Lorelei

[Ling-Ling's Twin]

I love music mainley the music pianos make.

[Princess Clara Owns]

Ya. Its one of mankinds greatest accomplishments.

[Ling-Ling's Twin]

Wow I did not no all of this.

[lorelei]

I felt the same way after I started piano, and then later, the harp...ever felt that after you got involved with music, you began to notice more and more going on in a song you hear on the radio, you can pick out different voices & pitches and the instruments? ...you are right, it is taken for granted, but then when you get into it and listen...

What you said really struck a chord or two with me - no pun intended, LOL

*cut to islander making a rim shot*



Anyway. Ever see Star Trek: The Voyage Home? I'm sure you have, that's the one with the humpback whales. A ship plants itself near Earth and sends out a sound wave that starts messing with the Earth's weather and ocean...and they figure out the sound closely resembles the sound of the humpback whales which are extinct at the time. So they go back in time, snag two of the whales and bring them to their current time in hopes of having THEM communicate with the ship through song. They go back and forth for a bit, then the ship quiets down and goes on its way...and all is right with the world.

And now I'm going to be a TOTAL nerd and share a quote with you I had read in a book recently for my harp therapy trainning. Glad I marked the page.

From "The Healing Power of Sound":

"Singing is a form of communication that predates speech, according to the renowed violinist and conductor Yehudi Menuhin, who says that the proof can be found in the human bone structure: ' Our vocal mechnism is complex-for chanting, the lungs and vocal cords are enough; when we speak, the mouth and tongue are drawn into play. Early human skeltal remains reveal signs that the use of the voice to produce speech goes back some eight thousand years while also suggesting that chanting began perhaps a half a million years earlier."

[Ling-Ling's Twin]

Hey Lorelei your back.

[Princess Clara Owns]

Ya. That's all true. When I was a little kid listening to the radio the instruments seemed to blend together, and I could only hear one rythme, and one beat. But as I began to pick up music more and more, I began to be able to separate instruments, identify them by sound, and eventually I got to the point where I could pick out some chords and play the Base of a song by ear.

And yes, I've seen The Voyage Home. I remember when I used to be a big Trekkie, I saw an episode of Star Trek Voyager where they encountered a race that didn't have music. They loved it and became immediatly hooked on the whole idea.

Music truely is a Universal language. It has had an amazing impact on the world. I wonder where we'd be without it...

[lorelei]

Yeah, I flickered online late, sorry I missed you Ling Ling's Twin. I had a quick second wind and further thoughts before turning in.

Princess Clara Owns: Amen. Music helps me get to sleep, and also motivates me to clean the house, walk, dance, ect. It makes a road trip all the more fun, keeps a party going, and I could go on with the long long list...
I can't imagine a world without music. It's too important. Music is also one of the strongest memory generators - like tastes and smells. I'm working on a music autobiography, and my first memory is listening to Don McLean's American Pie while I was on a family trip in Jasper. I was 3.

One of the videos I watched for harp therapy class showed how music therapy connected with people with Alzheimer's disease - they may not know their friends & family, but if you play a tune they might know, and they perk up and sing along.
(Of course my sick cynical inside voice said: Hah! Alzheimer's IS fake!! LOL And my other voice said shut up Laura.)

Hey, you play by ear! I do too. If I can sing it aloud or in my head, I can usually play it.

[Ling-Ling's Twin]

Wow you two have a lot of talent.

[lorelei]

Thank you

[Ling-Ling's Twin]

Your very welcome the only talent I have is to change my voice very good or come up with an good idea then and there that's why I want to be a voiceover or a producer but my voiceover classes starts really soon.

[Princess Clara Owns]

Thanks! Voiceover classes? That sounds cool man!

And Lorelei, I agree, I couldn't imagine a world without music. I practically have a radio on near me 24/7. Mt earliest memory is of going to DisneyWorld when I was 4ish. When I went back there on March break, It was more the music I heard then the sights that brought back memories.

And ya, I can play by ear. On base that is. I can only sort of play by ear with the Trombone.

[Ling-Ling's Twin]

Yeah I'm taking voiceover classes real soon.

[lorelei]

Ling Ling's Twin: That's excellent!! Are there any characters you like to imitate?

I had a nasty cold once, and discovered then I could do Cartman. A friend had called to see how I was feeling, and I began whinning in Cartman mode, and freaked her out. I can also do the new Schmoo, that's an oldie. I can sort of do Toot, which is similiar in pitch to the new Schmoo.
I'm sure they will teach you how to do these voices without straining your vocal chords, I can't imagine how these actors do it otherwise!

Princess Clara Owns: That's awesome! I personally think that's a much better gift to have than being sight-reading. Of course the people who can do both are the ones at Carnegie.

Got another story for you guys. Last week a restaurant patron stopped by me on his way out, looked at my harp, and said "Wow that's a small harp! I didn't know they came that small, So is that a harpette?" (my harp is nearly 5 feet in height, this guy is thinking of the 6 to 7 feet harps) I just flashed him a brilliant smile, and told him "they get much much smaller than that, maybe a foot in height, like the one King David played." That shut him right up!
But I wish I had a Jews Harp They're fun.

[Princess Clara Owns]

Ya true. I can sight read, but I need to HEAR a song to be able to play it. Probably because when I started I was self-taught. Eventually I took a course, but at the beginning I couldn't read music. Ever see Drumline? Good film.



Lol. Sounds like you have a fair number of good Harp stories. At least that guy didn't knock it over.

[Ling-Ling's Twin]

I would say a voice that kind of remind me of the jew producer and a mix of Bender from Futurama.