Hmm, this could be something relevant. Here is Mr. Teddy Boy Locsin's response to this question: What is the secret of success?

Ted: Wealthy parents, native intelligence and taste in the arts, taking drugs but never selling them.

And another one: Anong libro ang hinding-hindi mo babasahin?

Ted: I will never read anything written by a motivational writer like Og Mandino because it is so baduy.

I approve of the latter, but the former is something to ponder on.

Di ko nabasa pa yung Outliers ni Malcolm Gladwell. Pero, alam ko may element of luck din na involved dyan, as he pointed out in "The Tipping Point."

So hard work + luck = higher probability of success

Practice 4 hrs a day and after 6 years and 9 months, you'll meet the 10,000 hrs. indeed you will excel in what you do. but that doesn't guarantee you'll be a good violinist. there are those who are skilled but play music mechanically, no emotion and feelings as if they are just making sound & noises... I think it is there where your God's given talent enter the scene. the ability to manipulate and express your emotion through your instruments, and somehow carry the message to the audience is something that is bestowed to only a few. If you have it, use it.

Success in in relation to "Career" is another thing, there is no formula to it. Some artist may have the wealth and influence who will give them certain publicity, but for how long can they maintain it? If it is to entertain the mass the artist must be as ever changing as the current fads... mabilis magsawa ang tao, pag hinde kinaya sumabay sa gusto nila, malalaos na lang kagaya ng "beeper" when reaching the top and performing before elite community, the artist is under the pressure of competing with fellow top players. we can debate on this forever, but I am just giving my two cents of thoughts. :D

yep, hindi lang yung time given to a certain field of expertise ang mahalaga, but IMO, it's the most important aspect..
talent is overrated. wala naman kasing gumaling sa isang bagay na hindi na-expose or nag-practice nang matagal.
about musical sensitivity naman na sinasabing "inborn" or hindi lahat meron, i think exposure has a lot to do with it. it starts with the childhood. if you're exposed to music, then most likely you'll have better musical sensitivity than those who were not exposed. time factor still enters here, kung mas mahaba yung time ng exposure, mas mataas ang musical sensitivity..

@Talblaiser
about success in terms of career, i think you are referring to a career as a performer right? very unstable nga yun, kasi sobrang higpit ng competition kasabay pa ng hindi ganun kalaking "market". hahaha
but it's not the only career for violin diba, hmm, pwede ding teaching career.. in-demand nga ba ang violin teachers? XD baka sa ibang bansa?

@ roland: Off topic na sa talent portion :D Well, hindi ko tatawaging "overrated" ang talent, kasi Talent =/= great performance... potential lamang ang talent.

Sangayon ako sa iyo, All of it is important, pero IMO love and passion is the greatest of it. masaya magtyaga sa isang bagay, pag ito ay minahal at gusto mo. kumbaga hindi na kailangan pilitin ang sarili dahil kukusa na. :D

EDIT:

He he he, Babalik ako mamaya, papasok lang ako.

I know a comicbook artist and he told me that talent is just the start pero in order to succeed you need to put in the hours to learn more and improve. And kahit na I think na sobrang galing na niya and he's already successful since he works for DC Comics, he still finds ways para mag-grow artistically.

Naalala ko tuloy yung song ni Tina Arena na If I Didn't Love You since it's her song for music. And it is about her love and passion for music. :D

@Tal
ahh,connected padin naman po sa topic---> what i meant by talent being overrated is that sometimes people see talent as simply a gift and if it's not given to you, then that's it. (overrated.xD) I disagree with that because IMO, talent comes with exposure and hours spent on developing a skill.

On love and passion, i totally agree! and with that, comes the urge and motivation to develop your skill and put in more hours of practice and learning.. :) kapag kasi practice dahil napipilitan lang, you won't get 100% of what you should be acquiring.. kaya mahalaga din sa buhay na alam mo kung ano talaga ang gusto mo..

@RAd
exactly! ganun din dapat tayo.. hahah ang galing naman nun..
umm, di ko ata alam yung tina arena song, or napakinggan ko pero di ko alam yung title.. XD

haha. remember ko ung time na 8 hr practiceER ako dti. haha masyado kasi naobsess eh. ngaun d na. haha. ganda nitong article na to. pede irealte sa maraming bagay. copy ko to ah. haha no worries quote ko ung url.

@Luigi
tama, kahit saang field narerelate, kung babasahin yung buong article, pati sa marriage, faith in God(syempre, si bro. Bo ang author :)), service to others, life as a whole, at kung saan saan pa, ehehhe...

