't ever get tired of hearing it. 3. Yes it can be a time machine for me, some songs just instantly bring back memories. 4. I sure as hell can, music and the words. 5. I love country and rock, thats what speaks to me on a positive note, I enjoy other types of music as well, motown. pop. but unlike yourself Clem there are three types of music that speak to me in a different tone. Classical, rap, and Opera. They all three speak to me in a voice that sounds like nails on a chalk board. Just different strokes for different folks I guess my friend
I feel like I could write 40 pages on this. But I've copied your questions into a Word file and will think about this today and over the weekend try to spare it down to a reasonable post.
Excellent post Clem. As usual, well thought out, intuitive, and sincere.
1. Does music move you? Emotionally, intellectually, spiritually? All of the above
1a. If music does move you, please share why you think it does. (Trust me- there are NO wrong answers to this question. That's the great thing about Art...) This one is a little more difficult. When I thought on it as an adult, I realized, like you, it goes back to when I was a kid. I loved music, all kinds of music. My mom listened to Majic 105, so I heard all the 50's and 60's pop, my aunt was into more current top-40 (this is the 70's early 80's), and I really developed a liking for rock and in particular heavy metal in my teen years. Now playing on the praise team at my church, I listen to a lot of praise and worship music.
But I recall as a young kid, maybe 7 or 8, getting my first record player, and like it or not, my mom gave me Barry Mannilow Live. I have no idea why, I didn't know who he was at the time or cared, but I remember listening to the album many times, and while I couldn't tell you songs or lyrics, I recall I was mesmerized by the rhythms, and the melody of his piano playing.
Then I got a compilation album as a gift that had Kansas, America, Grand Funk and several other of that era, and again, I was just taken in by the sounds.
I tried several times to teach myself guitar during this period, but they were all hand me downs, missing strings, warped necks, and of course no knowledge of tuning yet, made learning difficult.
To this day I still find new music I love, both new and old. If there is a good solid beat, and great rhythm I will love it, regardless of the genre, content or tempo. Which is probably why I became a drummer, and now play bass.
2. Do you have a 'personal fave' that never lets you down? If so... what is it- and why? Don't think I ever developed one specific piece, as it changes all the time. But for some reason, John Lennons Imagine, always stops me in my tracks. I will drop whatever I am doing and listen.
3. Is music a "Time Machine" for you? Can a familiar strain take you back in previous time in your life? Yes, certain songs bring back memories, and not always songs I liked or listened to, but music is intertwined with life, and a song playing on the radio now, that played regularly in the past, often brings up memories of what i was doing at the time. Some much strong that others, but almost all my childhood memories have songs linked to them in my head.
4. If a person mentions a piece of music that you know, can you 'hear' that music in your head? All the time. I sometimes even space out while I play it through to the end.
5. What music 'speaks to you'... and why? Like I said earlier. Almost all music does, and all for many and different reasons. My mood sometimes dictates my music choice, and vice versa.
We don't have to agree with each other, to respect each others opinion.
Quote: 1. Does music move you? Emotionally, intellectually, spiritually? 1a. If music does move you, please share why you think it does. (Trust me- there are NO wrong answers to this question. That's the great thing about Art...)
Music played a big part of my life.. From a very early age, I understood that members of my family (my moms side) were talented. Very Talented. (Uncle played several instruments, flute, sax and others, moved to Vegas and backed up such entertainers as Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. etc) His brother was outstanding with keyboard instruments and his son is a fantastic singer)
I played guitar in many garage bands..
So yeah, music touches me deeply. And yeah it moves me. But the thing is, Music is wonderful, but it's the performer that brings out the goosebumps in me.
I love this show on TV called "THE VOICE" on NBC. For the most part, the singers are fairly average, but once in a while, one come along that you have to just sit and listen to and then it happens, Goosebumps on my arms. It's like it reaches down into you and just pulls you up. Not sure I'm explaining that well enough.
2. Do you have a 'personal fave' that never lets you down? If so... what is it- and why?
Yes, but don't be disappointed in me Clem, I'm not a classical music kinda guy. I listen to it, but can't get into it. (funny story, I got out of school, got a job at a classical music radio station as a DJ,,, I had to pronounce all those names and various pieces of their work,, fun)
I like Chicago, Santans, BS&T, Beatles etc.. Later, Clapton, the Doors, Led Zepplin etc.
