(I was going to do something entirely different, but I felt this was more appropriate)
Next week might end up being my last lesson with Sensei, who has been my teacher for five years now. I can tell, a lot of the students here at Pallet Town U aren't terribly fond of him, but he has helped my playing improve at LEAST tenfold since I was a newbie. During my first year, I almost had to quit trumpet due to an embouchure problem, and with his advice and guidance, I have gotten past it, and am starting to actually sound kind of the way I want to, sometimes (I don't expect to ever sound EXACTLY as I want to, and as another brass prof says, "the moment you're happy with how you play, quit music, because there's nothing left to achieve"). I bet even the masters themselves get pissed off with how they play, on recordings that other musicians would call flawless.
So, as I said, people at my school aren't always fond of my professor. They'll make fun of how most of his stories are decades old, or how he doesn't comment on much outside of rhythm and articulation in brass class. They make fun of the fact that orchestras played things... well, shorter in his day. They'll laugh at how he'll tell you which of two mistakes is the smarter one to make, when we're all striving to be perfectionists. They'll act as if a "harder" tongue means "laborious," instead of "crisper." Or, y'know, they'll make fun of how, when his orchestra was dissolved, he got his education degree and went on to teaching in the public school system. Or that, since he hasn't really been active for 25 years, his age is audible in his playing.
But you know what? I don't care what everyone else thinks. All I know is that he has been a blessing to my playing, and that his guidance and impact on my life will never be forgotten. He has an approach to playing which is very "well... just do it." The amount of times he'll ask me how to nail a line I'm missing, and his answer is simply "blow through it." His tone might be aged due to lack of consistent playing, but there's a certain sweetness to his vibrato that you notice when you listen carefully.
After a while, I began to realise that he was beginning to consider me a friend as well as a student. He'd tell me about his family, and about his dreams he hoped to accomplish, and when he started talking about how he was probably too old for things, I'd tell him he's full of it and has plenty of life left. Now, he's buying a house with an unfinished basement, to convert into a recording studio. When he leaves the school system this June, I'd like to help him with it, and if he'd be willing, help christen it with the Manfredini Concerto for Two Trumpets.
At one point, Sensei told me the two things that he felt were the most important lessons he ever learned. The first one is: "Never burn your bridges." This derives from his observation of "They tell you music is 90% luck and 10% skill. They lied... it's 99% luck." He considers himself lucky to have had the experiences he had, and though other people might say he hasn't done a lot with it, I would argue, and we both think that the recording studio will be a nice addition to his creative output. So, since music is basically about who you know, and their impressions of you, you want to remain as friendly as you can, as positive, as available, as helpful, and as caring a person as possible. Any personal vendettas you might have will only come back to hurt you if you act on them, so if someone has wronged you, the best you can do is to put it aside, and make sure to stay in good standing with them.
The other lesson, and this one has impacted me a lot, is (and I quote): "Don't let the assholes get you down." Because let's be honest... there will be people who ignore the above lesson. There will be people whose attitudes will be detrimental. There will be people who try to teach you, but in doing so, make their resentments obviously known. And there will be people who will flat-out be rude, flat-out condemn your playing/appearance/personality, and just... flat-out be assholes. But that doesn't matter. They might be after you... so don't let them be. They will try to hurt you, but they're not worth your time. Sensei honestly believes that most people are (in his exaggerated way of speaking) "really just GOOD PEOPLE." You will have to deal with the jerks, the snobs, the elitists, and others. But they shouldn't outweigh the amount of people around you who are caring. The amount of people who support you, who believe in you, who believe you have the dedication to make it. There really are a lot of good people in this world. Let them be the ones you rely on.
That last lesson has meant a lot to me. It sometimes stuns me to see, even after my fails, how much people still support me. Sensei considers me his friend. Ramona somehow still has faith in my playing, even after hearing me at my worst. Even the other quintet members, many of which probably have the right to make fun of me, show me the occasional glimmer of confidence (maybe even accidentally :P) that I needed to see. And Lucca, that damn perfect person that she is, hasn't even heard me for months, but won't accept me saying a single bad thing about myself. So here's my life lesson... "You have more allies than you think." ^-^
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Saturday, March 17, 2012
A post I am... not...
