farareusis:

seosaimhin:

no-tritones-for-you:

bluetidalwave:

Imagine how our lives would change if the importance of sports in our society was replaced with the performing arts.

“Omg did you see the ballet last night?”

“UM OF COURSE NOT, THE INTERNATIONAL TCHAIKOVSKY COMPETITION WAS ON, DID YOU FORGET?!”

“TELL ME YOU TIVO’D IT. FUCK.” 

I WOULD BE SO MUCH HAPPIER WITH THE WORLD

This just made my chest ache with how much I wish it was reality

As both a musician and an athlete, this kind of thinking offends me. The assertion that the arts somehow hold more intrinsic value than sports is rather appalling, actually. They both require years of dedication and hard work and no one should be belittled of doing what they love.

It’s a damn shame that sports overshadow the arts in the mainstream, but inequality is not fixed by wishing for more inequality. The problem isn’t that sports are on top. The issue is that SOMEONE is on top. We complain about society looking down on the arts, but we would be “so much happier” if society looked down on sports?

That is like saying “imagine what our lives would be like if society was misandric instead of misogynistic” or even “imagine what our lives would be like if we had black privilege instead of white privilege”.

Those examples are bits of hyperbole, yes, but it is essentially the same line of thinking. Do you see what’s wrong with this sentiment yet?

(via izzylicious52)

I’m not a very good musician. 

It takes me a long time to learn something. I can’t play anything by ear, beyond simple one-line melodies. I can’t compose. And don’t even get me started on theory.

It can be so difficult. Sometimes it makes me feel like shit. I think about how absolutely amazing people are - they’re “real” musicians, I think. Then there’s me, tinkering shabbily at a piano or just blowing wind through my clarinet. What am I doing?

So often, I want to just stop. Quit. Do something I’m actually good at. It’s too hard, too demoralizing, too stressful, too depressing. It’s not like I’m going to make a living with music, or even do anything beyond recreational playing. Why bother? Why put myself through this?

But then I listen. I’m moved by that soft, emotional piano piece. I’m stunned by that improvised jazz saxophone lick, or awed by how powerful that singer’s voice is. How can someone possibly get through those 16th-note clarinet runs so effortlessly? How is it even possible for someone’s fingers to fly across the piano that flawlessly? 

How can a mere collection of pitches evoke so many feelings?

In the end, I can’t leave. I can’t just walk away - not because I’m brilliantly gifted, or because I profit financially or materialistically from it, but because of the simple fact that I love it. 

I love listening to the many people who are many levels above me. I love learning new pieces. I love the feeling of playing my instruments. I love the rush of performing, the relief and elation that follows a great show or performance. I love the fact that I can create something as beautiful and amazing as music. 

And because of that, I will always come back.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some practicing to do.

Anonymous asked: What kind of music do you listen to?

Mostly anything that I think sounds good. It can range from classical (Bach, Rachmaninoff) to modern pop/punk/rock (Simple Plan, FM Static, Jason Mraz) to older softer pop (Jim Croce, Beatles, Billy Joel) to concert band/orchestral music to jazz to…

You get the picture.

The London Philharmonic Orchestra has finished recording more than 200 national anthems for the Olympic and Paralympic Games next year.

The epic challenge took 52 recording hours at Abbey Road Studios and finished with Zimbabwe on Sunday.

The orchestra had only 10 to 12 minutes to sight read and record each piece.

Olympic gold medallist Jonathan Edwards made a unique contribution to God Save the Queen, playing the last cymbal crash.

“We realised the studio was about the same length as his world record long jump,” conductor and composer Philip Sheppard told the BBC News website.

“He also had a go at conducting the orchestra.”

(via blogthoven)

fredendil:

Super Smash Bros. Brawl “Main Theme” - Video Game Music Choir Live 2011 [HD] (by VideoGameMusicChoir)

(via blogthoven)