K421yn

I wonder what its all about

2011-06-24T23:57:00.002+08:00

Likeable music was really hard to find.

The listener even more so.

It is a nearly half a year since I went for the PSO practises. Felt everything is as pale as I imagined.

Somehow some of the songs played reminded me of how great serious music composer was.

And all the greatest ideas of pop music composer are so minute.

Pas de Deux.

Great.

Lyric

2008-11-06T12:21:00.003+08:00

Yi Pin suddenly reminded me about the lyrics stuff.

He said to [a song's] lyric that i shown him that,

" OMG so mainstream..! i bet that 90 % of it was copied from other song. "

Britney Spears - Pop Diva [ex]

I was thinking so too

a sky full of star, air that you breath , everything everything

I think people are already sick with these metaphors

extremely sick

Determined

2008-05-06T14:48:00.003+08:00

Do you actually feel bored?
Of practising your guitar? practising your piano?
Everything in your life?
Or you even get bored of feeling bored?

Everyone is finding a way to satisfy one's need.
If you do, just take a rest,
why bother of everything
of all pressure that directed to you?
Do you forgot what we live for?(Or how you wanna live it AT LEAST?)

You wanna be slave of money?
Be a doctor? Lawyer? Engineer? Accountant?
Is that what you really liked? fuck that
Ask yourself thrice before making any decision
and before you say you are bored, remember
Of course there are still "responsibility" in this world

For the practising of your instruments,
there is a period that you will feel "down", or lazy to practise,
as I've gone through a few times of these,
IF you really feel bored of, lets say your piano
just really take a rest for few days not to practise it,
I believe in a few days if not a week or 2
The passion to music (-,-) will come back
and maybe its even bolder.

Hear some "idols" of yours
http://www.youtube.com/ is just there
, maybe you can regain back your
'interest' inside your stomach again
for any instrument you taking

Serious Music Vs Pop Music

2008-02-25T15:49:00.003+08:00

I'd done a little interview with Cheah Yi Pin, 17 from Chung Ling Wind Orchestra with the title as stated above.

K421yn says:
So personally, how do you think that the serious music or pop culture music is nicer?

Yi Pin says:
Well I like both of them, but more of serious music because its much more interesting, the composing makes me feel more complicated emotions... pop culture music I may like for awhile and get bored of it after that.. only less than 5 songs I have really liked for years after listening. Usually the serious music I heard is much more complicated in expressing feelings than pop culture.

k421yn says:
For your preference, do you feel more disappointed if there is no serious music in this world, or no pop music in this world?

Yi Pin says:
LoL well this is very subjective.. Maybe if there isn’t pop music there would be another type that replaces it. I would definitely feel more disappointed if there’s no serious music, but no pop for me is still ok.

k421yn says:
And why do you think that teenagers nowadays prefer to hear more pop music rather than serious music?

Yi Pin says:
There are several reasons I can think of, but to me it’s mainly because pop music is mainstreamed and largely promoted... serious music takes some understanding to be appreciated and isn’t really catchy for the teen market. Imagine your outside and you hear one shop playing a classical music track, if you’re not into classical music before, u probably wont stand there listening to the whole 10 minutes.

k421yn says:
If you can be an influential person in music, which side you will be in?

Yi Pin says:
hahaha.. I'd want to be like Nobuo Uematsu.
k421yn says:
Lol , Nobuo have the best of both world.
Yi Pin says:
Yeah.. his music is the type I've liked most for a long time.

k421yn says:
There are another batch of musician that is not on both world. Like the musician of death metal, Goth music and some jazz music that do really have their own pathway rather than mainstream like pop music. How's your opinion about these genre of music?

Yi Pin says:
Basically as I see, their expressions of different cultures. Although I do appreciate having so many types of music now, as I think it shows that our people in the society are getting more and more varied with different mindsets and lifestyles, I really don't like death metal and those type of heavy rock. Jazz is ok for me. But that's just me, u know..

k421yn says:
So.. Any last word to redefine your stand?

Yi Pin says:
I'm very happy with what I've learned these 4 years in the CHung Ling Band.
k421yn says:
You have a nostalgic past with them surely on your music "pathway"
Yi Pin says:
Well, the band has let me know many inredible people... but to me learning is a one way thing, there are some things I do regret, but I'm very grateful for the chance to have gone through all this and nothing will replace them. Like the trip to Singapore, or just a normal Saturday practice......

Yi Pin says:
Exactly. Being in the band introduced me to many types of music and taught me to appreciate why they were created, and how they evolved... serious music has had a long time to grow, while pop music is still quite young i think. I hope to see pop music in the future able to make people feel something that is at least as interesting and deep as serious music, by then it would be serious music as well.

k421yn says:
thanx for the time
Yi Pin says:
sure

Tuba Day

2008-01-24T21:53:00.000+08:00

The History of International Tuba Day
1st friday of march

As listed in Chases Annual Events, International Tuba Day was created to recognize tubists in musical organizations around the world who have to go through the hassle of handling a tuba. What hassles do tubists have? Tuba players obviously have hassles due to the size and weight of their instruments, but what is actually more of a hassle for tuba players is the prevalence of stereotyped attitudes among people towards tubists and their role in a musical organization.