The reason: Everytime I hear a song by one of those bands, I relive the moment in my life when that song was popular. MOst of those memories are wonderful.. some aren't.
3. Is music a "Time Machine" for you? Can a familiar strain take you back in previous time in your life?
See above
4. If a person mentions a piece of music that you know, can you 'hear' that music in your head?
You betcha.. And for whatever reasons, I have a tendency to remember words to songs.. My wife and I play music memory games all the time.. it's fun.
5. What music 'speaks to you'... and why?
See answer to #3
#GMSTRONG
“Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts.” Daniel Patrick Moynahan
"Alternative facts hurt us all. Think before you blindly believe." Damanshot
1. Does music move you? Emotionally, intellectually, spiritually? I think music moves everyone, at least the 99% that love movies, because music takes a bigger part in movies than most would think.
1a. If music does move you, please share why you think it does. I listen to music before games a lot. I think it helps with focus. I listen to a lot of instrumental post-metal, the absence of lyrics helps even more. I really think it boils down to goaltending being the ultimate focus position. Once I get music stuck in my head (the more the better) you don't get caught up in some of the mental games that can destroy you in a game.
2. Do you have a 'personal fave' that never lets you down? Not any single artist or piece or anything. Probably a playlist about 50 songs deep.
3. Is music a "Time Machine" for you? Can a familiar strain take you back in previous time in your life? Definitely. it really takes its effect when you haven't heard it in a while. I heard a song the other day that I hadn't heard in a while and it took me back to my sophomore year with my first girlfriend.
4. If a person mentions a piece of music that you know, can you 'hear' that music in your head? Yes
5. What music 'speaks to you'... and why? I think older music can. Because of the events that could be attached to it. Once a song gets a few years under its belt, I believe it attaches certain events whether that be ones everyone knows, or events exclusive to you. Usually music speaks to me as reminders of events in the past. Most of the time it's just a distraction for me.
What amazes me the most about music is how it manages to attach itself to memories or situations.
There are a lot of songs, I just don't want to hear anymore because of the associations. I used to be able to listen to Phillip Phillips but when a girlfriend of 4+ years became an ex and she hit me with...idk why you'd give up on this...I feel for you like that song Gone Gone Gone...I used to kinda like that song...not love not hate, but...I cant even hear that song now without it ruining my mood.
But then there's dumb cheesy songs like that a thousand years by Christina Perri that when I hear it a certain person comes to mind that I'm currently enjoying...and I get the dumbest cheesiest smile and can just feel my mood lighten and feel any tension just dissipate.
And like one of the above posters...live performances really really move me a lot more than a recording...but hearing the recording can bring me back to those shows and take me to that place...Rise Against, Rage Against the Machine, Chevelle are 3 bands that do it almost instantly when they come on.
Music is powerful...and when its done well, oh man can it affect me like nothing ever. Whether its just taking me back to riding in the back of my parents car at like 10 years old listening to The Way by Fastball, or hearing dumb RKelly and I believe I Can Fly and just remembering the 4893042 times I watched Space Jam or hearing Boyz II Men and remembering being in love for the first time (well...not love, but whatever it is you feel as a kid kid)
It is a time machine. Its also a transporter and a mood changer for me. I can be in a terrible mood, and hit me with some Chevelle, Rise Against, or Rage and then I'm in an intense state...followed by a smile. Hit me with some Phillip Phillips and Ima get somber (kinda just did) hit me with some Wilson Phillips and Ima laugh about being 5, or REM or the Bangles...
Its amazing how others words written with you not even close to in their mind whatsoever can affect you so strongly. And music too...If you hit me with Clint Mansell and the Requiem For a Dream song...It takes me somewhere (I dont always know where, but I go somewhere else) and if you hit me with the 300 Violin Orchestra piece, it takes me to a sporting event cuz its gets played alot. If you hit me with Start Me Up by the Stones...I'm at a sporting event. If you hit me with Bad Leroy Brown by Jim Croce...I'm ready for hockey because when I was a kid the Binghamton Rangers/Whalers came out to that song EVERY home game...
Okay...I'm done aimlessly rambling
"It has to start somewhere It has to start somehow What better place than here? What better time than now?"
Boy Clem, one of your best posts, which is tough because just about all your posts are great IMO.
