I've decided after good example to write some diary pages with toughts and events.
Oh, in case anybody fails to understand, I'd like to remind them that these pages are copyrighted, and that everything found here may not be redistributed in any other way then over this direct link without my prior consent. That includes family, christianity, and other cheats. The simple reason is that it may well be that some people have been ill informed because they've spread illegal 'copies' of my materials even with modifications. Apart from my moral judgement, that is illegal, and will be treated as such by me. Make as many references to these pages as you like, make hardcopies, but only of the whole page, including the html-references, and without changing a iota or tittel...
And if not? I won't hesitate to use legal means to correct wrong
that may be done otherwise. And I am serious. I usually am. I'm not sure
I could get 'attempt to grave emotional assault' out of it, but infrigement
on copyright rules is serious enough. And Jesus called upon us to respect
the authorities of state, so christians would of course never do such a
thing. Lying, imagine that.
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No matter how, no matter what circumstances, such considerations hold always, and considering I find in american language the persuit of happyness important because what point is there without it, at some points it must at least be clear what happyness means for a person, to be able to aim at achieving it.
In biblical terms, its not hard to find that music is considered important, it might be worth a seperate page with neat quotes and everything, in psalms, which were songs of David, there is regular speak of a 'loud noise before the Lord', thrre was a whole tribe of israel dedicated to the making and playing of musical instruments when the tabernacel was made, that is one twelfth of Gods chosen people was called to be musician of some kind, in new testament there is talk of "learning a new song that no one could learn except the 144000", trumpets blasts indicating special events, which must just as now have been instruments with particular characteristic sound, and the greek at least knew about acoustics, and there is talk of continuously singing hymns, and of a (children) song as a comparison.
So at least the stones can claim that relevant parts of their profession have biblical enough foundation...
Evidently, there are many types of music, as there are different types of people and peoples that populate the earth, though from eskimo through chinese, from didgeredoo to hand drum, there are clear enough links between various types of traditional and certainly contemporary music and use of instruments, in part because of the physical properties of the basic mechanical instruments in part because it seems that human musical perception has enough parallel sensitivity, and feeling for harmonies and melody lines, though also clearly, there are profound differences between indian half tones, chinese pentatonic music, african drumming (though that is not too contradictory), american blues and european classical music.
The ability to musicise is a gift of either our natural makeup or maybe of God that mostly is not harmfull and a type of positive element of live, as I like to see it. Even though music on funerals is not primarily happy music, it still serves the purpose of making life a bit nicer, like tea and cookies, not worse. And even though lets say the Who wrecked not just their instruments at times in a show but also didn't want to make certain musical figures and stereotypes stand up to be adored instead of a more essential message or idea they would want to win, the 'crank that noise down' parental remarks might be born out of serious discontentment and disruption, but the loudness of rock certainly regularly serves a purpose, and the cry 'I can't get no satisfaction', and Hendrix' national anthem verion may not leave people in quiet and sweet happiness, the former got me dancing quite well and sweaty when I was a lot smaller, they certainly have effects that are not necessarily negative.
The blues may have been born out of discontentment, and Dylan and Baez may call for rebellion of certain kinds rather then make people quitely pastured sheep, the aim and effect is not generally destructive or negative.
Would the beatles have sort of learned that giving the power of their music to the maharadji or some daila lama won't make their cause right, and in the end mainly proof that their music was quite something, and the doctrines in such systems mainly miserable and not worth listening to? At least it is clear enough listening that the spiritual in music has effect and that the a nice or well formed pop song can be of serious value, whereas the glorification of a contrary concept makes it all depressing and dissatisfactory. Suppose 'spirit of eden (talk talk) would have been to break the very heart of people and put it back together the wrong way around, or 'blues is the healer' be more attractive and teaching crowds that it is important that a stupid african computer sample beat under it will realy make the world a better place!
Does music have direct and indirect measurable effects of significance? Of course it has, heart beat may accelerate or be driven, sweating and dancing can occur, communication changes, people feel more free or drawn by a songs lyrics and feel the urge to sing along, or whisle a catchy tune all day or tap drum patterns. "a happy heart accelerates healing" proverbs says, probably medically verified. The unity and concentration that can be present in certain ways in classical performances must have been keeping people from many dreadfull thoughts in renaissance, while gregorian chants probably easily do the converse. And finally, what would a socker stadion sound like without 50.000 tongues of "we are the champions"?
So in short, of course there is major effect of music on a persons being and well being.
