Just today, I finished a research project for my graduate studies, and in the process of writing my paper, I came across this article that I thought was most fascinating. It talks about the trope of a hero’s descent into Hell or some comparable place and discusses it as a necessity in the hero’s journey and quest. In particular, I thought the author’s commentary on J.R.R. Tolkien and the “eucatastrophe” of literature particularly intriguing.
Suffice it to say, this is a very interesting piece of music with a more modern flavor to it. It is written by the designer of the Music Animation Machine, which I have mentioned several times on my blog, I believe. Anyway, I’m out of school for the summer and trying to get all of my stuff from college settled in to my home. I’ll try to keep you all updated. Later!
Hans Zimmer – “I Don’t Think Now is the Best Time” from Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End.
I know, this isn’t exactly classical music, but this week is finals week for me, and I have lots to do this week. So, I picked something that I know and like. Wish me luck!
G. Rossini, Gallop from the William Tell Overture.
Arranged by Louis Moreau Gottschalk.
A couple of months ago we looked at Louis Moreau Gottschalk in my US Music History class, and afterward I googled him on youtube and found this piano duet arranged by Gottschalk. Of course, it didn’t surprise me that Gottschalk would do something like this; he was one of the first to hold musician performances for middle-class audiences in Europe, and he was the first to perform music other than what he personally had written.
What did surprise me was the technical skill required for this. Maybe it’s just that I’m easily impressed, but I was blown away by this. Enjoy!
Probably one of Beethoven’s most well-known pieces of music. I remember when I was in elementary school, my family bought a musical keyboard that had songs that you could have the keyboard play for you (which was amazing to me at the time), and I would just listen to this song for hours on end. Anyhow, I hope that you enjoy it!
Be certain to watch the video; I knew that organs had foot pedals, but this particular piece of music puts the entire organ to rigorous use…and the performer. Talk about a full-body work-out! Enjoy!
Well, as with any other writer, I don’t plan hiatuses; they just seem to happen.
I think its obvious enough to say that I have returned to college life since the last time I posted something besides my Monday Musician. The first thing that I will do is ackowledge that I didn’t achieve many of the goals that I set for myself for Christmas Break. Of the books that I set out to read at the beginning of my Christmas Break, I was only able to start reading Eragon by Christopher Paolini and to read a great deal in the Bible. However, I was able to read A House United by Francis Frangipane after I got back to college, so I am happy with the reading that I was able to accomplish.
As of right now, here’s a quick run-down of the classes I have this semester:
History of Music in the United States: This is a fun class, and an informative one as well. I have always been interested in how we were able to synthesize the many different kinds of music in the United States, and this class is helping me to see some of that. This is especially true of my interest in the music traditions of the Church in the United States and how it was brought about in all forms.
Writing About Literature: This class is for my English major, and is necessary for me to advance up the ladder. We have spent the first several weeks reading and analyzing The Waste Land by T.S. Eliot, which was an exceptionally thick but thought-provoking read. We have an essay due on it a week from Friday, but in the meantime, we have moved on to reading One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey, which is an irony for me since it was one of the novels on my “Banned Books Meme” that I posted a couple of months ago. We have several other books that we will be reading in class, so it will be a fun, if challenging class as well.
American History, 1865 On: This is a promising class as well. Since I am interested in history, I am definitely enjoying this class, even though the professor is proving to be a professor who goes off on more unnecessary tangents than any other teacher I have ever had.
Music Theory: Yes, I still have a music theory class, and it is the same day, the same time, and taught by the same professor as the music theory class I took last semester. It’s really just the next-level class in the music department at this college. It is as challenging as music theory was last semester as well, so this class takes quite a bit out of me, but I’m committed to seeing it through (if for no other reason than, after this semester, I’m done with music theory for my music minor!).
Human Language: This is a very helpful class for me, especially considering the fact that I am trying to write a language for my Kenushi Ryu novels. This teacher does seem to have some problems with unnecessary tangents as well, but again, that does not diminish the learning that I obtain from that class.
French Horn Lessons & Band: Again, this carries over from last semester. My goal for the semester is to have all of my minor scales memorized by the end of the semester, in addition to learning and playing a new solo for my Jury at the end of the semester.
As you can see, I have six classes this semester instead of five, like I did last semester, and the sum difficulty of all of the classes is considerably greater than that of last semester. I guess the simple truth that I am trying to communicate is, I probably won’t be posting much on my blog this semester, at least not as much as I would like and definitely less than what I was able to post last semester, unless I am able to get more free Saturdays than I have been.
Finally, I feel thatI should bring forth something that I have heard from the blog of Matt Cardin about the state of affairs in the world. In his most recent blog post, Cardin has reported that many science fiction and fantasy magazines are struggling and capsizing in this economy. He even reports that one magazine had to close down after having already promised to publish for several authors, whose stories will now not see the light of day in those magazines.This is quite a concern for me, seeing as I was planning on writing being a way of life for me (that is, I was hoping to at least make something on it, which seems less likely now). Of course, in our society, reading is considered something that the bourgeoisie do, or something that someone does when they have nothing better to do, not as something that one should and must do as part of the human experience. I suppose that if I’m going to make storytelling and writing my primary occupation, I ought to find a more bookish society that isn’t being affected by the current economic downfall (not happening); otherwise, I guess I could always be a teacher. I was considering it as a possibile future occupation anyway. Besides, you give me a room full of 15 and 16-year-old knuckleheads for 9 months, I bet I could hammer something into their head.
Then again, I do remember thatI made a post detailing the differing occupations that I had considered a couple of months ago. Maybe I should go re-read that…
Anyhow, that’s what’s been going on for awhile. Have a great day!
I found this to be a wonderful and enjoyable piece, and I hope you enjoy it as well. I hope to soon make a post about my return to college life, but I will work it in as I find the time.