No one can even guarantee that we'll still live to see tomorrow, that's why I am reluctant in mentally investing on that huge amount of time. In addition, it makes me feel like I'm beating a deadline.

And not everyone is a Mozart. That's a painful realization.

Besides, I still need to read 300+ books (I call it a need because reading is the best way to feed the soul), write an experimental novel (if you haven't written anything in this life, you're as good as a dead person), watch a couple of movies, hang out with my friends and family, travel to places that inspire a set of emotions (museums, eco parks, etc), argh. There's so much to do. Well, that's just me.

I agree with TalBlaiser; there's no guarantee. Lahat naman wala. Not even practice (you could break your wrist from an accident, something that should be factored in). So what to do?

@Beenie
Being born to rich parents is also luck. The determination of parents is the first injustice that is served to everyone.

@Rad
Tina Arena! I miss her. The album where that song is included is my sister's first album. She bought it at 5, choosing her over the infectious Spice Girls.

uu nga swerte ng mga pinanganak sa mayayaman,. mas may support sila, minsan iniisip ko kung ndi ko mother si mama, na baka mas masaya ang buhay ko, na di ako lagi stressed out. lol. pero on the other hand, kahit ganun sya, d ko maiimagine na mawala sya. kasi ganun na talaga sya haha. =D

@Luigi
Sabi nga nila, you cannot miss what you never had. I also have similar thoughts, but I just try my best to content myself with what I have. :)

@luigi !!!

nyek ... well pampered ka kaya !!! ... halos pinakyaw mo na yung mga cases at accessories ni Admin !!! ... in less than 6 months nagpapalit palit ng Violin Cases !!! Lahat ng luho mo ibinigay ni Mader !!! ... ako nga strings lang ni Sprezzy di ko pa mabili... tapos ung case .... di ako makabili ng matibay na case !!!!

@angus

tama ka "be content with what you have" ... of course when the opportunity comes ... that which you do not have !!! ...Carpe Diem !!!

angus25 wrote:

[...] write an experimental novel (if you haven't written anything in this life, you're as good as a dead person), watch a couple of movies, hang out with my friends and family, travel to places that inspire a set of emotions (museums, eco parks, etc), argh. There's so much to do. [...]

I totally agree... kaya nga nagkakandarapa magpublish ng works ang mga nagmamasters and doctorate ... their bid for Immortality. Kaso for me it still has a function...may silbi. There they completely miss the point. The pieces that have no practical use are the ones celebrated by man.

Write a few poems, stories, etc etc Pour your heart into it. Tadtarin ng affect paired with conceit !!! At pag wala na syang ibang silbi kundi ang tanging ganda... ayun na yun !!! balang araw makikilala ka ... ^_^

@Ron
Kaya nga hesitant ako magtake ng Master's Degree dahil diyan sa function na yan. At ang balak ko pa namang itake eh napakalayo sa Bachelor's Degree ko. Oh my. Which reminds me, I need to write something. Pambawas sa 10k hours, lol.

@angus

i quit my Master's .... waaaaaaaaahahahaha.... naka 12 units lang... i didn't finish all 33 ... it will give an advantage sa corporate ladder ... pero that is "being in the matrix" ... then i realized ''ayaw ko nga ... i won't go with the flow'' ... i'm just wasting my time on a "system" over which even the ones with authority are powerless to change... hahaha


*edit: double negative ... hahahaha :")

Clap clap clap!

baroqueviolin wrote:

@luigi !!!

nyek ... well pampered ka kaya !!! ... halos pinakyaw mo na yung mga cases at accessories ni Admin !!! ... in less than 6 months nagpapalit palit ng Violin Cases !!! Lahat ng luho mo ibinigay ni Mader !!! ... ako nga strings lang ni Sprezzy di ko pa mabili... tapos ung case .... di ako makabili ng matibay na case !!!!

hindi kuya ron, ganun lang sya after kmi mag away. pero usually sya lagi may luho =D


@angus: uu, tama. =D

@luigi

eh di lagi mo syang awayin... hahaha... JOke ... magtalo nalang kayo ni Mama mo ... pero wag away ... ;-)

Ok lang magtalo ...pero wag nama away...or trip mo lang gamitin ang word na "away" ... pero you mean "magtalo" talaga ??? ... hihihi... ^_^ Love tayu ng mga Nanay natin maski minsan may mga sayad sila !!!

