Apologies once again for the great delay in writing another blog. University exams crept up on me along with a whole bunch of other stuff. Anyway, Uni is done for the year which means more guitar!
I just uploaded Barrios' Vals 3 if you haven't seen it yet, it was one of the pieces that I did for the Classical Guitar Society of Victoria (CGSVhttp://www.melbourneguitar.com) competition last month. I also performed Phillip Houghton's 'The Ancients'. I was lucky enough to win my division which meant I got a workshop with Slava Grygorian.
I was pretty stoked about that. Got to meet him last Monday and we had a good chat (along with the winners from the other divisions). Unfortunately it wasn't a guitar masterclass (so I didn't get to play for him) but he gave some great insight into the industry and quite a few professional tips (also got a signed CD which is always nice).
So what next? Well.. I just found out the 2012 Adelaide International Guitar Festival is holding it's competition again next year in August. The audition round opens between the 2nd of January and 29th of February next year. We need to send in 3 recordings as our audition. Two Prescribed and one Free Choice. I have just started looking at the two prescribed pieces and well.. they ain't easy.
1) BWV 997 Sarabande by Bach
2) Dervish (2nd Movement) from Phillip Houghton's 'Stele'
Not sure what I would do for a free choice yet, but I have a few ideas floating around so wish me luck for that!
You might have seen the other channel I startedhttp://www.youtube.com/user/GlensideMusic, that one is just for something different. Not exclusively for guitar, but a channel for some fun collaboration. Should have another one on that channel up in a week or so.
As for my main guitar channel, I plan to put another two piece's up before I go overseas but also while I'm abroad I'll have plenty of time to record on my laptop so stay tuned throughout the summer (or winter if your on the other side of the world).
Just a quick update but I shall post again next week :)
Take it easy
Jesse
other channel I started
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Monday, August 29, 2011
Been a while
Just had my exam yesterday and I guess I can’t complain how it went. Felt pretty good about how I played everything, there was the one wrong note but other than that, pretty smooth sailing. It’s taking a while to get the audio footage from the guitar festival so I am thinking to just put up another one of my exam pieces. After that next video should have another original up. Probably another duo kind of piece. I have two originals in mind that I’m thinking of uploading. One is a more upbeat and the other more contemplative. The upbeat one has a bit of a spanish feel to it as opposed to the more relaxed one where I have a classical and electric guitar kind of reciting a poem. Anyway stay tuned for those two and my next video.
So a part of my university degree requires me to do a an architecture unit and so if you’ve been wondering where i’ve been, it has been doing a ridiculous amount of drawings and sketches. I rather be playing guitar honestly but oh well. Such is life. Surprisingly though I have found the subject quite interesting, and as I do with most things I somehow find a way to relate it to music. The piece of architecture we have been looking at is the ‘Farnsworth house‘ by Mies Van de Rohe. It’s one of those ‘you don’t know the name, but you would have seen it before‘ buildings. I don’t plan on analyzing the building here (done enough of that already) but I am interested in the philosophy behind it. The principle is basically ‘Less is More’. To most people, it is just a glass box on a platform, with 8 columns holding it up, but like any great artist this architect has managed to make his master piece look effortless. It is so simple that it simply blends in with it’s surroundings. My understanding of architecture before hand was to fill up as much space as possible and to make the building as complex as one could. Same was my conception of music. I always tried to make songs complicated and technically difficult but overtime I began to see that making something hard for the sake of making something hard only takes away from the piece. In that case, more is less.
What this guy did was just to let the space be. He understands the utility of absence, of the void. He knows what will be used the most. Namely nothing. In a similar kind of way I have tried to adapt this into a musical context. We should appreciate the spaces between the notes as much as the notes themselves. Filling only what is necessary to the piece itself for it is the silence that gives birth to sound. This whole ideology reminds of a little bit of chinese philosophy my dad once told me when I was younger, I think it is quite appropriate to this scenario and definitely to musical composition.
‘We take and mould clay to form a bowl, yet is the space where there is nothing that the utility of the bowl depends.
We put bricks together to make a house, yet it is the space where there is nothing, that the utility of the house depends.
So just as we take advantage of what is, so should we recognize the utility of what is not.’
Might give it a try.
JL
So a part of my university degree requires me to do a an architecture unit and so if you’ve been wondering where i’ve been, it has been doing a ridiculous amount of drawings and sketches. I rather be playing guitar honestly but oh well. Such is life. Surprisingly though I have found the subject quite interesting, and as I do with most things I somehow find a way to relate it to music. The piece of architecture we have been looking at is the ‘Farnsworth house‘ by Mies Van de Rohe. It’s one of those ‘you don’t know the name, but you would have seen it before‘ buildings. I don’t plan on analyzing the building here (done enough of that already) but I am interested in the philosophy behind it. The principle is basically ‘Less is More’. To most people, it is just a glass box on a platform, with 8 columns holding it up, but like any great artist this architect has managed to make his master piece look effortless. It is so simple that it simply blends in with it’s surroundings. My understanding of architecture before hand was to fill up as much space as possible and to make the building as complex as one could. Same was my conception of music. I always tried to make songs complicated and technically difficult but overtime I began to see that making something hard for the sake of making something hard only takes away from the piece. In that case, more is less.
What this guy did was just to let the space be. He understands the utility of absence, of the void. He knows what will be used the most. Namely nothing. In a similar kind of way I have tried to adapt this into a musical context. We should appreciate the spaces between the notes as much as the notes themselves. Filling only what is necessary to the piece itself for it is the silence that gives birth to sound. This whole ideology reminds of a little bit of chinese philosophy my dad once told me when I was younger, I think it is quite appropriate to this scenario and definitely to musical composition.
‘We take and mould clay to form a bowl, yet is the space where there is nothing that the utility of the bowl depends.
We put bricks together to make a house, yet it is the space where there is nothing, that the utility of the house depends.
So just as we take advantage of what is, so should we recognize the utility of what is not.’
Might give it a try.