1. Does music move you? Emotionally, intellectually, spiritually?
- Unequivocally yes on all counts. Emotionally, I have sat in my office at work and listened to Pavarotti sing Vesti La Giubba and had tears well up in my eyes (nevermind that I've listened to that piece about 2 million times). Intellectually: I love to read anyway, but I really love to read the little blurbs about the background of songs. And, you can't beat having some good classical music on in the background while working. Spiritually: Before I met my wife, I felt that Crosby, Stills and Nash spoke right to me in their song "Southern Cross", when they said "she is all that I have left, and music is her name."
1a. If music does move you, please share why you think it does. (Trust me- there are NO wrong answers to this question. That's the great thing about Art...)
My Dad is a music fanatic as well. He's the kind of guy that when a song comes on, he will not only remember the year it came out, but where he was when he first heard it. When we would drive on vacation as I was growing up, my Mom and my 2 sisters passed the time by sleeping. I would sit in the far back seat of the minivan and listen to the Oldies my Dad played. Since that time, I listen to music at every single opportunity that I can. It took my wife a couple years to get used to, when cleaning the house, I have music playing. When doing work, I have music playing. When she would give me things that were knotted up and ask me to untangle them (very therapeutic for me), I'd put on headphones and listen to music.
And, I'm conditioning my kids as well (son is 4 1/2 and daughter is 22 months). I have it down to where, when I play "Night Moves" my son says "Bob Seger" and when I play "Peaceful, Easy Feeling", he says "Eagles." And, whenever I ask him what song he wants to hear, he always says "a little Led for the Head", which means "Trampled Under Foot" by Led Zeppelin. My daughter is a fan of "Took the Words Right Out of my Mouth" by Meatloaf (she likes the part at the end where there's clapping), and she head bangs at the appropriate part of "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen.
Oh, and Clem, you'll appreciate this, but when I put her in the car yesterday and asked her what she wanted to listen to, I swear she said "Bach." So, I put on the Brandenburg Concerto and she listened to the whole thing.
2. Do you have a 'personal fave' that never lets you down? If so... what is it- and why?
This really depends on my mood. Sometimes I'm in that "I need something loud and hard and fast" mood. I've always been a Nirvana fan as well as Rage Against the Machine, so that usually pops up on my playlist. Something like "In Bloom" or "Radio Friendly Unit Shifter" by Nirvana, or "No Shelter" or "Ashes in the Fall" by Rage Against the Machine, or "Lateralus" or "46 and 2" by Tool.
If I'm in a mellow mood, I can listen to Beethoven's Fifth on a loop.
If I'm in a happy mood, I'll listen to "Wanton Song" by Led Zeppelin or "Mr. Brightside" by the Killers.
Oh, and I absolutely never get tired of "Royal Fireworks Suite" by Handel (the song my wife walked down to the aisle to) or Corelli's "Christmas Concerto."
3. Is music a "Time Machine" for you? Can a familiar strain take you back in previous time in your life?
Absolutely. When I was in college, I lived in a house with some of my closest friends (guys I still talk to several times a week). We would have a lot of parties, and we'd make mix CDs to play. At one party, we put the song "Hunger Strike" by Temple of the Dog on and we got a huge response from our guests. People were running in from outside to join us in singing in the living room. We ended up playing it 4 times in a row, and it was awesome. So every time I hear that song, I'm transported back in time.
I'm also able to play the harmonica by ear (the tricky part isn't knowing the song, it's getting air to come out of my ear. Hi-ooooo! I'll be here all week). Whenever we go to karaoke, I play and sing "Piano Man" by Billy Joel. And every time I do, I'm transported back to the time I played it at a casino in Vegas while out there with some friends. By the end of the song, people were leaving the slot machines to come watch and I got a huge ovation. A pretty cool moment.
4. If a person mentions a piece of music that you know, can you 'hear' that music in your head?
No question about it. I'm also a good enough singer that I can usually start singing it, too.
5. What music 'speaks to you'... and why?
All several thousand songs on my iPod. Again, depends on my mood.
I remember when I first heard "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana. I remember feeling my eyes get about as big as dinner plates and I said "oh my God, what is this!!!" I think my parents had the same reaction, but for different reasons.
My Dad always said his "theme song" is "Might As Well Have A Good Time" by Crosby, Stills and Nash (I belong on the shore, hustlin' nickels and dimes, cuz it ain't long before it's gone, you might as well have a good time). So whenever I hear that, I think of my Dad and how he's told me that, someday when he dies, he wants that song to play at his funeral.
