Introduction

As a performer / arranger, you are the interpreter of the piece of music that you are going to perform, whether it’s a vocal or instrumental number.

Many musicians tend to cover existing songs for various reasons, some of which being: (i) they like the song; (ii) it’s popular with the crowd; (iii) somebody made a request; (iv) the song inspires them to do something about it.

So, before you pick up that song, why do you want to perform it?

And since you are going to perform it, what do you feel about the song?

Why do I pose such a question? These days we are divided between faithful representations and re-interpretations of existing music, and we do it for various reasons.

Several reasons for faithful representations:

(i) breed familiarity, especially for audiences who really like the original as a package of its own, and are not keen on hearing other interpretations, and for singers who are not able to handle re-interpretations, either because they are unwilling to do so, or they do not have the confidence doing so (which, amongst other reasons, could be due to a lack of rehearsal time, or lack of familiarity or confidence with certain styles);

(ii) certain performers and singers feel that the original arrangement is the best representation of the songwriters’ intentions, regardless if the arrangement was done by the composer or otherwise.

Several reasons for re-interpretations:

(i) Willingness to try something new, to give the song a fresh spin.

(ii) Dissatisfaction with the original arrangement.

(iii) The song is placed in a scenario, e.g. it is part of a theatrical scene.

Whether you are sticking closely to the original, or giving a song a new spin, what matters is that the performance must come from the heart. You need to enjoy what you’re performing. If music ever becomes a mundane activity – and a mundane job especially for us who are in it as a profession and a career – one should stop and reflect. Putting aside the issue of parents forcing us to take music lessons, do we remember the moments when we liked a song and wanted to play it ourselves, or how we thought up of a tune, or riff, that made us excited and made us create a composition? Or a composition and a performance picked on one of our emotions, and it felt like one of the good things we ever had? As an audience, we can feel what’s great about a performance, although sometimes we can’t really pinpoint why. And I feel that as musicians, we should bring such sensations to our audiences. It’s not about being cliched and pandering to audience’s tastes, it’s about bringing the gist of the song through performance (including arrangement) to them.

Starting out

First, think about how you would want to interpret a piece. Let’s put musical techniques aside for the moment. These are several suggested approaches to research.

i. Study the lyrics of the song. Find out what are the important points in the song that you’ll like to bring out.

ii. Study the relation between the melody and the lyrics at that point. Good composers and lyricists skillfully enhance the significance of particular messages by building a good relationship between the music and the words. E.g. most fundamental example: if the song talks about something sad, the tune could be given a minor harmonisation, or go really low (thereby sounding depressing).

iii. A bonus if you have the time: Study the backdrop in which the song was written. E.g. does it reflect a cultural phenomenon? If the song is part of a musical, at what point of the story does this musical number occur, and what is its function in relation the story?

Your interpretation will lead into the approaches that you make with these various musical aspects

***At this juncture, I am just covering the basic approaches.***

- Most of which are co-related, they complement one another in order to give you the effect that you desire.

- With your desired effects in mind, try out various possibilities until you are satisfied.

- However, do ensure that what you have chosen works in context with the larger arrangement – everything that you do has a meaning to it. You can also help your audience understand where you’re coming from.

- Sometimes, less is more! When you cover a song, the tune and lyrics are priorities.

Style: which musical style, and why?

Movement: how busy will your arrangement be. Will it be, e.g. filled with rapidly running notes, or simple, sustained chords?

Harmony

i. What kind of chords are you going to use?

ii. How are you going to voice your chords?

iii. Perhaps you might consider reharmonisation where appropriate, in order to better bring out a message or emotion in a particular point of the piece?

Texture: Full or sparse?

Frequency: Frequencies are divided: (i) low; (ii) low-mid; (iii) mid; (iv) high-mid; (v) high. Check out these frequencies and concoct your responses

Colour

i. Where will you put embellishments without conflicting with the main tune and lyrics that should receive priority?

ii. How can you concoct the desired atmospheric effect in the song?

Expression: how do you express the emotions and messages in the piece? How will you create your expressive arc? (Expressive arc: the direction in a piece containing your swells and diminishes. E.g. Verse 1: really soft; Verse 2: slightly louder; Chorus: much more louder etc.)

Instrumentation (includes the vocals, if any)

i. How do the motley of instruments function in the piece to achieve the desired effect?

ii. How should each musician play, so as to achieve the desired effect?

