A Stir Away From (Fire)Flies

   Is this a step into or out of my comfort zone? Either way, I think this is good, the fact that I opened one of my old books to a song I've never really played and stopped on this one. I think I've always thought this song was really pretty, but it's definitely, DEFINITELY, SLOW. Previously, as in years before, I lovedd fast songs because they were easier to learn the rhythm to, and they were easier to play (maybe?), or at least in my opinion. I didn't want to learn this song for that reason. Anyways, I decided to attack it this week, and it's been going on pretty well :) OH I've been rambling for this entire time and I haven't even mentioned the title of this song yet. It's Pachelbel Canon in D Major. Since the sheet music is sometime I have physically, I can't link to it here, but there's a youtube version of this song in D Major here: Canon in D Major (by the looks of his hands, this person looks like he/she's under the age of 10....)

   Yeahhh, and the version to which I linked above is a lot more... fancy/emphasized than the version I have. Mine is A LOT simpler, and probably sounds a lot worse....

Fireflies

   I just wanted to say how impossible this song was. ASFHGSJKHGSGHL this song is IMPOSSIBLE to play. Each of the notes take at least a minute for me to figure out and make sure that I'm on the right note since the key jumps from white keys to black keys, and I forget how the melody of the song actually goes sometimes, so then I get lost and have to start over when I'm trying to piece out the song from what I've already played. I literally spent an entire hour doing this, and then later when I came back to the piece, there was absolutely not improvement at all, or at least not enough improvement for me to stay. The version from which I am learning is thirteen pages long (four lines per page, with only one line on the last page). Right now, I can't get past the fourth page without getting mad at myself for not being able to play it right. I've worked with this song so slowly that I think I've grown to hate it and like it at the same time. Even more, these mixed emotions have been making me really frustrated. I'll be really excited and inspired to play piano, and then I'll leave dejected and upset by the fact that I recognize that I can't play it correctly. Honestly, now that I'm writing this, I feel really ashamed that I gave up, but I'll probably continue to do so even without noticing it.

The Search part 2

   So there's some really old research that I've kinda just left there that I did like wayy back a while ago. I figured I'd put it here since I forgot what I really aiming for in this post.

How to Read Sheet Music

   Tadaaa... so yeah, these were sorta things I learned when I was younger that Mrs. Miller didn't really want me to use, but when I couldn't remember anything, I would be coming back to this and thinking:

"Every Good Boy Does Fine"

"FACE"

"Good Boys Do Fine Always"

"All Cows Eat Grass"

    This link also had some good tips, most of which had already been covered verbally to me by Mrs. Miller.

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ANYWAYS. My ORIGINAL intention was to share this:

zeldaxlove64's cover - FIREFLIES by OWL CITY

Isn't it pretty? I totally envy her, both her playing ability and her voice. It's really amazing, and definitely inspirational. Each time I hear her play, I just imagine myself doing it as well. After listening to this, I actually went and sat down to practice "Fireflies".

   I really think this song itself is really pretty. It's one of my favorite songs ever, here's the original. 
I've actually been listening to this song when I'm trying to go to sleep. It's on my nighttime playlist, along with a couple of other songs that are also by Owl City. Owl City = Adam Young, who is super talented and who writes, sings, and plays all of his music. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Owl_City)

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   I think after working in this project, I've lost sight of my clear goal. I mean I knew what I'm aiming for overall, but it's the little things that I forget, it's the exact words that I said before and the exact thoughts I had when I said them. This is probably why a lot of people's goals change as time progresses because as they work, they always progress a destination, and sometimes that destination is different from their original goal. Anyways, I do sort of remember mentioning about researching the correlation between music and mood, and that's probably why links relating to this topic are plastered all over my initial bibliography. This one website says that it has actually been tested that music improves mood. A study was conducted for college students that had results that showed that music, regardless of what type (whether it's country or rock), improved the afterward moods of the students who listened to it. The students kept diaries and worked with a psychology teacher to determine that they got positive emotions after exposure to music. (http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/news/20031022/music-improves-mood)

   [Reflection on this?] I feel like this means that I'll definitely be depending on music in college. I mean I am listening to it a lot even now too. At least once a day (definitely as I go to sleep), I listen to music. I wanted to listen to piano music to study whether or not piano music especially has an effect on one's mood, but I got realllyyyyy bored after the first couple of days. However, I think this study that was done helps me think positively, because I sorta am conscious that I am in a better mood after listening to music, and I want myself to always be in better moods.

The Search

TBU

FOUND! Sheet music for Fireflies by Owl City - this is the newest and best version that I have found and am deciding to use.

LINK

Lesson & A List of Recommended Pieces

FOR:  Friday, February 25th, 2011

   I forgot to practice today, but I did make up for it on Saturday... just saying.

   Something else I forgot was the fact that Mrs. Miller said I could pick out a piece to learn now! Anything, anything at all! Should I try Fantasie Impromptu? I mean just listen to it, it's crazy beautiful... 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvm2ZsRv3C8

...but also crazy impossible? I mean some of the really hard pieces that I've already learned how to play (by ear/memorizing fingerings) are Beethoven's Fur Elise, Brahms' Hungarian Dance, and Mozart's Turkish March. But those were by memorization, which is by far, much easier than reading sheet music.

Here's something I found on Google that I thought might be useful in the future...
a list of recommended classical pieces!

  Andd... also I kind of made a list for modern songs even though in one of the other posts, I said I wouldn't make one. I only have one title on my list right now, and that's Owl City's Fireflies. 

   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Amm7Do0ySkU

   The piano version is really really pretty sounding. If two days, I'll probably just pick something off this list instead of going with the first song I hear on the radio (most likely this song?).