JL
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Another Original
So i’ve finally got round to recording and filming another original. I should have it up tomorrow so keep checking back to see it. It is quite different to my first original as it isn’t just a solo work, but rather I’ve tried to add another dimension by trying to write for two instruments plus the backing instruments. It actually started out as a vocal song (Lazy Days) with lyrics, melody and all the works, but I decided that I’d like to create an instrumental version as sometimes the lyrics didn’t do the feeling justice and plus my youtube channel is really just guitar anyway and I wanted to stick to that. Although I might create another channel with a few people to do other stuff like that, so perhaps you’ll hear it one day. The melody of the electric guitar differs greatly from the original sung melody but I felt it needed to, in that without lyrics the guitar needs to find its own way to ‘sing’. The song is called lazy days for a reason, and that’s basically all its about. It actually started out as a Bossa Rhythm while I was playing around with some jazz chords, and eventually it kind of developed a verse chorus kind of form. I kinda just wrote down what I was feeling at the time and within 20 minutes I pretty much had the original vocal version and lyrics down. That was while I was in singapore actually. When I returned home, I wanted to add another dimension to the piece, to make sure the music would speak the same language as the original lyrics. I’ll post the original lyrics in the video if any of you are interested and let me know whether you get a similar feeling.
So the dinner show is coming up as I have been talking about for the last few weeks and there has been some last minute changes. There is now going to be some opera, and some dancing as well to accompany the guitar which should be fun so hopefully I can get a recording of the performance too. There are so many other things which I am working on too so hopefully I can just get a lot of it down before Uni starts again.
Keep checking this page for the link to the new video!
JL
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Silence
So I've finally finished all things Uni but unfortunately for only another 3 weeks and then we're back on - so i'm trying to make the most of it. You should see my new original up soon which you might find quite different to other things I've put up but who knows you might like it. As some of you know I like to keep the variety fresh so hopefully this next one is. I'm also still in the midst of practising for this upcoming dinner show which is only 2 weeks away now. I find it's amazing how many pieces you can learn when you have a deadline, goes to show a little pressure doesn't hurt here and there.
I've often, when trying to compose music, and arrange other pieces always tried to fill the song up as much as I could being a soloist and all. I've always felt that the more there is to hear, the more interesting the piece will be to my audience. Lately though my perspective has changed a little. And it is kind of like (though not exactly) the 'if there was no suffering, there would be no joy' argument. Silence in piece of music is essentially the other half of the story. If there was no silence, all we would hear would be a continuous sound and it would cease to be to music. I think i remember John Williams saying that the 'spaces between the notes are just as important as the notes themselves.' I see this to be very true, in fact now when I practice I am paying even more attention to the voids in the work. To the silence between the sounds. And those two things in summation is what creates the beautiful thing we call music.
After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is Music - Aldous Huxley
I've often, when trying to compose music, and arrange other pieces always tried to fill the song up as much as I could being a soloist and all. I've always felt that the more there is to hear, the more interesting the piece will be to my audience. Lately though my perspective has changed a little. And it is kind of like (though not exactly) the 'if there was no suffering, there would be no joy' argument. Silence in piece of music is essentially the other half of the story. If there was no silence, all we would hear would be a continuous sound and it would cease to be to music. I think i remember John Williams saying that the 'spaces between the notes are just as important as the notes themselves.' I see this to be very true, in fact now when I practice I am paying even more attention to the voids in the work. To the silence between the sounds. And those two things in summation is what creates the beautiful thing we call music.
After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is Music - Aldous Huxley
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Visual Music
Architecture is the frozen music, music is the flowing architecture.
I actually found this quote on my other friend’s blog and thought there was something to it. When we listen to music we mainly listen to the melody, or perhaps the phrasing and harmonies. We spend little time concentrating on individual notes (unless we are learning a piece) and just let the melody flow. At the end of the song we generally have a good idea of the main tune and it kind of sticks in our heads, especially if we have enjoyed it. I’ve read somewhere in my studies that architecture, or a city (architecture on a larger scale) should invoke a similar kind of experience. As we walk, drive, or cycle through the city it shouldn’t resemble a bunch of fragmented buildings/structures, rather it should generate a kind of ‘melody’. A visual one. One that once you’ve left that area, you have a clear memory of that phrasing of architecture. It’s as if the buildings were connected together, flowing like musical notes. Just some food for thought.
Last exam approaching next week. Finally starting to get the ‘Romance Flamenco‘ tabsheets done and will be able to start recording my next original soon. Also got another one of these Dinner Shows coming up on the 16th at the same winery. Looking to be a good night so far. Not much else besides that but I shall be back on top of things next week!
JL
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Old Habits
After playing a certain way for 7 years to try and change your technique even only slightly is a real pain. I never realized how difficult it would be to change old habits. At times I feel like a beginner again, having to go back and play basic pieces just to get this wrist positioning and finger attack right. I know its worth it in the long run but for now its not the most enjoyable playing I have to do.
I did say I would upload the video of my duet at the guitar makers festival however it is taking me longer than I thought to the get the video footage and I’ve been told it will take 3 or so months to get the audio. I don’t know why, but I think i’ll wait anyway just so the quality is as good as I can get it. This means my next video will be an original, so i hope to get that up in a couple of weeks. It will be a little different to my last one. I’ll have an electric and classical guitar in it to change things up a bit so keep checking back for that one.
Like I’ve been studying in uni, in order to fully understand something, why it exists, or why it is the way it is; it is often necessary to go back to it’s origins. To understand urban development we go to Ancient Greece, Rome, Mesopotamia, Catal Huyuk etc. Lately I’ve been exploring the origins of the guitar which has brought me back to the Lute and Theobo. These instruments never really appealed to me until I started listening to Baroque music that I was playing on the guitar, on the Lute. Somehow the music comes alive in a completely more authentic way. Well a lot of Bach’s music for guitar was originally written for the Lute so it’s no wonder there is this feeling of authenticity. But I think there is just so much to learn from hearing the music being played on it’s original instrument. Context is everything, and as far I see it, there is no greater context than listening to the music in the original form it would have been played.
If I could get my hands on a cheap Lute in Australia I would, but it seems the cheapest you’ll get here is a custom made one, and don’t think I’m really in a position to pay $10,000 to just try something. If you know of any cheap lutes let me know. I’d be very interesting.
JL
Friday, May 27, 2011
Guitar Makers Festival
Was quite an experience performing at the guitar makers festival. Got to play some great guitars, steel strings and classical. Watched some amazing performers showcase their own works and it really gave me some insight into the music that no one really ever hears. There is so much to the music world that we don't hear about or know exists that I think we are missing out on some great stuff. I guess it is because these artists don't belong to your typical mainstream radio group, and are not run by a producing company telling them what to write and how to do it. Everyone there was playing for themselves and in my opinion that's the best way to do it.
