I have finally made myself a "mix CD" - not the same as a mix tape, but still. It means that I can listen to some of my favourite music (sort of like a playlist from Offbeat minus my waffling) when I'm in bed, or feeling under the weather. The Kinks (yes them again) song "See my friends" came on earlier, and apart from the Indian-y drones (when Ray Davies wrote the song, he had the sea near Bombay in mind. They stayed at a hotel by the sea, and the fishermen come up at five in the morning and they were all chanting the melodic line"
Anyway, the song got me thinking...or pondering (because, I'm so deep and meaningful, and love to ponder things that are sometimes too silly to ponder about). And then I started writing....
Sometimes I try to imagine what life would be like if I had no knowledge or awareness of classical music. This is stupid, I know - given that I can't comprehend not knowing how to play the piano, or not having the music of Bach, Mozart, Mahler, Debussy et all in my life. Still, I try to imagine just how life would be for me minus the world of classical music. Like my best friend from school - A. While she loves music, and is a fantastic dancer (though as a mum of two small boys I don't know if she gets a chance to dance as much as she used to), A does not know classical music at all. By classical, I mean " Western Art Music" not just music from the classical period (Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven).She loves Bollywood music, and English and Hindi Pop music. At best, she might know a few showtunes from musicals or some protestant hymns. But that's pretty much it! I think it's quite strange, that with two exceptions (K and R), most of the people I am closest to have little or no knowledge of classical music. And what they do know, what they do recognize stems from some concert or lecture-recital that I might have done.
None of them would ever dream of listening to classical music radio, or go to a classical recital unless it's someone they know that's being featured. I never even realized this until now! Until today! It is not from a lack of trying - I have done my best to maintain close friendships with fellow classical musicians, singers, academics - anyone who I have gotten along with through a professional collaboration. But now I'm beginning to realize that these sudden, intense friendships were simply a result of the professional collaboration, not the other way round. They were completely dependent on whether I had anything to offer musically or professionally. As a result, the minute there was little "artistic value" or "professional gain" to be found, these friendships ended, and these so called "friends" seemingly vanished! At first I presumed that every pianist or singer "friend" that would text or call non-stop, or talk to me for hours over coffee actually wanted to spend time with me! But year after year, I realized that while I was not the worst person to be around (even I can only tolerate my own company for a short while....no wonder I spend time with animals. Cats seem to LOVE me, ha!) - most of my classical music friends, whether academics or performers, only wanted to spend time with me when I was actually playing concerts, teaching, working full-time in music, so to speak! At first I thought it was my face - it's the kind of irritating face that few want to be around long-term.
Since I'm a terrible judge of character, I can never distinguish between a gushing flake, or a sincere enthusiast. So in one sense, despite the physical and emotional trauma that I have felt this past year (stepping away from music, from playing the piano or being involved in any capacity was very difficult at first), one good thing has come out of it! I know that my closest friends, the people I really love and care about are also the ones that have nothing to do with classical music, or the world of concerts, teaching, examining, media. I've also come to realize just how flakey and insincere people can be (not just in Ireland, but elsewhere too). It was almost as if a bunch of so called "friends" totally disappeared when they found out I was taking a break from music. So the only contact I ever receive from them is an occasional email through the website which in some way or form has something to do with promoting an upcoming concert or project! These are people I've known for years, and made amazing music with! After all no genre of music is as insular as art music. The funny thing is, most of the time, my former musician "friends" rarely wanted to chat about music, it was more about hobnobbing over a glass of wine at some gala dinner gossiping about this one and that one. If I sound bitter or overly cynical, it's because I'm finally coming to my senses! It is rarely about music or about who you are in this profession. As the lovely Naida Cole said, simply being talented, passionate, gifted is not enough if one doesn't have the vanity and ego to shmooze with the concert promoters, artistic directors, wealthy but tone-deaf patrons! This is also why I love talking to legendary musicians from all genres for Offbeat - not the mediocre ones who will do anything and everything to get publicity for their next concert, record or book!
The people I'm closest to, the ones who have remained my friends through every ordeal, are those who are not caught up in the "artistic bubble". They don't care if I never play a classical concert again! They are intelligent, talented in their own right but they don't have an over inflated ego - I guess this comes from the fact that they realize there is more to life than basking in the glory of playing the same pieces by "dead, white guys" over and over again. One of my closest friends who had never heard anything by the composer Sibelius, had tears in her eyes when I played her a piano piece by the Finnish master (the Romance for Piano, see below). She has since gone and bought three Sibelius recordings and listens to his music along with everything else that's on her iPod.
As for me - while my life is completely transformed and enriched by the music of the great classical composers (as G.B Shaw said, there is nothing better in art than Mozart at his best), it is equally enriched by new music, by world and folk music, and of course by classic rock and pop music! It helps that I can enjoy the masterpieces of Western Art Music, minus the energy sapping, destructive and pointless people that seem to inhabit it these days. That's not to say that there aren't nice human beings who are making a living as classical musicians - of course there are! But most of these nice people seem to be composers, cross genre performers, young up and coming performers and people who are far more open minded and down to earth than the middle aged crowd! Given that I much prefer a good cup of chai (not the god-awful chai latte junk that Starbucks sells, sugary flavoured milk...yuck!) over champagne or wine, I think it's just as well all my close friends are not twice my age, and are earthy people with a sense of humour...(you know who you are)!