Oo nga Luigi! Wag mong awayin ang mother mo since pinapayagan ka naman niya pumunta ng "SM Fairview"!

angus25 wrote:

No one can even guarantee that we'll still live to see tomorrow, that's why I am reluctant in mentally investing on that huge amount of time. In addition, it makes me feel like I'm beating a deadline.

And not everyone is a Mozart. That's a painful realization.

Besides, I still need to read 300+ books (I call it a need because reading is the best way to feed the soul), write an experimental novel (if you haven't written anything in this life, you're as good as a dead person), watch a couple of movies, hang out with my friends and family, travel to places that inspire a set of emotions (museums, eco parks, etc), argh. There's so much to do. Well, that's just me.

Hi angus, di naman limited sa violin lang yung shinare ko na article..
In your case, maybe you're more inclined to literature to a great extent than music? Well that's just an assumption.. anyway the article can still be related to your other interest.
you have to spend a huge amount of time reading and writing poetry, novels and the like to become a good writer yourself..
and in the same sense that you said "not everyone is a Mozart", well not everyone is a Shakespeare or a Poe as well.

But everyone can spend huge amount of his time to be the best that he can be in his field of interest.

A very interesting fact about Mozart, RDG that many of us may not know is that he had a hard time writing quartet music.

We think too highly of him that we forget that he is also human. Most Classical music experts agree that Haydn's quartets are far superior to those of Mozart's.

Mozart, inspired by Haydn's quartets attempted a monumental work of 6 quartets. He dedicated all 6 to Haydn and admitted with all sincerity that it was the hardest thing he ever wrote. Two (2) years were spent to make and perfect the 6 "Haydn Quartets."

We all know that Mozart can whip up a symphony overnight but here shows that he also has his weak points. He devoted 2 years on an aspect of music that he knows but is not "fluent" in.

I speak French. I wanted to learn French in UP Diliman. I am NO Genius but I took the UPCat and got a letter instead. It said that i should at least maintain a grade of 2 and then transfer to their university the following semester.

We must find ways to get what we want.... in any manner but must take care not to hurt anyone in the process. My only option then was to study in a univeristy where French is taught but not as a course. Just a major subject.

I had to compensate. I learned French for 2 years at my alma mater. Every day for two years i recited all 14 tenses of the French verb in the morning as if it were the Rosary.

Then i enrolled in a specialist French language institute for another 3 or 4 years.

Then finally i studied the bloody language in UP Diliman. But i did not finish the course.

But i am still proud that i have learned and am fluent in said language without studying the basics in a grand univeristy. I am proud and like a battle scar always declare that i am from the Lyceum of the Philippines when practically every one in the Francophone community presumes that i am from the other university....

The point here is that the article/book is right. You really have to invest lots of time in something you really like if you want to be really fluent in it.

Talent is overrated. And even those who've got talent like Mozart still struggled to "write a good quartet."

Now my dilemma is that since i don't speak the language everyday i begin to forget the language bit by bit. I don't have anyone to talk to... just like the Baroque Violin. There is no baroque ensemble with which i can play.... o_O

I feel like being trapped in a bottle and its contents forced upon me.... @_@

Kung pwede lang lumayas sa Pilipinas... pero di ko magagawa ... magiguilty ako kapag ginawa ko yun.... o_O

Besides nandito lahat ng friends and family ko. At ayaw ko rin ng ugaling kanluranin na wala nang ginawa kundi magtrabaho ng magtrabaho at mawalan na ng kultura. Wala yun sa personality ko ... happy go lucky ako eh ... at nageenjoy sa papetiks petiks mowd... ^_^

I also remember back in college... level 2 ako noon sa French... that was in 2000.

My classmates would snigger at me, jokingly saying "Awar oh kinakarir ang French" (a bit of Historical Linguistics - award = over noong 2000 - 2002)... sa loob loob ko lang eh ano pa nga ba ang gagawin ko para gumaling sa French kundi karirin ito. At ano bang masama kung kakaririn ang isang bagay.

So my guess is : if you think you're not improving in something that you are learning, something that you like, then you're NOT practicing hard enough. There is no excuse. KUNG gustu mo talagang gumaling sa bagay na yun.