I got my friends to film some of the festival and I got a mix of stuff that I'm thinking of putting up. Of course once i get the video of me and Sergio doing the Piazzola Tango i'll upload that one but in the meantime was thinking of just putting up some clips of the Allan Bull guitar I played. Was an amazing instrument, beautifully balanced and a real sweet tone. Was kind of sad coming back to my factory guitar but hopefully I'll get my hands on one of them one day.
Check back here tomorrow to see a clip of it :)
Jesse Liang
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Not Enough time?
So the end of my uni semester is approaching soon, which means well, exams and all, but the good news is I’ll have a nice break to really get some stuff down. I’ve also been lucky enough to be asked to play at the Melbourne Guitar Maker’s Festival this Saturday evening. I’m doing a duet with my old Guitar Mentor (Sergio Ercole) again and we’ll be performing Piazzola’s Verano Porteno. I’ve heard great things about this festival, there are many great guitarists showcasing their stuff and their guitars so if your in Melbourne drop by and check it out (i’ll add a link below so you can check it out for yourself).
Call me pessimistic but lately I’ve been feeling like there really isn’t enough time. Not enough time to be able to learn everything I want to. Not enough time to master classical guitar, acoustic guitar and work full time eventually. One day I won’t be here anymore, and what would my time have accomplished? Perhaps I learn everything after I’ve left this place, or maybe I don’t learn anything at all. I chose not to study music because I believed that I could do both. Study Planning and Music. I still believe I can do both, but its really not as easy as I thought. These days there is so much to learn about everything that it is impossible for one man to master everything. Go back 2500 years ago, a guy like Plato was considered a master of all disciplines. MAthematician, Scientist, Philosopher etc, but since then science itself has become so specific it is beyond comprehension. And believe me I did not think there could be so much to think about in terms of planning either. There is just not enough time to do it all.
So if in the big picture of things there is not enough time, what is our time meant to be used for? Well relatively speaking a lot of things can be done in our short time and there are things which we can’t exactly take away with us but things that we can leave behind.
People have left behind music, ideas to change the world, questions to pursue. So are we to try and make the world a better place? Can music play a part in that? Music, being such a universal language one would think it could play a part. But exactly how I am yet to figure out.
Jesse
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Music made or discovered?
In our known universe there are various laws that govern it. I used to think that maths and all these formulas were something that someone came up with in a classroom one day. However overtime it seems that maths and science has been more of a discovery than an invention. Clever minds working out how things work rather than inventing them. Sure we came up with the representation of it in the form of our numbers, but the actual laws behind the math have always been there (though I know many would debate this) and it has been those clever minds that have found these underlying principles on which our known universe functions.
I might have lost some of you already but there is a musical relation I’ve been thinking about.
Do we invent or discover music?
Well if we think about it, music is made from sounds, sounds made from particles hitting one another, and there are various frequencies of these sounds that create what we know to be different pitches and notes. So I guess from a materialist’s point of view music is just a specific order of a bunch of frequencies of vibrating particles. That point aside for another day , I wonder if all Bach works already ‘existed’ before he wrote them. Was he just clever enough to find the right mixture of sounds to create his master pieces? And what makes the bunch of notes he put together any better or worse than the notes mozart put together?
Without making things too confusing I think there are a set amount of frequencies as far as we know. We discovered these sound waves and vibrating particles but we do invent different ways of organizing and expressing these sounds. So perhaps the greats of music have been those who have found a unique way of expressing these sound waves in a perfect balance of melody, rhythm, dynamic, and artistic influence. I really am not conclusive on any of this. Perhaps more thought
Jesse
Thursday, April 28, 2011
A lot of my focus these days has been on my examination pieces, which i feel is good and even though I am not spending as much time on more contemporary stuff I believe (and i can only speak from experience) that without even really playing other genres much, once i've completed my exam my playing will have improved across all styles. You might be thinking that it is just in my head and that having a certificate has a psychological effect on me and therefore I feel i have improved when I haven't really. Well of course the piece of paper with my Grade on it in reality means nothing, but the process whereby I have gone to obtain this piece of paper is where the real progress is. And somehow this art of practising and playing classical guitar is universally beneficial to all other styles of guitar. Now the link to acoustic finger/chicken picking wouldn't seem unreasonable as classical guitar is always with the fingers and thus fine motor skills are developed and improved. But in terms of using a pick and playing chords and melodies common to jazz and more contemporary styles and often contrary to classical - now thats where I am confused as to how I am able to improve without playing much of it.
I am not trying to label the classical guitar as the superior style, but I am somehow intrinsically convinced that it is by far the best grounding one could have in terms of a guitar background. I mentioned in an earlier blog that one should try to learn both classical and jazz guitar, I am not going back on that but still the classical discipline has this solid foundation that I can't ignore, that i don't see (or haven't yet seen) in any other style.
Anyway, I've got a few things due for uni so fitting in time for guitar won't be easy, but I should have another video up in two weeks so check back soon :)
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Winery Gig
So as I said last week I had my gig at the winery with my old guitar teacher and a couple of other guys. It went really well I must say. There was a great response and a possibility of even another one in a couple of months so I really can’t complain.
Even though it went well, there are always parts that I wish could have sounded better. In the practice just before the show I felt the pieces were sounding great, the dynamic, tone, speed, but then as I started i began to think to much. I was thinking, how it was sounding out in the audience, how my positioning was, what other people were thinking and so on. All of this obviously detracted from my concentration of the actual music and naturally I became a little nervous and consequently fumbled here and there. Guess that all comes with experience. I also found my guitar was too quiet in the mix and I got a little feedback here and there because of my positioning. Sound and mixing is another art all in itself and one I am yet to perfect. You might have the song down back to front, inside out, left right and center but if you don’t mix it right people aren’t going to appreciate it the same way you do.When i rocked up to the venue, the chair they gave me was a little high and quite uncomfortable and I think bothered my playing a little. Of course I am not going to blame the chair for any mistakes, but it is just something that can distract you every now and then and add a little bit more to that uneasiness. I reckon i’m going to bring my own from now on as I think there is enough to worry about already.
