Starting a new instrument

This year I've started to play a new instrument, the harpsichord. Since a young age this has been something I've wanted to do. I went in to a music academy to ask for lessons and the teacher said that she would call me to let me know wether it was possible to fit my lesson into her full timetable. About a month later I got a call from her saying that it was possible to have lessons but in an other academy which was perfect because it was even closer to my place. Now it was time to choose a second subject because in music academies here in Belgium one needs to have to lessons minimum in an academy. After long thinking hours I chose to join the improvisation group. Basically it's a group of people with each their own instrument or instruments and the aim is to make music without being stuck on sheet music. I followed this lesson when I was younger.

I've had this fascination towards the harpsichord since when I was small about 8 I went to a harpsichord concert. I remember liking the instrument instantly and saying to myself: I would like to be able to play it. I've always been into playing fast music pieces and seeing the two talented harpsichord players who were playing at a fast speed, made me want to learn how to play the harpsichord right away.

As I've stopped having piano lessons I thought why not start the harpsichord which is similar in some ways but on the other hand very different. What both the teacher and I have noticed is that I play the harpsichord like a pianist. I think the main differences between a harpsichord and the piano are: the harpsichord doesn't have a pedal, you can't play in different volumes (p, mp, ff and so on) and third big difference that caught my eye was that on piano sheet music everything is indicated whereas music for harpsichord is more free.

The teacher has given me two pieces to practice. One of them is english XC. Alman by Martin Peerson and the other one french Musette en Rondeau by O.P.Rameau. They are both fun to play but they are diffent. I practice at home on my piano and playing on a harpsichord during the lessons. The pieces sound better on the harpsichord!

Enjoying Balkan music

Our music class went to a music festival on Balkan music and I went to see three of the groups playing. The first band was Albanian, the second was Bulgarian and the third one was Greek. I thought that the Bulgarian was very interesting because it was a mixture between traditional folk music and jazz. The drummer was amazing because this style wasn't straight forward and simple like some pop songs might be. The rhythmic structure is what makes Balkan music vey complex. On top of that the jazz feel makes it impossible to clap along with. The band was made up of eight musicians and one of them (singer/violin player) was blind but he played very well, takes a lot courage and talent to perform being blind. What I liked less about the performance was the traditional way of singing used by the group because to my ear it's too much like wyning and it's not pleasent to listen to.  

Rocking on stage

One of the best rock bands of these days in my opinion is BIFFY CLYRO. They are a Scottish band consisting of three members plus on stage there were other two musicians to help. I heard their newest single on Spotify in the beginning of the school year and ever since I've really been into this band. What I most like about them is that even though they play real rock the singing is also very pleasent to listen to, it's not shouting and also the lyrics of the songs are well thought. In Londo, in the O2, I had the pleasure to see them live. I was seated quite far away from the stage but I could still enjoy their show because their music is so good and not the typical kind of sound of rock. They have their own twist (not only the great accent of the singer). They performed shirtless and I get why, must have been really warm jumping up and down all the time. On the stage there was a fake tree as a decoration just like on the cover of their newest album: The Opposites. For this band it's everything about their music, they didn't do anything special on stage, they didn't change clothes every two songs but they just played music. They played their songs so that it sounded like on their albums or even better. What I didn't like about the the concert was the fans, as they pushed each other around all the time instead of just enjoying the music without hurting each other. Biffy Clyro played all the songs I wanted to hear, both upbeat and slow, with always enourmous energy. They use real instrument sounds which I like a lot instead of having synthetic sounds.

An Welsh choir visiting

Our music class had the pleasure to assist a concert held in our school by an Welsh school choir. What I liked about them was that they sang very well, there was a wide range of voices, both female and male. They were young and talented, one could really hear that they had been practising a lot. What I didn't like though was that they made some dance moves while singing and it was like wannabe Glee. The stage was way too small considering how many they were and so the moves weren't very affective, didn't look natural. They had good voices, they didn't need to make wierd moves. Another thing that I didn't like was how they were standing on stage. There were some tall people infront covering up the ones in the back. Also they were all wearing something different which doesn't make them look like a choir.

