13 posts tagged “music”
There is no doubt that I’ve always been smarter than my peers in singapore from childhood through to the present. I was always the ‘leader’ from elementary school onwards; generated more ideas and solutions in the face of any situation; and spent what might be deemed to be an inordinate amount of time reflecting and considering the novel even as a child – as far as I can remember, from the age of 4 (yes, I can remember some of the events from that age, locations and how I felt about things at that point in time). No, I’m not preoccupied with its self-esteem benefits to myself. Rather, I’ve always been interested to know how this might have occurred so that i might pass on the Method to those around myself in singapore.
Of the various factors that contributed to my intellectual and perspectival
development, one of them is musical exposure.
From childhood, my elder
brother used to play a whole array of music such as rock&roll, opera,
meditation music, classical music, jazz, disco, sentimental, etc.
(I was also professionally trained as a soloist(soprano) in the school choir in elementary school). I later picked up the blues harp, violin, didgeridoo and sought exposure to other types of music and culture.(I can also listen to a tune and play it by ear on an instrument) This had almost immediate and observable effect on the way I thought on other seemingly unrelated matters. Once I realised that the principles acquired in one field could be transported to others and enhance one's perspectival vibrancy in them, I began to do this intentionally by seeking out new types of music, food, philosophies, religions, etc, etc, etc. Then i would sit back and do what i usually do and see myself making further inroads that i previously had not - i.e. in cooking, art, writing, philosophy, work, etc, etc. Delicious to be in control of the factors impacting on one's development.
As far as music goes, my exposure to my brother's music, specifically, taught me that there were different ways of appreciating
music, and generically, it enhanced my propensity to appreciate reality itself in a
multitude of ways, or at least keeping my mind open to the novel instead of
discounting it like most singaporeans do (especially the Chinese) at present (I
have, however, helped quite a few Chinese, and others, to transcend this perspectival disability by instruction or lessons).
Exposure to various types of music, in part, strengthened what I would call my metaphysical base which has always served to
defend my intellectual and aesthetic sense against pressures to conform and be part of a culturally uniform tapestry by any variant of
monoculturalism. Thus, overtime, with the growth of monoculturalism(90s onward) in singapore, I
became a pariah who was frequently asked by people, 'are you a
singaporean?'. I've always taken this as a compliment. But this had
untoward consequences on my social life, employment opportunities, etc,
etc. But, it doesn't matter. Being true to one's potentials has
always been far more important to myself than acceptance by an increasingly
faceless mass.
I suppose the role of
music, amongst others, is more critical at ages where one would not be able to
comprehend philosophical discourse. That
is, when one is young. Music, art,
exposure to difference – whether it is to muslims wearing their headdress in
schools or different types of music, cultures, foods, etc - are some of the simple means by which one might be able to prepare the young mind to be open and capable of thinking out of the box at a
later stage as one does not need to be able to understand it to be influenced by its generic qualities. It helps to unstop all of
ones’ senses and prepares the mind to look at things from other angles. Thus, when one is exposed to education,
problems, etc, one would be well-positioned to appreciate it from other angles,
and absorb more of the essence of any subject even though this might not always
translate into ‘straight As’. I have tested myself in novel situation and found my solution-generation to be quicker and more multi-dimensional than those whom were more experienced than myself - i.e. identified problems and generated more solutions in significant areas in my 2nd month in the civil service(in the past) than my superiors and those whom were more experienced whom together could not find a solution to; advise friends in their work even though i've never been engaged in their particular professions; produce professional perspectives(in philosophy, photography, art, music, etc,) comparable to the experienced after a month or two exposure. No, no, this is not a boast. That is a waste of time. I've always been interested in the Method and what might have aided a person like myself brought up within disadvantageous circumstances to transcend his lot in life and become atypically singaporean. Basically, i've always said, if i can do it, anyone else can.