1. Does music move you? Emotionally, intellectually, spiritually?
Yes. Figuratively and literally. I've traveled thousands of miles around the country seeing both the Grateful Dead, and later Widespread Panic. From Highgate, Vermont in the north to Tampa in the south. Baltimore to Seattle. Music has moved me. Emotionally the Grateful Dead had twice literally brought tears to my eyes. Once in Charlotte with Bruce Hornsby sitting in on the grand piano playing a song called HighTime. A heart wrenching version , "You told me goodbye. How was I to know, you didn't mean goodbye, you meant please don't let me go." Touched a part of me and reduced me to tears. The second time was a cover of 'Midnight Hour' at the Palace of Auburn Hills. The place was exploding with energy. It was palpable. Raised the hairs on my neck and overwhelmed me with a feeling of tearful joy.
1a. If music does move you, please share why you think it does. (Trust me- there are NO wrong answers to this question. That's the great thing about Art...)
Our heart is our own internal rhythm. Music is an outward expression of that.
2. Do you have a 'personal fave' that never lets you down? If so... what is it- and why?
Too many and ever evolving. I'm really hooked on electronic music now. There are some amazing producers using real instruments to create incredibly complex and sonically rich electronica right now. A dj that goes by Pretty Lights is probably my favorite.
3. Is music a "Time Machine" for you? Can a familiar strain take you back in previous time in your life?
There are still songs from my first relationship that hurt too much to enjoy. That was twenty years ago. So yes.
4. If a person mentions a piece of music that you know, can you 'hear' that music in your head?
Not only can I (we) hear it but it's been shown through MRI's that when we 'hear' music in our head the parts of our brain that are responsible for actually hearing get stimulated. Weird huh?!
5. What music 'speaks to you'... and why?
See above.
Clem, you and I have had many talks through messages that explain my life inside the music industry. From my days sitting in my cousin's basement while his first band practiced to now spending every summer bringing big eye candy to thousands of festival goers, my life has been filled with music.
1. Does music move you? Emotionally, intellectually, spiritually?
Yes, absolutely. In those ways, and more.
Quote:
1a. If music does move you, please share why you think it does. (Trust me- there are NO wrong answers to this question. That's the great thing about Art...)
Not sure.
Quote:
2. Do you have a 'personal fave' that never lets you down? If so... what is it- and why?
Yes, I have several actually. More on that later.
Quote:
3. Is music a "Time Machine" for you? Can a familiar strain take you back in previous time in your life?
Without a doubt.
Every once in a while I'll crank up some of the music we listened to in the locker room when I was in high school - mid 80's. The Who, Twisted Sister, AC/DC - and I kid you not, it's almost like I'm sitting back in the locker room getting ready for practice, or a game.
Rap music takes me to a different time in my life. Run DMC, Public Enemy. I can't stand the new stuff - but I'll listen to that stuff, eh, once every 8-10 months.
Country music - couldn't stand it growing up. At about age 25 the gal I was dating listened to pretty much country. Alabama was about the only group that kind of made for decent listening for me..........and then my like of country music grew, and I ended up marrying that gal.
Classical music (Bach, Mozart, etc) takes me back to a class I had in college called The Arts. I didn't like that music before - but that class made me hate it. Sorry Clemmy. Hey, one of our assignments was to listen to a song, and then write a story about what the composer meant by the music. HUH?
Some songs bring me to tears. I got into Gospel quartet music in the mid 80's also. Mainly, The Kingsmen Quartet. Saw them in concert twice, in Detroit, when I was in high school. The Kingsmen were a fantastic group - fun, fast, loud.........slow......but all meaningful. I still listen to them almost monthly - and memories of the past, thoughts of the future - they all show up. (Jim Hamill was the best showman I can remember)
Anyway, that's enough for now.
Quote:
4. If a person mentions a piece of music that you know, can you 'hear' that music in your head?
Sure. Happens all the time.
Quote:
5. What music 'speaks to you'... and why?
I think I alluded to that already.
Every morning, I wake up with a song in my head - it's always different, but it stays with me the whole day.
Just yesterday morning, took my daughter to the orthodontist appt. On the way from there to school, a song came on the radio that I liked. Just me and my 13 year old. I didn't know the name of the group (country song), but I started singing.
Daughter looked at me and said "dad, do you know who sings this?" I said "no". She said "The Eli Young band". I said "ok"
Started singing again. 15 seconds later daughter asked "dad, do you know who sings this song?" I said "Eli Young band".......she said "Yeah, so can you just let them?"