So I really want to put something up today, but I'm a bit stuck to come up with life-relevant things... so let's re-hash and flesh out a little mini-rant I started months and months ago on the Facebooks! As those of you who have been following me for a few months (and know me in real life) know, I'm a bit of a nerd, and did a good chunk of my schooling focusing on video game musicology. I've always been a fan of defending the "art music" status of lesser genres (I don't listen to or particularly enjoy rap, but I will defend its academic validity til the cowizzles come hizzle, fo shizzle), and so fusing my two big interests in music and video games fits that perfectly. This is just kind of a funny thing I did once that worked out surprisingly really well...
The EarthBound Kids as Orchestral Brass Instruments
For those of you who don't know, EarthBound (the second game in the Mother series) is an absolutely incredible RPG released in the mid-1990s for the Super Nintendo. It features the adventures of Ness (yes, from Super Smash Bros) as he discovers his psychic powers, meets some other kids, beats people up with a baseball bat, and eventually saves the world from an evil alien fetus that is the producer's metaphor for a child's view of rape. Yeah, random genre shift at the end, and it works really well. Without spoiling the ending TOO much, there's a nice "clap if you believe in fairies" moment that really tugs the heartstrings. Anyways, long story short, the game is fantastic, and you should try it. It also has some fantastic music, which I'll probably feature later in like a "part two" type thing to this post. But for now, a cool little correlation between the protagonists and a brass section.
Ness - the Horn
So, Ness (centre-right) is the first kid you have in your party, and with the exception of two rather short scenes (about an hour combined, and this is a 40+ hour game), you'll always have him in your party. When he's by himself, he's an absolute tank, playing with a nice mix of defensive and offensive PSI. When you're joined by the other kids, your party dynamics shift a bit, with Paula and Jeff taking on an offensive role, and Ness filling in a defensive/support role (even his PSI Rockin' is more just to net the kills that Paula may have JUST missed). When his full potential is unlocked (after Magicant), you realize that he is a total boss, and can basically do everything.
The horn, in an orchestra, is a composer's all-purpouse instrument. When there's a brass solo, it's 90% of the time written for horn. The composers really demand a lot of those instruments, sometimes even making the principal a feature of the movement (Maher 5-3), regardless of how many other brass are playing. However, when the brass tuttis DO happen, the horn will be a supporter, blending with the other instruments while the trumpets and trombones take over (Mahler 5-5, ending). Horns also work well with everyone, whether brass, woodwinds, or strings.
Paula - the Trombone
Paula (far right) is the second character you get, and is depressingly feminine while also subverting that role in terms of mechanics. She's got the pink dress, her weapons are frying pans, and she's kidnapped not once, but twice (THREE times if you count her and Ness being held captive in Threed). However, in a time where all female roles have basically been dancers, White Mages, and skanky archers, Paula is a Black Mage. Functionally. She focuses on elemental PSI, using almost arbitrary rock-paper-scissors weaknesses against the various foes. She's fairly speedy, and low on HP, but hits like a truck every time.
Trombone is one of those instruments that stereotypically plays too loud. In fact, my province is the exception, as we have an unusual amount of quiet trombone players, but a few loud ones to make sure we keep a quota. The point is, listen to a fortissimo low brass section (there's a moment in the Porgy and Bess suite that gets me every time). Raw power, that's all. Trombones correlating to the offensive juggernaut is all too obvious a connection, but occasionally composers will throw their listeners for a loop, and have a beautiful, soft, low chordal transition between sections that just melts people when played on trombone. Thus, though Paula and the trombone are opposite subversions of each other, the subversions make them overlap quite well.
Jeff - the Trumpet
So, Jeff (centre-left) is a boss. He's the only kid in your party without psychic powers, and also the only kid who's known for being able to one-shot bosses. You don't buy his weapons at a regular public drugstore, but at (not very well) hidden arms dealers. With handy items like the Heavy Bazooka, Multi-Bottle Rocket, Hungry HP-Sucker, and Netralizer, Jeff's got a tool for almost every job. Plus, he's got that whole sent-to-boarding-school-and-only-known-family-doesn't-even-recognize-him thing going on.