@brq
ahh me weakness din pala si mozart.XD pero totoo kaya yung napakinggan lang niya yung symphony ni brahms(not sure kung brahms nga) tapos nung hindi pinayagan yung request niya too see the music sheet, e sinulat nya yung parts kahit 1time lang napakinggan??? XD

nostalgic yang mga pangalang haydn at mozart (samahan pa ng bach,brahms, liszt, chopin, pachelbel etc) at baroque at classical music kasi last year, december-march yun ang tinuro ko nung nasa public school ako tuwing music..(though im not a Mapeh major, yun ang available teaching position eh, :))..
tapos nung dec 31 last year din ako nagstart magviolin. hay ambilis ng panahon.. hehe

anyway, ang hirap pala ng situation mo. ako kasi, naiisip ko minsan, im alone in my passion for classical music. it's sad to think about that. pero yung sayo, ibang level na. parang ang hirap namang humanap kasi ng katulad mo kapassionate sa baroque violin at syempre lalo na yung paghanap ng nag-viviola da gamba. mahirap din humanap ng kausap na nagffrench XD.

maybe in your past life you were a french baroque violinist. :D or a french cockroach!O.o peace! :D

im also interested in baroque style. (nagtesting ako nung chin off, tapos nasa harap na ang violin at mababa. haha) pag magaling na magaling na ako sa modern saka ko pagaralan yung baroque. :) im not interested in learning french though,(me subtitles naman, wahaha!)

@rdg

ah nung bata pa si Mozart nasa Italy sila ... sa Rome... yung Miserere ni Allegri yung napakinggan ni Mozart. Never yun kinakanta sa labas ng Vatican ... sa loob lang. Talagang bawal yun tugtugin sa labas. Pero ibang level ang powers ni Mozart. On one hearing only alam na nya yung buong piece ...talk about a photographic memory.... at tinranscribe nya yun at for the first time naperform yun outside of the Vatican... bata pa sya nun ... hahaha... 14 years old ang halimaw... hahaha...



With regard to Brahms ... matagal nang patay si Mozart nung pinanganak si Brahms... mid 1800s lang yan si Brahms. 1791 namatay si Mozart. 1833 pinanganak si Brahms... ahihihi... ^_^

ooohh! aun pala yun! nagkahalo halo na!

Speaking of Mozart, nakipagtalo pa ako dun sa isang prof namin sa UP. Kasi on our first day of class, pinarinig niya sa amin yung Twelve Variations on "Ah vous dirai-je, Maman" ni Mozart and he proudly said na Mozart was just a kid (toddler pa nga ata eh) when he composed the variations. Ako naman si mayabang, I corrected him and explained to him the chronology of his works with a brief background on the Köchel catalogue which meant na hindi na bata or toddler si Mozart when he composed the said piece. Ayun, napahiya ang professor at pinag-initan ako for two semesters!

Pero I think that incident just urged me to study hard for his subjects dahil alam ko na I really had to prove myself. So ayun, kahit di ko trip talaga yung subject niya, inaral ko talaga para di rin mapahiya. So I put in my hours (di nga lang 10,000) in order for me to pass his courses. Hahaha! Talagang pinilit na maging on topic. :P

@RAd
thanks for getting the conversation back to the topic! kahit pilit na pilit,wahahha!

hmm, baka naman dahil sa exposure kaya nagkakaron ng child prodigies. Mozart's father was a musician, so most likely he already had a few hundred hours of exposure to music prior to learning how to create it.
parang ganun din yung principle ni shinichi suzuki diba, exposure through music recordings. kaso yung kay Mozart actual talaga nakikita nya habang gumagawa ng music..

On topic to ha, naka-broad pa. :)

@rdg

pasensya na pero some believe, that includes me that "a culture based on recordings is a poor one."

excerpt from an article --->

" [... ] Following the physical recording many technical adjustments are made before the sound is actually transferred to the CD you buy. For example, when you buy the CD of a symphony lasting 45 minutes, there could be up to 200 edits in the recording. It is not important if the trumpet plays a wrong note, that can be replaced. The overall speed can be changed. The ambiant sound can be changed. The pitch can be changed, there is no limit to the modifications that can be undertaken.

Consequently it is rather misleading to state the name of the conductor on the details of performers involved, because the balance and dynamics have been controlled by the balance engineer, in effect he was the conductor! We might also imagine that the members of the orchestra have played perfectly, because there are no wrong notes, no human, musical errors to give an indication of the standard of the players.
All these processes are unnecessary and deceptive, giving an unreal representation of the interpretation and sound.

