Musical Instruments

I wish I was just naturally proficient at musical instruments, but I find it very hard to get to grips with them. Dyspraxia is my excuse for that, but I'm guessing it's really nothing that determination and practise can't over come. I just have the urge to make music. After many failed attempts at Guitar, I have become reasonably adept at two of its offspring: The bass guitar, and the ukulele. Both four-stringed, which is much easier to comprehend. One very chord based, one very tune based. When it got to the point that I could play songs on them, that's when it really hit me. I could play instruments! Does that make me a musician? I certainly don't feel like I'll be chart-topping any time soon. And yet, at the same time, I do have a musical medium now. I've started writing songs. Even if it's not amazing stuff I'm producing, it still feels cool. I really would recommend to anyone to start playing an instrument. It's just lovely to tinker with.

Non-Disclosure Agreements

Doesn't it suck that you can have your free speech contractually controlled? I mean, the reasons are there, companies have sensitive information that could really ruin their business if it got out in the open. I'm not talking about criminal secrets here, but just stuff about how they work. I mean, at an ethical level we should not allow ourselves to be controlled so. Sure, it's alright to say "If you don't blab about this, you'll get these rewards," but it's not so fine to say "After signing this, you have now agreed that we can sue the crap out of you if you talk." This is just one of the things in day to day life that just makes me feel like sheeple, so many systems that I have to bow down too. But, I'm young! I can still dream that one day I'll stumble upon riches and transcend all this.

Path To Enlightenment

On your search for the path for enlightenment,
Look not for the road already paved,
For many a man has traveled that way,
And ended up in a philosophical traffic jam.
Instead, look to walk where there are fewest footsteps,
Where the bushes and thorns block your path.
For it is in these directions that the rarest gems are found.
Though they may not glimmer the most, or be sought the most,
They are the most valuable, for few have found them.
Do not leave a trail of breadcrumbs behind you,
Or the masses may find you and tarnish your treasures,
And you have no reason to return to where they reside,
Once you have found a diamond of knowledge,
If you take it to the people, it will be made into coal,
And used to fuel their vehicles on the road to ignorance.

Travel where no path takes you,
And pray that the journey wakes you.

Drink The Ink

Here's a poem that I wrote.
Drink The Ink
Golden sunshine, blossom trees,
Ladybugs and Honeybees.
Merry meadows, Happy day,
Songbirds sing the clouds away.

Summer heat with soothing breeze,
Dozing away hours with ease.
Flowers waft around my face,
My mind drifts to a distant place...

Reality.

Orange Light bulb, in a ceiling lamp,
These four dark walls, they crawl with damp.
Shadowy Heaven, from where I dream,
Ghost my future, and plot my scheme,
To break down walls, to create a door,
Lest I never know what I am for.
The world outside, one day will be mine,
One day I will behold sunshine,
My humanity is on the line.

The spell is cast, with pen and paper's seal,
I drink in the ink, to make dreams real.

So, choral music. I hate that there's such a social stigma around it. I mean, it's such a brilliant thing to immerse yourself in. Maybe it's because I'm a musician that I can recognise when music is especially awesome (But who's to say that something is art if it requires a bit of knowledge to appreciate?) or maybe I just look for it more. Either way, singing in 8 part harmony is amazing! It's not all churchy stuff. Most stuff, including traditional choral music, is still much better. A lot is very dark as well, and even though I'm an atheist, I was raised Catholic, and there can be a cool feel to the dark side of it.

But we do other stuff as well, like covers of more contemporary songs, or weird conceptual pieces, or pieces from all over the world! I really do believe that more people should SING! And singing in harmony is one of the greatest forms of singing. Especially if people get hooked at a young age, I think the world would be a much nicer place!

Oh, but all tone deaf people must be shot.

INCOMING!

Hey all, just starting up my blog, stay tuned for some posts!