Kind of explains why apple has been having it's surge of heightening business with its ipods (up till this day) and for the fact that live n loaded has been trying to take over Singapore. Who'd have thought music could bring about bouts of pleasure to its listeners through simple play arounds with tones and words.
Recently, i've been hearing talk of songs that have managed to squeeze through the ear-holes of some people and somehow reach the tear ducts (which is actually not very far away, and ya rach, you make up most of the talk i've been hearing). Which makes me start to think how cool it is that a song a stranger wrote could actually make someone out there get a buzz of goosebumps or tears. We've all had that feeling before, especially when you were 12 and that girl you liked totally didn't bother about you and suddenly backstreet boys' "Shape of My Heart" starts playing on radio only to make you realize every single word seemed to describe how you were feeling. Or when life sucked and Simple plan released it's "Welcome to my Life" single. Hell yeah, welcome to my "great life". I plead guilty for relating these 2 songs and many others to my own life. Although i seriously don't understand why i thought shape of my heart related. hmm.
I remember learning the piano in primary school, with some teacher called miss wonder (no seriously). With a cane hiding at the side of the piano, my fingers were constantly in fear as i struggled to scale my way through the enormously long stretch of black and white keys in hope of doing it perfectly just so i could escape the pain. There was the theory part that gave me a whole new ocean of troubles as well. After less than 5 lessons, i wondered (pun intended) how playing the piano could ever benefit me, and told my folks i had to escape the treacherous lessons. Was i wrong, am i regrettful.
As i grew to love music like everyone else, hoping to get every cd i can from sembawang music centre at century square previously, my favourite cd hangout last time by the way, i wanted to get my hands on an instrument and start formulating tunes which were capable of evoking the similar emotions i had as i stood in the bathroom grabbing my shampoo bottle singing at the top of my lungs to lyrics that somehow got into me without any effort in memorising. The regret of quitting the piano didn't really settle in though. Still there was little tingle somewhere inside that wanted to be part of something, and the recorder the school provided just wasn't going to cut it.
The drums started its appeal on me as i started attending church, with each hit and crash never failing to stir something in me. I watched constantly, and cowardly too, hoping the drummer wouldn't notice my eye on him. Somehow or rather, i can't remember how, i started lessons on the drums in church. Did that suck. So many points in time i wanted to quit as my hands and feet started to get into arguments with each other. But my thirst for being on the stage pushed me on. Yes, i started with that mentality. Stupid.
Almost everyday after school, i would come home excited just to grab my pair of drumsticks, turn on a track and play along with it imagining my bed was a huge drumset. The satisfaction of completing a song without mistakes then, priceless. As i started to get better and mature in my christian walk, i started to realise what the set could really do together with a band ready to worship God. Being on stage wasn't really what it was all about, it was this feeling of being together with a band ready to make good music and much more of being thirsty for something to happen, thirsty to do something to its listeners.
And today as i sat down on the set just rocking out with some people i really love to jam with, i got reminded of that feeling. As much as we want to make good music, we want to make good music that could touch the lives of people. Oh yes, the feeling of hitting every note in sync and in perfect timing together with your band, when the girls start screaming, when you showcase your skills. It's great, but that's for the performers.
It's something totally different though, when you see the people in front of you worship in sync knowing you're are contributing to a small part of that because God has blessed you with such a chance, and that's something else to marvel at. And that feeling, honestly? Indescribable.
I love music, who doesn't?
Till then.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
SNORe and reLAX
I suddenly realise the beauty of sleep since i started work a few days back. You know, that dreaded feeling when your alarm rings and you look at the clock only to realise it's time to get up when everyone else is still busy dreaming about their whatever. I would say it's 10 times more difficult than doing a pull up (Not that i would know, need to start training. hahaha). And just when you thought getting up was bad enough, your eyes start to drag you back into slumber with any chance it gets. And i have been struggling with that, thus i have decided to bring my speakers with me to tomorrow to work to help shrug that feeling off. You can go crazy alone in a room packing.
MOTIVATION: Money to invest in drumset.
Had a practise/jamming/recording today with the band at church. It's nice to finally see everything working out and the fun together makes it even better. Isaac joined us in our crusade and a great help he has been in helping us to record and finding some openings for us (i think it's bandfest or something, where there'll be much industry watchers.mmmmm). We actually have a performance somewhere in the good friday period performing alongside Olivia Ong. For those of you who don't know who she is, she sang the little nyonya song (don't like that show by the way). And she appears when you search her on wiki, that's something. Yay. Hope hope hope.
I have to sleep now, my bed looks so inviting, the morning doesn't. Goodnight.
Some pictures from the facial day.
Till then.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Time-out
So i just came back from a facial at Holland V. which Chanel kindly offered for a price i shall not disclose. No wait, no price. It's quite amazing how girls could go through that sort of torture on a regular basis although the face massage was quite good i would say. I was squealing in pain deep inside as my "mozarella cheese" struggled to find it's way out of my face. For beauty, what the female would give. Timbre after with Niki, Chanel (who kindly told us all about her violent side. Mei mei i hope you're reading this *vommit*), Bernie and Daron. Roasted duck pizzaaaa....