Today Europe and America are saturated with classical music CDs, 99% of which produce an unnatural sound. There we have the primary step in degradation. The first nail in the coffin. Those who have never had the joy of listening to a symphony orchestra playing a live concert of; Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, the works of the great composers, come to believe that what they hear on CD is a true representation of what they would hear in a concert hall. The sound is accepted, as is tasteless coffee. No one cares.

Asia is, of course, supplied with many of the CDs that are damaging the image of classical music, that are a negative force on classical music. They could be positive. It is possible to record a symphony orchestra and create an ‘audio mirror image’ of the sound created in a concert hall setting. The answer will be provided later in the discussion.

Asian people have a natural and instinctive sense of taste in all things; they are in general, receptive to quality, art, music literature and all aspect of true culture, whether it be Oriental or Western. Unfortunately, the West is a consumer society where, on the whole the population has no individualism. All young people have the same desires, mobile telephones, pop music, football etc all the trappings of modern living. These artifacts are of course important to the Asian youth but still there remain the cultural traditions that respond positively to art in general. If they are fed the same CDs that have flooded Western markets then in time they will also have a misconception as to the glorious sound of an orchestra or chamber ensemble or even solo instrument.
It is vital to revive sound for domestic consumption, sound that is natural, not electronically modified.

I have generallised in my comments, which can be provocative, which is not my intention. Of course there are sophisticated young people in the West, there are concerts, theatre and artists with true talent. My concern is the acceptance of poor quality sound reproduction that originates with bad recording techniques. Once again there are some meritable sound recordings although they are few and far between. If, like coffee, the mass population is subjected to, and accepts as the norm, recordings of classical music that do not represent the natural sound that would be heard in a concert hall then the end result is that the lack of feeling and romance that accompanies the wonderful sounds of classical music will slowly destroy interest in what the great masters toiled over.

Today I will STOP at this point with the intention to continue to the end over the coming days, however, I would be very pleased to generate a real discussion on the subject.
Good day to you all."

readmore of the article here ---> http://bbs.chinadaily.com.cn/viewthread.php?tid=677974

@rdg, all

don't get me wrong ... pero these are just some of the dangers.

Of course the above article is just the opinion of the editorial writer.

I don't know about modern orchestras pero i can tell with confidence most of the Baroque Orchestras, kung kailangan man ng retake, they repeat the whole movement in question. Hindi nila ichachop chop ung movement na may na nagiging "edit" na tuloy. Then after many repitions of the momevement in question, they will pick out the best one. PERO i'm sure LAHAT ng CDs idinaan sa Edit ng sound, reverb, Balance etc... na gawa ng Sound Engineer. WALA ni isang CD ang nakakaligtas sa mga kamay ng mga taong ito. I have a CD by Andrew Manze, one of my favorite Baroque Violinists, and pansin ko mismo na may konting intonation issues. But of course ok lang ... that is reality plus the fact that he plays Chin-Off. Kaya nga hilig ko sila kasi they dare to keep the minute errors !!! Yun ang isang isinasakripisyo ng isang Baroque Violinist na natugtug ng Chin-Off. (usually kasi may Tatlong (3) schools of baroque violin technique - Chin-Off, Chin-On at Mixed... usually chin off pero pag magshishift down from a higher position nagamit ng chin para ianchor ang violin). Ayaw ko naman ng CD na "robotic" sa perfection. To make my point clear. Ang painting, maraming blemishes. Pag masyadong malinis nagmumukha na syang digital art at hindi na painting. To err is human. Hindi naman end of the world pag nagkamali. WAG lang sobra sobra at iba na yun ... hahahaha.... lokohan na yun !!! ^_^

Maganda ang Suzuki method. It is designed with children in mind. Bagay din sya for Adult beginners and adult learners kasi iiinstill talaga nya sayo ang Discipline through repition etc. at Simplified ang mga pyesa para hindi ka naman mawindang ng major major. May mga PV members tayo na Pure Suzuki Method ang gamit and they are progressing fast and are enjoying it. ^_^

Pero there still are possible pitfalls.

If you are constrained to listen to the same recording. Magiging mechanical ang pagtugtug. Mawawala ang individualism. May possibilidad na magiging "sarado" ang idea mo sa isang bagay, isang style, isang way of bowing, isang paraan ng articulation etc.

Remember this one episode of Dexter's Lab... nakinig ng Teach Yourself French recording di Dexter tapos nakatulugan nya. Then naghang ung recording at paulit ulit ang narinig nya habang tulog. Pag gising nya "Omelette au fromage" lang ang paulit ulit. Similar effect. ^_^

Ayun, going back to what is said "a culture based on recordings is a poor one."