Music can make me cry, get me excited, bring back memories, sights, sounds, even smells - and music can even make me sing in the car. Music is some powerful stuff if it can make me sing!
Thanks Clem been thinking about this thread today, and just heard this song and spent the last few min with tears running down my cheeks, as this was the song I chose to do the father daughter dance with my little girl at her wedding.
Rap music takes me to a different time in my life. Run DMC, Public Enemy. I can't stand the new stuff - but I'll listen to that stuff, eh, once every 8-10 months.
I hate to sound like a hipster, but it seems like most of the good rap music these days is on the lesser known circuit...
Bryan (TopDawg) turned me on to the Cool Kids a few years ago... You might like them. They have a bit of an old school early 90's feel to them.
GM: Nice song. Hope your Son-In-Law is everything "your little girl" wants.
Sperg & Top: That's the way it always goes with any pop culture-based genre...
1. true visionaries create a "new" sound 2. it catches on because it's so new and fresh 3. "Money folks" swoop in and turn it into a commodity. 4. The 'Art' becomes 'Product,' and the soul gets stripped out of it during the mass-production process. Mediocrity becomes the norm. 5. true visionaries develop cult followings, but stay on the margins.
There's a reason it's called "the music industry."
1. Does music move you? Emotionally, intellectually, spiritually?
All of the above.
Quote: 1a. If music does move you, please share why you think it does. (Trust me- there are NO wrong answers to this question. That's the great thing about Art...)
I believe to me, it's about a combination of lyrical and music that combines together. Since I sang in competition from Jr. High School all the way through bands until after the age of forty, lyrical content presented with the music in such a way that you can express the feelings of the lyrics via the music is quite pertinent to me.
I have always considered music a vehicle by which messages of great importance can be delivered and have it heard and accepted by millions of people. So I can be greatly moved by music that fits this description while also being appalled by people given the opportunity to do so and choose the "sex, drugs and rock and roll" route. It just seems that a grand opportunity was wasted by trivial matters.
Quote: 2. Do you have a 'personal fave' that never lets you down? If so... what is it- and why?
The list is actually too long to get into, but I'll touch on a couple. The Allman Brothers Band and Government Mule right off the bat. As I mentioned earlier, to me the music is designed as the perfect format with which to deliver the lyrics. If one wishes to look back in time Robert Johnson is my favorite. He changed music into the foundation of what we have today in both Blues and Rock and Roll.
Quote: 3. Is music a "Time Machine" for you? Can a familiar strain take you back in previous time in your life?
Most certainly. I've sang along with the radio since I could talk. Having sung most of my life, each song takes me to some point in time for various reasons. Some good times, some bad. Motown music of the late 60's and early 70's was my most favorite as a youngster. Johnny Cash came out with Hurt and died not long after my Father, so it's an especially painful song to me. Many songs from many points in times that carry a mixture of emotions.
Quote: 4. If a person mentions a piece of music that you know, can you 'hear' that music in your head?
Most certainly for many if not all of the things I have mentioned above.
Quote: 5. What music 'speaks to you'... and why?
Most all of what I consider to be "music" speaks to me. I've touched a great deal on what speaks to me above, so I'll mention more what does not speak to me.
Three chords and one octave or just screaming. ie.... AC/DC, KISS, etc......
People who claim it's music but there is no melody line. Probably because I'm a singer, but to me you simply do not have what constitutes a song without a melody.
I could expound a great deal more, but I would be here all evening. What speaks to me is music that is relative to me, my life, my family, people I have known and things that I have felt. Things that relate to my daughter, my grandchildren and my surroundings.
That accounts for a whole lot of music for my five and a half decades of life.
Edit: I also like raw music, not filtered. ie.... ZZ Topp in the early years. Up to and counting the Fandango album. After that it was all canned music.
Last edited by PitDAWG; 04/04/1403:33 PM.
Intoducing for The Cleveland Browns, Quarterback Deshawn "The Predator" Watson. He will also be the one to choose your next head coach.
Quote: GM: Nice song. Hope your Son-In-Law is everything "your little girl" wants.
Sperg & Top: That's the way it always goes with any pop culture-based genre...
1. true visionaries create a "new" sound 2. it catches on because it's so new and fresh 3. "Money folks" swoop in and turn it into a commodity. 4. The 'Art' becomes 'Product,' and the soul gets stripped out of it during the mass-production process. Mediocrity becomes the norm. 5. true visionaries develop cult followings, but stay on the margins.
