There is no such thing as an illegitimate art form. In many ways, Heavy Metal is the bastard child of Bach, Wagner and the Blues. The language is the same, the tonality is, in many cases, the same, and the emotions meant to be evoked are often the same. There are entire genres of metal devoted not only to calling out the evil and darkness in the world, but also the beauties of tragic love, Worship, Happiness, and just plain fun. I’m willing to bet most people can name at least one opera with one of those themes.

In the same way that the melodic and harmonic languages evolved from Classical Music and the Blues, so did techniques. Bruce Dickinson, largely hailed as one of the finest singers in metal history, talks about the way he adapted an operatic singing style to metal for the purpose of “being heard in the back of the hall… I want to pick out the person at the very back of the festival, a mile away from the stage and say, ‘I’m singing to you.’” Since then, Countless singers have come along with some sort of classical background – Tarja Turunen (Ex-Nightwish), Simone Simons (Epica), Roy Khan (Kamelot), Tony Kakko (Sonata Arctica), Russell Allen (Symphony X), and many more.

A young Randy Rhoads studied classical guitar for many years. In 1979, He was given the lead guitar job for Ozzy Osbourne’s solo project and changed music history forever by incorporating classical guitar songwriting into Metal riffs. Since then, Classical Music and Metal have been the Odd Couple – Metal Operas, Growling Double Kick and Downtuning in Symphonies, and Entire genres of Metal (Symphonic Metal, Goth Metal, Neoclassical, Melodic Death Metal, Symphonic Power Metal, etc). Many bands will complement their guitars, bass, and drums with full orchestral sections via synthesizer to enhance and round out their sound. Even the most hardcore Metal groups that rely solely on growled or screamed vocals incorporate modes, pentatonic scales and tonic modulations into guitar parts to replace the sense of melody lost without a vocal line. In these cases, Vocals are used mostly as rhythm parts and will often be heavily syncopated.

All music deserves to be treated with respect, as art. There is no war between Art Music and Metal. While there may be a heavy and unfortunate tradition of elitism (on both sides), there is no reason to hate one form or another, especially without doing research. As a musician-in-training, I encourage you to listen to anything and everything you can. Creativity in performance, composition, or any walk of life comes from an amalgamation of every thing you’ve ever heard, seen, and felt. As a metalhead, I encourage you to turn that shit up.

DRUMS: KrimhKerim

Kerim “Krimh” Lechner is a drummer from Austria who focuses on Black Metal and Progressive. His covers typically show off his high degree of technicality. He plays in the progressive group Tone Intimacy and Black Metal venture, Thorns of Ivy. I’ve included here his immaculate cover of Dimmu Borgir‘s Progenies of the Great Apocalypse. Krimh cover’s Nicholas Barker’s incredible Double Kick masterfully and captures the real brutality of the song.

BASS: TonyDickinsonBG

Bassists in metal have traditionally been relegated to pocketing on the root of the chord, or in most cases, doubling main guitar riff. It takes extraordinary bassists to break this mold and produce an independent and interesting line of their own. YouTube is not devoid of these musicians.

If you search for bass covers for Symphony X or Dream Theater, this man has some EXCELLENT covers. Only 19 years old, Tony, nicknamed (by himself) the “Prince of Darkness”, hails from Colorado and hopes to attend the Berklee College of Music in Boston, the top contemporary music school in the country. I’ve included his cover of Symphony X’s Domination. For Bonus points, check out his cover of Dream Theater’s Panic Attack.

KEYBOARDS: Henckques (Ronald Jenkees, Honorary)

The keyboardist must be a jack of all trades. A keyboardist in a typical metal band needs to keep rhythm, be a master of the different arcane settings of their instrument, and able to produce a facemelting lead at the drop of a hat. Good keyboardists change bands for the better.

I wasn’t able to glean much from the channel description, but apparently the man on the keyboard is named Matt, and, well, he’s incredible. I picked out this mystery man’s highly viewed and oft-imitated cover of the keyboard solo from Dream Theater’s Epic, Octavarium. Not only is his technique mind-boggling, but his lead sound is dead on, in one of the best all around covers on the web.