Classically, it is clear that music requires learning, both to make and to listen to. Quite some in fact, mastering and instrument takes quite some practicing hours, and a performance usually serious amounts of concentration. Score reading, instrument mastery, orchestral collaboration, minding the director, acoustics, loads of various composers, much has to be learned to be taken serious enough as a starting point of intelligent and serious communication about such music, though of course classic FM can be dialed by everyone with a transistor and an antenna, and some station to pick up, or a stereo and cable, and enjoyed to any desired extend, as long as the listener is capable of such, and the materials played are to his or her liking.
In pop music of the last half a century the learning aspect is not always as clear, garage rock bands might be made in an afternoon with three chords, improvised lyrics and rambling 4/4 drum beats by unexperienced persons. Not usually will such idea work in the long run and with random, talentless, performers, but it can work quite well. Yet we cannot conclude that in pop and related (non-classical) music there is nothing to knwo or even more ludicrous, nothing to learn. Apart from the studio, instrument and amplification equipment, which can full books with serious knowledge all by themselves, a lot of knowledge is present in popular songs which can be acquired at conservatory level or less, as well as with reknown and capable musicians of various genres.
Most musicians with more than a little experience will be able to quite in detail make clear what the musical ideas are they are playing with in certain songs, and what theory and background knowledge they apply, which is not limiting or dry, but simply what experience has shown to work certain ways, which can be applies to ones liking after mastering the skills involved.
A blues is a good example of a root form of many modern forms of popular music that is (seemingly) both simple yet powerfull and leaving space for many musical skills, not at all easily acquired, but likeable and effective and of low acceptance threshold for most audiences. A 12 bar blues has been used for countless songs of happy and sad, fast and slow, complex or simple nature, and the amount of knowledge required to play or drum a basic form of it is not that much, but the amount of possible expertise to apply is considerable, and there are many blues songs of which a good cover version may take much sweat and time, even for experienced musicians.
The better pop songs may thrive on simple lyrics and music or complicated, there is no rule it seems, though without question quite objectively one may discern criteria to discard som e and like others on the basis of musical criteria. A good session or maybe coverband musician may find it possible to play quite an assortment of pop songs with little practice, but probably no one will argue that such is like pushing a few buttons, there is musical though involved that is quite readily understood and picked up by many audiences, but not that trivial to acquire, and which takes serious practice and listening with ears open.
So now someone comes along with a computer, a sampler, a few pieces of equipment with some knobs on it, and is going to tell me that a wonderfull scratch with this and this combination of materials and this and this type of distored sound is just the best there has ever been, and will send you straight to house wonderland when listened to over crappy but loud PA systems. Yeah right.
Sorry guys, kraftwerk did such things years ago, you probably have some samples here and there from computer scratch sounds they probably programmed on their own made computers long before you were born, nice aren't they. I'm not saying there is no room for more and new music in the area, fine in fact, as an example I had at least one CD of Ndegeocello, which contains ideas from the genre and has enough groove and interest to not sink in it, but in general the idea of letting drumcomputers and automated mixing do a fun enough job would better be left to donna summer and a minimoog that the vast majority of modern hit songs.
But my spiritual guide tells me we're doing exactly right, in spirit this stuff seems to be exactly not far out enough. Well, ehm, does it do woodstock stuff yet? No? On purpose I break the subject open in not nice way, because I do not just think, for religeous and general reasons, that such ideas suck, I think they are bad. And representative of types of thinking, and implenting ideas from circles which I find bad. 'Brown or white' is sort of the association I have with the idea of getting the god knows by who given priviledge of placing a certain newish record on your record table and have certain dance associations with it no one realy understands or feels better by, as a sort of habit and system that realy at it seems hardly any point at all have the urge or plan to make listeners feel right or make a point worth making.
I distinctly remember when I was into synth music at the time when lets say disco was sort of happening that when I made my own synthesizer machines, it was tempting to do heavy lines with electronically solid rythm lines that sort of have a fatness and forcefullness in them that I liked that to be more than I could ever imagine, yet that the idea by itself bored me sincerely after maybe 4 bars for its utter emptyness by itself. Luckily, Rose Royce, Emmerson Lake and Palmer, Genesis, Jean Michel Jarre and Electric Light Orchestra came along to remind me that realy is about content and learning to apply new technology right, and I had the chance to party quite happily with the sounds of rock solid Linn drums smoothed up by real and skillfull string sections. And doesn't Jean Micheal realize important ideas when his concert in china after replacement of popcorn by ping pong, and his share of sucessfull imitations and general electronic bombast with some harmony and lines and a measure of builtup finds a satisfactory and emotion arising enough peak in a well played synth blues solo with the strong and fitting enough surroundings of worked at samples and synth backing.
