Showing posts with label College in a Nutshell. Show all posts
Showing posts with label College in a Nutshell. Show all posts

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Sabbatical... until the Sabbath

Well, goal number two of 2012 has already failed miserably... "be more consistent with my blog".

Luckily, most people don't care that much, so I am alright in that aspect of life.

For those of you who don't know, I am a music major at Grove City College. As a music major, there is that stereotypical amount of obsession with music that normally follows. But lately, I have realized just how true it all really is.

For my Civ Arts course, we have to write a paper either analyzing a piece of art or a song. I chose Le Secret by Gabriel Faure, my all time favorite composer (next to John Williams and Howard Shore, that is. :P)


In my researching and analysis, I have come to see the amount of joy and work composers put into their pieces. Not that I didn't already know this, but it was a reiteration as of late.

It also occurred to me that most people don't actually listen to music.

"Wait!" you say. "I have an Ipod! I listen to Coldplay and the Beatles almost everyday!"

The truth is, most people only HEAR music, they don't LISTEN to it.

Take a piece of classical music, for instance. Clair de Lune by Debussy. The song is based off of a poem. That is about the amount of analysis most people go into with it. But examine it a little more.

The first measure of the piece is written with a I chord (aka, in the common Db minor key, the primary notes used would be Db, F and Ab). Normally, in musical theory, you would double the tonic (Db) in the chord. But the first chord doesn't even HAVE Db in it! Why did Debussy do this? Was he just feeling saucy and rebellious and wanted to change from the normal and stick it to the man? Probably not. As the words of the song go, loosely translated, "love is final, yet not complete". By not putting the tonic in this measure until the last beat, Debussy reiterates with music what the words of the poem say. And when you realize there is that much composition and thought in just the first measure of the piece, you have a little heart attack when you consider the entirety of the piece.

WHOA! SWEET SASSY MOLASSEY!

At any rate, think of the beauty in music, not only in how it sounds, but what it means, both literally and emotionally.

What has inspired you lately?


Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Beauty is....

First two days back at school done! All my classes this semester seem great, so no worries in life (for now).

My 8 am class, Civ Arts, was introduced today by a discussion on beauty. When asked what we saw beautiful over the break, one student answered that he saw a moonbeam. I have never heard of this prior to today.


A moonbow is like a rainbow, but around a waterfall at night (usually). Due to our rods and cones not reacting as well in the dark, we cannot see the colors in the dispersion of the white light. Who knew?

My Professor, Dr. Francis, was so excited by the news of this occurrence he almost knocked over a desk. Sweet, tea-drinking, reliable Dr. Francis was brought joy today, and so was I by this little known event.

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" was broken down into its horrible lie during this class, and the true beauty of art and music was discussed. All on the first day. What a great semester this will be!!!

What was exciting in your life today?

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Back to the Grind...


GCC, Look at me NOW!


Now that I am back at school and waiting for the new semester to begin tomorrow, my life is on the brink.... of a storm of work that refuses to end before May.

But it makes me happy when I see all my friends who have been parted from my side since before Christmas. Though it will make me sad to leave all my friends from home.... :( I can't win!

On the plus side, due to my missions trip coming up in 2 months and the fact that I have knee problems (physical therapy, here I come! :P) makes it much more likely to be going home on weekends this semester. Which is kinda sad, but there is a reason I am basically being forced into it.

Do you ever wonder why things happen this way? In my life, I seem to just get over a hurdle and another one pops up to trip me and leave me with my face in the mud (and whatever else is there). But then I begin to consider strange occurrences that are starting to make sense: my parents' one car being totaled, and a 'new' used car becoming available just in time for me to need to use it to drive to PT, my being off of life from mono last semester, causing me to not have a social life (so I'm not missing much now that I am once again handicapped. :P

Good things are coming of all the bad things in life, even if I don't quite understand yet. And it is reassuring to know that I'm not the one in control. If I were, I would be a WRECK right now. :P

What surprises have snuck up on you lately?