There they go...

TenTooMany is going to be doing Skalloween again this year. I feel bad about not being there. I hear they are going as pirates vs ninjas I think I would have made a better pirate. I don't like the idea of sneaking around when you can just smash something. I worry about dressing up as a pirate considering what happened last time. My knee is better than ever now and Brent and I made up.

I'm happy to see all the interesting new stuff the band has been upto.
New Music Canada Myspace

New Shirts...

I hope they play a good show and sell a bunch of CD's to the kids.
There they go... All epic with their swords and stuff.

Good job guys!

The Fear...

Things are going well for me so far. I'm checking out great concerts and studying all sorts of interesting stuff. I've managed to continue working out every day and make some new friends.
Last night I drank a pitcher of beer and explored the Vieux-port.

Despite all this and the things I've done I sometimes get the fear. Those moments of weakness when you're looking down at your blurred reflection in the dark water thinking "what am I even doing with my life?" Where is all this leading? Am I missing something more important?

But then I remember why I'm here and what I want.

Self...

Sometimes it's hard to feel good about yourself. Ever wonder why?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXf8fr0Kp3Q&mode=related&search=

Girodet

This weekend I went to Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal to see the opening of the Girodet exhibit. Lucky for me, this is a 2 minute walk from the school of music.

I have never been into the romantic painters but Girodet's work is impressive, clear and exact. This guy is most famous for doing portraits of the napoleonic family but I could tell his heart was in his more fantastic paintings.


After looking at a few dozen gigantic paintings of nekid figures from antiquity, I had one of my long standing artistic theories confirmed. The flattering idealism of the romantic painters didn't disappear. ( I often hear people lament the fact that artists today can't paint like the great masters of the 19th century) This style lives on in fantasy illustrations. I know it does because Anybody who has ever seen a fantasy comic book cover will tell you, Boris Vallejo and Julie Bell could have won the prix de Rome had they lived in the the first half of the 19th century.

After looking at all those Greek gods pouring water out of shells I am happier than ever that the masses don't dictate the progression of art history. For all of you who can't get enough people pouring water on stuff and hugging dead people, there will always be the U of M poster sale.

Not a Kitty...

I was walking down my street today and a skunk jumped out of the bushes and made like he was going to spray me. I ran across the street to safety.


I've never been worried about getting jumped by thieves, but I'm worried about getting jumped by wildlife.

PLAY!

“And the first rude sketch that the world had seen was joy to his mighty heart, till the Devil whispered behind the leaves "It's pretty, but is it Art?"”

-Kipling

Kenley flew down to Toronto so check out PLAY! The touring videogame concert. It was sold out, full of cheering fans, as always a standing ovation. Considering the fact that I cut my musical teeth on the 8bit sounds of FinalFantasy I wish I could have been there. I am willing to say I know that repertoire better than almost everybody in that concert hall, videogame nerds included. Ever since I was 14 I've been able to transcribe the majority of the music from the Final Fantasy series from memory.

There was a time where I thought I wanted to be a game composer. Now I find myself questioning the artistic merit of the genre all together. Granted it brings a lot of joy to people, but I get worried about how disposible the music becomes. Being tied to a technology format is dangerous. After our generation is gone, and with it all the nostalgic ties that keep mario brothers alive, how will videogame music stand up against the cannon of great orchestral repertoire? Last time I checked, Nobuo's greatest works were derived from Stravinsky and Brahms, sometimes quoted directly. (Not to slight my musical hero... I'm just saying)

I'm not sure yet... I'm not saying I've closed this door as a possible creative outlet, I'm just saying that in a saturated market filled with experienced videogame composers who show no signs of retiring any time soon, the next generation should be using this time to become great composers. Videogame music might be fun, but if it's going to be on the program with a Mahler Symphony, those videogame composers have some catching up to do.

you can hear the difference

I came into the library and noticed something that wasn't there the day before. A solid gold violin in a display case. Each year the Violin' d'or will be awarded to an outstanding violinist. You know your institution is well funded when golden violins mysteriously appear in your library...

I don't mean to highlight differences between the U of M and McGill but damn! I'd have been impressed if a half decent computer appeared at the U of M school of music.