I've had a ball reading some of the blogs by others in the class and learning more about them and their activities. I've commented on blog posts by Alice, Merryn, Charlotte and Hannah.


This is honestly a very short posting because I've said what I wanted to say in the other blogs and I don't really want to end up flogging a dead horse.


My wonderful resources are as follows


Arendt, Hannah. (1958). The human condition. Chicago: Chicago University Press. (not quoted but I enjoyed reading)


Beeching, A. (2010) Beyond talent: Creating a successful career in music. 2Ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press


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


The Power of Music - I do not have a reference but here is a link to view it online...


Verbal communication/quotes from people


“Soothing the soul so you can become fit to be a human being.” – Mary Butler personal communications 2011 (I told you I would quote you on it and here you are...)


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


"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

What all of this means to me...

It's been a really interesting process of trying to explore what music is to me over these past however many weeks... Sitting down with my guitar is something that seems impossible to define. "Music is a natural instinct in man" (The Power of Music) Music means different things to everyone and each person has different passions. Though we all have our own appreciations for music such as green day, record players, pink floyd and music-so-weird-I-have-no-idea-how-she-found-it there is a reason I'm the only one of my 5 flatmates to be found sitting in the sun on the balcony playing my guitar regularly or quietly strumming away on my bed singing to myself, there is an intrinsic bond between me and my music.


A paper last year drew me to thinking about the essence of humanity. I've come to the conclusion that my deep connection to music is because it is part of the essence of my humanity. Though it may be an isolating activity at times it allows me to ground and collect myself so that I can become fit to participate in society. As a teenager it was not acceptable for me to yell at my father or speak to him in a tone while angry or in the grips of a particularly feisty bout PMS, instead I would go to my piano and play for however long it took to sooth my soul and then I would be once again able to rejoin my family. I'm sure forensic testing would show traces of my tears on the keys from a number of occasions including after a breakup when all I could do was play and cry till it was out of my system.


Ambience, ergonomics, affordances and practical considerations all rolled into one only begin to scratch the surface of what engaging in music really means, to me at least. Some people are driven to draw, others to write articles and crave knowledge. Personally I am content so long as music is never far from my side. I'll never be a famous musician nor will my music soothe the hearts of millions as the only heart it is commissioned to soothe is my own. 

Aaaambience

Ambience is one of my favourite things about sitting down with some music. It's a feeling or mood associated with a thing. For me picking up my guitar reminds me of sitting in the sun on the balcony and I'm filled with a sense of peace an happiness. A lecturer described it as a potential process of “soothing the soul so you can become fit to be a human being."

Music fills a number of roles in society and in each scenario it evokes a different emotional response according to the mood of the listener. Though playing and listening differ greatly both have the power to provoke responses like tears from either joy or sorrow. "Many non-musicians experience music as aural wallpaper, the backdrop of their daily life, creating ambiance for commuting, shopping, dining, and at work." - Beeching (2010)

Music to fill silence – A classic example is the dreaded ‘elevator music’ or the catchy tunes you get to listen to while on hold with annoying companies that enjoy putting you on hold so much they provide irritating music just for your pleasure, interspersed of course with “your call is very important to us, please continue to hold". The music that simply makes you want to clench your fists

Music to accompany boring tasks – The soundtrack to life: iPods.... iPods have become accessories that accompany vast amounts of people in menial daily tasks, driving down the street it is uncommon to not see an adolescent filled with teenage angst, headphones in their ear’s and stuck in their own world of how unfair life is and how cruel their parents are. From listening to Mumford and Sons on my walk to polytech in the mornings, to listening to Hamish and Andy podcasts while driving long distances (or at the gym, however my tendency to burst into random laughter and the resulting weird looks from strangers has discouraged this specific use). Listening to music allows me to fill gaps of silence within my day, just like dancing to music and doing the dishes it makes the atmosphere more enjoyable.

Music for remembrance – Funerals are one place you would expect to hear and sing music. Where a special selection of songs are chosen to reflect a person’s life and allow you to feel a connection to them. Some songs are forever ingrained in your memory for being played at funerals, songs that you have been conditioned to associate with that event in time, that from now on provoke an emotional response. Just as SOOO many tv shows have managed to forever associate "how to save a life" with sad scenes evoking an emotional response from their viewers

Music for entertainment – By far one of the preferred forms of music is that which is used for entertainment. Attending an event to see a performance by someone who has dedicated many hours and days to mastering (or attempting to master) their specific skill. My father attended a Ten Tenor’s concert where, much to my delight, 10 strapping young lads sang specifically to me (fine... and entire auditorium) for a few hours. Perfect harmony mixed with just the right amount of melody, crescendo and pauses to build an atmosphere and sound of pure brilliance. Closing my eyes the ambience of the sound filled me and I could be anywhere I wanted to be

Ambience... The ability to alter and evoke mood responses through simply the atmosphere surrounding an activity....


"To ancient philosophers so apparent was the influence of music on mind and body, that education without its assistance seemed inconceivable"




Beeching, A. (2010) Beyond talent: Creating a successful career in music. 2Ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press


The Power of Music - link to book online

October 1 An insight into quiet time with my guitar

As a mood filled with melancholy sweeps over me and I feel myself sinking into a sense of sorrow, the next logical step is to reach behind me and collect the solid black case from the head of my bed. The touch of the plastic handle and familiar weight and balance are a reassuring reminder of times gone by. The solid silver clasps come undone with a flick and an audible thump thanks to the springs in them, revealing my baby in all her glory. The plus aqua lining of the case contrasts and caresses the dark rich polished wood inside. Easing my hands around the neck I bring my guitar out of her hibernation. 


Before sitting down I collect my capo, just as fond of a friend as the guitar now nestled in my lap. Each string is tested to see it is perfectly pitched with the others so that each strum produces a magical combination of notes. My fingers move in familiar patterns over each string to exact the perfect note and to follow the tune playing in my mind. Each chord builds on the last and slowly creates a sense of peace within me. The empty house slowly fills with discarded notes and chords and I picture a jumble of animated notes laying at the bottom of the stairs as I continue to play and sing. 


Mournful songs sate my sorrowful desires that give way to songs that follow a different tune, strumming elopes from slow and heavyhearted to carefree and upbeat. The music drips from my fingers as my soul embraces it, feeling the peace and happiness once again filling me from within. Sorrow is removed from my surroundings as I give myself as equally to the music as it gives itself to me. As I drift closer to reality once again I continue to play. Now I overlook the street and my gaze is first captured by unfamiliar faces passing by, soon they give way to the attention of the clouds changing in the sky. 


My mind is clear and satisfied as I strum a closing chord before tenderly returning my guitar to the embrace of aqua velvet, closing the lid and setting the clasps in place to send her back to slumber. I'll wait until she calls to me once more to caress the smooth dark wood again and to feel the magic of the music consume my soul.