music and the world part 2, and making friends
• Posted by birdman on May 8th, 2007
I’ve got a 3 hour break at uni… actually I would have a longer break if I didn’t go to the Anatomy Lab later today, but I think I’ll choose to go. They can be useful times.
Nothing much has happened, apart from Kim Jong Il’s marriage ceremony and that ridiculous news report, which was ripped straight from www.thechaser.com.au - a website reporting the news as it happens (from the cynical layperson).
Mind you I have listened to a fascinating report. The roots of this memory trickle into my hypothalmus… “Triple J”… “The Culture Club”… these words come to mind. It was about music.
Recently, I discovered that T, a person I have known for not so long, has music in common with me, as an aside. More importantly, I learnt about the development of modern music. Modern music is about repetition. The beats, rhythms, and very occasional modulations (which are almost always relegated to simple cadential patterns, e.g. consisting of solely 4 5 1) in harmony and melody make up what most older people would regard as, more or less, noise. This is less true of fruity teenybop-pop and more true of heavy metal, following an associated linear relationship of everything in between. But let me take you back a hundred years ago, or even 50.
Let’s just forget about Jazz for a while - which no doubt played a sparkling, but departing, route through the early beginnings of modern music - and concentrate on the times when vinyl records were the go and those old people were young people. Music is about harmony. It is about the connections between key, the relationship between beginning, middle, end, and all those words in between - subject, development, recapitulation, and everything else I’ve forgotten from Grade 4 Music Theory. Major, minor, diminished, dominant, inverted, augmented, transplanted - wait, we’re talking about music here, not med - and so many other complex stuffs, located within the flow. The feeling of progression, from a beginning to an end, classically without interuption - dissonantly, with. Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Liszt, Rachmaninov, Ravel, Vine.
Ok, I think there’s a really big gap between Ravel and Carl Vine but I can’t think of who goes in between. Moving on -
Some random DJ plays a record. The record breaks. It repeats. The DJ howls in frustration, as he hears the same noise over and over again. This is not progression. This is noise. He can’t fix it, and he also doesn’t disable the sound that is playing over and over, in an attempt to fix the machine without destroying the record. It takes him a few minutes of trying, fiddling, all the while listening to this noise. Suddenly, he realises something. This noise, he likes. This noise gives him a strange feeling. Suddenly he asks himself - what if there was no progression, what if there was no flow? Would the music have to end, at all? And where would one begin?
So, modern music is born {with the notable exceptions of progressive rock and, as mentioned above, jazz}.
Isn’t that just fascinating?
—————
In the interim of nothingness, some serious thought has gone through my head. That of making friends (in med school). There’s nothing worse than going through life without friends. Really, sometimes we fool ourselves that having out skin stripped off our flesh tiny piece by tiny piece is worse, but in actuality, perhaps it isn’t.
As TR and I conversed in low tones about our feelings regarding friends, I felt the strong complusion to write my thoughts down.
1. My course is 6 years, including a total of 3 years in which to get to know and befriend as many people as possible.
2. I am 20 years old, which means I have probably finished with one quarter of my life and am entering the second quarter.
3. Point two is very, very scary.
4. My life experience in making friends is extremely limited, and I have to wonder about how mature I am when I don’t participate in any of the Med social events and fail to recognise their value by continually not attending by choice.
5. People are naturally apprehensive, defensive, and timid, except for a few people who have successfully been able to suppress these feeling. This is the sole reason people do not make friends.
6. It doesn’t matter what you say, as long as you say something, but only when it’s needed.
7. Making friends is about meeting people and maintaining the relationship - if you can’t meet people well, you can’t make friends. I’m afraid I’m not very good at that.
8. Saying “hi” is a prerequisite of the “friendly greeting”.
9. Being part of a group is good, being part of a high-school group is bad.
10. Boys will be boys, girls will be girls.
It takes compassion to be a good friend. This changes depending on which person you are talking about, and this is why I find it so difficult and confusing to make friends, and keep friends. It is hardly a problem of what to say.
It wasn’t THAT hard to make friends with you… was it?
Rei said this on May 9th, 2007 at 9:23 am
who’s this? someone who isn’t blogging with me reads this blog? and someone i know too! no, seriously who is this? or is that a secret..
Guess… I’m sure you’ve met me before… methinks..