All in all it was a great night, great food, didn’t get to try the wine but apparently that was great too. I’m looking forward to the next one and to start working on some new material.
I am in the process of getting the video off my mates camera so keep checking back here for when I get it up in the next couple of days. Hopefully tomorrow!
Thanks for reading
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
play live on an Italian radio station
I guess I want to get to the point where I can sit and play in front of an audience and feel like I am sitting in my favorite chair at home. Where nothing is distracting me, where my surroundings are but mere images, where I can simply enjoy what I’m playing and nothing else. I’ll be honest, yeah sure it is great having people watch you and complementing you on your playing but the place where I get most satisfaction, the place where I truly play for the soul (or whatever you want to call it) is at home. And if I could bring that mentality everywhere with me, to make any place feel like home with my guitar - I would consider that a main goal of my playing career. I think once you’ve reached that level, the audience starts to realise too and that’s when you become one of the greats. That’s when it is no longer about technical side of things, not about the scales, not about sharps and flats, but that’s when it is all about music and the transcendental.
In the mean time I guess I am to push my self to get involved in all kinds of performances, ones I want to do, ones I don’t want to do. Solo ones, ensemble ones etc.. You can never get enough practice as they say.
Jesse L
Thursday, April 7, 2011
started with the jazz stuff.
Sorry i didn’t manage to get a blog up last week everything has just suddenly started to pile up. Got a gig at a winery doing a duo and quartet thing which should be pretty sweet although it means i’ve got to learn about 14 new pieces in two weeks.. I’m getting there. Slowly. We’re doing a bit of classical, spanish and flamenco and hopefully i’ll be able to get a good live recording of it up on my page once we’ve done the gig.
I’ve been looking into a few things lately concerning music, trying to get out some tabs but its taking longer than I thought. Got a lot of ideas for music as usual but its just hard turning these concepts into actual music. I find using the loop pedal is a great way to get ideas down and refine them but then again it all changes once you add drums bass and synth into it. Still working on jazz guitar a bit, i find its pretty useful in writing and everything, go a lot more dynamic and variation since i started with the jazz stuff.
Been looking into the lute vihuela as well. Considering getting into some of that repertoire but i don't know if that's gonna hinder my current stuff. It's good to know a bit of everything but as soon as you start too much in one area your taking away time from another. So its probably good to go everything in something and then only something in everything. I would try everything in everything but I doubt that is humanly possible. The only problem is to figure out which style i should invest the most in. Ah well something to consider.
Jesse
PS: I just updated my website and i put up more pictures :) Photography by Ben Mulligan here is link for you!
http://031cae9.namesecurehost.com/jcpic.htm
PS: I just updated my website and i put up more pictures :) Photography by Ben Mulligan here is link for you!
http://031cae9.namesecurehost.com/jcpic.htm
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Stolen Strat
So this weeks had it’s ups and down. The biggest down obviously was my 1998 Deluxe Stratocaster which was nicked from my car in the middle of the night last saturday. I admit it was my fault. i thought i locked my car but the remote on the keys isn’t always acurate and the next morning i wake and my boot is open and the strat gone. However they managed to leave my amp and wallet for me which was nice of them..... So yeah i’ve been to the cops, local pawn shops, and there is pretty much nothing i can do because i don;t have the serial. Some of you probably thinking ‘what an idiot’ for not keeping the serial number but i guess its one of those things you don;t think you’ll need until something like this happens. I contacted the store i got it from, but since it was a traded guitar they don’t keep the serial number so not a great result to say the least.
At the same time it’s not that I don’t have enough guitars to use, it was more the fact that this was my favorite electric guitar and any guitarist can sympathize with me in that when you find the right guitar, it grows on you and you grow on it. Not that I am a very materialistic person but it was a valuable possession of mine as most of my guitars are and one I will surely miss.
The truth is I am annoyed, as most people would be, but as I look around at the events going on in world today my frustration tends to cease. I might have lost my guitar. But people in Japan and New Zealand have lost even more. Some have lost everything. And people lose their lives friends and family everyday in all places around the world. And it is not only Japan and New Zealand that are suffering, it is people everywhere!. Murder, slavery, sex slavery, child labour, sweat shops, poverty, famine, the list goes on and on. Yes I know you’ve all heard it before but sometimes we can forget the things we don’t hear about and sometimes it is as if they don’t matter. I know this is not the usual stuff I rant on about, but I guess this week has just been a bit different so hopefully I haven’t lost most of you.
I’ve the learnt the very simple lesson of double checking my car is locked since last saturday, but I think there is a lot more to learn from people around the world. In December last year I visited an orphanage in Myanmar to really experience the conditions of a third world country and hopefully be able to help out the kids there in some way. The irony was, more than anything the children there actually helped me. They helped me see that they don’t need computers, cars, games, technology, luxuries. Some of these kids were the happiest kids I have ever seen in my life, and their appreciation for anything you did was purely honest and genuine. It was extremely challenging as well as amazing. These kids value everything they have, which materially is close to nothing compared to 1st world country standards. But they, from what I could see had everything immaterially, spiritually, morally, whatever you want to call it. They were content. And if they could be, then I have no excuse. This is not to say the same goes for Japan and New Zealand where I cannot even fathom what the are experiencing but I guess if your reading this you are pretty lucky, you have the internet, you are connected to the world, you have a home and a place to sleep and eat. It’s not that we should be carefree and disregard things that are taken from us and not learn from stupid mistakes (like myself), I guess it’s more of... in your grief or discontent it’s always good to gain a little bit of perspective.
It was a long one but thanks for reading.
Jesse
here is my guitar:( luck i got this on the video:)Thursday, March 17, 2011
Same Old
Been quite busy with Uni these days, assignments here and there, extra readings that are not compulsory (but they pretty much are if you wanna do well) and whenever I'm not concentrating on uni I'm trying to find time to practise. I was always told uni was extremely laid back and that you have all the time in the world only to realise when entering that it was quite the opposite. Well maybe if all you had was uni then yeah i agree. But I mean mixing in 3000 word essays, with hours of guitar practice, work, and just having a life is not all that easy.