So ano konek nito kay Mozart... live music ang naririnig nila Mozart noon... may disadvantages, pero maraming advantages.

They like to improvise from the Baroque period up to Late Classical. Si Beethoven lang ang isa sa nagpasimuno nung idea ng "comme scritto" (play as written meaning bawal magdeviate sa intentions ng artist, bawal magimprovise). Yung Cadenza sa dulo ng mga Concerti, usually hindi yun written out. It used to be purely Improvised. Until the time when PESKY editors added written down Cadenza na naging accepted hence becoming the norm. Pero noong araw, it was up to the judgement and with good taste of the soloist performer to improvise, deviate, depart and return to the theme.

Nung time naman ni Mozart lahat ng tao nakakarinig ng live music. From the taverns of gypsies and working class, to the salons of the nobility. Talagang "accident" lang si Zartom. Hehehehe


So my point is = go to live concerts as much as you can, as often as you can !!! And see as many different artists as you can !!! We need to grow, at hindi rin healthy na puro Chicken lang ang kinakain mo, magkakasakit ka nyan. Be adventurous to try or at least know other things. It's up to you if you will like it or not, kung tatatak sayong puso't interes o hindi" ... At Iba parin ang hair raising experience ng Live full blast na trumpet kompara sa DTS 6.1 DVD-Audio CD

I'm sure marami pa ako dapat sabihin na di ko lang maalala sa ngayon. I will post it later nalang.

Please don't get me wrong. I intend these replies to provoke your minds... especially ikaw na teacher . A thought provoking topic as this one should be enriching.

Kayo share din kayo ng saloobin, opinion, reaction etc. Wag Nyo Lang Ako Awayin huh ??? o_O



BTW, yung article na yan una kong nabasa last year ata or two years ago as part of the Weekly Newsletter ng Chandos/Chaconne isa sa sikat na British Labels ng Classical Music. Favorite ko ang mga CDs nila... yun nga lang since UK ang Mahal.

What's so great about ProfessorV ? He never prescribes things. He tells his preference but never imposes them.

Sa Bow Hold Video nalang nya. He mentions there the Franco-Belgian bow hold, the Russian and the Suzuki bow hold. It's still all up to the physiology of the student. Long fingers. Short fingers. Big hands etc....

But he is an ardent Suzuki teacher !!! ...and he also plays Baroque Violin !!! Although lately inalis nya ang iba sa videos nya, including the baroque violin pieces. Ang alam ko plano nya gumawa ng isa pang account specifically for actual performance. Para consecrated na sa Violin etudes, and technique ang contents ng primary channel nya. :)

LOL at the article.

Sounds like another hipster indirectly advocating vinyl records.

But indeed. Records of performances are much different from live music, whether it be pop or classical music.

@beenie

i think ang safe lang na type of recording with "the least" of edits are those of live concerts and operas. :-)

of course, they still have to use microphones. And there will always be minute "tweaking" of the balance, etc. But there are no retakes. No cuts.

@brq
di naman kelangan magpasensya ka sakin,XD..
my point(in my previous post) was just about the advantage given by exposure to music from any medium, be it live or recorded. and i even emphasized that the latter is better through the mozart example(or so i thought. i think i just stated that mozart had been exposed to actual music making,:D)

i see the point of the article, it's somewhat like cheating,hahah..instead of really perfecting the music, they can just rely on editing.

@rdg

i posted only half of the article. The first half the author was talking about Coffee. How he is dismayed that in a few years/decades time coffee in Europe has lost its "true" aroma. Dati daw kasi ang european coffee naaamoy 50 meters away pag binuksan ang balutan. Today ... di mo na raw maaamoy kundi sa loob nalang ng pakete. Hindi na naalingasaw at nakalat.

Imortante kasi ang kape sa kulturang kanluranin. Lalo na sa Europe. Well i guess one reason why it has lost its aroma is the inevitable "Americanization" dala ng globalization. Hindi na maiaalis yun.

The author's point is the coffee that a tourist in Europe would taste/smell today is not the "true" (authentic) coffee one. So the ignorant (wala ako maisip na less harsh term) tourist is given the wrong impression. S/he is lead to believe that that is the "true" European coffee.