As I've always
said to my Chinese friends in efforts to aid their advancement in their work, life, etc, ‘A sponge in a puddle absorbs far more in an
instant than a boulder in the ocean in a decade.’ To some degree, the experience related above helps in turning the rock into a sponge.
ed
I finally found
one of the tunes I danced to on my prom night in '87 - with my then Malay
girlfriend. I didn't stop dancing for about 3 hours as I knew very well that she wouldn't mind dancing with other guys if I wasn't there to dance with her;). Well, it was the first time I ever danced - and I haven't stopped since. Still a danceable tune to me. Those were the times
people actually looked at each other and smiled whilst dancing. Nice....and still love the tune. Here are two video-versions of the same song. Joy's 'Touch by Touch' - another tune I danced to on the 'prom night' follows.
ed
One thing I
never did was to mistake 'moving on' for a virtue.
If I did, that would only makes me little more than a self-negating hologrammatic projection of the billboards of the day. Do you discard the memories or perspectives of yesterday just because it is a feature of the past. If we thrived from the nutrition of yesterday, do we not replicate or incorporate it into the diet of today. Same thing mate, when it comes to the 80s. Its experimental and critical persona, it's non-arrogant fun-loving spirit, its 'I ain't gonna be sucked up by the corporate machinery' flamboyant attitudes, perspective and fashions (various aspects of which were more a feature of the 60s and 70s), etc, etc, is the kind of perspectival nutrition that enables me to become more of a Renaissance Man than I might otherwise be - one of the reasons why I have spent some perspectival time in the 70s, 60s, 50s, and in various periods of history throughout the world through history, cultural studies, philosophy, etc, etc. So nay, I say, to The Retards who are 'held back' by the present that they can't do as much tomorrow because they have made a virtue out of 'moving on' and hence discarded the perspectival nutrition of the past.
Damn! I love this song! Bespeaks of innocence and simplicity. People laugh at 'kitsch', the 'backward' effects of past music videos, films, etc,....I relish in its simplicity.
Heaven is closer now today
The sound is in my ears
I can't believe the things you say
They echo what I fear
Twisting the bones until they snap
I scream but no one knows
You say I'm familiar cold to touch
And then you turn and go
Feels like heaven...
See how we planned for saddened eyes
And tears to pave the way
I fought the fever as I knew
My hair returned to grey
Study your face and fade the frame
Too close for comfort now
We can recall the harmony
That lingered but turned sour
Feels like heaven...
You wanted all I had to give
See me I feel, see me I live
ed
ed'sperience
Oh yeah! (thanks to magicrystal for posting an EWF video and inspiring this article!) I absolutely love EWF (earth, wind & fire). The fourth element - soul - is what you get when you listen to them move and see them sing. Just check out the flamboyance, the composure, the self-confidence. Nowadays, many might look back at the 80s and 70s and laugh at the styles. Oi! clowns, don’t you know that when you laugh at them, you are doing so because you have subconsciously accepted the insignificance of your individuality and potential to be all that you can be despite there not being much of a market for it?
Very, very
briefly, the great distinction between the styles and the dressing of the likes of EWF, Ziggy
Stardust, Boney M, bell bottoms, shoulder pads, platform shoes/boots, sequined tops, etc, and what is generally worn in the workplace, around town, etc,
is that which indicates the existence of a relatively stronger individualistic
spirit in society. You could say that it
is sort of a unstated war between mindsets and the styles that accompany them
respectively. Flamboyance and individual
personality lost out in this war and ‘artistes’ are increasingly becoming less
distinctive along with ‘fashion’. And
where they are still distinctive, there is an increasingly distinctive line
between the ‘star’ and the ‘peasant’ (aka, ‘fan’) as celebrity-worship reaches
religious proportions (i.e. a singer/actor being appointed as UN reps….ridicuous.). And their music, well, with regards to many of the contemporary blacks, they have as much soul as the empty cup of coffe that sits between me and the monitor right now. Booty-wiggling, exhibitionism and identical vocal styles. Borrrrring. These people have confused their posteriors for the temples of their souls. These do not communicate soul, but serve as a compensation or blind for not having one.