As an honorary mention, only for the fact that he doesn’t do covers, I have to include Ronald Jenkees. Ronald is one of my favorite musicians in the world today, and one of the best on YouTubes. He plays Hip Hop Improvs on his Korg Triton and enjoys every last second of it. His videos are incredibly involving and interesting to watch, and his laughter, accent, and eccentricities are contagious. Do yourself a favor – spend an hour just looking through this guy’s YouTubes videos. Your life will be better for it. I’ve included his beat “Disorganized Fun.” For an extra treat, stick around until the end of the video to hear him talk, it’s absolutely infectious (and for the sake of all that is holy, Buy His CD)

RHYTHM GUITAR: schehf

A rhythm guitarist has a complicated job. He needs to be able to keep a good low end presence, but still able to harmonize or take a lead when he needs to. It’s most important to find a rhythm guitarist who is incredibly musical with a good balance of technical ability.

Schehf is a very well known cover artist in the YouTube metal community for both the high quality of his In Flames covers and his willingness to respond to the massive amounts of comments that he receives each day. He hails from Germany and plays in the In Flames cover band, Claymen. He enters tracks into a program called EZ Drummer and typically records Bass and Guitar Tracks himself, filming himself playing each track. This unique view is a staple of his YouTube videos, and help to make him one of the most popular cover artists on YouTube. Here, I’ve posted his cover of In Flames’ “Disconnected” – to be fair though, any of his In Flames covers are phenomenal, and are all worth watching.

The lead guitarist of any band needs to have it all – presence, personality, and a ridiculous amount of technical ability. Art Rodriguez, the lead guitarist for the Spanish Power metal group Anima Sola, has all of this – especially the technical ability. He is also a prolific YouTube cover artist. I’ve featured his cover of the facemelting Liquid Tension Experiment masterpiece, “Acid Rain.”

VOCALS: UnflexableGrace

Now, I may be a little biased, but it’s my belief that the vocalist ties the band together. The singer is the person that people focus on, the person who conveys the ideas behind the music, and who is expected to have a personality that draws people in. In this little All-Star venture, the singer would be of utmost importance.

Will Shaw is the vocalist for New Jersey Progressive Metal band, Athem. Among his listed influences are Russell Allen, James LaBrie, Bruce Dickinson, and many more of the best metal singers of all time… he does not disappoint. Shaw’s vocals encompass LaBrie’s high range, Allen’s effortlessness, and Dickinson’s raw power while he adds some of his own flare.

If this band got together, I can imagine the entirety of the music industry coming to a grinding halt as the internet sensations took the real world by storm. They would instantly top charts with their massive online followings all intrigued by the sheer amount of talent in one supergroup. They would shatter all sales records, produce the most facemelting, ear splitting music of all time, and eventually take over the world.

If they started to struggle, well… We could always throw this bona fide YouTubes Celebrity into the mix…

I finished the first draft of a piece I’ve been working on. It’s another John Banister Tabb poem, and it had the same impact on me as Evolution did over a year ago. I knew the exact voice I wanted to write for when I read the text.

Insomnia

by John Banister Tabb

E’en this, Lord, thou did bless –
This pain of sleeplessness –
The livelong night,
Urging God’s gentlest angel from thy side,
That anguish only might with thee abide,
Until the light.

Yea, e’en the last and best,
Thy victory and rest,
Came thus to thee;
For t’was while others calmly slept around,
that thou alone in sleeplessness wast found,
To comfort me.

As a major insomniac myself, I felt I was fit to write this. I ended up with a bittersweet song for Soprano and piano that has a bit of a tonal identity crisis. After cycling through multiple keys and feels, it finally ends with a solemn hymn on the last three lines. This piece is deeply personal and deals with the poet’s search for his faith.