Parang ganito lang yan ... yung Singkil na pinauso at pinasikat ng Bayanihan Dancers noong 1950s?? ('60s or '70's) ay "stylized." At wala man lang disclaimer. Yes it is graceful and ''artsy'' ... pero is it authentic? Yun ba talaga yung sinasayaw sa Mindanao ? Does it represent the true culture ? or puro synthetic lang ? Kung ako taga Mindanao i would be offended. At yung mga walang kamalay malay na spectators namislead naman into thinking na yun nga yung Singkil.

Napakagandang reference ng CD. Pero kung puro CD lang - delekado. People will have the tendency to believe that it is what is in reality. At tama ka. Wika mo nga "cheating" ... ahehe.... ^_^

Para sakin importante ang Digital Media. Kung sakaling maulit ang "Medieval Age" at magkaron ng malawakang krisis... we have CDs as proof and records. Yun nga lang, kelangan ng electricity at player para marinig. hahahaha....

Eek, where should I start?

Quote :

In your case, maybe you're more inclined to literature to a great extent than music? Well that's just an assumption.. anyway the article can still be related to your other interest.
you have to spend a huge amount of time reading and writing poetry, novels and the like to become a good writer yourself..
and in the same sense that you said "not everyone is a Mozart", well not everyone is a Shakespeare or a Poe as well.

I like both literature and music, but I can impress more people with what I write than with what I play. Therefore, it would be better for me to capitalize on literature than on music. Still, my heart goes to both, hence my active violin lessons.

Personally, after reading a wonderful book, I tend to unconsciously plagiarize the author. Back in college, I read all of Jessica Zafra's Twisted books (1-6) in two weeks (I think). Then when I got into various campus publications, everyone who read Zafra told me that I sounded Zafra-ic. I was offended because this meant I had no style of my own. Until now, I still have Zafra tendencies. I tried switching from one author to another. Recently, I followed Jose Saramago's novels, and whenever I am in a writing mood, I find myself rarely using periods and having a difficulty naming characters (because that's one characteristic of that ariter). I now read random authors.

Point being? I actually have none, hahaha. I simply cannot agree with that 10k hours thing. It is too inspirational. I draw my inspiration from bleak images. Weird ba? Like when I was bordering on depression back in college, I was able to produce a lot of award winning short stories. Or when I am really mad, I am able to use my lunchbox of English to the fullest extent. I hope you get the point.

And I almost forgot. Reading and writing for hours is not a guarantee that you can improve. The best way is to know where to tap your inspiration. Most likely, your inspiration can be drawn from a collective repository of your experiences in your subconscious. Kaya nga I don't think there is such a thing as a writer's block. Nag-iinarte lang ang writer, haha. But you also need to learn to control this flow. It is also disadvantageous if you just let your subconscious take total control. The result? Writings that can only be understood by you. I suppose the same goes for music, although in slightly varied ways.

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I speak French. I wanted to learn French in UP Diliman. I am NO Genius but I took the UPCat and got a letter instead. It said that i should at least maintain a grade of 2 and then transfer to their university the following semester.

We must find ways to get what we want.... in any manner but must take care not to hurt anyone in the process. My only option then was to study in a univeristy where French is taught but not as a course. Just a major subject.

I had to compensate. I learned French for 2 years at my alma mater. Every day for two years i recited all 14 tenses of the French verb in the morning as if it were the Rosary.

Then i enrolled in a specialist French language institute for another 3 or 4 years.

Then finally i studied the bloody language in UP Diliman. But i did not finish the course.

But i am still proud that i have learned and am fluent in said language without studying the basics in a grand univeristy. I am proud and like a battle scar always declare that i am from the Lyceum of the Philippines when practically every one in the Francophone community presumes that i am from the other university....

Lovely. I love struggles. Anyway, I don't know what's with UPD. At first, it was my goal to study there. I actually passed UPCAT for BS Chemical Engineering, but I ended up in my home province majoring in a dismal degree. Talk about frustrations. I realized I will never be a chemical engineer in this life (dahil hindi siya offered sa kahit anong school sa amin). Besides, it was my chemistry teacher who pushed me to pick that degree. It was not what I really, really wanted (sourgraping, no?). What I wrote on that form as my second choice was my ultimate frustration.

Creative Writing. I am thinking of pursuing a second degree, but I am thinking of Comparative Literature. My friends told me that I should pursue a Master's Degree instead in the field of literature and just take up any additional English courses (because I only have 12 units). There are no keen details yet regarding this plan. Give me two years (I need to earn money and I am thinking of ADMU, hahaha).

I am not really sure why I am talking about this. It must have something to do with time. And finding ways.