When I was out for coffee a couple of years ago at one of singapore’s nightspots, the counter girl asked the person getting the drinks if I was a ‘celebrity’ because of the way I was dressed (traditional black Chinese mandarin collar top with string buttons and yellowish-gold cuffs, stretch black jeans tucked into my boots). What do you think that indicates eh? If you ain’t a ‘star’, you ain’t got it, even if you have. Get it? You are a nobody unless blessed by the hallowed glow of the spotlight and confronted by swooning cretins. Personality is confused with fame and the potential of human personality is thus directed down extremely narrow and billboard-led paths. If you aren’t famous, then know your place. And what ‘place’ is left for such a ‘personality’ but a refuge in the primitive – thus styles that exhibit no belief other than the significance of the body (butt-crack jeans and muscle-Tees)
The understated dressing is now an apt statement of an underdeveloped consumerist-cum-employee personality being misled into thinking it is now living in ‘modern’ times and can thus stop imagining and questioning. The beautiful flamboyant afro has given way to straight hair; the shiny, glittering outfits with shoulder pads, and sequined leather jackets and gloves have given way to a limp fashion that goes well with equally impotent personalities; 'fashion' gurus promote the art of blending in; the soulful and graceful glide whilst singing has given way to assertive epileptic jerks; the beautiful falsettos communicating soul has given way to monotonic rap and in-your-face 'hip-hop'; and the only difference between the work style and life style is a pair of jeans pulled down to show off some checkered boxer which serves as a flag indicating no belief other than one is off work. The peacock has traded in its plumes for the stability of conformity as society is made bereft of the belief that the Self can be despite the status quo.
But, for myself,
I suppose that when the 70s and 80s passed away, its soul found refuge within
me.....and i've been 'groovin it' ever since.
ed’sperience
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I absolutely loved, and still love, the Everly Brothers. I grew up to them in my childhood, via cassette tapes, in the 70s. I supposed that helped to infuse in me that romantic and simple view of life which still holds its ground in one of the mutually contradictory facets of my persona. I've(one aspect of my persona that is) often loved the relative innocence and untainted culture of those times where the girls wore over-sized flair skirts, pony-tails and were so innocently adorable that you want to sweep your hair back and kiss em. Now that really brings out the hip-twisting rock&roller in me. 'Care for a milkshake baby?' Now that's what i call feminine charm. Makes you want to treat em like a lady/girl whilst bringing out the gentleman/boy in you - well, in me anyway. Prefer them to the 'in your face', 'i'm da bomb', 'butt-crack bend-its' of these days. As far as i'm concerned, the 'cool', 'sexy', 'musicians' of these days just can't bring out the sweetness and innocence of human relationships like the boys of ole. It's all about them, and not the idea of Love or Romance. They, if i might suggest, can go suck. And i'll supply the eggs. Sigh. I've yet to meet the girl that fits the bill. Never mind, like Orsino (in shakespeare's '12th Night'), i'll continue being in love with the Idea of Love. It's better than allowing the 'market' to determine the evolution of my idea of love, and, in consequence, my persona, right?
'Bird Dog',
'Till i kissed you', 'Love is Strange', are my favourites songs, along with, 'That's old
fashion'(beauuutiful lyrics!) - and i still remember the lyrics as well. Hell, I love all their songs!....along with Buddy Holly, Eddie
Cochran, Fats Domino,.......used to sport a rock&roll 'backcomb' myself for quite a while. I've often oscillated pinball-like between 'rock&roll' 50s-60s, shaft-like 70s, 80s rebel, and rock hairstyles and dress. All these equally prominent aspects of my persona constantly fought for outward expression. Well, to marry them all, i finally took off the hair and kept the sideburns and earrings. My version of 50s-80s, rock&roll-rock-disco-rebel style-in-one;)
Oh, by the by, not fair that the word 'bitch' is used to refer to some women whilst
there doesn't seem to be an equivalent for guys. Think 'bird dog' might
be a nice alternative. Good one Everly Bros! Time to bring some balance to male chauvinism before getting rid of chauvinism altogether.
ed'sperience ;)
It's dedication time. What song are you sending out, and who is it dedicated to?