Think for a minute: What does the tuba mean to you? Unfortunately, many non-tuba players think of the tuba as just being one of those big, loud instruments that go "oompah" in the back of parades - having no real importance and being easy to play - they're just there to look nice. As for tuba players, many people view them in the old stereotyped way: they have no real musical talent, no personality, just big, fat bodies with puffy cheeks and powerful lungs.

Therefore, International Tuba Day was created for both tuba players and non-tuba players alike. If you don't play the tuba and feel as described above, International Tuba Day is your day to learn more about the significance of the tuba in our musical society. It's your day to see how the tuba is the backbone of the band with the capability of playing much more than just "oompah!" More importantly, International Tuba Day is your day to recognize the tuba player as being a talented master of musical performance who physically comes in all different shapes and sizes. Of course, if you do play the tuba, International Tuba Day is your day to sit back, relax, and enjoy your much deserved recognition!

Stolen from www.tubaday.com

I would appreciate this honour :) as a tuba player.

LOLL

Intonation

2008-01-20T02:03:00.000+08:00

I made a big mistake by simply too caring about the technique and the playing for my juniors in the wind band i played.
There is another factor that is important -- that is the sound quality.
Brass players will find it hard to find the perfect embouchure.
All the fingering system on brass is the same except for horn and trombone, therefore players can swap instrument. for example trumpet > cornet, french horn > tenor horn and vice versa.

"The proper embouchure allows the instrumentalist to play the instrument at its full range with a full, clear tone and without strain or damage to one's muscles."

Why

2008-01-18T23:31:00.000+08:00

Is it the real nature of our thinking, or all these are fitted into our mind because of the mind set that the mass media or the century added into our mind?

Try hear

Oboe solo
Swan Lake Op.20 Act II No.10 Scene - Pyotr Tchaikovsky

Guitar solo
Comfortably numb - Pink Floyd

Theme of Love from Final Fantasy 4 - Nobuo Uematsu

How much the word beautiful can travel in our mind?
I am not specifically saying that these songs will suite into everyone's ear,
but at least these song suits very well in mine ^.^V An I am sure there are the same feeling in everyone on some music or song even anything else.

Why do they sound so beautifull? I am definitely not saying about how talented the composer is
but why they are just beautifull. My point of view is -- try think about it scientifically. Maybe those songs trigger some part of the brain and produce some "feel-good-hormone?"

Live it up

2008-01-03T23:51:00.000+08:00

Some people comment, some condemn, some give advise, some barks.
Do you love music? Do you live with it?
Do you love music for what it is, and not as what people see it as?
If your not a poser, then your not.
If you think you are a poser after people say you are a poser, then you are.
But who say i hate poser? I learned a lot from them how big this world are.
and entrepreneurs do like poser!

Who are you to judge the life I live?
I know I'm not perfect, & I don't live to be,
but before you start pointing fingers
- make sure your hands are clean.

And i do appreciate comments or advise for me if i'm really walking in/to the wrong direction.

Q n A time

Are you talking about music?
Yes, maybe.. maybe not

Q n Q time

How do I relate these to music?
Does it matter if music is your life?

Tranquilize

2008-01-02T16:57:00.000+08:00

Are you improving very slowly although you practised much with your instrument? Have you practised for a long time, in the end you got nothing and feel frustrated and sometimes thinking is it worth wasting time on this instrument or you’re not talented?

Maybe it’s not because of the lack of practise hour or determination.

I myself have seen many including me myself music students that feels the same bad feeling after practised such a long time for a difficult passage and got nothing success as a come back.
Maybe you refer back to what your teacher said about X times that you should play the passage SLOWLY FIRST, follow the metronome GRADUALLY FASTER after you caught the muscle memory (will come back to this one). BUT you still can't get it right!

Then you should check your posture.
NO no it’s not about how you sit or hold your instrument, but its about the tension in your muscle. Muscle tension is one of the most difficult body discomfort to realise until you are really relaxed, THEN you can really feel the difference and the comfort. The tension on your shoulder? Forearm? Neck? Lips? Wrist? Face?? Shaking(i mean rocking) leg??? Troubles of reading music score? Hard angle of viewing conductor? Uncomfortable sit?
Don't laugh, as these will really affect your productivity of practising time.
As for more detailed posture check on your instrument playing do consult a professional teacher as you won't notice the discomfort easily until u really know how to relax CORRECTLY.
As I do play guitar, piano and brass instrument, I have tips for these instruments.
(Will post next time!!)

