Sunday, January 30, 2011

Perfect 10


I am waiting for my MP3 downloads to finish. They are all piano covers, providing a different take on songs that I either love or hate. I enjoy dancing to nonsensical ramblings from Ke$ha and Rihanna, but with the right instrument and interpretation, the songs transform into classics. I also find Bieber songs too shrill and tweeny for my taste, but I love the instrumental version of "Pray" *.

As a kid I used to love instrumental music. When my English teacher asked us to pick a song, write down the lyrics and explain its message, I chose a Kenny G standard. The melody, instrument, and the artist's emotion more than made up for the lack of prose. Within the song I read love, sex, and life. That's what I wrote, and for the effort I got a fat 0. It broke my young heart and my emerging creative spirit.

As a compromise, Mrs. Hitler allowed me to submit a revision. I leafed through a copy of my yaya's songhits and picked Bette Midler's "The Rose". I've never heard the song, but the lyrics seemed poetic enough for an easy interpretation (ok I did like the second stanza). I got a perfect 10, and she was ecstatic. "It's one of my favorite songs, Sean. I'll bring a CD player tomorrow." I cut class the next day.

As with my appreciation of a Bieber song, I can now find joy in things I usually find ordinary or even loathe. What I still struggle with at times is the need for validation, fulfillment based on other people's norms. I need to keep reminding myself that this is my life, not an interpretation of others'. I shouldn't have to compromise just to hear someone say I'm a 10.

* Thanks to Allan of The Man Who Can't Be Moved blog for introducing me to this song.


photo credit : homorazzi.com
    

26 comments:

Anonymous said...

i'm also an instrumental lover. especially kapag piano (it's my frustration).

i like the cover sir sean.

tama it's your taste and it's your life. you don't need na makiuso sa iba dahil uso nga.lol

Sean said...

@ kyle : pareho tayo chong. kaso no talent talaga ako pagdating sa piano at kahit ibang instrument.

nice cover no? narinig ko lang sa blog ni allan iampv. i'm just trying to boost my confidence a bit para sa i-aattempt na life changes from being a tambay hehe.

nyabach0i said...

natawa ako sa bette midler. hehe. ako rin bet ko ang mga covers. saxophone nga lang ang peg ko.

Anonymous said...

hahaha nahawa ka narin kay batman at naki-chong kana rin. :D

have a nice sunday sir sean. :)

Sean said...

@ nyabach0i : honga! alam ko lang na kanta niya yung wind beneath my wings at kamukha nya yung baklang nag-perform nun. mahilig ka palang tumorotot! hehehe.

@ kyle : honga! nahawa na nga ako haha! para akong bumalik sa pagka-high school. sige, sir kyle na lang :)

Carlo said...

my fave pianist >> Maksim

Desperate Houseboy said...

Sound trip sound trip tayu ngayun dude ah. wELL okay naman ang mga choice of songs, sabi nga, kanya kanyang trip yan,

Lone wolf Milch said...

pareho kami ni carlo i also love maksim and i also love classical music like chopin, beethoven,

Noah G said...

galeng. agree ako dun sa huling paragraph :) at oo, mahilig rin ako sa instumentals.

DEPAPEPE yung super fave ko. guitar duo na instrumental lang :)

Anonymous said...

pwede bang tagalaog nalang comment ko.. nosebleed na ako pag eglish..w ahehehe... hmm parehas pala tayo chong no.. mas gusto ko pa instrumental ng mga kanta... magaan kasi and rhythm pa lang eh may message na...

Sean said...

@ carlo : checked him out in itunes. galing nga! i'm downloading na rin, thanks!

@ desperate : oo nga. sound trip on a lazy sunday, tapos biglaang naging busy.

@ hard : i'm downloading maksim na rin. magaling nga siya! i also like some classical music lalo na pag ginawang clubby hehe.

@ nowitzki : uy narinig ko nga din yung depapepe na yan from mu[g]en's music library. buti pinaalala mo. i'm downloading na rin.

@ kiko : pumurol na ata ingles ko sa katatambay hehe. nagpraktis lang para sa paghahanap ng work soon, pero tagalog mas gusto ko. ilocano pwede rin.

Kapitan Potpot said...

I love cover songs. I sometimes roam around YouTube and explore on the cover versions of some hit pop/hip-hop songs and surprised how they can turn it into acoustic or pop-rock. One of my favorites is The Fray covering Kanye West's Heartless.

