Category: Prompts

When comparing the two versions of The Goldberg Variations from 1955 and 1981, something that stood out to me was the difference in emotional playing. In the 1955 recording, it the playing seems almost ‘mechanical’. Everything is perfectly precise, and it doesn’t seem like much liberty is taken in the performance. The 1981 version, on the other hand feels a lot more emotional to me. The first section is long and drawn out, taking more than a minute longer to finish than the older recording. In the next section, the later recording feels much heavier and more aggressive, especially in the bassline. It has a sort of percussive sound to it. When listening to the same section in the earlier recording, it is much faster and has a very driving feeling. its like watching an elephant race in the 1981 recording, and an elegant horse race in the 1955 version. In terms of texture, there is a major difference between the two versions. The 1955 recording sounds to me like one single instrument covering all the different parts, but the 1981 recording sounds more like multiple instruments. The right hand acts as the violins and in a typical baroque group, while the left acts as the upright bass. In the 1955 version, I don’t feel the separation as much and it sounds more like just one performer. Overall, I enjoy the 1981 version more than the 1955 version, mostly based on the large expressive difference between the two.

For my golden record contribution, I believe it would be very beneficial to demonstrate the vast versatility of musical instruments, particularly the saxophone. This would provide any extra-terrestrial life that happen upon the record a glimpse into the expressive ability of a musical instrument, as well as how much the playing style of a single instrument can vary throughout the globe. The following 3 selections show exactly that, even just a few seconds into each recording.

Joc de doi – Nicusor Tunea Band

This is an example of unique style of saxophone playing that is common in Romania. It consists mostly of extremely fast double-tongued notes, but the playing style remains very relaxed. This style is frequent at Romanian weddings and other large gatherings.

Confirmation – Charlie Parker

Charlie Parker’s Confirmation is a great example of the saxophone being used in the musical genre known as jazz. This particular example is of a style called “bebop”, which originated in the 1940s. Bebop is characterized by fast notes, improvisation, complex rhythms, and very interesting harmonic structure.

Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Orchestra – Henri Tomasi

Classical saxophone is a style of playing that relies on very precise rhythms, accurate pitch, and a beautiful, light sound. Technique is very important in classical as everything must be perfect as possible to match the written music as closely as possible.

 

• Looking back at the “bones of summer” how have you engaged or created art? If you haven’t engaged or created art, please describe why.

When thinking of the word “art”, the first thing that pops into people’s mind is painting or drawings. A couple years ago I took a dual-credit class to challenge myself with something new. I was able to experiment with a completely new thing and it was an interesting process. The painting process is interesting in that you start from nothing until you put the brush on the canvas. What starts as just straight lines can become a road running through the country side. Random small brush strokes become bushes, and from dabs of paint emerge luscious white clouds. A form of art I connect a lot more with however is musical improvisation. When someone improvises music, they are speaking directly from their soul. When playing without worrying about sounding impressive or playing crazy lines, one can express every emotion they are feeling in the given moment through the melody they create. The difference between these forms is that one can be permanent, while the other is only there while the solo lasts, like a conversation. You might remember certain elements of a conversation, but you’ll never remember every single word exactly, same with improvisation. I feel that improvisation as an art is more of “present” art form, representing how you feel at the time, and physical art like painting or drawing is more a representation of how you might have felt in the past.

• What things, if any, surround you that you consider powerful?

I consider music in general to be an extremely powerful thing. It has been around for tens of thousands of years, and continues to change and develop every day. It is something that every single person in the world can enjoy in one form or another. There are almost unlimited genres, especially when some are combined into new ones, like jazz and rock together form a type of fusion. All over the globe, music can be extremely different based on the culture  those musicians grew up in. Over here in North America, most music falls into a system with major and minor scales, while for example, India, uses scales such as Asavari and Todi, an entirely different sound. While music may sound completely different depending on where you are in the world, it will still be music, which can be appreciated by all. To really understand the full power of music, one needs to be exposed to a huge variety of genre from across the globe. No one has to enjoy every single bit of music out there, but learning how it sounds coming from other cultures can be very powerful.

• Over the next couple of days, take note of the dominant sounds in areas that you consistently walk. What are the sounds you notice most of all? Be specific.

Because of the whole global pandemic going on right now, I haven’t been able to go out and walk as much as I would normally, especially since the university isn’t open, but I’ve still picked up tons of sounds day to day. The place I walk around the most at is work. I’m surrounding by different pools, with sounds coming from each of them. The biggest one has hidden grates along the side to control waves, and they always make a constant sucking sound. On the other side of the pool, The floor grates make a higher pitched dropping sound, like rain falling on a glass skylight. Splashes from people swimming can also be heard as the perform different strokes, with butterfly being the loudest. During the family swims, the calming sounds of the water moving back and forth are replaced by talking and laughter of the kids and their parents enjoying some time out of the house. When everyone leaves right before closing, the sounds change once again. Spray bottles are heard as the cleaning begins, and the carts of equipment being rolled away sound like tiny trains moving along a track. When I finally get outside after a shift, everything is quiet. All you can hear is the wind rustling through the trees, and the occasional car starting up. Interesting how much a soundscape can change just by moving a few metres from where you were for so long…

• How do you relate to the phrase “free time only works if you steal it?”

With the program I’m in at university, I constantly am stuck with a full course load. This week I’ve had at least one assignment due every day, as well as tons of zoom meetings to attend. Free time can be hard to come by, unless you put in the effort needed to achieve it. I’ve just started learning the guitar, and its made me realize how little free time I have right now. Every little break of time I have nothing to do, I find myself wanting to play it. To steal more free time, I need to get everything done faster than usual. Every minute I shave off of how long an assignment takes me, the more free time I’ll have to practice. Because of the extra effort it takes to steal free time, motivation to be productive with it is higher. Learning a new instrument can be a challenge, but the extra drive you get from stealing those precious minutes can be very inspiring.

• Do you have any other takeaways from the film?

A big take away I got from this film is that doing something you love for a living keeps you young. At the beginning of the film, Leslie Laskey says “I don’t feel like I’m 90 years old,” and you can see this in the way he goes about his work. He loves what he does, and never seems to get tired from it. When he found the old burnt hinges in his neighbour’s fire pit, he came up with an idea for a painting. Despite being 90, he still has an incredible imagination because his work didn’t age him. He was never stuck typing away at a desk at a normal 9-5 job. Instead, he pursued a career as an artist, teacher, and a poet. If you enjoy what you do to make a living, you won’t grow old and tired like everyone at their day jobs, retiring in your 60s like most people. If you can find a way to work doing what you love, you can end up like Laskey, working happily well into your golden years.