Oh, the trumpet. One thing that bugs me a tad about trumpeters, though is also something I'm guilty of in a slightly different way (yay hypocrisy!) is shown nicely in this little sketch from Tone Deaf:
Yep, trumpet players are all about their toys, it seems. We've got a new tool for every job. I mean, I like the idea of having different styles of mutes, though idk if I'd go with like five straight mutes all made of different material like some people do (fun fact: a felt ring around the stem of a straight mute gives it a beautiful, failsafe tone colour for like 99% of pieces). And I've never been into the weighted thing (my C trumpet has a random weighted valve cap on the middle valve, mostly cuz I didn't want all of them on, but thought it looked cool, and now can't find the other caps to make them uniform). But, when it comes to comp students asking "what can you do with mutes," trumpet kind of blows every other instrument out of the water.
And yeah... trumpet players are kind of apart from other brass in that, if there's ever some kind of argument or clash of egos, it's always between a trumpet and a non-trumpet. It's a bad stereotype, but happens too often to not have SOME semblance of truth. Though, as with Jeff and the other kids, they are ultimately a team, and we brass ultimately sound best when it's all ranges of voices, with perfect balance.
Poo - the Tuba
Prince Poo of Dalaam (far left) is the last character you add to your team, and in terms of gameplay, a lot of people use him as a clone of Paula. However, Poo has some very unique abilities in Brainshock and Mirror. Brainshock is just a very situational confusion power, but Mirror is something no one else in the party can pull off, by copying one of the opponents' moves and behaviours. It's kinda fun, and Mirroring an Atomic Power Robot in Stonehenge totally makes an otherwise pleasantly challenging dungeon a cakewalk.
Yeah, I was kind of running out of instruments, so relating the Tuba to Poo is a bit of a stretch. I mean, the tuba IS to lesser composers thought of as an extension of the trombones, instead of its own section, much as Poo could be thought of by some players as an extension of Paula in terms of battle strategy. However, it's best when used as its own thing, like its little solos in the first movement of Mahler Five, for example. Also, tuba and euph soloists are infamous for borrowing music from other instruments, much like Poo borrows the abilities of his foes. That's about it, but it's enough for me, considering every other combination of person and instrument was taken.
So, that was the random of the day. I had a great idea for the next post, but I've temporarily forgotten it. Hopefully it will come to me. Expect something, at least, some time this week. Anyways, I'm off. Gotta wake up early tomorrow, and I have a bad habit of staying up much later than necessary.
Now dry your eyes, blow your nose, and smile before we take off. :)
The EarthBound Kids as Orchestral Brass Instruments
For those of you who don't know, EarthBound (the second game in the Mother series) is an absolutely incredible RPG released in the mid-1990s for the Super Nintendo. It features the adventures of Ness (yes, from Super Smash Bros) as he discovers his psychic powers, meets some other kids, beats people up with a baseball bat, and eventually saves the world from an evil alien fetus that is the producer's metaphor for a child's view of rape. Yeah, random genre shift at the end, and it works really well. Without spoiling the ending TOO much, there's a nice "clap if you believe in fairies" moment that really tugs the heartstrings. Anyways, long story short, the game is fantastic, and you should try it. It also has some fantastic music, which I'll probably feature later in like a "part two" type thing to this post. But for now, a cool little correlation between the protagonists and a brass section.
Ness - the Horn
So, Ness (centre-right) is the first kid you have in your party, and with the exception of two rather short scenes (about an hour combined, and this is a 40+ hour game), you'll always have him in your party. When he's by himself, he's an absolute tank, playing with a nice mix of defensive and offensive PSI. When you're joined by the other kids, your party dynamics shift a bit, with Paula and Jeff taking on an offensive role, and Ness filling in a defensive/support role (even his PSI Rockin' is more just to net the kills that Paula may have JUST missed). When his full potential is unlocked (after Magicant), you realize that he is a total boss, and can basically do everything.
The horn, in an orchestra, is a composer's all-purpouse instrument. When there's a brass solo, it's 90% of the time written for horn. The composers really demand a lot of those instruments, sometimes even making the principal a feature of the movement (Maher 5-3), regardless of how many other brass are playing. However, when the brass tuttis DO happen, the horn will be a supporter, blending with the other instruments while the trumpets and trombones take over (Mahler 5-5, ending). Horns also work well with everyone, whether brass, woodwinds, or strings.
