Hello again, readers. As the summer winds down, I’d like to talk about my favorite topic, music. In case you were confused about the typing anomalies in the heading, it translates to, “Musician’s Ear.” If you play piano, bass, violin, or any musical instrument, you have probably already figured out the puzzle. The musical alphabet is A, A#, B, C, C#, D, D#, E, F, F#, G, G#. Although B has no sharp, I created it to mean C, and ♭ or flat means the note before it, so F♭ means E; or in this case, “Ear.” Music has created a twist to our alphabet. I encourage you to learn to play an instrument, it is very interesting to see music from the inside out, so you appreciate not just what you hear but how it is created.
I’m pretty sure many of you are fans of music, whatever genre you prefer. You usually see that elders prefer classical music or something more refined. My grandfather enjoys listening to music by a conductor named Antonio Vivaldi, especially the selection named, “The Four Seasons (Winter).” He also loves the powerful voice of tenors like Pavarotti, whose voice is timeless.
Many teens and tweens these days listen to genres along the lines of pop, hip-hop, rock, country, and rap. Some popular bands and singers include Justin Bieber, the duo of LMFAO, Lil Wayne, and Taylor Swift. But there are always a few atypical preferences among any age. I honestly like the song my grandfather plays because it requires pure talent and the musical notes are pure, not computerized creations. I don’t have anything against the synthesized music of our day, don’t get me wrong, but older music is more real music. If you listen carefully to older musical pieces, you can hear the individual instruments, guitars, drums, violins, piano. Try it out, compare the hip-hop or rap or Top-30 music to the older melodies and operas, and you will hear the difference in the music. Who knows, you may find that you really like Vivaldi too, or the Beatles.
A popular car commercial uses Vivaldi’s music to show their car as a classy, refined and sophisticated auto and that’s exactly how the music makes you feel. Google some old music and enjoy. In fact, I dare you to listen to a song like “The Clapping Song,” first played in 1965, and try not to tap your feet or nod your head…go ahead, try it!
If you listen to the radio on the way to school, work, or anywhere, you’d know that the music world is an ever-changing, fast-paced world. One month long all you may hear is the same song on every station (usually by Justin or Taylor), then next thing you know it’s old news and no one wants to hear it anymore. Bands appear faster than you can name them, and songs faster than you can say the name of the album. But Vivaldi’s Four Seasons just keeps going season after season after season.
