My Purpose

My Purpose

The purpose of this blog is to help people understand that music can be more then just entertainment, and what those things are. I want be able to help people with this blog. I don't know everything about music, I am still studying it, however, I will share what I have found. I hope you will be enlighted and edified by what I have to share. I worry that some people might turn a deaf ear to my blog if they read something on this blog that they don't agree with. I respect your beliefs. I don't agree with everything I read either. But I know you can find something that can help and interest you, if you just keep reading.

"Quotes Worth Mentioning"

QUOTES WORTH MENTIONING

When asked where his inspiration came from, Johannes Brahms said, "I immediately feel vibrations that thrills my whole being. These are the Spirit illuminating the soul power within, and in this exalted state, I see clearly what is obscure in my ordinary moods: Then I feel capable of drawing inspiration from above, as Beethoven ... Straighway the ideas flow in upon me, directly from God, and not only do I see distinct themes in my mind's eye but they are clothed in the right forms, harmonies, and orchestration. Measure by measure, the finished product is revealed to me when I am in those rare, inspired moods." "The powers from which all truly great composers like Mozart, Schubert, Bach and Beethoven drew their inspiration is the same power that enabled Jesus to work his miracles. It is the same power that created our earth and the whole universe"
("Talks with Great Composers", Arthur M. Abell)

"Give me power over he who shapes the music of a nation, and I care not for who shapes it laws"
Napolian Bonaparte

“Intellectual enlightenment consists of instruction in the arts, numbers, history, speech, and government. Music consummates a man’s life, giving his rituals meaning. Music has a trensforming effect on its listeners, and should be the first principle of government.” -The Teachings of Confucius.

I quote some remarks between,Gene R. Cook, and Mik Jagger made a few years ago:
Cook: "I have the opportunity to be with a lot of young people. Many say your music does not affect them adversely in any way. Others say it effects them in a very bad way. What is your opinion? What is your impact?”
Jagger "Our music is calculated to drive the kids to sex. It's not my fault what they do. It's up to them. I'm just making a lot of money.”
Cook: He was in Mexico making a profane and pornographic music video because the cost is 1/3 there. In addition it is easier to produce such videos there at the moment. He explained that though such videos with explicit sexual behavior is illegal on US national television, it soon will be, and they want to have the videos ready. Now not only audio pornography can be portrayed, but they can view it as well. He was making more money this way."
Jagger:“It doesn't matter what you do in life, there are no rules. There is no god. You can take whatever you want. It doesn't matter."

"To encourage literature and the arts is the duty which every good citizen owns to his country."
George Washington

"Music has the power of producing a certain effect on the moral character of the soul, and if it has the power to do this, it is clear that the young must be directed to music and must be educated in it."
Aristotle



(more qoutes to come)

PLEASE NOTE: It would greatly benefit the reader to follow blog postings from the first post to the most recent. Using the Blog Archive in the left column of the page to jump to the oldest posts. For now I will see if I can find a way to display the posting in chronilogical order, first post to the latest post.

Thursday, May 5, 2011

MALFUNCTION AND THE MERRY WIDOW

MALFUNCTION AND THE MERRY WIDOW
There are a myriad of means with which to communicate. Only one of them is verbal. My grandmother in the story above communicated with touch (caress) and with song, two very power means of communication. In 1997, as the Utah Festival Opera was rehearsing Lehar’s The Merry Widow, I was walking through the hallway of the rehearsal space when I heard someone singing some very complex lines from Act II. I assumed someone had left the rehearsal, hence I followed the sound to investigate. I came upon a young man who was mopping the floors in an adjacent room. I tried to speak with him but could elicit no response. I went to the office to inquire about the young man, and found that he was a severely disabled student who was helping out in the care of the building. According to the secretary in the office, he was unable to communicate on any level. I thought deeply about his profound gift (savant nature) relating to melodic understanding and replication. He could only have heard those portions of the opera for about a day, and yet he was able to store them in memory and repeat them with astounding accuracy. I recounted my fascination with his skill to one of his counselors who did not seem to be impressed by it at all. It is an extremely complex mind that can codify, replicate and remember such complex melodic patterns. I wonder if that area of skill in the brain could be transferred to other parts of the brain and enhance his ability to function in normal society.

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