Mrs. Hitler is horrible. Buti you cut classes. Lol.

Now I'll explore in YouTube to look for piano covers this time. Thanks for posting this Sean. :)

bien said...

i'm inclined to say fuuuuuck the norms but sometimes we long for that validation, sadly.

i like maksim too but what's your take on yo-yo ma?

SweetIsh said...

geez! same tau sir sean super love ko yung mga instrumental music...


parang ang sarap pakinggan bago mamatay..haha!


try listening to classic like Chopin.. I also love Yiruma...GRABE! HEAVEN TALAGA!!!! :)

Anonymous said...

nafu-frustrate akooo....hahah...i wish i had taken my piano lessons more seriously noon...hmpf...

Désolé Boy said...

like that song, The Rose
.
.
fave line ko yung: and you think that love is only for the lucky and the strong.

citybuoy said...

nice. :)

here's something you might like: http://www.musicaddictz.com/2011/01/lullaby-versions-of-lady-gaga.html

it feels strange to sleep to bad romance but it does the trick better than sleepasil haha

NOX said...

angas nga nung instrumental version ng pray. ako, laking kenny g, james ingram, van halen, bee gees (and other classics) ako dahil kay pudak. at dahil dun sobrang diverse ng taste ko in music. at ngayon, tinuturuan ko sila maka-appreciate ng beki music. hehehe

Canonista said...

Mugen only has 1 Depapepe song, I have 76. :-)

I love instrumentals, but I am into this fusion of instrumental music that blends acoustic and electronic music... Try to look up the band Encounters with a Yeti and listen to their songs over at their Myspace page.

emmanuelmateo said...

wow..piano..i love it..kaya ko ring mag piano.

Allan P said...

wow! nice. :)

I really like instrumental music kasi nakaka-relax talaga ng mind. Para siyang traffic enforcer na umaayos ng traffic sa utak.

haha!! wew! ang lalim.

Sean said...

@ louie : i love acoustic covers too. the fray is also in my playlist :) enjoy trawling for good finds in youtube!

@ orally : yeah, ewan ko nga ba kung bakit kailangan no? if i'm not mistaken, yo yo ma's supposed to be the best cellist? i like the classical pieces that he plays and the songs for memoirs of a geisha. have to check on his other songs cause i think he also plays contemporary music?

@ sweetish : i heard yiruma nga in your blog and diamondr's. i downloaded na rin :)

@ pipay : pareho tayo. ang sungit kasi ng teacher ko kaya kahit gusto ko yung piano, nag-rebelde ako hehe.

@ desole boy : fave ko yung 2nd stanza:
It's the heart, afraid of breaking
That never learns to dance
It's the dream, afraid of waking
That never takes the chance
It's the one who won't be taken
Who cannot seem to give
And the soul, afraid of dying
That never learns to live

@ citybuoy : sounds interesting though may need some getting used to (songs i used to dance to will now cradle me to sleep). i like the idea though. searching for it online now.

@ nox : haha naku naging ka-generation ko ata dad mo kasi naabutan ko ata lahat yan (or sana naman yung mga covers or revival versions lang haha).

@ canonista : wow ang dami pala nyang depapepe! When your post came out, i listened to the 7 songs you listed hehe. Actually mas napansin ko sa list mo yung Jazz collection, all of which I love. nag-cross-check pa ako against what i have (kasi andaming nawala from my collection before) so I can download what's missing! And thanks for introducing encounters with a yeti. ang galing! need to buy their cd kasi i can't download online.

@ emmanuel : wao multi-talented ka pala emman! ako di natuto. a few songs lang.

@ allan : uy, thanks for introducing this song to me ha! i mentioned you nga in this post. thanks thanks! natraffic ka ata ngayon, hence the choice of metaphor hehe.

uno said...

who wouldn't love instrumental music..

haaaaay

Sean said...

@ uno : yeah that's right uno. :)

Victor Saudad said...

i like instrumentals too... dati my mom bought me a cassette tape of flute instrumentals kasi napansin nya i'm always tune in sa isang radio station na puro instrumental. DI ko lam yung radio station...that was a decade and a half ago.

I like orchestra or violin covers :)

Seriously Funny said...

I also love instrumental versions of different songs, whether they be classics, standards, or pop tunes. :)

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