pocket universe

Archive for May, 2007

turn which way

In my horrendously long (and growing) list of artists that I’ve been influenced by, I find that I am in particular awe and admiration of artists who can handle many different kinds of sounds. These thoughts came to my head after noting that in the last couple of musical posts, I’ve had music by Bela Fleck, Rachael Yamagata (kind of), and Shiina Ringo - all artists that I enjoy greatly for their abilities to explore multiple genres and somehow manage to fit into them all very well.

While compiling the list of songs to post today, I noticed by the time I made my third selection that all the artists were women. After much riffling through my relatively large music collection, though I recognize that my collection is by no means comprehensive, I was surprised at my lack of music by versatile male artists that aren’t Yo-Yo Ma, Bela Fleck, Gil Shaham, or the likes. The closest I could come was Jay Chou…and I don’t find him particularly representative of what I define to be flexible. So I made a compromise and went with The Weakerthans, from whom I have heard…a variety of sounds.

Feel free to disagree with me on my choices of artists. I’m not really good at this…
[all files hosted on savefile.com. All files are property of their respective artists. Please buy their CDs and support them!!]
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+ [Gibbs] - Shiina Ringo
- The first song I ever heard by Shiina Ringo. Very standard-Ringo rock, but just as effective nonetheless. This lady has some serious power.

+ [Sigma] - Shiina Ringo
- Ringo does so much music that just one song by her is truly not enough of an example of her talent. This song, off the same single as the previous track, is a little more indicative of just how brilliantly insane and traversal Ringo’s music is.

+ [Trick Pony] - Nelly Furtado
- “Trick Pony”, from Furtado’s sophisticated and severely underrated sophomore album, is a double-dose of genre-transcending artists given that her string backing is the ever-amazing Kronos Quartet. I would have included some Kronos music with this particular post, but the files are too big. Maybe next time. Furtado has gotten a lot of guff for her most recent album, what with people accusing her of “selling out” to the hip-hop genre. However, all three of her albums have been radically different and it just so happens that the sounds of the first and most recent albums have been the most marketable to the masses. What is amazing is that she makes all three albums work darn well. I sincerely hope she never gets stuck in any genre because she is so talented.

+ [Passion] - Utada Hikaru
- Like Furtado, Utada has handled a plethora of different sounds ever since her career took off. Whether it’s pop or R-an-B or a fusion of things no one wanted to even imagine placed to her quirky lyrics and melodies, she’s gotten lots of formulas to work. Sadly, the final products aren’t what everyone has always sought (see her English Exodus album, which I really admire for its daring.) More recently, she’s settled into a pretty definitive “Utada” sound, but I hope she, like Furtado, keeps exploring other musical arenas. Just imagine some of the things she could do! This particular song was the Kingdom Hearts II theme song, but still very Utada with its soaring melodies and orchestration.

+ [Plea from a Cat Named Virtue] - The Weakerthans
- Perhaps their most famous song, and again, deservedly so. The lyrics for this song are terribly cute and ingenious.

May 27 2007 | music | No Comments »

sweet awakenings

So another official school year has ended. It was truly beautiful school year and I will miss the graduates of this year, both graduate and undergraduate, more than any other year. This year, in terms of people, I got a bit of courage to get to know people who I had always seen around, but never really talked to, and discovered how amazing they and their ideas were. They opened my eyes to whole new sides of the arts we were all involved in, each other, and even myself. Without the encouragement of some these people, I might not have admitted to myself how important a love for what you do is. They are all so passionate (though they may not realize it haha), and it’s inspiring.

Musically, as this blog has documented, the past school year has been amazing. First there was Jacare Brazil and working with Skye Steele in the fall semester added onto the Carmina Burana ballet. There was the whole realization of a desire to explore all the possible diversities of my instrument. The Spring semester was just as enlightening with a plethora of masterclasses with well-respected artists, perhaps most influentially The Turtle Island String Quartet - which just further fed that hope to play my instrument in new ways.

My Junior recital went well, and it turned out to be a thrilling experience after all. And while negativity and drama in the preceding weeks threatened to completely overshadow them, both the performances of La Traviata (with the University Orchestra) and the Respighi Quintet in f minor went well. The latter performance was a complete dream come true, with an ensemble of wonderful ladies who I will forever associate with this great piece. The next “dreams come true” were actually being awarded a music scholarship I worked for (but didn’t expect at all to receive), and playing Les Miserables with the P.K. Yonge Research School. No words can describe the absolute wonder of being able to participate in a production such as the P.K.Y. put on (though previous years’ were fantastic as well) or the honor of receiving the scholarship.

These feelings are enthralling enough that I almost feel like there’s just no leaving music for me; that this world is where I truly belong.

And of course, there was the entire fact that the university won three championship titles in two years, which just made for all sorts of observations on environmental influences. Especially that of unity. Again, I find that unity is one of the most beautiful things around. Why is still unclear to me. Perhaps because there’s not really that much of it in pure stages these days anymore.

But let’s stay and share this happiness for a while, and not think of why so many people take advantage of shared feelings. Here are some songs to wish those moving on the best in their futures, that we will all still remember each other years from now, and also that kind of just sum up the thoughts above.

[all songs listed on savefile.com. ]
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[MUSIC] Please support the artists and buy their CDs!!

+ [Keep Tryin'] - Utada Hikaru (lyrics translation)

+ [Arigato] - Home Made Kazoku (lyrics translation)

+ [Feeling Good] - Nina Simone

+ [Whistle Down the Wind] - Lottie Mayor (composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber)

May 07 2007 | music and musings | No Comments »