This Is Your Brain On Music
I’ve been reading the book This Is Your Brain on Music by Daniel Levitin for almost the past two years. It’s a very tough read with thick terminology of the brain and neuro-jargon. I recently picked it up again and tonight I read what I think is probably my favourite passage from the whole book. I am choosing to share that passage with you. It talks about how we are willing to be vulnerable with our musical tastes depending on how we can relate to the musician and such.
This (One’s own musical tastes) sense of vulnerability and surrender is no more prevalent than with rock and popular music in the past fory years. This accounts for the fandom that surrounds popular musicians – the Grateful Dead, the Dave Matthews band, Phish, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, the Beatles, R.E.M., and Ani Difranco. We allow them to control our emotions and even our politics – to lift us up, to bring us down, to comfort us, to inspire us. We let them into our living rooms and bedrooms when no one else is around. WE let them into our ears, directly, through earbuds and headphones, when we’re not communicating with anybody else in the world.
It is unusual to let oneself become so vulnerable with a total stranger. Most of us have some kind of protection that prevents us from blurting out every thought and feeling that comes across our minds. When someone asks us, “How’re ya doin’?” we say “Fine,” even if we’re depressed about a fight we just had at home, or suffering a minor physical ailment. My grandfather used to say that the definition of a bore is someone who when you ask him “How are you?” actually tells you. even with close friends, there are some things we simply keep hidden- digestive and bowel-related problems, for example, or feelings of self-doubt. One of the reasons that we’re willing to make ourselves vulnerable to our favorite musicians is that they often make themselves vulnerable to us.
Damn You Jelly Beans!
Firstly, I need to make a rant about jelly bellys. The jelly bean that comes in god knows how many flavours (apparently it’s 50). And when you get a big bag of them, as my roommate did, and you take a handful, you have NO FUCKING IDEA what flavours you have. They’re all basically the same colours. So you have to sit there and look at the bag to try and determine if the ones you got are actually going to taste good. You might get a white one and be like “Oh Score! Cream Soda” and then you eat it, and nope! You were wrong, it’s coconut. Disgusting. They need to just settle on like 10 flavours. Or make specific packs with fruit jelly beans, or what have you. Grr.
Secondly, I went to see Shutter Island today with friendgirl. It was actually a really good movie! I was kinda excited to see it, and it wasn’t at all what I expected, but very good none the less. Again I’m realizing that I can’t watch movies for the story anymore. I’m ooing-and-awing about how good the shots are and how well the music fits and wondering how much Martin Scorsese uses a green screen. I’d recommend it.
Classes are starting to wind down here. It’s hard to find motivation to do anything in these last few weeks. Mostly played video games the last few days. I’ve got a few more assignments to finish up and I really don’t want to do them. It’s so hard especially with this long weekend coming up. Thursday is April Fool’s Day! I’ve got a pretty good prank planned, but I don’t want to disclose any information regarding it in case the victim reads my blog. The roommates have been talking about plans for next year and moving in together again. This is all fine and dandy, but part of me doesn’t want to live with them again. A big part of me wants to live with friendgirl, but as it looks now that isn’t happening. I enjoy living with these guys, but I like meeting new people and making new circles of friends. But I’m not sure what to do. Everyone in the house is a little weary about living with our one roommate who isn’t really cutting his slack. We hardly see him, and what time he is home he spends in his room, or with his girlfriend. Which means he never does any chores unless asked, never hangs out with us. It’s stupid to think that we’d want to live with him again. And now I’ve heard that he wants to bring a friend to live with us next year, making it 5 in a house. Which I could totally see, seeing as he relates to no one here. But it would just be easier if he lived with other friend alone. I dunno. Just a ramble.
Here’s a song that I like right now!
I may post some more later depending how the tides turn,
- J
I guess it’s a light beer….
My roommate showed me this video about a week ago. Apparently it’s for a contest called the Eddies. Big Rock, the beer company here, doesn’t do any of their own advertising and so they get people to make ads, and the winners ad gets something or something. I think this one will win.
Feel Good Music
I feel like no one can listen to this music and not get pumped. Well maybe just Star Wars geeks like me…
Calvin and Hobbes
See my latest post with Calvin and Hobbes backgrounds here: Backgrounds!
My parents got me a Calvin and Hobbes book for my birthday. I’ll probably start posting some of their strips frequently now. It’s amazing how a comic strip written in the 80′s and 90′s can still be relevant today.
Funny story about this last one. When I first read it (when I was maybe 11 or 12), I was like “psh Imaginary numbers. Eleventeen. No such thing exists. What a funny guy.” Boy was I wrong. And university calculus how I hate you so.
