Most musicians know that classical music and the big screen can be merged with great success; in fact, most great movies have great scores, and many would consider it a requirement!
Say what??!?!
The following video from musicians and comedians extraordinaire Igudesman and Joo demonstrates just how complementary these two art forms are. Without further ado, I give you Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and James Bond…together at last.
Watching these two is a good reminder of just how much fun music can be. Enjoy!
We all take up music for different reasons, but I’m confident that at the heart of them all is NOT the idea that music is work. How much more could we accomplish if we just allowed ourselves to have some fun?!?
I ran across a video a few days ago that demonstrated beautifully the impact that fun has on us as human beings. We’ve discussed this on several occasions (see Five Secrets to Rapid Improvement in Your Playing for a favorite example) but a picture is worth a thousand words…and moving pictures significantly more. 8-) Check it out!
The best thing about this video from the perspective of a Part-Time Musician (PTM) may be that it holds the key to getting the most from our shared obsession. No one would argue that taking the stairs involves less effort than riding the escalator up to the surface, yet people chose to take the stairs. Why? Because it was fun. Even with more work involved, it was fun!
Studying an instrument takes effort, and there are days we all consider quitting. It takes time, it takes work. