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review
My Mum and I Review Classical Music
Today we have something special, and something that involves someone besides me.
Say hello to my mum. Hi, ma.
Since I needed some original content to put up on the blog and since I’m running out of ideas, we decided to listen to a couple of classical music pieces together and see if we can come up with a decent review. Keep in mind that I am next to a noob in re classical music, and mum’s classical music knowledge is even lesser than mine. So I think we’ll have a nice little change of perspectives about how classical music is portrayed by the non-musical ear.
We’re doing this live, and we’re doing it blindly. Given that we have next to no knowledge about classical composers, this should be a pretty fair and unbiased review. We’ll be reviewing 5 pieces of classical music, and we’ll tell you how we feel!
1. Moonlight Sonata – Beethoven
Udita:
Okay, I know this piece. I’m currently learning this one on the keyboard. Are we still allowed to review it then? This was actually one of the first pieces I ever heard of Beethoven’s. I remember listening to it sometime in like, sixth grade, and thinking it sounded pretty morose. Now, because I’ve learnt enough about music theory and composition, I’ve come to appreciate it more than I would have expected. 7 out of 10.
Mum:
A mystical journey, with a person on a quest to find something. Very soothing as well as motivating. Like a soul string, it pulls at the right places and slows down at the right places
On days when you are searching for what’s bothering you, this piece can be a beautiful companion to arrive at the answer. 8 out of 10.
2. Prelude in C major – Bach
Udita:
The start seemed promising, with the upbeat tempo and all, then it sort of fell flat during the next two minutes or so. Definitely something I would enjoy listening to passively or in the background, but I probably wouldn’t pick this one out exclusively. Very light feel, though. I like it, just not enough. 6 out of 10.
Mum:
Filled with promise and hope. Like the clearing of clouds after a dark storm
Or an awakened mind after a bout of negative thoughts. The notes are strikingly similar to rays of light shining. 8 out of 10.
3. Eine kleine Nachtmusik – Mozart
Udita:
You’ve got to be kidding me.
Eine Kleine is so overused I might as well be listening to Justin Bieber at this point. That said, I can’t help but listening to it on repeat, I don’t know why. So happy. So cheerful. The fact that I’ve heard this tune since my Little Einstein-watching days means I’m comfortable around it and I don’t necessarily have the urge to fast forward every two seconds. I likey. 8 out of 10.
Mum:
It is a joyous celebration. Not meant for the light moments of reflection. It is filled with suspense, anticipation, thrill, and the calm of caution. It is a fun piece of extreme proportions. If someone gave me a million dollars and allowed me next to an ocean and mountains, I would play this music in my head. 7 out of 10.
4. Prelude Op.28 No.4 in E minor – Chopin
Udita:
Sounds like Chopin.
Instant 10.
Mum:
Too much of sharp notes that disturb the continuity of thought at the beginning. Contemplative mood, but not the kind that would allow you to come out through it. Music is not a companion. It plays on its own without adding any connection to the listener. 3 out of 10.
5. The Four Seasons — Spring – Vivaldi
Udita:
Vivaldiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!
Although this particular recording of Four Seasons seems slower than the original, I still love it. I have listened to a couple of orchestra recordings of Four Seasons and they all kill. Summer’s my favourite. Four Seasons on a whole, gets 7.5 out of 10. Spring and Summer both get a 9.
Mum:
Very exhilarating. Similar to piece #3. The lows and highs are intricate and build curiosity. Good for a day when the mind is free and waiting for good ideas to come. Not for a day when the mind is deep and needs reflection. 7 out of 10.
Well, there it is. I hadn’t expected the disparities between our reviews to be this polar, but it is what it is. Feel free to send in your own reviews in the comments below, we’d love to here what you have to say! Have a great day, cheers 🙂
January–The Month of Breaking Free
Photo by Kyle Glenn on Unsplash
Oh, My Lord, January has been AMAZING. Like, the best time I’ve ever had in so long. And completely because of the things that I did. Let’s dive right in.
Letting Go of YouTube
Remember when I said that I would quit YouTube for a month?
I failed. Miserably.
The problem is that YouTube is integral to my growth as an online creator, and I really need YouTube to keep myself and my content fresh.
If that didn’t sound like the lamest excuse you’ve ever heard, it will now.
But for real, I did have a hard time quitting YouTube after the first week of January because I don’t think I had a bigger goal of letting go completely. I think I became satisfied with quitting for a week, and so I went back to my old ways soon after that.
However, that didn’t discourage me, because this year is all about trying, failing, and still trying nonetheless.
You can quote me on that.
This year is all about trying, failing, and still trying nonetheless.
-Udita Gowdety
*shivers with fear* Instagram.
I finally did it. For good. I can now live freely.
I permanently deleted my Instagram account.
Guess what? I feel unapologetically and unaccountably happy about my decision.
A week before my finals started, I was reading this book by Austin Kleon called “Show Your Work!”, which talked about how artists can make the most of the social network to gain an honest audience. And that made me use my old Instagram account which I hadn’t used in 3 months. I started posting and interacting with my friends, old and new, and in 3 days, my follower count more than doubled. I was having so much fun. I talked with friends I haven’t talked to in months, and I even made new ones. It was so good to have a circle of people who paid attention to you.
I think that’s where the problem started.
I started enjoying the attention a bit too much. Within a couple of hours, the people I interacted with turned into a count of views. I started caring a bit too much about the people, and Instagram lost its purpose.
Another thing that led to this decision was DMs. Guys, I cannot tell you how much virtual text messaging scares me. Most people fear one-on-one conversations with others (trust me, I know), but I just happen to be the opposite. Anything that isn’t a real-life conversation, a face time call or at least a normal phone call just seems inhuman to me. I love technology and I love chatting on Discord and Reddit and such, but I value real life more. And that’s ultimately what pushed me to delete my Instagram account.
I do feel a little bit sad about the good convos I had with people on Instagram, tho (Whatsis, that’s you). But I guess if people want to talk to me, there are only two places they’re going to find me now: In real life, and on this blog.
Note down my URL, Y’all.
Exams–Way Easier Than Normal?
I used to have this fear of failing at exams that numbed me to any scope of getting better and actually doing something good. I used to fret until the last second, read everything, panic DURING the exam about the next exams (not advisable at all), but still, manage to top my class.
And while the fact that I topped my class did give me an emotional release, it didn’t last for long and I’d start to dwell on the fact that I panicked so much earlier and think that this was because I was scared and so basically I didn’t give myself any space to breathe.
It feels stressful even writing about it.
But ever since New Year, I have loved myself completely and have actually taken the time to listen to what my gut says. I also realized that all the difficulty about exams that I perceive is just in my head. I told myself that life is so easy and there’s so much love in the world, so what am I afraid of?
Since then, I have done everything I wanted to and so much more without feeling burned out at all.
-udita gowdety
Life is so easy and there’s so much love in the world, so what am I afraid of?
In Review:
January definitely hasn’t been all rosy paradise with me sipping a glass of lemonade while revising the structure the atom and the surface area of a cone. It has been challenging in ways I used to only dream of, but I defied the odds and the little voice inside my head that says I can’t do things, that I’m not good enough.
This month, I learnt that I am enough, and so is everyone around me. I have learnt to succeed with ease, and I have learnt to help other people without losing my sense of self-care.
Pretty dang good 31 days, in my opinion.
Cheers,
Udita.
P.S. Let me know what your month was like, maybe we can all relate!