I've been meaning to blog recently but laziness always wins the war despite me winning half the battle of logging in to blogger. And i regret that i haven't, because i can't seem to remember what the life of me has been up to other than blur flashes of the Bangkok trip, the SMU gig (which seriously wasn't much a gig), karaoke, dinner with the band, recording on sat, service on sunday and movie after and then there's today. Oh wait i think i got it all.
Life's suddenly been on an all-time-low recently. The times when you suddenly feel life sucks for you and everyone seems to be having it better. I'm sure you know what i mean. And i can't stand it that i'm feeling this way when i know life for me seriously isn't all bad at all. I mean there's the God, the family, the friends, the band, the home i know i can retreat to, bla bla bla. I shouldn't be complaining should i. Bah, it happens to everyone i suppose.
Get real, you're not indispensable. No, seriously.
Till then.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Phase-book
Facebook is indeed starting to take a fraction of our lives away as it nibbles in to eat your every minute online. I remember telling myself not to be sucked in to such a fad but it's increasing use has forced me in. Goodbye friendster and hello facebook. I'm actually wondering how friendster is doing right now, with a sudden dip of users. They must be all panicky with advertisers leaving, and the recession definitely isn't helping. Whoever thought friendster would be replaced. Facebook better start preparing themselves for such a PHASE (pun intended).
So, i realised my use of Facebook has seriously been intense as i log in ever so often when i'm bored just to check up on stuff and spy on the private lives of people, which turn not so private once they use facebook. I guess that's as close as you can get to gossip girl (bla bla bla just went from "single" to "in a relationship". Even better when it's the other way around.), XOXO. In any case, i'm aiming to curb my use of the website as i got a shock a few days back on what i did. As i was reading a blog, i started to put my cursor over pictures to find out who the people were, only to realise i was at a blog and not on facebook. AHHHH.
10 other ways you can find out that you have been using FB too much:
1) You don't log in to msn anymore but instead, chat over at the bottom right hand corner. 2) You don't send pictures to friends but tag them ever so often. 3) No more messaging or calling for a simple movie of dinner outing, you invite them through the event function on FB. Same for birthday wishes, it's just wall-to-wall. 4) You rush home just to play word challenge and if you aren't at the top, it pisses you off. 5) You are excited to see a huge number of notifications on the bottom right hand corner every time you sign in. 6) 99% of the mail in your inbox is from FB. 7) You update your status every hour accurately. 8) You realise that you are a fan of issues/things that you have never heard of, but joined only cause it appeared on the right. 9) You are excited to be tagged in a note and can't wait to do it. 10) As you are reading this, FB is open in another tab/window.
hahahaha. Ah well. I'd better close my facebook tab and go off to bed soon. Marcus shall be on his way to bangkok in about 4 hours. Yayyyy. Goodbye Singapore.
Till then.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Band-nefits
The weekend was great hanging out with the church people, having a failed attempt to catch "role models". Sitting down, chilling and wasting your life away never fails to satisfy. During sunday service, the speaker commented on the worship team being one that worships with songs and not just one that leads songs. And that was a great encouragement. Not that i would expect praise every time i play for service, but a compliment like that never fails to just prep you up for another 10 years of service to the music ministry, if you know what i mean. (=
So on Monday, the band headed down to SAE (School of Audio Engineering) which Yew Jin kindly opened up for us to record an original. Tedious, tiring, draining, consuming, life-sucking work i would say (No, i'm not using a thesaurus). But what the heck, it was plain fun with them, hanging out in the studio doing nonsense and being all fresh to this recording scene. Using the metronome, proper placement of drum mics, layering bla bla bla. If you ask me, it's worse than playing for a live show, aiming for perfect timing and tip-top tones for the track.
Out of the blue, we recieved a call for a gig at SMU Tues of next week at their flea market. We only have God to thank for opening so many doors. To think we actually had to contemplate for this gig due to the rush and business of everyone (rach. hahahaha). Previously, we would probably have snagged up any gig that came up to us and clear all priorities for it as if it were heroine. In any case, we agreed to and we'll be stepping into the doors of SMU next week. Putting the fact aside that our band could get even more publicity at this event, i'm hoping it would help to increase my chances to get my ass into that school in future ("For the fact that i have contributed my services towards this school at poly level, it clearly shows how much i want to be in this school").
The engineer who did it all, yew jin.
The latest people (in the literal sense)
Studio fatigue
The set-up
The stress set-up
the ones who STICK with me through out. (get it get it?)
Toned tone.
Bass
From left to centre: Butch rach
We had dinner and caught slumdog millionaire after. OMG, yes, we had the chance to catch one of the stars right after the show, SALIM! Ok whatever, but the resemblance was uncanny. hahaha. One for the road : Say "Tequila Letika Tequila Letika Tequila Letika....." really really fast.
I woke up at 6 today to head down to a Kelong at Malaysia for a recee. A great place for the church outing happening in June. Somewhere to escape from everything and to just relax. ahhhhhhh.....
Vasity
Missed the chance to head down to live n loaded today to catch west grand due to the trip. Dang. Anyhoo, there'll be more chances.