All that
comprises the following album, only that it is not accompanied by a
tune, but depends on the chord that it strikes within the breast of the
human soul.
When I was in my late teens and early twenties, I picked up the violin, the blues
harp, and bamboo flute. At the same time, I picked up art, writing poetry
and expanding my mind beyond the inch-from-your-nose perspectival horizon of Singapore by acquainting
myself with the perspectives of thinkers such as Darwin, Marx, the Buddha, Socrates,
Shakespeare, Jesus, amongst others, and poring through global history, before moving on to sociology, psychology, political philosophy, religious philosophy, culture, etc, in later years. (prior to these, the 'thinkers' who left me with questions that caused me to move on to the above were Billy Idol, Morrisson, Hendrix, The Who, Sex Pistols, The Clash, amongst others.)
Why?
One might assume that I had led quite a reclusive and ‘un-trendy’ existence, was not popular, had few friends, had had no romantic relationships, but had a privileged enough upbringing to be inclined to explore the academic world. However, the inverse was true. I was exceedingly popular; had loads of friends who looked up to me not because I was smart, but because I seemed to have more than a clue about things where they didn’t; was a ‘Far East Kid’ (‘Far East’ was a shopping mall in town where English-speaking westernised teens following American and British fashions and approaches to life hung out back in the 80s….these days, ‘Far East’ has as much character as the local coffee-shop); had always at least close to a dozen friends with me at all times; viewed life as one long party; enjoyed boozing, dancing, experimenting with drugs and breakdancing; and my only ambition, besides being a musician, was to have fun, fun, and not forgetting, fun.
Then, for some reason, I stopped, and realised that everyone looked up to me simply because they had less of a clue than I, or was more witty, or had more style – back in the 80s, ‘style’ wasn’t confused for ‘fashion’ but ‘originality’ and ‘innovation’. I realised that that didn’t make me ‘smart’, but only less dumb than my entourage of friends – to be validated by the worship of fools only reinforces and perpetuates idiocy. What proof was there to argue for my intelligence other than the respect of my friends? There was none. I stopped everything, and walked off into the wilderness of acutely critical introspection. Picked up meditation, religion, philosophy, art, music, reading, poetry, Zen, etc.
Amongst other discoveries, I realised that, the medium of music and the medium of writing had their own in-built constraints. The former could inspire, but could not direct as the brevity that is expected in lyrics by those (‘fans’) demanding immediate gratification did not give room for the elucidation of ideas. The latter, however, could direct inspiration as it was not confined to a 2 or 3 minute track, though it could not entertain the juvenile or juvenilised mind. But, as I realised latter, ‘The Truth can only be out there if it is put out there”. So I cast aside my earlier ambitions to be a ‘rock-star’ of the brevitious (my derivative of ‘brevity’) kind, to be a ‘rock-star’ of the thoughtful kind. In itself, the latter had more use for humanity even if they thought it less entertaining because it required thought and critical introspection. To the untrained mind, the former was tedious, and the latter, discomforting. But the spirit of the ‘Rocker’ and the ‘Punk’, never left me. I just let it inspire me to move on to the next level in the School of Rock and become a philosopher-cum-social scientist fusing ‘Punk’ and ‘Rock’s’ skeptical and rebellious don’t-give-a-fu*k attitude with intellectual inquiry. In other words, I spent the following years seeking out the answers for the questions left unanswered by the works of musicians of the arms-akimbo genre. And, in consequence, I began to take on both musicians and the academic elite whilst writing treatises with studded-fingerless gloves, a la Billy Idol, on this, amongst other sites, whilst becoming grotesquely unlike the people here.
Now, I go by, amongst others, the self-constructed adages,
Every song that is unaccompanied by a thesis, leaves the song only half sung.
And, In consequence,
only half heard.
And,
Appreciating Music,
Without appreciating the less celebrated Thesis,
turns the former into a refuge,
as opposed to springboard.
And, finally,
The first duty of the Inspired is to seek out the answers for the questions left unanswered by the source of Inspiration.