I wish I could go on a Holiday somewhere completely new…
I’ve found almost everything ever written about love to be true. Shakespeare said “Journeys end in lovers meeting.” What an extraordinary thought. Personally, I have not experienced anything remotely close to that, but I am more than willing to believe Shakespeare had. I suppose I think about love more than anyone really should. I am constantly amazed by its sheer power to alter and define our lives. It was Shakespeare who also said “love is blind”. Now that is something I know to be true. For some quite inexplicably, love fades; for others love is simply lost. But then of course love can also be found, even if just for the night.
Kotake and Koume’s Theme
Have you ever wanted to play all the songs from the Ocarina of Time? If so! Here’s all the sheet music. I found it on some Ocarina website and now I’m sharing with you! Enjoy!
Legend of Zelda – Ocarina of Time Sheet Music
Allegretto poco Scherzoso
I am finally coming off of one of the most hectic weeks of my year. Last week almost killed me. Starting on the Friday previous, making that the 12th. I worked that night, the next night, and the night after that. On that Wednesday my parents arrived in time for my jazz band concert on Saturday. That Thursday night I had a rehearsal for said jazz band, and then a midterm the day after in my recording class. Then Saturday was the concert and dress rehearsal, so that day was basically a write off. And then to top it all off, on Sunday I had to finish a 1300+ line assignment for my computer science class. Throw in seeing your parents everyday and them harping on you about just about everything. It did not make for a good week.
My parents being here caused me a lot of stress. I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned, but Girlfriend and I are, or were, hoping to move in together in September. As of now it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen. My parents flat out told me that if her and I wanted to live together then I would have to pay for all on my own. My parents very generously cover a large amount of my expenses while I am in school. And depending on whether or not I find a job this summer, I could have little to no funds of my own. This has caused a point of conflict for me and girlfriend, and for my parents and I. Girlfriend is questioning whether or not she wants to maintain this relationship, when in the long run it is probable that it will not last due to our individual goals. My parents like to think that they’re letting me make my own decisions in what I do, when really I feel as though they are adding a significant amount of influence by saying that they won’t pay. It’s ridiculous and stupid and grr.
In other news…well I don’t really have other news. It’s looking like I’m moving back to Calgary this summer. I really don’t have many other options, nobody here has looked promising with jobs. And I’ve been applying much earlier than I did last year. The thought of taking more courses has crossed my mind. But I think I would go insane going almost 3 years straight without a break. Maybe I’ll apply to Banff again. They rejected me this time, but that could be because the competition was so great and my recordings weren’t that good.
Speaking of recordings, I get to do something pretty cool tomorrow. My recording class wants to do a session on recording drums, so I get to play for them! It’ll be fun being on the other side of things for a change. Hopefully I’ll be able to listen to something to drum along to…I feel that it’s really hard to play drums to nothing. Oh well, we shall see tomorrow. Maybe I’ll get a recording of it and I can post it for everyone to hear!
Oh drums! Jazz band. Sucked. Go figure. I played my three songs and left. There was nothing to stay there for, our ‘leader’ was just using the forum as a promotion for her and her band. The ‘guest’ artist she invited is a blues harmonica player. Together, him and our leader have two bands together, and they will be touring to Germany in May. Definitely a big fucking joke. I was so pissed at that, and really glad I left. The school is trying to find a new jazz teacher. Thank God, and one of the candidates is Matt Brubeck (Dave Brubeck’s son) and he taught us a class on Friday which was pretty cool. See video of Dave Brubeck playing piano and you will understand how good his son is.
And with that, I think I’ll sign off.
Later days,
- J
New strain of humankind identified
New strain of humankind identified – The Globe and Mail.
In the latest use of DNA to investigate the story of humankind, scientists have decoded genetic material from an unidentified human ancestor that lived in Siberia and concluded it might be a new member of the human family tree.
The DNA doesn’t match modern humans or Neanderthals, two species that lived in that area around the same time — 30,000 to 50,000 years ago.
Instead, it suggests the Siberian species lineage split off from the branch leading to moderns and Neanderthals a million years ago, the researchers calculated. And they said that doesn’t seem to match the history of human ancestors previously known from fossils.
So the Siberian species may be brand new, although the scientists cautioned that they’re not ready to make that claim yet.
Other experts agreed that while the Siberian species may be new, the case is far from proven.
Well this is pretty nifty. It’s always weird knowing we all came from the same 20+ people. Or, for your Christians out there; 2.
Star Wars Incest
This is really only funny if you’ve watched Star Wars. Oh what a little sound editing can do.
Me – One. Google – Nothing.
I just spent the past 10 minutes googling myself. There were no links to any of my blog/facebook/photos/anything other than my CD reviews for the Martlet.