That got me quite interested: suppose I'd one day be able to play stuff like THAT! Ha. So I'd happily with about with diodes ttl gates, transistors and capacitors in my electronic drum machine to make some new drum patterns come out, and know all this can when well applied lead to real good music. And I wanted to have synths like in Yazoo's and Depeche Mode's pop songs, which I could play on my own, but which could use some extra guts and challange to play more phrased and varied and rythmically extended. Healthy desire enough, it prooved to be.
Maybe should have defined it such that my electronics, which were absolutely unique, and self made, by themselves defined a new music that was impossible to beat, completely ahead of all there was, and impossible to improve much, and immedeately have the ego to fit with such idea, and conquered the world. Maybe with a rich daddy with a recording studio and lots of contacts and the desire to promote something of his own, that would have worked. Then again, I liked the little casio keyboard with the 'trio' band a lot better then such and idea, maybe because they had lyrics that meant something?! What are words worth? Words are happy words are fun, words can put you on the run. Plunck plic plick plunck...
Let me see, that was irony, maybe on the fringe of sarcasm, though another term should be found to put the perspective right. I mean I damn it made my own synth and (not heavy enough to my liking at the time) electronic drum stuff myself, like 20 years ago, and I currently am able to seriously play realy most of all popular music with not too much practice generally, I cannot run circles around the sort of nonsense I regularly see and MTV, I could do it with my eyes closed, backwards, make fun of it, make it work anyway, and than still with one hand and maybe half a day of studio time. Is that superiority feelings to feel better? No, I'm fine musically, I don't think I've ego problems or serious acknowledgement craves or the incredible desire to flood the world with my muysical findings, necessarily. Realy, I don't think so.
I'm just against the idea of the hopelessness that I often pick up in the sort of music I described, realy than at least be some modern Bowie or something, sample Tosh, cover the golden earrings, whatever. Or rap a poem that doesn't just give the urge to see wether ones dicksize is actually still up to standard or not and be moderately dissatisfied with the suggested outcome. Why not put that roof on fire and run with anyone that gives a damn.
So I'm a just still young enough romanticist promoting my type of rock and roll highschool or bag of cheap tricks to not have to keep up with the latest MTV and learn how to get my money for nothing?
No, I don't think so, I've made not often money with playing music, but I do know what the fun of that is, I have played with audience more than dozens of times in pop, hundreds of times with singing people, and probably hundreds of times in rehersals, unofficial sessions, official sessions and (recording) studio situations, not to mention my own hundreds of recording and sequencing and mixing situations. So I'm not in need of basic experience, and frankly, I wouldn't like to put myself on top of the pops, even if I would have such powers, unless I'd have some satisfaction about the product I'd be part of enough for such exposure. Though I'll not argue that the ambition on itself is not unappealing, I migh prefer to at some point in time appear on North Sea Jazz or some more exotic, well climated located variation. That is ambitious, but that's not new for me, to be ambitious, and I (luckily) heard no one laugh, just like at some other times I've made clear to want things more than most would aim for.
Anyhow, that is just to make clear how I feel about such things, to make clear where I stand. And I still say that it is a bad idea to make music like I too much hear and see, not so much that the world will come to an end because of it, or because music itself will change the world in every essential way, but simply because I don't like it, and think many that grow up deserve the chance to at least every now and then hear good songs and productions, and without having to tune away from popular stations into some circuit they'll only be entered into be initiation rites many may not even know about.
I for at the time not so clear reasons loved to play 'tie your mother down' loud on my stereo before volumes complaints would make the experience less complete when I was in highschool, and I see no reasons to withold the idea from people that might have similar likes but are stuck with, 'he, ho, you're walking though my neighbourhood, and you're shoes sure ain't the right brand and an obligate set of tedious bass samples and rather stupid fill samples, deliberately not even of good quality, or nigh long rave on dance music with no more ideas in it than meaningless patterns and be happy the dj at least spoil the last bit of humanness by actualy putting in voices, and than feel lucky enough it isn't worse.
Wanna get into good enough and even lets say male enough pop with music difficult parents? Try 10CC or Godley and Cream.
"I was walking down the street, concentrating on truckin' right
I heard a dark voice beside of me, I looked 'round in a state of fright
I saw four faces, one mad, a brother from the gutter,
They looked me up and down a bit and to eachother....
(dreadlock holyday)
Good harmonies and melodies, nicely song, good content, rythmically recogniseable and varied. For good lyrics, world top musical ideas and applications and a variation between salsa and rock and new wave, try Joe Jackson.
And the expression is 'goddamn' (and then something very evil that deserves damnation like mentioned in Peters' letter), don't forget the rock classics. As I wrote after hearing hundreds of times when I listen to rock around the clock it still changes my day.