Here are two seemingly-’positive love’ songs that should never be picked for weddings. The couple, the band and the guests should save themselves from the embarrassment of hearing such ‘unfortunate’ messages. Do suggest other titles and tell us why those songs don’t work.

I Wish You Love

Covered by various artistes, such as Rachael Yamagata

Pretty imagery aside, the chorus gives us the most blatant sign of sadness and disappointment.

My breaking heart and I agree

That you and I could never be

So, with my best, my very best

I set you free

You’re Beautiful

James Blunt

Similarly, like ‘I Wish You Love’, this song describes a love that will never be. It’s designed like a crescendo towards that an affirmation of the theme of impossible love. The message is reinforced at the very end of the song: ‘But it’s time to face the truth / I will never be with you.’

My life is brilliant.

My life is brilliant.

My love is pure.

I saw an angel.

Of that I’m sure.

She smiled at me on the subway.

She was with another man.

But I won’t lose no sleep on that,

‘Cause I’ve got a plan.

You’re beautiful. You’re beautiful.

You’re beautiful, it’s true.

I saw your face in a crowded place,

And I don’t know what to do,

‘Cause I’ll never be with you.

Yeah, she caught my eye,

As we walked on by.

She could see from my face that I was,

Flying high, [ - video/radio edited version]

Fucking high, [ - CD version]

And I don’t think that I’ll see her again,

But we shared a moment that will last till the end.

You’re beautiful. You’re beautiful.

You’re beautiful, it’s true.

I saw your face in a crowded place,

And I don’t know what to do,

‘Cause I’ll never be with you.

You’re beautiful. You’re beautiful.

You’re beautiful, it’s true.

There must be an angel with a smile on her face,

When she thought up that I should be with you.

But it’s time to face the truth,

I will never be with you.

Please help to spread the word!!

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Eraser: For what? You didn’t do anything wrong.

Pencil: I’m sorry because you get hurt because of me. Whenever I made a mistake, you’re always there to erase it. But as you make my mistakes vanish, you lose a part of yourself. You get smaller and smaller each time.

Eraser: That’s true. But I don’t really mind. You see, I was made to do this. I was made to help you whenever you do something wrong. Even though one day, I know I’ll be gone and you’ll replace me with a new one, I’m actually happy with my job. So please, stop worrying. I hate seeing you sad.

I found this conversation between the pencil and the eraser very inspirational. Parents are like the eraser whereas their children are the pencil. They’re always there for their children, cleaning up their mistakes. Sometimes along the way, they get hurt, and become smaller / older, and eventually pass on. Though their children will eventually find someone new (spouse), but parents are still happy with what they do for their children, and will always hate seeing their precious ones worrying, or sad.

All my life, I’ve been the pencil. And it pains me to see the eraser that is my parents getting smaller and smaller each day. For I know that one day, all that I’m left with would be eraser shavings and memories of what I used to have.

This is to all the parents out there.

Let me know should any technical problems be encountered? Many thanks!

Ali Does It Herself

http://alidoesit.wordpress.com/2010/08/04/macaroons-with-plum-jam/

Filed under: Inspiring, Interesting Stuffs, Just for fun Tagged: cooking, dessert, macaroons, plum jam ]]> http://sibelius2.wordpress.com/2010/08/05/from-another-blog-a-recipe-for-macaroons-with-plum-jam/feed/ 0 auglum Macaroons With Plum Jam http://sibelius2.wordpress.com/2010/08/05/from-another-blog-the-benefits-and-necessities-of-tweeting-wisely/ http://sibelius2.wordpress.com/2010/08/05/from-another-blog-the-benefits-and-necessities-of-tweeting-wisely/#comments Thu, 05 Aug 2010 11:50:41 +0000 auglum http://sibelius2.wordpress.com/?p=257 Keep reading →]]> Tweet Wisely or Forever Hold Your Peace

By Frances Cole Jones

August 4, 2010

From ‘The Blog of Frances Cole Jones’

http://francescolejones.wordpress.com/2010/08/04/tweet-wisely-or-forever-hold-your-peace/

One measure of the popularity of Twitter is the proliferation of Twitter debacles due to inappropriate tweets—with one Scottish politician committing political death when he referred to his elderly constituents as “coffin dodgers.

And politicians aren’t the only offenders: while many people have a morbid fascination with celebrities, is there anyone who doesn’t have Lindsay-Lohan-tweet-fatigue? I’m about to buy that family a washer/dryer so they can stop airing their dirty laundry in public.

