Friday, January 27, 2012

Learning Processes

Ahh music. I am slowly learning music theory and working on the guitar and most recently the soprano ukelele. I am am getting past some of those fears that I have talked about before and just putting my nose to the grindstone to learn. I am seeing that all things are a process and I cannot expect immediate perfection or I will always fail. I am learning to enjoy the journey. It makes my brain hurt. Music theory and notation right now is like another language to me. I'm also working on some paintings, but that has been a bit more slow going.

Here are some things that inspire me and keep me going:

1.  A recent love, Lisa Hannigan
                    If you don't want to watch the whole thing, at least listen to this song:
                                                                       "Little Bird"

2. Anything Chris Thile does
                                                "Another New World," by Josh Ritter
                                            This is the same song, but with the whole band.
                                        (Have I ever said how much I love Punch Brothers?)
                                                            Bach's "E Major Prelude"         
Ok, I guess that's enough Chris Thile for now. (But seriously, can you ever have enough?)

3. The Civil Wars
                                                                       Just amazing

4. Vincent Van Gough
                                       One of my favorites: "Starry Night Over the Rhone"
It is amazing how many paintings he churned out in such short amounts of time. It is amazing how he pursed his passion even through dealing with major depression and probably some mental illness.
I recently started a giant biography about him, "Van Gogh: The Life," by Stephan Naifeh and Gregory White Smith, and am excited to really delve into it.
    
5. Mae Chevrette
She is a modern mixed media artist and photographer. She has a shop on etsy and a blog that I follow. Her pieces never cease to inspire and her ability to support herself as a full time artist is pretty amazing.
                                          This is one of my favorites, "Find the Beautiful."


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3 comments:

  1. I'm at work, so I can't play the clips, but I definitely will later. I love the Civil Wars! And am always looking for new tunes... Congrats on learning the ukelele... that's pretty amazing! I am remarkably untalented when it comes to music. I just hold up a white flag.

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  2. I love, love the Civil Wars. I'm looking forward to clicking through the rest of these.

    I'm with Lauren on being musically challenged. I've attempted to learn the guitar a couple of times and always have a "THIS IS TOO HARD" moment and give up. :(

    Lor

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  3. Thanks Lauren! I'm sure it will be pretty slow going. Unless I have to use it to make a living in Belgium, Ha!

    Lor, thanks for reading! I am having several of those moments myself, but am trying to push through it. It helps that all my siblings are learning an instrument as well. I probably would have given up by now without them!

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