Anyway I plan to upload another video at the start of April, and another hopefully in the same month. I do get a mid semester break over easter so that will be a long awaited one. I could have uploaded this video earlier but there are just a few things I wanna touch up. With anything, if your gonna rush it it is gonna come out in the final product. Whether it be a photograph, a drawing, a song, a video etc.. I've always thought i could gloss over something and patch it up, but often others can tell do, so I've been disciplining myself not to get into that habit. I'm also taking some photos with one of my mates this weekend, so i'll be able to update my graphics and all on my website and youtube.
Not much going on in terms of music this week, but hopefully that will change with more playing and practise.
Keep an eye on my channel for the new video in the next couple of weeks.
Jesse
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Truthful Music
So in my second week of university we've been looking at cities, (you know the history/origins and their emergence etc...) and if there is one thing I have taken out of these past two weeks it's that; cities are in many ways a reflection of their societies values and cultural truths. At least that's how it was in ancient times, and arguably it still is a trait fo many places today. Now before I bore you all talking about Urban history I think it has become more apparent to me that the same 'reflection of truth' is mirrored in the art of creating music.
Now this might seem obvious to a lot of you because of the basic fact that well.. Different cultures have different music and therefore they are reflections of their own different and respective ideals. And the difference is clear, You listen to some traditional Chinese music and some Jamaican and your gonna see a big difference. But the truth I am talking about is kind of hard to define. If we go to modern day western music I am talking of the truth in terms of the song/piece's 'honestness'. I think the 'honestness' (which from here I will call 'truth') of a song greatly affects it's quality. (Excuse my arbitrary use of words here, I havent the best vocabulary). If we take a song by Metallica. Sure it is metal, and yes a lot of people aren't fans of metal music, but in my opinion they are respected (even by non metal fans) because of their song's message/truth. They aren't cheap pop songs just made for the commercial world that are off the radio as soon as they are on it. And again, I think it is this very 'truth' in a song that adds to how good it is. Metal music will a lot of the time will reveal the song writers angry/frustrated side and when it is produced in the form of music you get this distinct 'metal' sound or 'metal' theme. I wouldn't dare say that metal is limited to the emotions of anger and frustration but it is a good general way to look at it I think.
I'm feeling some people might say: 'but can't music just be an end in itself? Does it really have to be a reflection of some truth?'. I think this would more apply to instrumental music, but even instrumental music can portray a particular reality, but then again I am forced to admit it doesn't always, or at least we don't always know what the artist had in mind. And there's the beauty in music. It can conjure any emotion to anyone person. Sometimes the same song will speak to people in different ways, and I think that's just amazing.
A lot of the time I can't really conclude in my blogs, basically because the things I end up talking about can sometimes be a tad circular and a little confusing. But in the end, I more value music that is created with some kind of intent, and even though it is not always obvious what that truth is, it is definitely there somewhere between the notes and the sound. The whole is greater than the some of its parts.
But hey that's just me
What about you guys?
Jesse Liang
http://www.youtube.com/user/JesseGuitar07
Now this might seem obvious to a lot of you because of the basic fact that well.. Different cultures have different music and therefore they are reflections of their own different and respective ideals. And the difference is clear, You listen to some traditional Chinese music and some Jamaican and your gonna see a big difference. But the truth I am talking about is kind of hard to define. If we go to modern day western music I am talking of the truth in terms of the song/piece's 'honestness'. I think the 'honestness' (which from here I will call 'truth') of a song greatly affects it's quality. (Excuse my arbitrary use of words here, I havent the best vocabulary). If we take a song by Metallica. Sure it is metal, and yes a lot of people aren't fans of metal music, but in my opinion they are respected (even by non metal fans) because of their song's message/truth. They aren't cheap pop songs just made for the commercial world that are off the radio as soon as they are on it. And again, I think it is this very 'truth' in a song that adds to how good it is. Metal music will a lot of the time will reveal the song writers angry/frustrated side and when it is produced in the form of music you get this distinct 'metal' sound or 'metal' theme. I wouldn't dare say that metal is limited to the emotions of anger and frustration but it is a good general way to look at it I think.
I'm feeling some people might say: 'but can't music just be an end in itself? Does it really have to be a reflection of some truth?'. I think this would more apply to instrumental music, but even instrumental music can portray a particular reality, but then again I am forced to admit it doesn't always, or at least we don't always know what the artist had in mind. And there's the beauty in music. It can conjure any emotion to anyone person. Sometimes the same song will speak to people in different ways, and I think that's just amazing.
A lot of the time I can't really conclude in my blogs, basically because the things I end up talking about can sometimes be a tad circular and a little confusing. But in the end, I more value music that is created with some kind of intent, and even though it is not always obvious what that truth is, it is definitely there somewhere between the notes and the sound. The whole is greater than the some of its parts.
But hey that's just me
What about you guys?
Jesse Liang
http://www.youtube.com/user/JesseGuitar07
Thursday, March 3, 2011
It starts again..
So I'm back at uni and this first week has already got me reading endless amounts of books and journals. They really dont't give you much mercy, your just dumped with a bunch of stuff and expected to work it out yourself. It is hard finding time to play so I am glad I got my original out before uni started, but I'm still in the process of working on more pieces when I get the chance.
I guess I don't want to give people the impression that most of my compositions will sound like the one i recently just posted, not that i dislike that 'style' but I don't think I myself have found my 'sound' so to speak. I've been playing with some atmospheric stuff using the electric guitar but we'll see how that goes. For now my priority is my Grade 8 classical pieces so expect to see some of them up in the next few weeks. Not much to say this week other than that I'm exhausted... Although I have been learning more jazz guitar. I feel its really the only thing I'm missing in my repertoire, and its not easy. The amount of scales they work with and the chords almost defy the classical logic that i've been taught, but it is so diverse and useful that can't not learn it. I personally think now if there are two types of guitar styles you should start out on its either classical or jazz. The theory in jazz is just so diverse and I wish i had learnt it earlier, but yet i cant deny the impact learning classical guitar has had on my playing too. So... my advice. Learn both.
Jesse
I guess I don't want to give people the impression that most of my compositions will sound like the one i recently just posted, not that i dislike that 'style' but I don't think I myself have found my 'sound' so to speak. I've been playing with some atmospheric stuff using the electric guitar but we'll see how that goes. For now my priority is my Grade 8 classical pieces so expect to see some of them up in the next few weeks. Not much to say this week other than that I'm exhausted... Although I have been learning more jazz guitar. I feel its really the only thing I'm missing in my repertoire, and its not easy. The amount of scales they work with and the chords almost defy the classical logic that i've been taught, but it is so diverse and useful that can't not learn it. I personally think now if there are two types of guitar styles you should start out on its either classical or jazz. The theory in jazz is just so diverse and I wish i had learnt it earlier, but yet i cant deny the impact learning classical guitar has had on my playing too. So... my advice. Learn both.