Here’s the thing: like Facebook, Twitter began as a way to make your opinions known, and one of its supposed ‘benefits’ is its immediacy. But how often is our first reaction our best? I say, rarely. Consequently, and forthwith, my #1 rule for Twitter:

▪       Tweets are forever: Don’t tweet anything you wouldn’t want to see on the front page of the New York Times.

After that, the other elements I consider mandatory are:

▪       Be amusing without being mean-spirited.

For example, I have tweeted about T-shirt slogans I found preposterous: “Avoid Responsibility” not being work-attire; and cant.function@xxx.com not being my first choice for the email address I would put on my resume.

▪       Offer actionable information people can use to run their business, or their life, more efficiently.

For myself, this has included items along the lines of “Here’s a great telephone greeting I heard,” and “Wow, this big box store not only gave my dog a cart to ride in- they gave him a pillow to sit on.” In both cases, both readers, and the businesses mentioned, wrote to thank me.

▪       Additionally, and despite the 140 character restrictions, do not fall back on abbreviations, emoticons, and/or any other trappings of the junior high school set.

As you’re not in high school anymore, your tweets shouldn’t sound like you’re stuck in detention.

Used wisely, Twitter is a great way to help others feel connected to you and your business. But just because its immediacy gives it a shotgun-wedding-in-Vegas feel, doesn’t mean the words you commit to it aren’t important– and binding. So tweet wisely, or forever hold your peace.

di mana dia buah hati saya?

February 5, 2007

http://whereinsoever.wordpress.com/2007/02/05/di-mana-dia-buah-hati-saya/

as much as i find it disturbing that some people do not know simple nursery rhymes, i find it utterly SHOCKING that some people do not know malaysian folk songs.

so as a sociolinguist, a culture enthusiast and for the love of cempedaks, a true malaysian, here is my community service effort in spreading the love of local folk songs to the tech-savvy generation.

chan mali chan

dimana dia anak kambing saya?

anak kambing saya yang makan daun talas

dimana dia buah hati saya?

buah hati saya bagai telur dikupas

chan mali chan, chan mali chan

chan mali chan, ketipung payung

di mana dia, anak kambing saya?

anak kambing saya main di tepi sawah

di mana dia, cinta hati saya?

cinta hati saya yang pakai baju merah

di mana dia anak kambing tuan?

anak kambing tuan di atas jambatan

yang mana dia si bunga pujaan?

si bunga tanjung dihujung dahan

kalau nak tahu anak kambing saya

anak kambing saya di dalam bilik

kalau nak tahu intan payung saya

intan payung saya yang kecil lah molek

di mana dia anak kambing tuan?

anak kambing tuan yang bulunya kuning

yang mana dia buah hati tuan?

buah hati tuan yang putih lah kuning

here are the lyrics to the folk song chan mali chan, of which most malaysian know the tune of, but do not know the words to. culturally attributed to both malaysian and singaporeans, chan mali chan is a hilariously cheeky song, which teases stanzas between men and women.

the verses of chan mali chan are structurally a four part rhythmic pantun. the first two lines of the pantun is called the pembayang and the last two line of each pantun is the message that the poet really wants to get at. the pembayang lines of the song chan mali chan refer to anak kambing, suggestively because the lamb is symbolic for its mischievousness and friskiness.

this symbolism is compared to the poet’s buah hati in the message lines of the poem, who is apparently playing hide and seek with the poem. it should be inferred here that the man in the song is looking for the woman who is hiding (and is deliberately letting herself be found!).

in the first stanza, the woman’s skin is described to be as smooth as a peeled hardboiled egg. in the second stanza, he calls her the love of his heart and describes her as the lady in red. in the third stanza, she is likened to be a flower which is hard to get because she is located right at the hujung dahan.

ketipung payung in the chorus and the final stanzas of the song is a term of endearment. like i said, it is a teasing courting love song. in the malay culture, metaphors such as ketipung, payung, intan and bunga tanjung are used as references to someone lovely and precious.

the colours yellow and white mentioned in the final stanza refer to something being royal, but not in the monarch sort of way, but that something to be considered heavenly, royal, gorgeous, beautiful, pure and divine.

so here is my very brief overview of chan mali chan. gosh, it has been ages since i have written proper literary papers. i hope ya’ll are humming the song in your heads. i know that its so kampung, but i bet that this would make an awesome campfire song. every malaysian should know how to sing chan mali chan.

‘XXX* feels this World Cup is like WWII in Europe: the French get their asses whipped early, the Americans leave it till late before joining, and the whole world eagerly awaits England vs. Germany…’

*Name removed to protect privacy.