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So my guess is : if you think you're not improving in something that you are learning, something that you like, then you're NOT practicing hard enough. There is no excuse. KUNG gustu mo talagang gumaling sa bagay na yun.

Ok. I have a point. Finally, haha. It's not really about the quantity of hours. 10k? Seriously? Ok, I am taking it literally, but it's the quality. Bring out the barf bags, but it's true. Some cliches can be helpful. I never really thought that I'd be reaching Violin Concerto in A Minor by Vivaldi in a short span of time. I was thinking next year. I was scared of Dvorak's Humoresque sa Book 3, but guess what? Dalawang one hour quality practices lang natutugtog ko na siya. Minus the vibrato, haha. Hayun, nilundag na ako ng teacher ko sa Book 4.

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Speaking of Mozart, nakipagtalo pa ako dun sa isang prof namin sa UP. Kasi on our first day of class, pinarinig niya sa amin yung Twelve Variations on "Ah vous dirai-je, Maman" ni Mozart and he proudly said na Mozart was just a kid (toddler pa nga ata eh) when he composed the variations. Ako naman si mayabang, I corrected him and explained to him the chronology of his works with a brief background on the Köchel catalogue which meant na hindi na bata or toddler si Mozart when he composed the said piece. Ayun, napahiya ang professor at pinag-initan ako for two semesters!

Eek, I'm reminded of myself, haha. Pero hindi naman ako pinag-initan ng dahil doon. Pinag-initan ako dahil sa writing. Bakit ba puro writing na lang ako, haha.

Last note on live recordings. I approve. Nasabi na lahat. I haven't read that article yet, pero I believe exposure is not always a good thing. Introspection, anyone?

@angus
agree ako about quality. giving 10000 to book1 will not bring out your full potential. XD but still, i believe quantity cannot be disregarded.. kahit naman quality practice, kung konti lang, di rin mailalabas yung full potential mo.

whether or not you agree on the 10k hours thing or exposure, you're doing it right now. :D you're actually immersing yourself to two fields of your interest and are improving alot through practice. maybe years from now as you accumulate your hours, you reach your goals both as a writer and as a musician(yung sa gondola.hahaha).

@Roland
At talagang niremind pa ang gondola dreams, haha. Oh well, enough said for me. :)

@angus
ahaha, syempre, pinakaromantic na long term goal na yung sayo eh, XD

@Roland
Haha, which reminds me, kailangang mag-ipon to turn that into reality. (At ilang oras kaya ang bubunuin?)

@angus
si bo sanchez, yung author ng article dito, me trulyrichclub.. hehehe, ang tagal ko na gusto sumali, di naman ako umaaksyon agad.. XD
OT pero share ko nadin baka makatulong.. yung 2 maids ni bo sanchez, tinuruan nya mag-invest sa stock market, after a year merong tig- 60,000 php shares yung 2 maids nya. if they will continue investing (and following his directions on which company to invest in) for 20 years, they will have around 5m php each. not bad for a retirement package for maids, XD

umm bkit ko ba shinare, ahh, gawa nung "magiipon", sabi nya, you should invest rather than save if you want real financial stability..

it takes a lifetime to learn something or else there so many things you just miss.There's more than just talent and luck.There are violinists who are born poor but succeded.Sabi ni Brahms,Read more and practice less.

Reds wrote:

Sabi ni Brahms,Read more and practice less.

Nice !!! ... ang unique ng advice ni Brahms !!! :)


At may naisip ako na isang aspect related to what Brahms said. It's about "reading" and "practice" ... ;-)

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There are violinists who are born poor but succeded.

Pero bakit hindi matanggal-tanggal ang notion na pangmayaman ang violin?

@Roland
Hindi ko talaga maintindihan ang stock market. I was always thinking of it, pero zero knowledge talaga.

@ Angus I think kasi ang alam ng karamihan ay bukod sa Mahal ang Violin
Mahal din ang Tutor at kasi diba People think pangsosyal o mayamang Tao
lang ang panonood ng Orchestra ? eh di nila alam
na nagsimula ung ibang Musician from Scratch ,, ^_^
or From Rags to Riches.. ,,^_^,,

@angus

kasi originally ang "Art Music" pang exclusive circles lang.

Lalo na noong 1500s, 1600s - mid 1700s... reserved ang mga orchestras sa Aristocracy. The so called "fiddlers" were found in taverns ... ung mga pascrape scrape sa mga tambayan at inuman ... hehehe....