In the same vein, I can’t help but relate this text to one that I’ve been working on for a new Schallkrieg song called August. The song has shaped up to be about 15 minutes so far, and it will most likely end at around 20. It details a friend’s loss of faith from an outside perspective. The piece takes an active turn when the narrator decides to get involved (and here I stand, reaching out my hand), and his help is rejected.The lyrics are about 80% complete at the moment…

August

by Schallkrieg

August stands impatiently
forcing an anxious sigh

-Interlude-

Auburn Innocence lined with curls and cradles
Ardent amber eyes regard the day
Luminous and radiant
a glow of comfort, tender and calm

Creation smiles knowingly and turns its attention
strands of sordid breeze deceive the day
consumed with envy, corrupting envy
Winter waits and breathes her name

August stumbles and sorrows stay
The halo in her hands unravels
betrayed and broken, praying her peace
gasping for rapture, finding only stillness

And here I stand
reaching out my hand

I can be your angel of vengeance
Delivering curses of your design
and on August’s shining lips
A reply clear as sunlight
it’s over before it’s begun

A whisper like a caress from your father’s hand
Is all that you fear and despise
Your peace is a fading memory
a diamond tear born of crimson eyes

– Interlude –

Get up. Get up and see the devestation you’ve caused. The summer is choking out its last breath and your home has burned to the ground. Your coming of age has been ruthless and swift, and your trials have just begun. You are the first of autumn’s fallen leaves, I am an infinite sea of snow. As you fell to your knees for him, Let me fall to my own for you. Shed this hollow shell of the beautiful person you used to be and rage like a Godless August Storm.

—————-

I can feed your blackest desires
harvesting hatred in your soul
But on August’s fading lips
a reply as clear as conquest
It’s over before it’s begun

Who do you think you are
A beacon of mercy or a broken heart
Your anguish can’t last forever

– Breakdown –

Here I stand impatiently
forcing an anxious sigh
Innocence tears away from me
Without so much as a mourning cry

Though you retreat I will always Remain
Through you I’m complete yet I’m always the same
Your downward descent paves the path for the weak
Buried with me is the peace that you seek

– Interlude / Solos –

I reject your fantasy
bludgeoning hopes with each passing moment
Faith, a distant memory
My anguish will last forever

The passage of time burns desire to dust
Thouroughly raped, given in to your lust
God is your tame, bleeding slave on the floor
Degraded and comatose, Begging for more

——————–

If there’s anything else I can do to keep from writing a paper, let me know…

]]> http://sonicwar.wordpress.com/2009/05/03/poetry-procrastination/feed/ 0 brownkm8 http://sonicwar.wordpress.com/2009/04/23/good-rage-bad-rage/ http://sonicwar.wordpress.com/2009/04/23/good-rage-bad-rage/#comments Thu, 23 Apr 2009 04:39:21 +0000 Kevin http://sonicwar.com/?p=88 ]]> I just got back from the No Fear ’09 tour in Columbus this morning. It was beautiful, glorious brutality at its absolute finest; Even my bones are sore. Lamb of God headlined, supported by As I Lay Dying (awesome show, it was my first time ever hearing them), Children of Bodom, God Forbid, and my new favorite band, Municipal Waste. Lamb of God’s show was sublime. I was listening to music I love standing about fifteen feet away from my heroes, with thousands of people smashing into me on either side and strobe lights blazing. I even got a bitchin’ shirt and a couple blooming bruises out of it. Despite how awesome the show was, it was hard not to take notice of the people around me and just how low the dregs of society have sunk today.

Listen, folks. There are a few basic rules of mosh pits that should be followed at all times. Most of them have to do with safety, others have to do with not being a dick. They are as follows (partial help from WikiHow):