There's a reason it's called "the music industry."
For a ton of it yes. I also think that success maybe makes some of these artists not work as hard. Some get driven to go even harder, but a lot of times, a band's best record might be their first or second one...
Deftones has been my favorite band since I was in my teens. They have never made it huge, but they have gotten their fair share of radio and tv exposure. They have never rested on what they have. Their stuff has actually gotten better the last few years... I have always respected them for that.
Interesting post as we are of a generation. So here's a little story you may find slightly interesting. I could go on for days about music, it's influence and my love for it, but I will keep it short for the salient points can be told quickly.
My love affair with music began with a jukebox and a transistor radio. As a boy of 6 I remember watching the Beatles on Ed Sullivan and not having much interest in them. It was later that I discovered I was more of a "Stones" fan. At around eight or so I started feeding nickels to the jukebox at the local bar and listening to my radio constantly set to full volume, both acts much to the annoyance of my mother.
Growing up in Northwest Ohio was a blessing in that the airwaves were a crossroads of musical culture. CKLW was my station of choice as a young person until discovering WIOT FM and other rock stations. The influences of Motown from up north, Country from the south and Rock from all over changed the direction of my life entirely, of this I am certain. Silly songs like Puff The Magic Dragon and George Of The Jungle, hip songs like Up, Up And Away and These Boots Were Made For Walkin', groups like the Monkeys, Dave Clark Five, and The Beach Boys, and artists like Elvis, Roy Clark, Johnny Cash, and Doris Day all had early influence on me. I was in a band at 13, then upon discovering that I had no real talent moved behind the scenes.
I spent most of my adult career producing music videos for bands like Heart, Aerosmith, the Cranberries, Bon Jovi, Garth Brooks, Prince, Dianna Ross and many others, and many, many lesser known bands. Queen, to this day remains my favorite band and I swear and tell everyone who will listen that in three hundred years they will still be heard in the same way people listen and love Mozart and Beethoven today.
Which brings us to the 9th. My favorite piece of music bar none. The opening notes of the First Movement holds such promise of amazing things to come but what I remember is the first time I ever heard the Scherzo, which is really what introduced me to the piece to begin with. I was working on a project in film school and needed a piece of music to go with a Gun Smoke show down I was editing. One evening I walked past another student who was working on his own student project and he happened to be setting his short film to the Scherzo. I stopped and was captivated. I blatantly stole the idea to use the piece for my own project. I got and A, after receiving a ton of crap from the student who's idea I had stolen. I didn't care, that incident began my lifelong love affair with that great work.
In my 20's I would eat mushrooms, drop the needle on my Technics turntable, blast it through my Bose 901's and pretend I was conducting the piece for a massive audience. I've always loved it, and saw it performed quite well by the Toledo Symphony just the Christmas before last at the museum. I hope your performance goes well, and know you will enjoy it immensely.
"I am undeterred and I am undaunted." --Kevin Stefanski
"Big hairy American winning machines." --Baker Mayfield
1. Does music move you? Emotionally, intellectually, spiritually? It's more like in the way it moved Billy Crystal with the "white mans overbite".
1a. If music does move you, please share why you think it does. (Trust me- there are NO wrong answers to this question. That's the great thing about Art...) I suppose if it moves me, its forward. I usually only listen when I ride my motorcycle.
2. Do you have a 'personal fave' that never lets you down? If so... what is it- and why? Does Dr. Demento count?
3. Is music a "Time Machine" for you? Can a familiar strain take you back in previous time in your life? It's evil so it's generally only times I don't want to revisit.
4. If a person mentions a piece of music that you know, can you 'hear' that music in your head? No, it's too noisy in there. Lots of echos.