Jesse
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Finally something original
So I have just finished recording my first original which I shall upload tomorrow sometime and honestly I feel kind of relived. It is just a solo acoustic piece one of many more originals to come, but not necessarily of the same style. I am still in the experimentation stage in my music, and so a lot of my stuff will vary quite significantly, but in some way that's what I enjoy about the guitar. I've called the piece 'just a feeling' because that is precisely what it is. I was sitting on a bench outside one day in the suburb of Mt. Waverley, was probably one of the best days I had seen all year. Not too hot, not too cold, the perfect breeze. And so I Just started to play what I felt and what you hear is pretty much what I played then. A feeling beyond words which can only be expressed through what I played. Yes I changed the occasional nuance here and there and perhaps a chord or phrase but the essence of what came out at the time still very much remains and I hope you are able to get a glimpse of that through my video.
Was only a short one this week, but I shall attach the video here once it is uploaded so come back tomorrow afternoon to check it out :)
thanks guys
Jesse Liang
http://www.youtube.com/user/JesseGuitar07
Was only a short one this week, but I shall attach the video here once it is uploaded so come back tomorrow afternoon to check it out :)
thanks guys
Jesse Liang
http://www.youtube.com/user/JesseGuitar07
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Fulfillment
I know a few of my friends who are currently in bands trying to make a big time music career and I'd have to give them some respect. Some of them have EP's some are still just playing cover gigs but they're all waiting for their lucky break. I mean these guys are extremely talented but so much of it comes down to luck. As with almost with everything, you gotta be in the right place at the right time. I'm sure a lot of bands these days have what it takes, but just aren't lucky enough. It's like a career gamble really. The jackpot being becoming international superstars, and the minimum being a local cover band playing other people's music. The thing I've been wondering about is whether if all your achievements in your music career resulted in you being the friday night local pub cover band, could you still be fulfilled by your music? Would it be any different to say being a bedroom guitarist who just uploads videos to youtube? And it all comes down to what you value. *You might find that in the course of my blog entry I tend to answer my own questions from time to time.* Of course if it is money you desire you will clearly not be content with a weekly pub/ bar gig. Your going to want the big stage, the stadium, the arena and 9/10 your not going to be happy with what you have because money - a finite material possession cannot possibly fulfil what your seeking. However, if it is music you desire as a musician, as long as you appreciate that type of music you will be content. I hold the belief that music is timeless, like in my last blog I mentioned that music had a transcendental nature about it. To me at least, money will dwindle away, but music will continue to sound forever.
I guess a lot of what I say about music can be parallelled to real life. I mean the same thing goes for any job, if all you want in your life is to attain countless amounts of money, I'm sorry but money has an end. And I really don't think your going to be able to take your money with you after your time is up. But you could spend your life doing something you loved, helping others, passing down something for future generations to find like wisdom, music, art, literature etc.. You might think it weird for me to compare music to life itself, but after all isn't life a song? It plays out in various ways, with various types of people in various cultures, and just as music is universal amongst the world, well so is life. Keep on playing till the day the music dies, although i hope it never does.
Jesse
here is my first video I posts on youtube about 4 years ago ...
http://www.jesseguitar.com
I guess a lot of what I say about music can be parallelled to real life. I mean the same thing goes for any job, if all you want in your life is to attain countless amounts of money, I'm sorry but money has an end. And I really don't think your going to be able to take your money with you after your time is up. But you could spend your life doing something you loved, helping others, passing down something for future generations to find like wisdom, music, art, literature etc.. You might think it weird for me to compare music to life itself, but after all isn't life a song? It plays out in various ways, with various types of people in various cultures, and just as music is universal amongst the world, well so is life. Keep on playing till the day the music dies, although i hope it never does.
Jesse
here is my first video I posts on youtube about 4 years ago ...
http://www.jesseguitar.com
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Notes on a Page
So been working on a few things lately. Couple of original pieces, a few classical ones; my friend also asked me to compose some background music for a slide show of scenic images and video footage which will be something different for a change too. I think as a musician you need to have your main style/approach to things - Something that your unique in and that you've mastered, but also have the ability to play and use other techniques too. It's like my school teachers used to tell me about life - 'try to achieve everything in something and something in everything'. I reckon the same could apply to your musical instrument. Try to really master one style and still be able to play the rest of them adequately. Although I am still wondering which style I would end up choosing. Any suggestions?
You know I've always kind of wondered what music really is. I often hear people explain that it is just 'notes on a page' - and although that is not untrue, there is definitely more to it (well in my opinion anyway). To me, the notes on a page are like a language. A language just the same as what you would find in the books of Shakespeare but musicians just have a different way of expressing it. I assimilate the notes on the page to the words on the page of a book. And instead of using speech to communicate the language, we use the various frequencies of sound that our respective instruments create. And just as the words in a book convey a meaning/message, so too do the notes on a page generate meaning when played. A lot of music cannot be expressed in words (except pop songs of course) as it is a language in another realm. Yet it is so universal, that two people from two completely different countries could hum a tune together and 'speak' to each other through the mystery of music. I'm sure you might have experienced a time where only a song could explain your feelings or your pain and again I think it reveals how music has a sort of transcendent nature to it - something beyond our sound understanding. Well I think it's quite interesting but maybe that's just me.
See ya next week
Jesse Liang
www.jesseguitar.com
http://www.youtube.com/user/JesseGuitar07
You know I've always kind of wondered what music really is. I often hear people explain that it is just 'notes on a page' - and although that is not untrue, there is definitely more to it (well in my opinion anyway). To me, the notes on a page are like a language. A language just the same as what you would find in the books of Shakespeare but musicians just have a different way of expressing it. I assimilate the notes on the page to the words on the page of a book. And instead of using speech to communicate the language, we use the various frequencies of sound that our respective instruments create. And just as the words in a book convey a meaning/message, so too do the notes on a page generate meaning when played. A lot of music cannot be expressed in words (except pop songs of course) as it is a language in another realm. Yet it is so universal, that two people from two completely different countries could hum a tune together and 'speak' to each other through the mystery of music. I'm sure you might have experienced a time where only a song could explain your feelings or your pain and again I think it reveals how music has a sort of transcendent nature to it - something beyond our sound understanding. Well I think it's quite interesting but maybe that's just me.