This site carries on from where, amongst others, Billy Idol left off. Thanks Billy, if you, amongst others, weren't, this site, amongst others, wouldn't be.
ed’sperience, Bsc, CP [cyberpunk]
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When I first heard Arabic pop music a few years ago, I was thrilled to a bit and half. It appealed to me instantly as it effused passion via its heartfelt and hand-made rhythms; a language that seemed to come from the diaphragm of the soul, the raw and mystical sensuality that came across as a mesmerised and swaying desert cobra, as opposed to blatant sexuality a la '9.9 on the Richter scale-like 'booty bouncing' that will leave one well and truly concussed should one wander too close; the well-placed, well-performed and soul-felt vocal fluctuations..... I did not need to understand the language as the above spoke volumes in itself. Sometimes, understanding what the singer is saying detracts us from meanings embedded within the music which the singer herself might be unaware of and subconsciously transmitting as a corollary of their cultural experience.
If the conscious and conscientious
pursuance of culture maketh the wo/man, then I want to be part 'Arab', I
thought - just as I am, by CCCP (Conscious and Conscientious Cultural Pursuit),
in part, British, Indian, Aborigine, Christian, Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist, Man, Woman,
Socialist, 60s/70s/80s kid, Boy/Man, amongst others. ‘Race’, for those who
appreciate the essence of things, is a matter of choice, not a consequence of
biological lineage to s/he who too a piss in a particular culturally and
historically disparate locality. This identity will no doubt, of course,
see future infusions as I seek out cultures that will enable me to appreciate
that which I appreciate in new and vibrant ways.)
Back to the point. Upon hearing Arabic pop music, I wondered why the discos here – for some reason they are now called ‘clubs’ even though their purpose remains largely the same – or at least those wherein I got headaches of migranial proportions, do not play such music. All we get is the ‘boom-boom-don’t think-don’t feel-just reflexively react’ ‘music’. It comes across as little more than a cathartic workout that leaves you tired out instead of rejuvenated. I love to dance to western pop music of the 70s and 80s genres, just as I love to dance to Arabic pop music. But dancing to each makes me feel vibrant in a different way. In other words, the aural experience of either makes incursions into hitherto uncharted tributaries and oases of my passionate persona. I feel sexual, vibrant and youthful in a different way. Analogously, where one is given different rooms to dance in, the very act of attempting to dance within it brings about a goodness-of-fit between the dancer and the room to the point that yet another aspect of the dancer’s persona is developed. To constantly dance in one environment is subject ones personality to a bonsai pruning.
For instance, when I dance to Prince’s
‘Kiss’ – one of my all time favourites that never ceases to entice me to
copulate with the dance floor – I feel sexually assertive and resolute. Same goes for, say, MJ’s ‘Bad’. If you notice, MJ doesn’t ‘dance’ per
se. His is of particular perspectival
genre of the west where the individual was becoming increasingly self-assertive. Assertion was seen as an end in itself and as
a validation of ones significance despite the absence of content. This shows in the angularity, short-sharp
strokes, of the dance steps. Compare
this to the Indian ‘Bharatanatyam’ which is circular and profound in motion, or
some Arabic dances which is circular and sensual. When I dance to, say, Elissa’s Haram, Daa
el-E’nwann, or Dalolak (songs below) – I do it in the invigorating and spiritually harem-ic
auspices of my room - I feel the loins of my soul come alive in ways I never
imagined. The whole dance then becomes a
series of continuous multiple orgasms ejaculated by the soul. And for vibrant, youthful fun that keeps that smile on your face whilst dancing, I just love Hisham Abbas' 'Nari Nari' (video above). Just check out the girls in the vid exuding a feminine, vibrant, innocent, girlish sensuality rarely seen these days.