Just back from KL :). Just went shopping with friends, saw/learned some different things from Penang.
Met a gamer friend there (2 i mean). Although its not SUPER fun but I'll regret if i missed this great getaway from a year's busy life and the last stop until next year's EVEN BUSIER life.
The picture is what so called the building the symbol of how much our nation has improved. (Do you mean it in terms of TECHNOLOGY or THINKING, fill in the blank)

Distance

2007-12-26T00:00:00.000+08:00

I have been always thinking, where The Beatles or Led Zeppelin got these talent from. Maybe it's pure talent that came from the God. Or they really worked hard to create the masterpieces. There are dozens(or thousands or more) of musician out there that were dreaming to be some kind of rock star or a principal violinist in the philharmonic.

Most people asked about themselves
"How far can I GO with music?"

But let me slightly change the question
"How far you WANT to go with music?"

for the equation. GO is not equal to WANT.

"Practice. I used to sit on the edge of my bed with a six-pack of Malt talls. My brother would go out at 7pm to party and get laid, and when he'd come back at 3am, I would still be sitting in the same place, playing guitar. I did that for years — I still do that.”

Quotes from Eddie Van Halen.

I am going to KL soon, lets wish me to have a nice holiday. : )

Guitar Singing

2007-12-21T20:50:00.000+08:00

These are some songs that I really liked that i may want to share if you played guitar,
or anyone that wanna hear good music with great guitar solo. :)

Stevie Ray Vaughan - Texas Flood

Jimmy Hendrix - Voodoo Child

Jimmy Hendrix - Purple Haze

The Eagles - Hotel California

Metallica - Enter Sandman

Van Halen - Eruption

JerryC - Canon Rock

Led Zeppelin - Stairway To Heaven

Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody

Guns n' Roses - Sweet Child O' Mine

Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb

These are what I've heard and i think is nice, any good guitar solo that i missed out please tell me. I am also still finding :)

Nope that was not a photoshop job, its a quad guitar played by Micheal Angelo.

Passion

2007-12-19T22:55:00.000+08:00

So now, if you have started to play an instrument (or maybe MASTERED IT). Great!

Then I may have few question that the answers you should find out yourself.

How well do you know about your instrument?

Do you often check the quality of your intonation?

Do you often check on how to maintain your instrument?

Do you know about the history of the instrument your playing?

Do you know what role are you playing on the orchestra?

What’s the exact timbre of your instrument?

What’s the exact/fundamental playing range of your instrument?

Are you practicing in the RIGHT WAY? (Consult a professional teacher for this one)

Are you selecting a good instrument? (Brands, IT DOES affect you ease of play and tone quality)

Are you using good mouthpiece/reed/bow/strings/sticks?

Do you check and are sensitive with your tuning? (If the answer is no buy a tuner NOW)

Do you UNDERSTAND how your instrument works?

Do you LIKE your instrument? (Only answer this after you have known your instrument well)

Does your instrument sound right? (Hear more recording of your instrument especially winds and strings intonation)

Do you forget your instrument after you leave the lesson you took?

After you found all the answers and do it the right way (use your brain), practice more and become a maestro of your instrument.
BTW I damn liked that album cover of The Beatles.

What is music theory all about

2007-12-19T00:04:00.000+08:00

So what exactly is music? We constantly hear music so we almost take it for granted.

So how did John William or Beethoven and all other composers decide how their music was going to sound? You can definitely tell that they did not just put random notes on paper and hope it sounded good... there was a general set of rules they followed. This set of rules is what we today call music theory. It would be wrong, however, to say that composers had a nice little "music theory handbook" that they referred to as they were writing their music. Actually, it is just the other way around... our study of music theory is based on what composers wrote many years ago.

This is what i state for generally western music theory just to explain why they sounded or whats the roots of what we hearing today.

But still there are many more type of music that is not explained by the music theory of modern day ( the one that most of us studied). So music theory is just a way to explain why they (music) sound so.

For the beginners = start studying the boring music theory, although its really boring, you will thanks me for asking you to do so. you will really realize the importance of theory after you knew it.

For the pros = start studying beyond what you have studied. If you think you know it all, explore all kind of music genre, study music from different cultures and I'm sure you can broaden your knowledge and be more wise in the genre-of-music you started before.
For an example if you started playing jazz music maybe you can just stay there memorizing the pattern of jazz.
But if you studied the root of jazz ( who know this raise your hand now ) that is bebop and before that is blues, you can really understand more of jazz and simply play better jazz than you was before.

1st post

2007-12-18T22:05:00.000+08:00

I really want to share whats my thought about music, and share any knowledge about music that i have.

First of all my scope/view towards music is not about any style or influence.
I do like Swan Lake Suite, I do like Schubert, I do like Green Day, And I do like anything else that i think suites well into human ear.

But, honestly I don't like gangster RAP although i appreciate hip hop as a culture of its own.