He guys, he is anyone back there? Yeah! I have a radio jingle for you.
Radio one, you're the one for me.
You stole my girl, but I love you just the same
Guitar solo. Sela.
(Hendrix, bbc recordings, side 3)
What was that, you're benevolent spiritual dog-guide suddenly turned against you? What, your Jesus figure, teaming up with the eternal madonna image of your mothers' choice suddenly hiss and squirm and warn you that such unsereneness will maybe forgood spoil their power and presence in you life? Praise God, Haleluja, thank Jesus, and Maranata, the end of time is near, lets have it over with the sha and harmageddon and our misery will be over, and let moses set our captives free, row the boat ashore, and we shall finally overcome.
But mr Theover, you're stuck with old record company concepts and ideas about the spiritual and music, nowadays things work differently, and you know, hippies were also on drugs, and preached very unfamily like morals.
What the ... I made multitrack recording myself, indeed also long ago, bit also not that long ago, and indeed recording has been around since at least Robert Johnson and mixing techniques since at least long before Walter Carlos, I dare to begin an immedeate comparison in knowledge about midi recording and manipulation for instance in Cubase (the latest ones, yes, yes), with any producer in any musical fields, and not feel ashamed at least, and seriously, I program synthesizer simulations that are at least in the outer edge of synthesizer algorithms available, what do you want from me ?!
I built my own mixers, amplifiers, speakers systems, compressors, tone generators, keyboard, various effects, tone controls, even distortion effects long before I graduated in electrical engineering, and seriously, they all worked, just like my recent serious quality PA system, synthesizer components, sample processing and synthesizer simulation software and hardware to play synth on. And I was one of the first to work with Steinbergs first sequencer, worked with various effect equipment and microphone situations for years, as well as mixers, normally used quality record players (with self made quality pre amplifiers), and I made tape collages and cuts since I owned one of the first compact cassette recorders. I could literelly built the majority myself from most modern record producing setups' components, and know in detail what they do, both signal wise as sound wise. I'm not to be fooled around with in these areas, I provably know my stuff.
So the only thing that remains is that people have certain reasons to want different music, or simply the walk of life to follow some circuits modus operandus and choice of audio makings.
Which maybe is good to punish some neo nazis without them even noticing but in general a damnation of musical and emotional poorness I normally not wish in general.
Ever try to make or have or be part of a pop band? That on itself is work and interest enough. I've been in a few, and part of quite some workshops, sessions and temporary setups, and don't think I ever disliked the idea, especially when the outcome is good enough, or of course when I simply likes one or more of the constituents enough. Bring all your girlfriends (/boyfriends) to the sky clip recording. Might even beat the bathing suit dance competition.
Talking about competition, I saw a poster with and official Jazz competition, in Paradiso, amsterdam, isn't that something, supposedly mature jazz musicians in official competition.. Not very well known names I think they were.
The title of this page refers to a song by maybe Deo, I not sure. Sort of a funky song, a kind I definenately like to play, as I did in the past with this song, too, which is fun with the trombone solo in the end. Life isn't bad with such stuff. Without the likes of it or other good music, not half as good.
My 16 step sequencer for the Z80 microcomputer system acting as synthesizer has recently been recorded on cassette by me with a pleasing enough sound doing a sort of bass pattern like in 'I feel love' (Donna Summer, disco song with long spun intro and open, held back built up, dancable). When I take that automatically repeating arpegiating pattern up a minor third, which the machine allows in real time, it calls for the speakers and amp chip I described to do their work and preferably make waves in the 100's watt range and quite controlled shift air as well as note base as state of mind. Worth it.
Would the latest type Korg synth 'Karma' do that, too? I saw a song I think from radio Head on Pinkpop (I wasn't there) called 'karma police', though I don't remember much of the song, the title is interesting. Maybe it says much.
Where are the commodores, earth wind and fire, I'll trade any number of extasy pills for their albums, probably better yet: live performances.
(From memory) Tracy Chapman:
Talking about a revolution, yeah,
standing in the wellfare lines (G, Am),
waiting in the doorsteps of those armies of salvation,
wasting time in unemployment lines,
sinderella waiting for a promotion,
poor people gonna rise up, get their share
Talking about a revolution
(by heart) piece of:
Living color, Love rears its ugly head
C7 C7 Bb7 F7 F7
You said always said that our relationship was good
You play the role of having sense,
I always play the fool
Now something's different, I don't know the reason why,
This morning I woke up, I almost wanna cry
Oh, what you're gonna do
when IT comes and gets to you
...