September 17 Affordances

Music as a whole is something that lends itself to communication. Not verbal communication but instead on a spiritual or emotional level. It allows a communication between people who would otherwise never talk and transcends boundaries we experience on a daily basis.  "[Music] provides a means by which people can share emotions, intentions, and meanings even though their spoken languages may be mutually incomprehensible" (Hargreaves, Macdonald & Miell, 2005)


Walking down the street one chilly afternoon I noticed Mathias Piano Man busking with a piano. He offered to let me play and since then we have become friends.
He recently sent me a link to the video Music, Universal Language showing a number of us busking on his piano. One song I played captured his attention and a number of months later I received a message saying "there you go.. the one you inspired me...is finally a complete song.. and... free to download :) Cheers, enjoy !!"





Music has a unique way of touching the hearts of those around us. It lends itself to solitude and company, listening to an iPod or attending a concert, it knows no bounds to how it communicates with the world around us. "It is through our activities that we…practice skills, express our feelings, experience pleasure…” (Hopkins & Smith, 1983)


From watching a Samoan RWC game at the pub with at least 80 samoan supporters all singing the anthem with harmony to attending a church service allowing you to open your soul as you blend with the voices around you, to simply sitting on a quiet balcony playing to yourself music knows no bounds. Why else would every nation have an anthem? 




Hargreaves, D.J., Macdonald, R. & Miell, D. (2005). Musical communication. Oxford University Press: UK


Hopkins, H.L., & Smith, H.D. (1983). Willard and Spackman’s occupational therapy. In Crepeau E. (2003). Analyzing occupation and activity: A way of thinking about occupational performance. In Crepeau, E., Cohn, E., & Schell, B. (Eds.),Willard and Spackman’s occupational therapy (10th ed., pp.189-198). Philadelphia: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins

September 10 What the heck are ergonomics?

"Music should strike from the heart of man, and bring tears from the eyes of women" - Ludwig van Beethoven

I was reading an excerpt from the book Performing Matters by Barry Gibson where he talks about the ergonomics of knowing an instrument, the developed familiarity that leads someone to name it, the acute knowledge of where each finger should go on this specific instrument and the size and weight that feel at home nestled in my lap...

Caulton and Dickson (2007) describe ergonomics as the ability to  “constantly make slight invisible adjustments to an activity to adapt to the needs of those taking part and ensure that it continues to work for its intended purpose”.

To me ergonomics include the size of the body of my guitar, the thickness of the neck, nylon vs steel strings, having a pick or a capo, how I'm sitting when I play and all those other things that allow me to close my eyes and play with confidence, not having to look but having what seems to be an innate knowledge of the piece of equipment I'm holding. All that really remains is for me to find the appropriate name for my dear guitar.

I became acutely aware of these factors following a fight between myself, a kinfe and a potato during dinner preparation that led to a nice cut on the tip of the middle finger on my left hand (you should see the other two...). Anyway this incident has impacted on my ability to play the guitar comfortably. Until now I had not been this aware of how important my middle finger is (and not in the sense of a single finger salute). Chords previously played with ease are now played with irritation as my short term memory steps up in all its GLORY and I repeatedly cause myself pain by forgetting to not play with my injured finger!

On the other hand time out from playing allows me time to write without the distraction of trying to fit a tune. Composition of lyrics and composition of melody are two very separate items. The environment surrounding me provides me with inspiration; someone unexpected walking past my window, rain when the sun is still shining bright, clouds lazily drifting by, blank walls, a poster I've had all my life, seeing a friend, receiving a txt or even checking up on facebook are all things that dare me to put them onto paper. Triggers for a physiological or emotional response just waiting to be translated to the language that is music. 

"Music, even in situations of the greatest horror, should never be painful to the ear but should flatter and charm it, and thereby always remain music." - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Guitar and my inner creativity

An introduction to the purpose behind this part of the blog is my passion for music. One of the activities that has played a big role in my life so far is music: listening, playing, writing, singing and pretty much any other 'ing' word imaginable. At home growing up teenage angst and the odd occasion of PMS helped develop my passion for music, whenever I was feeling angry or emotional the piano was my best friend. Leaving home and travelling to university was the beginning of a new friendship with a nylon strung guitar in a solid case sturdy enough to deal with any clumsiness I could throw it's way.


One of the goals in my two hours of guitar and (attempted) composition this week was to focus on something else at the same time. It sounds simple enough on the surface but attempting to craft and compose while not focusing on the task at hand is something that creates an internal war of sorts. To create music it needs care and attention, something that is difficult to offer while focusing on not focusing on the topic at hand. Playing absently can be done without focus however as soon as you want to capture what you have been playing your focus shifts.


As much as I enjoy playing for personal enjoyment and as a method of relaxation and stress relief, attempting to purposely compose a piece of music can become a significant cause of stress. The physical issues like the caluses developing on the tips of your fingers, tired fingers from plucking and a stiff back from hunching over. Emotional stresses include realising your lack of co-ordination, trying to find the right words and melodies, trying to capture the essence of a moment or a feeling in words and notes that never seem to match up quite right. However this is only week one and the weeks to follow will give a more complete picture of composition and if i have what it takes. Till next time...