See ya next week
Jesse Liang
www.jesseguitar.com
http://www.youtube.com/user/JesseGuitar07
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Moving through the days
The year has already started moving on quickly. I was fortunate enough to get a permanent place at the music school where I was filling in so now I feel a bit more secure knowing I'll have a certain amount of money each week - which however will probably all go to my fuel costs. Oh well, life goes on.
I've been listening to the radio a lot lately and i keep hearing these songs that most people would classify a fairly good song, and I've been wondering whether these songs are actually good or whether we just perceive them as a good song because of the band. I genuinely like the song 'Viva La Vida' but i am not to sure whether there would have been as much hype about if a less known band had written the same song in stead. It seems that a band's status or reputation already raises the perceived quality of a song which can sometimes make it hard (well at least for me) to distinguish between a good song and a great one. Of course music should be analysed irrespectively to the band or artist but i guess we just can't help it.
As i mentioned in an earlier blog, I'm having a hard time working out what kind of style/band I would see myself playing in. And of lately the idea of a Trio seems appealing. Kind of toned down, pop/jazz/atmospheric music. I guess since I am getting into jazz a bit now i've been influenced by that but also the idea of having less people is appealing too. I mean having less people to contact, less equipment to lug around seems more my thing. Im not a big fan complicated set-ups and equipment but this is still just an idea and knowing me I might change my mind in a couple of days.
I was also lucky enough to get given $1000 USD gift card from Youtube to fund my film and recording equipment. I actually read the email quite late as and it said the expiry date was the 1st of Feb, so i was shattered but i tired anyway and so far it still seem to have worked. It said 'order confirmed' so I'm hoping i still get my stuff. I ordered a new camera lens for my SLR to make the filming look nicer and Digitech loop Pedal to help with writing music. Also got a couple of better quality leads too. I'm kinda nervous as to whether the order is going to go through but all I can do is sit and wait really. Still in the process of making the new video, and if 'm lucky I can use tje new lens in the next video :) so stay tuned.
Jesse Liang
www.jesseguitar.com/
http://www.youtube.com/user/JesseGuitar07
I've been listening to the radio a lot lately and i keep hearing these songs that most people would classify a fairly good song, and I've been wondering whether these songs are actually good or whether we just perceive them as a good song because of the band. I genuinely like the song 'Viva La Vida' but i am not to sure whether there would have been as much hype about if a less known band had written the same song in stead. It seems that a band's status or reputation already raises the perceived quality of a song which can sometimes make it hard (well at least for me) to distinguish between a good song and a great one. Of course music should be analysed irrespectively to the band or artist but i guess we just can't help it.
As i mentioned in an earlier blog, I'm having a hard time working out what kind of style/band I would see myself playing in. And of lately the idea of a Trio seems appealing. Kind of toned down, pop/jazz/atmospheric music. I guess since I am getting into jazz a bit now i've been influenced by that but also the idea of having less people is appealing too. I mean having less people to contact, less equipment to lug around seems more my thing. Im not a big fan complicated set-ups and equipment but this is still just an idea and knowing me I might change my mind in a couple of days.
I was also lucky enough to get given $1000 USD gift card from Youtube to fund my film and recording equipment. I actually read the email quite late as and it said the expiry date was the 1st of Feb, so i was shattered but i tired anyway and so far it still seem to have worked. It said 'order confirmed' so I'm hoping i still get my stuff. I ordered a new camera lens for my SLR to make the filming look nicer and Digitech loop Pedal to help with writing music. Also got a couple of better quality leads too. I'm kinda nervous as to whether the order is going to go through but all I can do is sit and wait really. Still in the process of making the new video, and if 'm lucky I can use tje new lens in the next video :) so stay tuned.
Jesse Liang
www.jesseguitar.com/
http://www.youtube.com/user/JesseGuitar07
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Good Music?
Too often I will listen to the radio and hear a song that I think just really doesn't deserve to be played on air. Do people really like to listen to this? What is so good about the song? Sure, it has a catchy phrase but the rest of it may as well have been digitally created. I mean, how is the quality of music judged these days? Well if it's on the radio i'm guessing it's just based on some kind of commercial image or sound, but I want to know what separates the good music from the bad. It seems that in all art, the 'masterpieces' are the ones that have stood the test of time. For literature - something like the works of Shakespeare, for philosophy - something like Plato's or Aristotle's writings, and for music we have people like Bach, Mozart, Beethoven. I don't think we can doubt the greatness of these works. Musicians all around the world still appreciate and play these pieces by these great musicians. Their legend and influence hasn't died yet and I don't see it dying for sometime. But what about say The Beatles? or Jimi Hendrix? They revolutionised the music and guitar world and their music is also still played today. Now I don't know if they are going to last as long as Bach or Mozart but they certainly have left quite a mark in the world of music. So what makes them so great? Could it just be because they were the first of their kind to produce that kind of music? Does inventing a style of music necessarily make you a first class band or musician? Surely it can't alone. It appears that they more so defined an Era. That their music was a turning point for the music world, that they changed the music paradigm of their time. It might be that their songs are actually respected as a part of history as opposed to just quality of music. (Don't get me wrong, I highly admire the music of both the Beatles and Jimi Hendrix). So it could be that because they have a history attached to their sound that they are regarded as 'greats' or 'legends'. It does seem a little bit unfair however for those who might be just as good but who will never receive the same credit. And maybe it is because they can't. Not that there is an end to music (at least in my opinion) just that they can't break free of the current paradigm of music. If everyone is playing the same (or roughly) thing, then no matter how good you are , you're not going to stand out (of course with a few exceptions). So i often find myself being careful when I'm judging music and comparing it to the 'greats' because they might be just as good however they just lack the... innovation, uniqueness, the ability to change a world's view on music <= (I was struggling to describe that part) Anyway, so I guess it ends up being 'what' the musician/s does (as well as being awesome) as opposed to 'how good they are' that makes them a legend.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Is it work or fun?