Through these experiences, amongst others, my imaginative proclivities take yet another quantum leap that has a whole range of consequences on the other aspects of a thus increasingly multi-faceted personality – the perspectives contained on this site, amongst others, are a consequences….my being abjectly different from Singaporeans at present as opposed to the past serves as proof of The Method. When I listen to western rock music, I feel the ‘assertion’ and ‘resolution’ that makes my head move back and forth in a ‘linear’ fashion. When I listen to s.Indian classical music, it develops the metaphysical side of my personality to the point that I find my head swaying in a circular fashion since the nature of unrestrained ‘metaphysical’ passion, when illustrated with a drawn line, is circular and ‘twirly’ as opposed to ‘linear’ which can be equated with ‘rational’ - which quite a few people in this country, including myself in the past, find laughable. Passionately disabled and underexposed individuals will naturally find such seemingly unbridled expressions ‘funny’ as they do not view unfettered and profound passion as having any place in Life….theirs is a ‘linear’ or ‘angular’ view of life that discounts or laughs at any ‘circular’ and ‘passionate’ deviation simply because it is a deviation.
As I’ve said to quite a few of my friends here, if you do not have the personality to appreciate these things, if you discount or laugh at that which is different but cannot rationalise the source of your mirth, then get into the relevant ‘room’ and dance to it, and the room, like the proverbial sculptor, will hew in the rock that is your soul, the soul that is already there.
Ed’sperience
Why?
Because, in a primitive sense, they, amongst others, keep the Idea of
Scepticism, and through it, the Sceptical idea, alive.
Of course we cannot rely on Musicians to see the idea through through song as their medium thrives on brevity. For that, we look towards thinkers to complete the job. But, for the young and the impressionable, it's a good start indeed. But just remember, its just the 'start', not the 'end'. 'Don't confuse the footstool to the stars for the stars themselves', is what I say.
The Clash and Sex Pistols were 70s bands hailing from the United Kingdom. The former continued to ply their disaffected traits through the 80s. (By the way, 'Great Britain' and the 'UK' are not interchangeable terms. The former refers to England, Scotland and Wales, whilst the latter refers to a union including Northern Ireland.) Being an '80s kid' didn't stop me from looking beyond what was supposed to be 'my own time'. Thus, my culturally immersive forays into the 70s through to the 40s in search of new ways of looking at things. After that, I went into history, etc, to edsperience further. Most enlightening indeed.
reminiscence and thoughts:
I remember seeing quite a few punk-rockers with 'mohawk' head-do's back in the 80s in singapore. Quite a few chinese amongst them as well. But they defined themselves by their fashions and beliefs, not by 'race'. That aided in my making sense of others through their beliefs and perspectives on Life, and not by ethnic lineage. Of course, where people define themselves by race, their identities are immediately determined for them by culture. Thus, when I was 18, I went up to my parents and told them that I wasn't 'Indian' anymore. When asked why, I told them that my looks ought not to determine my perspective. I was going to be a mix of the best of different cultures, I told them. And that was the beginning of my journey. I got my mother's blessings, though, at the time, it left my father looking quizzical and none too pleased. I thus became, from thereon, a member of the 'race of inquirers'.
Don't forget, to embrace different non-'racial' perspectives is to first scrutinise them for their quality. But to embrace 'one's own race' because one is born looking like some gal or guy from India or China is to do so blindly and on faith. It's ridiculous that forms in this country require one to fill out the 'race' check-box. Where's the 'cosmopolitan' check-box mate? What this does, albeit unwittingly, is to impress the relevance and significance of 'race' in the minds of the people and detract them from intelligent perspectives on things as opposed to culturally induced ones. 'Doesn't produce vibrant minds....as evidenced by everyone, without exception, that I've met here since the mid-80s, unlike in the UK.
I'll leave you with two of the best samples, to myself that is, of Punk. British Punk. I suppose the British, in general, are 'Punks' when it comes to thought. That is, in the critical and sceptical sense of the term. So much difference in that country. Over time, I found that the Indians(in India) and the British had many similarities. Two of the most significant, besides the sharp wit and critical intelligence, is their ability to throw stones at themselves, and their multiculturalism. No wonder both are quite the smart lot (the world doesn't know about the Indians, as much of the films and philosophical debates coming out of s.India, which even 10 year old children participate in, do not have subtitles, or do not have subtitles that fully transmit the philosophical and intellectual content). I know, I hung out with them(the brits) over yonder for half a decade.
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