1. The first, and ABSOLUTE foremost rule of any mosh pit: If somebody around you falls down or drops to a knee or loses their balance in any way, STOP. Stop what you are doing, stop ramming into them, and lift them up onto their feet. This especially goes for crowd surfers who fall and run the risk of being trampled.
2. Protect your spot and don’t let pushers through, but if someone is trying to get to the edge of the pit, let them out. Part ways for them and let them get to the edge quickly. You might lose your sweet third row spot, but it’s worth saving somebody from passing out or getting hurt.
3. Don’t drink so excessively that you’re going to puke on the people around you.
4. Know the dynamics of the area you’re in. If you’re in the circle pit, feel free to smash into people. If you’re in the back of the room where people are standing to drink, take pictures, or talk, Don’t slam dance, karate mosh, or generally act like an idiot. The only better way to get your ass kicked at a show is discussed in rule #8.
5. Watch your head. Getting kicked in the head by a crowdsurfer is nobody’s fault but your own (I learned this the hard way. Combat boots hurt), and as a member of the pit it’s your obligation to assist the crowd surfer in getting to the event staff up front who will catch them and put them down safely.
6. If find yourself in a circle pit, get involved. Don’t run into people with their backs turned towards the stage.
7. Fat people should not crowd surf.
8. For fuck’s sake, do NOT cop a feel on the females in the pit around you, even if they’re flashing. You will be jumped by pretty much everybody around you, instantly.
9. Guys with Girlfriends: If you have a girlfriend who you’re very protective of and don’t want other guys touching, DON’T BRING HER INTO THE PIT. If she wants to mosh, Don’t be a Boy Scout. Boy-Scouting is the act of spooning your significant other in the middle of a mosh pit, actively trying to push people away from her, and shooting dickish glares or even threatening any male who so much as brushes her arm. Just don’t do it. This is possibly the most annoying thing in any pit and you will be targeted if you’re an excessive ass about it.
10. Don’t throw shit at the band. This can sometimes lead to a joke by the band (Someone through a full water bottle at Randy Blythe of Lamb of God last night. His response was “You missed. You’re obviously not here at OSU on a fuckin’ baseball scholarship”), but other bands will take it more personally, especially if it’s consistent. Bands have been known to walk off the stage for excessive heckling. Don’t make the show a negative experience for everybody around you.

Typically, metalheads know these rules. You will never find a more courteous, gentile group of young men than in a mosh pit at a metal show. The more popular the band, the more new moshers you will have at the show, and the easier it will be to find people breaking these rules.

What fine, young gentlemen.

It’s amazingly fun to let out all your frustrations with thousands of others, listening to music that gets your heart racing and screaming your head off. Don’t let the rage become real, though.

Speaking of Rage…

The New Jersey Devils vs. Carolina Hurricanes playoff series took an interesting turn last night. Carolina scored three goals in the first two periods and New Jersey scored only one. In the third period, my Devils came back and scored two to tie up the game. In the final seconds of the game, my God, my hero, my idol Martin Brodeur stopped a shot by Carolina Left Wing Jussi Jokinen. Jokinen took up position next to the net and the puck was passed back to the blue line. Hurricanes Defensemen Dennis Seidenberg took a massive slapshot at the net, which bounced off Jokinen’s skate and into the net. Brodeur shot up instantly and confronted the referee, claiming goaltender interference. He believed that during his slide across the crease to the outside, Jokinen bumped into him and forced him out of position. After the goal was reviewed and the referee ruled it legal, Brodeur stormed off the ice and, well, did this:

He later apologized for the outburst after being confronted by his youngest daughter. I understand how emotions can run wild in such high pressure games. The interference call was never made and the goal was legal. The series is now tied at 2-2 with the next game on Thursday night. It will be on New Jersey Ice, and hopefully they will be able to rally and pull a win out of this series. Go Devs, Go!

Since the beginning of Human history, mankind has used narratives, fables, and songs to impart the values of one generation onto the next. The world’s great religions sprung up from these oral traditions and the divine unknown. Today’s traditional societal values are actually the roots of ancient cultures. Religions have filled their role very well over many thousands of years, and they still continue to be a driving force in the world today. In America, Japan, and countries all over the world, though, There is a new platform for the communication of morals and values…

The Gaming Industry.

The Nintendo Entertainment System was released in 1985, three years before I was born. Kids born from the early 80′s through today’s generation have never really known a time without accessible and family-friendly video games to play. One of the landmark moments in all of gaming was the release of the first Final Fantasy on the NES. Never before had a video game held such a rich story, a massive world, and freedom of play. Final Fantasy II only expanded on this now legendary franchise, and the seeds of one of the greatest storytelling series in history were sown. The Legend of Zelda for NES also set huge precedents in the RPG world. Further down the road, the Playstation 1 Saw some of the best and most influential RPGs of all time: Final Fantasy VII, which many consider the best Role-Playing game of all time, Suikoden I and its masterpiece sequel, Suikoden II (which I consider the best RPG of all time), Star Ocean 2, Final Fantasy VIII, Xenogears, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, and many, many others. Nintendo also made HUGE strides in the introduction of RPGs to younger children with the Pokemon series on GameBoy around this time. An entire generation of boys and girls, some of whom are now men and women, grew up playing iconic, groundbreaking games which tell some of the best stories ever written in an interactive, entertaining way.

