Thinking About Thoughts

(This picture has no relation to this post whatsoever.)

Sometimes it’s nice to think. Sometimes it’s nice to think about what you have thought. In my last post, I looked back on my education in violin and how that has influenced my life. Looking back on all of that, a question arose in my mind: Did an inborn love for music lead me to persevere with my music studies, or did picking up the violin nurture that love for music? It’s almost like the “Chicken or the Egg” dilemma. I honestly can’t remember whether I already had a love for music as a child when I picked up the violin. All I really know is that I decided to play violin, and I currently love music.

So what does this say about my learning style? Do I learn something out of a love for the subject, or do I grow to admire it through learning it extensively?

In regards to playing the violin, it was most likely not the latter option. While I love playing the violin and making music, I know that playing the violin is hard work, and it took a lot of work to get where I am now. Without a preexistent love for music, it’s likely that I would have dropped the violin long ago. I know I’m not a very motivated learner, so it takes something truly interesting and engaging for me to actually get something out of it.

There will always be things that people love to do, yet there will always be things that are dull and boring. What I have realized is that these are two sides of the same coin. One simply has to find the joy in all tasks.

It’s definitely important to nurture those things that come naturally to us. After all, it’s those things that are going to be most important in our lives. If you can manage to find those things that you truly love, do whatever it takes to master that subject, whether it be playing the piano, building tables and chairs, or even tending to people’s teeth. However, it’s definitely possible to learn to enjoy something through prolonged exposure. Even seemingly boring things are going to be important, like brushing your teeth or taking the trash out. So regardless of what it is, give it your all. In time, it may become at least somewhat pleasant. And when the most boring of daily tasks become pleasant, your life becomes a joy to live.

Perhaps one day I’ll start exercising regularly, and it will become an enjoyable experience over time.

Fat chance. (No pun intended.)

Photo credit: franklando

Music.

My family has always been musical. So, one day when I was young, my mother asked me if I wanted to learn to play an instrument. I was so excited. I had seen my oldest brother play the violin and I knew I wanted to do the same thing. So, when I around seven years old, I began to take violin lessons. Overall, I enjoyed playing violin as a young’un. However, no child (or adult, for that matter) enjoys practicing. Somehow, I managed to make steady progress throughout my childhood and into my teenage years. In the fifth grade, I joined the Tulsa Honors Orchestra, which was a big leap in my musical journey. It was my first big step into playing and collaborating with other musicians. Since then, I’ve been playing in orchestras, from the Tulsa Youth Symphony Orchestra to the Oklahoma City University Symphony Orchestra.

Now, here I am. Looking back, I’ve come a very long way from by beginning years in music. I’ve definitely improved in my violin skills, but I’ve also gained a deep appreciation for the arts and for music in particular. This may just be my opinion, but there is something about music that sets it apart from any other art form. I might look at a painting and acknowledge its beauty and vibrant color, but I never feel anything. Yet, when I listen to Eric Whitacre’s “When David Heard,” I completely lose it emotionally. And, for the most part, it’s completely unexplainable; it’s mysterious, even. It may just be because I’m a musician, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone break down over a painting or a dance routine. I’m not saying that other art forms are inferior, but music’s effect on the mind and on emotion is something I’ve never experienced with anything else.

Whenever I think of what it takes to be a musician, I realize that there’s a whole lot more to it than being able to play an instrument; you have to gain that deep appreciation and reverence for the power of music. This is something that came fairly easily to me, and I am thankful for that, although I may not have had the calling to be a professional musician. However, no one said you have to make a living out of it in order to be a musician. Music is a gift for everyone.

Now, here’s some music. You should listen to it.

O Waly, Waly – Benjamin Britten

The District Sleeps Alone Tonight – The Postal Service

I Walked – Sufjan Stevens

Photo credit: juja

Exploring the Blogosphere

Hello.

As I am fairly new to the blogging world (unless browsing Reddit for hours on end counts as blogging), I have begun to immerse myself in other blogs to get a feel for this new field of journalism. At the behest of my composition professor, I browsed the Technorati Top 100 Blogs hoping to find some blogs that I could read, and thankfully, a couple of these made a good first impression. Here I will introduce two of these blogs and some of the content I read from them.

I apologize for all of this being related to video games. It was (somewhat) unintentional.

1. Joystiq: Joystiq, #44 on the Technorati Top 100 Blogs list (at the time of this post), is dedicated to keeping up with information on all things regarding the video game industry. Honestly, I do not have much to say regarding this blog other than that they featured an interview with an all-time favorite composer of mine, Joe Hisaishi, regarding his work on a Japanese role playing game by the name of Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch that was just released in the United States. This game had been on my radar ever since I heard that it was making its way here to the U.S., and I almost fell out of my seat when I found out that Studio Ghibli had done the animation on it. (If you don’t know, Studio Ghibli is an animation studio in Japan responsible for animating such classics as Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke.) On top of that, Joe Hisaishi (who composed music for the aforementioned films that Studio Ghibli animated) composed the entire score for the game. In short, by featuring an interview with such an amazing composer as Joe Hisaishi, Joystiq has piqued my interest. Hopefully Joystiq will have more interesting content such as this.

2. Ars Technica: Ars Technica (meaning “art of technology”) is a blog seeking to keep up-to-date with technology news, recent technological advancements, new products, and various other related topics. Of the several technology/electronics blogs I explored on Technorati’s Top 100 Blogs, Ars Technica (#14 on the list at the time of this post) made the best first impression, mainly based on a posting of theirs that I read regarding the recent outcry against violent video games and their influence on their players. Ever since the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary, gun control, mental health, and the influence of violent video games have been hot issues. Being a fan of video games, I have been hearing quite an uproar from the gaming community stemming from their fear that violent video games will be banned or otherwise censored without sufficient evidence to suggest that these types of games really support violent behavior in society. While I do not believe that violent video games could have any more of an influence on people than books or movies of the same nature, and while I do not wish congress or anyone else to make any hasty decisions on the issue, I fully support further research and investigation.

The Ars Technica article cleared up a lot of cobwebs for me (and for many others, I assume) as it explained that in no way will the federal government somehow ban or censor violent video games. They simply are calling for research on any and all possible causes of violent behavior, violent video games being a possibility. At the moment, the only ones actively attacking the video game industry is the NRA, who would gladly use video games as a scapegoat for gun violence in order to keep the issue of gun control off of the table. (Please know that I am a supporter of the NRA for the most part, but I do not appreciate their gratuitous accusations against the video game industry.) In my opinion, the Ars Technica article took great care in dispelling the worries of the gaming community regarding the recent issue. While I have not read much more of Ars Technica’s content, they have definitely intrigued me.

Photo credit: XKCD Comics