5. What music 'speaks to you'... and why? Any music, and it's more like pleading, for me to not sing along.
I am reluctant to expound on your discussion topic, Clem, but you and I have had many discussions of this sort over the years, and I would like to provide a slightly different answer to your questions, and perhaps provide some insight about you to your fellow colleagues at Dawg Talker. First, let me admit to my man-crush for ClemDawg. There, I said it, and I feel much better! To continue, I have been fortunate to know Clemmy for 27 years, sat next to him in the same "cubicle" (a rather large one at times!), and shared the passion, sweat, frustration, joy, inspiration, and fulfillment provided by our careers. No day is the same, but we still have the same "bull-dookie" to put up with, the same friction from management, the incompetence, the arrogance, the pettiness of fellow workers, etc., every one else "enjoys" at work. But, the uncommon factor is the variety of beautiful music we have been able to share, provide, and create while performing our jobs. Whether we are playing Beethoven's "Ninth", the music of Queen, or Michael Jackson, or Led Zeppelin, accompanying the Three Tenors (remember that gig?), or playing school gigs where audience members think we sound like flies, we are often humbled by the power of music. Seeing the effects it has on others is so cool. Having a soloist finish his/her finale and the audience erupts out of their chairs is one of the most electric shared experiences that we can all enjoy. Beethoven's "Ninth", Verdi's "Requiem", Handel's "Messiah", have the majesty and power to elevate us all to a higher reality, if only for the duration of the music. Goosebumps pop out on my skin for many styles of music, and all genres have this power. So, to all you Dawg Talkers out there in the "ether", I want to say Clem looks at you as his brothers and sisters, and, after reading so many marvelous posts from all y'all, I feel you think of him the same way. I know he has been enjoying, loving, cherishing your every response, and , trust me, he knows all the music you have mentioned. May music continue to help us all prove humanity has value and purpose.
(Now, what kind of music will we hear on draft day? "Happy" by Pharell Williams? Or, oh my, let us hope it is not the "March Funebre" from Beethoven's "Eroica"...)
I understood that classical music meant stuff I didn't understand. In college I randomly picked up Tchaikovsky's symphony number 4. I recognized themes that I had heard before as a kid, like Nutcracker and Peter and the Wolf, and had never connected together. It helped me lead me toward other composers and develop an ability to "LISTEN" to it. That record is worn and I have never been able to find the same performance. When I hear other orchestras performing it I feel like I've lost something. It's like you will never get that FIRST high back again.
1. Does music move you? Emotionally, intellectually, spiritually? 1a. If music does move you, please share why you think it does. (Trust me- there are NO wrong answers to this question. That's the great thing about Art...)
Brain specialists have discovered that music stimulates muscle memory. (who'd a thought?) There are perceptible and even imperceptible muscle stimulation in response to music. Especially familiar music, which explains how you know the beginning of the next song on the album, but if someone were to ask at a different time, "What song comes after........? You struggle to remember. I've always been a stick on one album-one band at a time listener. If an album (or CD) doesn't have that flow then I tend not to stick with it. When a song pops up that I haven't heard forever it's like those aroma memories that immediately slam you back in time.
2. Do you have a 'personal fave' that never lets you down? If so... what is it- and why?
At one time, when much younger, I could answer this immediately, but now I tend to have many reliables and I'll pull one out to match my mood, especially when working on projects. Then I try to grab CDs I know are of similar genre and hope the collection lasts through the project without too much repetition.
3. Is music a "Time Machine" for you? Can a familiar strain take you back in previous time in your life?
Absolutely, especially those "One Hit Wonders". I get a *pop* that briefly puts me back in the same room with the same people.
4. If a person mentions a piece of music that you know, can you 'hear' that music in your head?
For some reason not as well as you'd expect, but I think that has more to do with my willful yet ignorant sacrifice of brain-cells during a time when I wondered what the heck brain-cells were for.
5. What music 'speaks to you'... and why?
I once saw a polka band and they were playing a little bit harder and a little bit heavier and I was completely transfixed, amazed and wanting to start a polka band. If the music seems unique and clever I'll listen. There's a stupid song by the Ting Tings called "That's Not My Name" that I will listen to 10 times in a row, but I may be the only person in the world who reacts to it that way. I guess guitars, melodic vocals, and a "thumpiness" (?)-something that hits me in the part of my brain that stimulates that muscle memory.
As a teacher/performer/ambassador, I'm 'incurably curious' about the effects that music has upon those who don't "crank it out" for a paycheck.
The theory I've developed about why other people aren't as "ate up" as I am is that they have a different set of priorities. Some have told me they just don't care. As long as something is going on in the back ground their happy. They have favorite songs and stuff, but they don't have that visceral response that I, still have a little, but I have gotten better at with age. There was a time when I was an extreme music snob and I'd ask people how they could stand to listen to "such crap" without realizing that they were thinking I was more crazy than what I was thinking they were.
Quote: 1. Does music move you? Emotionally, intellectually, spiritually?
