Re: Power of Music


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Posted by Graham Smith on January 15, 2002 at 10:25:12:

In Reply to: Power of Music posted by LoverOfMusic on January 14, 2002 at 14:47:05:

Despite my having earned an applied music degree long ago (tuba was my major instrument), I still love music. Having to learn about harmony, the sonata form, orchestration, and all that didn't change how much I love it, but it DID change HOW I love it.
I am still deeply moved by a great piece of music, whether it's a piece of really good symphonic writing for orchestra, an "old standard" concert band (the last few chords of the first mvoement of Holst's first suite in Eb still grabs me), a well-done piece of choral work, or even a modern "contemporary Christian" worship song (although some of it is pretty trite.)
Music, most of us would agree, touches part of us that spoken or written words can't enter.

But the technical education certainly changed my appreciation for it. I find that sometimes I treat music that I like a little like I approached Blatty's novel "The Exorcist" when I read it years back. I read it once for the story, then I went back to read it again for the beauty of the language. I wanted to find out WHY that book worked for me as well as it did.
Now, I'll listen to a film score, like some of Howard Shore's score for "The Lord of the Rings," and I'll absorb the music for its sound, but I'll also start to listen to HOW he got the textures that are there, and I'll think,"Boy, I'd love to write something like that."
Same for parts of Hans Zimmer's work in "Price of Egpyt". The "Burning Bush" cue still moves me.
I don't mean to depart from tuba playing in general, but I just want to stress that for me, the education in music is an asset. It does, however, take some of the "mystery" out of the music if you can figure out how it was put together.
(I'll admit, though, that my appreciation for the sound of some high school bands is not what it was when I played in them. Nonetheless, I love those kids for playing their hearts out!)



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