See - that's why I love cats too (yes everything comes back to them felines). They don't "play the game" or make small talk at boring classical music dinners, concerts and parties. And....they love to ponder!
Anyway, the song got me thinking...or pondering (because, I'm so deep and meaningful, and love to ponder things that are sometimes too silly to ponder about). And then I started writing....
Sometimes I try to imagine what life would be like if I had no knowledge or awareness of classical music. This is stupid, I know - given that I can't comprehend not knowing how to play the piano, or not having the music of Bach, Mozart, Mahler, Debussy et all in my life. Still, I try to imagine just how life would be for me minus the world of classical music. Like my best friend from school - A. While she loves music, and is a fantastic dancer (though as a mum of two small boys I don't know if she gets a chance to dance as much as she used to), A does not know classical music at all. By classical, I mean " Western Art Music" not just music from the classical period (Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven).She loves Bollywood music, and English and Hindi Pop music. At best, she might know a few showtunes from musicals or some protestant hymns. But that's pretty much it! I think it's quite strange, that with two exceptions (K and R), most of the people I am closest to have little or no knowledge of classical music. And what they do know, what they do recognize stems from some concert or lecture-recital that I might have done.
None of them would ever dream of listening to classical music radio, or go to a classical recital unless it's someone they know that's being featured. I never even realized this until now! Until today! It is not from a lack of trying - I have done my best to maintain close friendships with fellow classical musicians, singers, academics - anyone who I have gotten along with through a professional collaboration. But now I'm beginning to realize that these sudden, intense friendships were simply a result of the professional collaboration, not the other way round. They were completely dependent on whether I had anything to offer musically or professionally. As a result, the minute there was little "artistic value" or "professional gain" to be found, these friendships ended, and these so called "friends" seemingly vanished! At first I presumed that every pianist or singer "friend" that would text or call non-stop, or talk to me for hours over coffee actually wanted to spend time with me! But year after year, I realized that while I was not the worst person to be around (even I can only tolerate my own company for a short while....no wonder I spend time with animals. Cats seem to LOVE me, ha!) - most of my classical music friends, whether academics or performers, only wanted to spend time with me when I was actually playing concerts, teaching, working full-time in music, so to speak! At first I thought it was my face - it's the kind of irritating face that few want to be around long-term.
Since I'm a terrible judge of character, I can never distinguish between a gushing flake, or a sincere enthusiast. So in one sense, despite the physical and emotional trauma that I have felt this past year (stepping away from music, from playing the piano or being involved in any capacity was very difficult at first), one good thing has come out of it! I know that my closest friends, the people I really love and care about are also the ones that have nothing to do with classical music, or the world of concerts, teaching, examining, media. I've also come to realize just how flakey and insincere people can be (not just in Ireland, but elsewhere too). It was almost as if a bunch of so called "friends" totally disappeared when they found out I was taking a break from music. So the only contact I ever receive from them is an occasional email through the website which in some way or form has something to do with promoting an upcoming concert or project! These are people I've known for years, and made amazing music with! After all no genre of music is as insular as art music. The funny thing is, most of the time, my former musician "friends" rarely wanted to chat about music, it was more about hobnobbing over a glass of wine at some gala dinner gossiping about this one and that one. If I sound bitter or overly cynical, it's because I'm finally coming to my senses! It is rarely about music or about who you are in this profession. As the lovely Naida Cole said, simply being talented, passionate, gifted is not enough if one doesn't have the vanity and ego to shmooze with the concert promoters, artistic directors, wealthy but tone-deaf patrons! This is also why I love talking to legendary musicians from all genres for Offbeat - not the mediocre ones who will do anything and everything to get publicity for their next concert, record or book!
The people I'm closest to, the ones who have remained my friends through every ordeal, are those who are not caught up in the "artistic bubble". They don't care if I never play a classical concert again! They are intelligent, talented in their own right but they don't have an over inflated ego - I guess this comes from the fact that they realize there is more to life than basking in the glory of playing the same pieces by "dead, white guys" over and over again. One of my closest friends who had never heard anything by the composer Sibelius, had tears in her eyes when I played her a piano piece by the Finnish master (the Romance for Piano, see below). She has since gone and bought three Sibelius recordings and listens to his music along with everything else that's on her iPod.
As for me - while my life is completely transformed and enriched by the music of the great classical composers (as G.B Shaw said, there is nothing better in art than Mozart at his best), it is equally enriched by new music, by world and folk music, and of course by classic rock and pop music! It helps that I can enjoy the masterpieces of Western Art Music, minus the energy sapping, destructive and pointless people that seem to inhabit it these days. That's not to say that there aren't nice human beings who are making a living as classical musicians - of course there are! But most of these nice people seem to be composers, cross genre performers, young up and coming performers and people who are far more open minded and down to earth than the middle aged crowd! Given that I much prefer a good cup of chai (not the god-awful chai latte junk that Starbucks sells, sugary flavoured milk...yuck!) over champagne or wine, I think it's just as well all my close friends are not twice my age, and are earthy people with a sense of humour...(you know who you are)!
See - that's why I love cats too (yes everything comes back to them felines). They don't "play the game" or make small talk at boring classical music dinners, concerts and parties. And....they love to ponder!