What effect does this have on children?

For a growing number of Americans, religion is becoming less important. Many will pay lip service to their belief in God, while many others have outright denounced their religious beliefs. This doesn’t make them evil; It means that the times are changing. Societal values no longer need to be bludgeoned into our heads week after week in church. Everything moves faster now, kids are involved in more activities that their parents desperately pray will build their child’s character, and more children grow up in front of television screens. How do communicate your values to those unwilling to learn? You put a controller in their hand and let them do it themselves. Kids connect with entertaining stories – they connect even moreso with those that they feel they are a part of. As I stated earlier, storytelling for the sake of imparting beliefs and values has long been a staple of religion.

I’ll use the examples I know the best – the two Genso Suikoden games for the original Playstation. I was never forced to go to church as a child, but every night when it came time for bed my dad would read Science Fiction and Fantasy classics to me and my brother (This included the complete Lord of the Rings with props, voices, sound effects, and songs where appropriate). My insatiable lust for a good story drove me to video games, and I remember vividly the first time I plugged the crappy little Playstation RPG “Beyond the Beyond” into my console and played through it. I was hooked, and like a child buying his first bicycle, when it came time for me to purchase my first video game I went straight to the RPG section. I picked up a relatively unknown game called Suikoden. Its box had pretty cover art and absolutely no indication of a plot, but I decided I’d give it a try for the sake of something new. That decision changed my life forever.

The game’s plot was innovative, deep, and thoroughly touching. It told the story of a young boy from a priveleged family coming of age in a massive empire. The boy soon discovered that though his father defended his emperor to the death, the empire was fundamentally corrupt. Though magic was common, truly powerful magic was limited to twenty-seven rare artifacts called runes. The hero’s best friend, Ted, held one of these runes – The Soul-Eater, the cursed rune of life and death, and when his power was discovered he was hunted down by the empire. Making a choice that would alter the world’s destiny, he passed the rune to the hero, who went on to gather an army of supporters and defeat the empire once and for all. Suikoden contained magic, treasure, dungeons, monsters, and other fantasy staples, but it stood out from its contemporaries. The game contained 108 characters that rallied under the hero, and each of them was unashamedly, undeniably human. Each character had a rich and developed backstory, and through the hero’s quest and this massive supporting cast the game touched on the themes of friendship, love, higher powers, loyalty, family, heroism, rebellion, and death.

Suikoden II, a masterpiece to this day, developed the themes of friendship and destiny more than any other. The protagonist of this game stands against one of the purest villains of all time, the evil prince Luca Blight. With his childhood friend Jowy and his adopted sister Nanami, the hero tries to find himself in a world where things are more complex than he ever thought. The characters are richer, the plot absolutely heartbreaking, and the game leaves a lasting impression on everyone it touches. (An interesting side note:  The game contains the first live-recorded Orchestral piece in any video game, and the music, composed by Miki Higashino, is highly considered the best of any RPG past or present. I consider this game one of the foremost reasons why I ended up pursuing Music as a life long study.)

These games touch people. They bring joy, sadness, anger, and a feeling of heroism and accomplishment to the lives of their players much like an incredible novel will. The characters are relatable and human, the plots sweeping and epic, and they instill a feeling of awe. They share these traits with numerous religious texts around the world.

Am I saying that RPGs should be worshipped in the same way as deities in major religions are? No. I’m saying that societal values like friendship, loyalty, love, piety, courage, honesty, and perseverance don’t need to be taught by religions anymore. Some of the best Roleplaying Games can be considered defining works of art and literature like their printed companions. Drama, Music, The Written Word, and other forms of media have been intruding on this role for millennia; Now, I feel that Video Games have secured their place in that lofty pantheon. Just like literature, just like drama, and dare I say, just like religions – For every groundbreaking and truly touching work, there are hundreds of pieces of complete and utter shit. However, the pieces that do stand out are golden and define entire generations and cultures.