This is a good thing. I hate the feeling that someone out there (a potential boss) may be learning everything there is to know about me from my blog before we even meet.
Luckily there’s a XXXXX XXXXXXX who rides horses somewhere in Texas. So all his stuff comes up first.
Me – One. Google – Nothing.
Who Knew!
Just Undo It — Conceptual Devices.
This is how to turn your hoodie into a whole bunch of practical things! Take a look on the link for more!
What Stormtroopers do on Their Day Off
There’s lots more too! Click the link!
What Stormtroopers do on Their Day Off | WildAmmo.com.
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
Greetings faithful following!
If you do follow this, neat! You should leave a comment and let me know what you think or what you want more of.
So I haven’t really written anything for a few weeks, so I’m gonna sum up my life into maybe 1000 words. Umm last week I went to an Alexisonfire show! It was amazing as always. I don’t think I will ever be able to find another band who has the same energy as them on stage. So that was great, I got another t-shirt from them. I feel like I have some obligation to buy a shirt from a show. To say that I saw this band when they came and I support them. Dunno, that’s just me. Girlfriend was commenting on how she’s never been to a show before. And I couldn’t believe that. She was like “What do you do?” And I kinda felt stupid saying things like “sing along with the band” and “jump up and down” and “try your very best to make eye contact with them.”
sigh, My heros.
It’s weird, especially with a band like Alexis, I feel that they have a certain almost ‘god-like’ attribute to them. You could say that I idolize these guys, and wish everyday that I was playing music I loved for a living. I still have secret dreams about meeting some random guys in university and making it big playing drums. Doubtful that will happen, but hey, as my dad says, “A man has to dream.”
And then I can get all philosophical about the whole mosh pit thing. How it’s like one whole collective that ebbs and flows as one person surges to the front and how each person has to pick up the guy beside him when he falls and you’re all trying to seek the same common goal. I don’t really know where I’m going with this, but there’s something somewhere in there…Anyways.
Speaking of playing music, I found out that I get to play 3 songs in my jazz band concert coming up. There are 12 in total. I find this is fucking ridiculous. I put in the same time and effort as the other drummer, and he gets more songs than me. There are two I feel that I should have for sure. I walked out on a rehearsal last week because the songs we were going to play in the next hour weren’t mine, so I felt it was pointless for me to stay. That rehearsal, I played for 10 minutes out of two hours. It’s completely frustrating being there and going to these things twice a week. I feel that my band director has a grudge against me because I missed two rehearsal’s in the last month. I don’t get it. I’m basically set on giving up on it soon.
School is good, been pretty busy with most of my classes. My recording class is probably my favourite as I’m actually doing something I enjoy. For the first time ever in university. I was doing a course evaluation for one of my classes yesterday, and one of the bubbles asks “Why did you take this class?” and never once have I filled out “My own interest”. Every class I’ve taken is a “Program Requirement”, and for that, my program sucks.
So this last weekend kinda sucked for me. I had all these great plans with girlfriend that didn’t happen like I wanted, so I was really sad about that. And then Sunday was just a blunder. They had to cut the power to all of campus for all of Sunday to fix something. So there was really nothing to do. One can only read so much throughout a day. It didn’t help that it was grey and rainy most of the day. Luckily I had a plan, get my haircut. Well, I spent the 45 minutes getting to the mall, and then another half hour waiting for the hairdressers to be open, because apparently I was going to be the first appointment of the day…Which was the first problem. Eventually I find out my hairdresser is late and so I rebook for later in the day. So dejected I went home, and preceeded to play guitar, and broke a string. Blah, it just sucked.
Anywho, bedtime for me.
Later days,
- J
Postsecret
Like a bunch of angsty melodramtic teen…fuck I can’t say this anymore because I’m 20 now…anyways.
I read Postsecret. This is one I liked. Enjoy
A note from President Obama
The author The Life of Pi, Yann Martel recently recieved a note from Barak Obama. Posted on the website that he has, called What Is Stephen Harper Reading?, to make our PM jealous. Every two weeks Martel sends Harper a book to read to try and inspire him. Pretty nifty.
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Stop Motion Lego Star Wars
Could there be a better combination of any two things? I don’t think so.
Whatcha been listenin’ to?
Well thanks for asking! Cause lately I’ve been listening to a lot of different music! Some new, some really old. Here’s the list of my mostly played for the past months!
Phoenix
Thursday
Great Lake Swimmers
We Were Promised Jetpacks
The Ghost Is Dancing
Eminem
2Pac
Propoghandi
Anberlin
Circa Survive
Saosin
From First To Last
Matchbook Romance
Story of the Year