Paula - the Trombone
Paula (far right) is the second character you get, and is depressingly feminine while also subverting that role in terms of mechanics. She's got the pink dress, her weapons are frying pans, and she's kidnapped not once, but twice (THREE times if you count her and Ness being held captive in Threed). However, in a time where all female roles have basically been dancers, White Mages, and skanky archers, Paula is a Black Mage. Functionally. She focuses on elemental PSI, using almost arbitrary rock-paper-scissors weaknesses against the various foes. She's fairly speedy, and low on HP, but hits like a truck every time.
Trombone is one of those instruments that stereotypically plays too loud. In fact, my province is the exception, as we have an unusual amount of quiet trombone players, but a few loud ones to make sure we keep a quota. The point is, listen to a fortissimo low brass section (there's a moment in the Porgy and Bess suite that gets me every time). Raw power, that's all. Trombones correlating to the offensive juggernaut is all too obvious a connection, but occasionally composers will throw their listeners for a loop, and have a beautiful, soft, low chordal transition between sections that just melts people when played on trombone. Thus, though Paula and the trombone are opposite subversions of each other, the subversions make them overlap quite well.
Jeff - the Trumpet
So, Jeff (centre-left) is a boss. He's the only kid in your party without psychic powers, and also the only kid who's known for being able to one-shot bosses. You don't buy his weapons at a regular public drugstore, but at (not very well) hidden arms dealers. With handy items like the Heavy Bazooka, Multi-Bottle Rocket, Hungry HP-Sucker, and Netralizer, Jeff's got a tool for almost every job. Plus, he's got that whole sent-to-boarding-school-and-only-known-family-doesn't-even-recognize-him thing going on.
Oh, the trumpet. One thing that bugs me a tad about trumpeters, though is also something I'm guilty of in a slightly different way (yay hypocrisy!) is shown nicely in this little sketch from Tone Deaf:
Yep, trumpet players are all about their toys, it seems. We've got a new tool for every job. I mean, I like the idea of having different styles of mutes, though idk if I'd go with like five straight mutes all made of different material like some people do (fun fact: a felt ring around the stem of a straight mute gives it a beautiful, failsafe tone colour for like 99% of pieces). And I've never been into the weighted thing (my C trumpet has a random weighted valve cap on the middle valve, mostly cuz I didn't want all of them on, but thought it looked cool, and now can't find the other caps to make them uniform). But, when it comes to comp students asking "what can you do with mutes," trumpet kind of blows every other instrument out of the water.
And yeah... trumpet players are kind of apart from other brass in that, if there's ever some kind of argument or clash of egos, it's always between a trumpet and a non-trumpet. It's a bad stereotype, but happens too often to not have SOME semblance of truth. Though, as with Jeff and the other kids, they are ultimately a team, and we brass ultimately sound best when it's all ranges of voices, with perfect balance.
Poo - the Tuba
Prince Poo of Dalaam (far left) is the last character you add to your team, and in terms of gameplay, a lot of people use him as a clone of Paula. However, Poo has some very unique abilities in Brainshock and Mirror. Brainshock is just a very situational confusion power, but Mirror is something no one else in the party can pull off, by copying one of the opponents' moves and behaviours. It's kinda fun, and Mirroring an Atomic Power Robot in Stonehenge totally makes an otherwise pleasantly challenging dungeon a cakewalk.
Yeah, I was kind of running out of instruments, so relating the Tuba to Poo is a bit of a stretch. I mean, the tuba IS to lesser composers thought of as an extension of the trombones, instead of its own section, much as Poo could be thought of by some players as an extension of Paula in terms of battle strategy. However, it's best when used as its own thing, like its little solos in the first movement of Mahler Five, for example. Also, tuba and euph soloists are infamous for borrowing music from other instruments, much like Poo borrows the abilities of his foes. That's about it, but it's enough for me, considering every other combination of person and instrument was taken.
So, that was the random of the day. I had a great idea for the next post, but I've temporarily forgotten it. Hopefully it will come to me. Expect something, at least, some time this week. Anyways, I'm off. Gotta wake up early tomorrow, and I have a bad habit of staying up much later than necessary.
Now dry your eyes, blow your nose, and smile before we take off. :)
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