So I just got back from my first day of teaching at a music school and well.. I think it has given me a slight insight into the life of a working musician. It actually wasn't all that stressful given that half my students scheduled were still on holidays which means I had about 2 hours break in which I just practiced and still got paid for it.. So work doesn't seem to bad - I know that is just being naive and that after some time it's going to feel like a drag but I honestly enjoy teaching guitar, whether it's at the school or privately. I wonder though if it is because I am not studying music that I still find it more of a hobby than work even though it is making me money? A lot of music teachers (public or private) would be aspiring musicians you know.. currently in a music course or just finishing their music degree, or perhaps even with a doctorate in music. But here I am studying Urban Planning for 5 years and still to following my passion for music. Actually I guess part of the reason why I didn't study music is because I felt that if music became my day to day work it wouldn't be as enjoyable anymore. Some of you may strongly disagree, but as far as I have heard not many people like their jobs. I guess I wouldn't mind it that way, work my usual shift, then go play a gig for fun. I think it is more enjoyable to play a gig not because you have to but because you can. Not to worry about when your next one is so you can pay your rent, but to be able to play for the shear intrinsic enjoyment of it. Maybe it is just the psychology of it all. My music is almost like my get away from all the reading, writing, studying.. and therefore I still enjoy it. Not to say I wouldn't if I studied it, but I suspect I would enjoy it more now than if I were aiming to make a full time career out of it. For now i'm just going to keep music as music and see how I go from there.
Jesse Liang
www.jesseguitar.com
http://www.youtube.com/user/JesseGuitar07
Jesse Liang
www.jesseguitar.com
http://www.youtube.com/user/JesseGuitar07
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
One of Those Days
So it's one of those days where you have all the time in the world to do stuff, but nothing really gets done. More time is spent thinking about what to do than doing what you are thinking. I have another month and a half before I start university again, so in the mean time I have my job at the music school (starting next week), and my private tutoring at home. I also have many things which I would like to eventually record, but when you are a one man band its not easy to come up with each and every part on your own. But i guess if there is ever a time when I will actually have the time to record these things, it is in these 1 and a half months before Uni. I've heard that the second year of University is a lot harder than first year, and that finding time to fit in study and a part time job is hard enough. Guess I'm going to have to figure out some way to squeeze in practice for my grade 8 AMEB and my general recordings and songwriting for youtube into my study and work schedule so wish me luck.
During these days when spend most of the time thinking, I often wonder what kind of music I would like to create. Or, if I ever made it as a musician: what kind of music would I be playing? I guess i ponder over this because I appreciate all sorts of music and love playing all genres. And when I find myself writing stuff it is never consistent with a certain genre. It ranges from Pop Vocal Music - to New age world music - to classical - to easy listening acoustic - to theatrical sound tracks. I mean you can understand how I am in a bit of a musical identity crisis. It is frustrating at times, but at the same time it leaves my options open. If I fail in one, I have several more styles to try. So slowly you might see different sorts of music appear on my youtube channel, and you might think 'what is he playing....?'. But really I am just giving everything a go. Cause I ain't going to know if anyone likes any of my music unless I put it up right? I'm aware that I can't make everyone happy with my music, but the way I see it is: if your music has at least made one person smile, one person happy, or is enjoyed in someway by at least one person, then the effort was not a total waste, and plus you can at least say you tried.
That's all for now till next week.
Jesse Liang
During these days when spend most of the time thinking, I often wonder what kind of music I would like to create. Or, if I ever made it as a musician: what kind of music would I be playing? I guess i ponder over this because I appreciate all sorts of music and love playing all genres. And when I find myself writing stuff it is never consistent with a certain genre. It ranges from Pop Vocal Music - to New age world music - to classical - to easy listening acoustic - to theatrical sound tracks. I mean you can understand how I am in a bit of a musical identity crisis. It is frustrating at times, but at the same time it leaves my options open. If I fail in one, I have several more styles to try. So slowly you might see different sorts of music appear on my youtube channel, and you might think 'what is he playing....?'. But really I am just giving everything a go. Cause I ain't going to know if anyone likes any of my music unless I put it up right? I'm aware that I can't make everyone happy with my music, but the way I see it is: if your music has at least made one person smile, one person happy, or is enjoyed in someway by at least one person, then the effort was not a total waste, and plus you can at least say you tried.
That's all for now till next week.
Jesse Liang
Thursday, January 6, 2011
On the Way Home
I'd have to say I'm still very much in the holiday mood. You know - enjoying the freedom, not having a schedule etc. When I return home I will still have another month and a half before I start Uni so my 'holiday' itself is not necessarily over when I return in a few days. I was lucky enough to get a part-time subcontracting job at a music school teaching for the remainder of my holidays which will give me time to look for other jobs. Well I teach privately as well but with the amount of petrol I use and the amount it costs, one job just isn't enough sadly.
I intend to play more gigs as well as they pay quite well, but honestly, I didn't realise how tiring it would be until I started a couple months back. I played a 3 hour Latin/Flamenco duo with a friend and by the end of it, well.. I've actually never been so tired of playing guitar. But I guess that's part of the job sometimes, you just gotta push through and enjoy the music even if it is not exactly what you feel like playing. That being said, the gig went pretty smoothly. The wedding that I played at last sunday (unfortunately no video) went pretty well too. It kind of helped that everyone was talking and not staring at me as I could just relax and play as if I was in my own room - which is where I usually play best. I have a feeling it is the same in most forms of art, that we (as artists) perform best when we do not think about what we are playing/saying/singing. We just appreciate the moment, and enjoy the music for what it is, to grasp and acknowledge the intrinsic value of our instruments and music. In many school performances I regret being on stage and constantly worrying about what other people were thinking about my playing. I found those performances were the ones I was least happy with. Then there were the times where I was carefree, and even though I made a few undesirable noises and hiccups, the 'performance' itself was far more enjoyable. Because I hold this philosophy of music I deeply admire Tommy Emmanuel. Not only are his pieces reflections of something beyond this world, when I watch him perform, it is almost like he and his instrument are a single entity. The passion he exerts, the feeling he generates, in combination with the virtuosic playing create something beyond words. Something I wish I could replicate. But as they say - 'The Journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step' and I guess so does the practicing.
Jesse Liang
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