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.

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

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

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

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ADMSNf7_tE