Most successful boyband of our days

I went to see the most famous and popular boyband of now-a-days which is the British sensation, One Direction. Their show was amazing as it was energetic, emotional and fun in general. There were two bands playing before them. The second band was a new Australian youtube success, 5 DAYS OF SUMMER. They started as a band only 9 months ago, they are still in school in Australia and they are already supporting one of the biggest bands on the other side of the planet. They compose their songs own songs and can interract with the audience, I think they have a big future in the music business.

Back to One Direction, they are just so talented, they started off as just five separate young boys with one common dream: become a singer. They were then united as a band becoming very popular in matter of seconds without even being first in X-factor (where the band was created). What I liked about their show was that they played both rhythmic songs which made people want to dance but then also slower songs where they got very emotional (one of the members, Zayn Malik, even cried at one point).   

What I love about Zayn Malik is that he can hit really high notes even live. Sometimes the live version of songs of some bands are not as good as the singers aren't always able to sing high notes live but Zayn hits every single note perfectly. I'd say that the best singer was Zayn but the best performer was Liam Payne, who was very good in talking with audience. The show was all about their voices, wether it was alone or together, and it wasn't about having some special effects or dancers unlike Britney Spears for example. Also what I liked about their show is that they had a smaller stage further back so that everyone saw them better and I think it was fair.

Discussion on drumming with a jazz drummer

I went to visit the conservatory of Utrecht and there I listened to concerts organised and I met the Jazz/Pop drum teacher of the school. Me and him came across a little misunderstanding about how one is supposed to play the drums. My point was: One should use earplugs and play 100% and his point: one shouldn't earplugs and play softly. I totally disagree, I think that the drums were created to be a loud instrument. I think the point of the teacher comes from him being more of a jazz drummer and in jazz music the drums seem to be like a backup instrument and one only “touches” the drumset and not hit it. But in rock and pop music and in many other styles the drums is like the skeleton of the whole music and there are styles in general that are played more loudly. Of course it's a talent to be able to play softly but with same energy as when played loud, but one needs to play also loudly!

The biggest pop-star of this century

After a long wait (almost 16 hours) the biggest pop-star in the would now-a-days arrived on stage and started his two-hour show. This huge worldwide success is of course the 19-year-old pop sensation, JUSTIN BIEBER. The opening act was a Belgian boyband which consists of three young guy singers and four girl dancers who danced around them. Their style was electro pop, so it means that it was it easy to dance on it and and the singers were good in keeping the crowd in movement. But they were nothing compared to the best performer there is on this planet.

Even though some people might think differently, Justin Bieber has true talent. On stage other than dancing and singing (which he can do both in the same time), he also performed an amazing drum solo, he played the guitar and the piano while singing. He can play both rythmic and slow songs, both acoustic versions and normal. Through his acoustic versions of the songs (he has two albums with just acoustic versions of his songs), he really shows the wonderful voice he has and that a song can be very powerful even though it's only a voice and a guitar. Some may think that all he sings about is being heart-broken because of a girl but to prove that this point is wrong one can listen to his songs for example “Believe” and “Pray”. They are very strong songs that talk about important matters, such as break-up of parents and always being confident (believing in yourself). I am not saying that he doesn't sing about love, which he does in both a melanconic and a cheerful way. Justin Bieber is simply don't to earth and knows what he is doing.

His concert was the best I've ever been to, because I was first row, he is a great performer/musician/composer/role model and the band plus dancers that follow him are very talented and a big part of the show. As I am myself very interesting in drumming, I looked closely at what the drummer was doing and he I can say that he had a very large drumset which he played using a lot of great beats, techniques and energy. There are three words to describe this musical experience: BEST CONCERT EVER!