Rei said this on May 9th, 2007 at 10:03 am
and yes… I should thank you for introducing me to the Schultz Building… very nice…
Rei said this on May 9th, 2007 at 10:08 am
oh i already found out… i’m a crafty one…
and you should stop putting “…” at the end of all your sentences… they make you sound crafty…
…and yes you should thank me for introducing you to that building… i hope it is a source of continued entertainment for our few short years in med school…
…and yes i am crafty…
hey also are you called rei because you like NGE or is that just me thinking too much?
haha, you are probably one of the first people to correctly guess the origin of my nickname. Yes, you’re somewhat right… somewhat…
Oh, and damn Mana for telling you, you cheating, thats not called guessing, thats caleld ASKING!
Rei said this on May 9th, 2007 at 5:19 pm
Hey Tony, here are my views on your blog. Its hard to put yourself out like that, and I respect that. Its nice to see another side of you, especially since normally I don’t get to talk to you much
I’m a firm believer that if someone wants to make friends, they can. Med School events are not compulsory. Having contacts that can help you is good, but in the same way, its not compulsory either =]
People are not naturally apprehensive, I think. Its only when people overthink that they are apprehensive. I agree with the shy and timid part though.
It does matter what you say, and especially how its said. Sometimes silence is good as well, and needed.
Making friends is easy enough, if you’re not self conscious. The most important part of it is to not be afraid of the people. Your awkwardness will transfer to other people. And Tony, you’re fine and brilliant at making friends, just don’t be scared of us =]
But having good friends… the ones that understand you nearly inside out is a once in a lifetime kind of thing. Honestly, unless the person is really simple (which I don’t believe people are), its a once or twice in a lifetime kind of thing
Hi is very important, and so is manners. Respect for the other person (until you know him/her wayyy better) is a prerequisite as well
“Boys will be boys, girls will be girls”: This is the most important truth ;o
Here are my views Tony. You’re a champ for helping us with your clin skills. Thanks bro.
moi said this on May 9th, 2007 at 7:30 pm
oh shite: KILL ME NOW. BIRDMAN IS JONOTHAN? I THOUGHT HE WAS TONY. CRUCIFY ME
moi said this on May 9th, 2007 at 7:35 pm
Can’t stop laughing… Noone must know who moi is!
moi said this on May 9th, 2007 at 7:49 pm
Neither can I at the moment - hahahahaha…
I could edit the above things to say “Jonathan” instead of “Tony” - but at the moment, i will leave it. at least for a little while. then i’ll fix it.
On a more serious note though - whoever you are - don’t let that discourage you from posting. Since Jonathan is the one putting himself out there, suffice it to say that he will read that and not only laugh… but realise that someone is reading and agreeing. and that can never be bad.
hehe wow I was just having a a very similar conversation about music today with a friend. Still think it’s a universal human vernacular. And re: making friends. I can really understand where you’re coming from, as I just started a new course and not being a school leaver (did 1 year of uni), it is slightly weirder making friends at first. I guess with med though I’d imagine you’d grow together over time, it’s only been a few weeks :). Takes me ages to really feel comfortable with a new set of people.
kc said this on May 9th, 2007 at 11:16 pm
Oh. by the way, moi is JERRY. hehehehe…
HAHAHAHAHA
sorry for doing this to you gerry…
I am a bit concerned about your subsequent reaction to your comment… however i don’t think it matters much, to me anyway
i’m sure we can all just substitute “tony” for “jonathan” and it’s all good
be being also not a school leaver (in fact being 2 years older than others is stranger than being 1, or 5, as it’s kind of in the middle of nowhere) it’s easier to make excuses about not being able to “connect” with other people in the course. however, i’m fighting a losing battle - and i think it’s one i’d be happy to lose in the long run.
T_T
moi said this on May 10th, 2007 at 10:15 pm
hey rei & birdman, im a big nge fan too.
yay, lets get together for a dvd feast!!! ^^
zoidberg said this on May 14th, 2007 at 10:04 pm
alright, if you organise it, i’m in. oh, also, you need to get the platinum dvds cos i want to watch those versions. or we could wait until the new movies come out
Um… problem or rather a question. Can you be a NGE fan w/o ever seeing anything to do w/ it b4???? Rei’s my nick not a say… obssession but then again I’m openminded….. I’m sure it’s easy to get addicted to…. errr… say what?
Rei said this on May 20th, 2007 at 4:40 pm
Hahaha NGE…. i remember i watched that crazy movie before ever seeing the series.. and being completely freaked when asuka gets pwnt by the eva series =P I thought i saw a large intestine in there…
Then i watched the other movie to sum up the series for me.. but this was after watching that movie again, and the first NGE ep
In my opinion though;
FLCL>NGE
Pantsman said this on May 22nd, 2007 at 4:49 pm