Moves me in same way whether I'm listening or playing it. Certain moments give me tingles running down my spine as I listen to a favorite crescendo in a song, anticipate the coming breakdown, or waiting for the awesome guitar riff/brass line.
Quote: If music does move you, please share why you think it does.
The tones hold a certain power to me. I realized this my junior year of high school. Our final performance of the year had us playing themes from Pirates of The Carribean: Dead Man's Chest as composed by Hans Zimmer. This piece featured Zimmer at his best before the stereotypical bombastic scores common with popcorn flicks these days. There's a bass line which starts at about 3:41 in the following track and explodes at 4:05. My fellow trombonist and I would gear up in those seconds before the big part. We'd hit the B flat and then ramp right up to the E flat ringing the rest of the phrase out. That's what I call musical power. Here's the section I reference.
Quote: 2. Do you have a 'personal fave' that never lets you down? If so... what is it- and why?
Best. Song. Ever.
This song reminds me of summer. I didn't discover this amazing band until the middle of my high school years (mid 2000s). During marching band practice in the summer we'd begin by stretching out on the field next to our school. Our director, an ex-rocker from a popular band in Canada named Clevelend, pulled up his jeep one morning as we stretched. The CD in his cherokee was Boston's debut album. He started it from the top. I heard the opening acoustic riff, followed by Brad Delp's vocals (second best rock vocalist next to F. Mercury), and the overdriven layered guitars. I fell in love at a heart beat. The wailing guitars never fail me.
The instrumental/classic track would have to be this:
I don't identify as Christian anymore; Although, I love the melody line of this track. Brings back memories of pipe organs, wonderful chords, and great singing. Hymns bring much solace despite not identifying with the religion. I think I'm just a sucker for musical suspensions.
Quote: 3. Is music a "Time Machine" for you? Can a familiar strain take you back in previous time in your life?
Yep. See above.
90s country music does it for me, too. My mom raised my sister and I on Alabama, Hal Ketchum, Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, Brooks N Dunn, and George Strait. I still listen to all that music today. Today's country isn't the same to me. Just a bunch of pop stars masquerading as country, but I digress.
Quote: 4. If a person mentions a piece of music that you know, can you 'hear' that music in your head?
I always have a tune for every situation palying in my head. Tends to happen when you are submersed into music your entire life. I'm sure you can relate, Clem.
Quote: 5. What music 'speaks to you'... and why?
A ridiculous amount of music speaks to my soul. Jazz catches me with the warmth of the compositions; Miles Davis sure knows how to do it. Rock (and it's many forms) hooks me with the raw power behind the drums, guitars, and vocals. Country interests me with a great story (a boy named sue, friends in low places, etc.) and great vocal harmonies (Alabama and Zac Brown Band, I'm looking at you). Rap which gets political hooks me with lyrics, the rhyme, and a catchy beat. Rap filled with samples of decade old music bores me to tears (Mr. Ice...I'm looking at you....). 80s cheese makes me appreciate the overproduced pop of the era with Aha!, Duran Duran, Tears for Fears, Toto, and many other one hit wonders of the generation. I'm a sucker for hair metal but I can't quite tell you why.
Most importantly...Pink Floyd. This band matches me on my wave length. Gilmour's guitar solos on "Time" are my favorite solos in existence. The lyrics and themes of Dark Side of The Moon, Wish You Were Here and The Wall satisfy my turbulent mind routinely at the end of a long week. It's hard to describe how much I appreciate this group.
Yesterday, my stand partner celebrated his birthday by playing down 'The Nine' with me. We've been comrades-at-arms for 7 years now... and have a simpatico unlike any other I've enjoyed.
Incredibly well-read, endlessly inquisitive, and possessing of a wickedly delicious sense of humor that requires his audience to truly be 'on point.' "A day at the office" never feels like work, as we continually try to crack each other up (within reason, of course...).
_______________________
So yesterday, we have our final rehearsal before the gig. The group has been tuned, the conductor has finished addressing the players/singers... and there is that lull just before the piece whispers its opening. He reaches into his pocket and places his phone on the music stand. On it, is a picture.
This is what I saw, just before the opening notes:
I owe this fool BIGTIME, now- and payback will be epic.
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Having sung most of my life, each song takes me to some point in time for various reasons. Some good times, some bad. Motown music of the late 60's and early 70's was my most favorite as a youngster. Johnny Cash came out with Hurt and died not long after my Father, so it's an especially painful song to me. Many songs from many points in times that carry a mixture of emotions.
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