Including the fat, ambiguous-gender Cosplay culture. God Dammit, Japan.

If I start feeling spiders crawling all over my skin I’m calling Poison Control.

Fuck.

I could be a fairweather fan and say that Reichard screwed up hard in the net.  I could say that our defense let too many of Boston’s shooters into the slot, or I could say that we should have posted a forward in the neutral zone in that last, fateful minute of the third period. The unfortunate truth of the matter is that the Terriers made a major gamble and they won. The unbelievable pressure that a 6 man offense puts on the other team is very hard to counter. Miami just couldn’t hold on, and after giving it their all and playing absolutely perfectly for 59 minutes, It just became too hard to hold on.  Boston walked away with a 4-3 Overtime championship win. I walked away with a broken heart and sought solace in the only way I knew how.

EXTRA TZATZIKI JACK, IM WALKING HOME.

Great Job, Miami. You guys gave it everything you had and you made us all proud.  Only a few months until next season.

Knock Knock.

Who’s There?

Knock Knock

Who’s There?

Philip Glass.

Philip Glass Who?

In all seriousness though, this nappy-haired legend has been on my mind a lot recently (and not because of his dashing good looks). He’ll be here at Miami on Wednesday Night performing piano arrangements of some of his most iconic works, and from what I understand he’ll be giving a masterclass to composers earlier in the day.  This man is my idol.  Needless to say, I’ll be hanging on to his every word on Wednesday, listening to all of his music over the weekend, reading his books, and studying his scores (because I really, REALLY have nothing better to do).  I’m hoping he can solve my current problem…

What do you do when you get in a rut and all of your music starts sounding the same?

The approaches I’ve been taking towards composition don’t seem to be working anymore. I’ve fallen into a trap of strict diatonic tonality and I can’t find any escape that isn’t awkward or unimaginably dull and predictable.  Meetings with my composition professor, while always refreshing, have become exercises of endurance. I might just be a dull, boring person.  I might just not have any fresh ideas quite yet… Or I might just be trying too hard.

My latest two pieces, the fourth and third movements of “The Infirm and His Myth” were written in a minimalist, additive style that I had never touched before. The problem is that it’s a five or six movement work.  How can you stay continually innovative, unpredictable, and yet consistent and relevant in a piece of such scope with such limited tools to work with?  These are the questions I’ll be asking Mr. Glass on Wednesday, and hopefully he’ll be able to shed some light on the subject.

In other news, I’ve rediscovered the joys of Memes. Today I present to you one of the sterling entries from FailBlog.org – The Jumping Jack Fail. It’s good to know that the Iraqi Police force will be so ready to take over upon the US Withdrawal.

look familiar…?

SQUAD… CAMP IT… UP!

- Kevin

Congratulations Miami Men’s Hockey! After our first ever Frozen Four berth, we soundly defeated Cinderella hopefuls Bemidji State (Where the fuck is that, anyways?) Absolutely excellent job, guys! Make sure to tune into the NCAA tournament Finals against Boston University on Saturday. It will be aired on ESPN at 7 PM.

Also, as an addendum to our my last post… When I need to waste time and I can’t WATCH Ninja Warrior, The absolutely fuck-terrible G4 Network has an Flash Game version of the show. Make sure to get your mouse-smashing finger back in shape… You’ll need it.

Good Luck!

I’ve always been very self-concious about my voice… I’ve always been afraid to fail. This morning I sang for the voice department’s weekly vocal forum. Instead of singing a Handel or a Chausson, though, I had a piece written by friend and fellow Miami composer Charlotte Loflin prepared.  As it was pretty much the world premiere of the piece, I was free to interpret it how I wanted… and interpret I did. The song is called “How to Die” and chronicles a dying soldier’s final thoughts. In my opiniotn, the most important thing for the first peformance of any new piece isn’t vocal production. The most important thing is to get the text across, to make the audience feel the way the composer wants them to feel. Normally when I sing, I’m not the most expressive physically, but during this piece I felt obligated to reach out and SHOW the audience what I was singing about. My arms flailed wildlyI looked the the sky when warplanes passed overhead and smiled, and I clutched the gaping bullet wound in my chest. After this fairly overdone bout of acting, I left the stage having performed the piece to the best of my abilities. The reaction from the audience was overwhelming. More people than I can count told me that it sounded like “I really loved the piece,” and some went as far as to say that it was the best I had ever sung. Needless to say, I was elated and extremely grateful for these compliments… Involving myself in the moment, not caring if I screwed up and challenging myself to fall in love with the music led to one of the best performances of my college career, and I’m happy with it.

Duende, as lord Wikipedia describes it, is “the spirit of evocation. It comes from inside as physical/emotional response to music. It is what gives you chills, makes you smile or cry as a bodily reaction to an artistic performance that is particularly expressive.“  This definition, while one of many, describes perfectly how a composer thinks.  I have experienced this feeling when looking for texts for new music and finding a particularly perfect one, I have felt it when my own music reveals something in its sounds that I didn’t purposefully write, and even when practicing with Schallkrieg, I feel inspired to raise my horns in salute to metal.  It’s a particularly intense feeling, especially when your creativity flows in bursts instead of a steady stream.  On Tuesday while working on a new piece, I was so deeply involved, even in love with the music that I didn’t notice anything around me. Tunnel vision developed and I forgot about all of my other worries in life. I spent three hours writing eight measures of solo piano. I tweaked, I flirted, I obsessed over single notes and how they lined up with the following and preceeding notes.  When all of a sudden, I hit “Save” and instead the program inexplicably closed, I was furious. I was broken from my creative peace, and I was thrown into a rage.  I threw things, I cursed wildly at my computer, and had to leave the room in order to regain my cool.  There is nothing more painful in this life than losing someone you love, and that is exactly what it felt like.  The lesson here is that the connection between your creativity and your actual physical state goes far deeper than you would suspect.  The next time you’re load up your iTunes, play that one piece that gives you chills every single time you hear it.  There’s a reason for this – your body is physically reacting to the images in your mind; the composer’s love of music and calculated tweaking has manifested itself as a primal response in the listener.  This the price that we pay for our creativity. We can control the music or art that comes out on the page, but we cannot control the evocation of our own emotions.  If you can’t fall in love with your creations because you’re afraid to fail, or to lose it, your art will have no meaning.

Recently, I’ve fallen in love with a Japanese Show that has been imported to America and aired on the unbearably awful G4 network called Ninja Warrior. After its humble beginnings in a small convention center around ten years ago, this show has grown to be one of Japan’s premier athletic events. It consists of one hundred athletes taking on an incredibly difficult obstacle course in competition only against themselves. There have only ever been two men to complete the entire course (both fishermen, strangely enough).  The atmosphere on Mt. Midoriyama where the contest is held is one of honor, respect, and support for your competition.  People have devoted their entire lives to besting this obstacle course because of its immense difficulty and the prestige that accompanies winning.

What does any of this have to do with music?

All of these athletes challenge themselves day after day, training on painstakingly crafted replicas of the course in their backyards. Others train 300 days out of the year on fishing boats or in the wild. They devote themselves entirely to the pursuit of this goal, and they fall in love with what they do. They are not afraid of taking on the course and losing, because even the all-stars fail constantly. The rewards are great, the frustrations are greater, and the feeling of completing an obstacle that exists only in your mind is overwhelming.  I draw a lot of strength from these men and women who constantly strive for perfection, and challenge themselves to fall in love with their craft.

For just a little taste, I’ve included a few videos of G4 American Ninja Warrior Challenge winner Levi Meeuwenberg taking on the Ninja Warrior obstacle course. Note: Do not watch this show intoxicated. You will spend the entire run saying nothing but “HOLY SHIT, THAT’S SO FUCKING HARD” and annoying everybody around you.

Lessons learned: Remember to challenge yourself creatively, mentally, and physically, and don’t be afraid to fail every now and then…

-Kevin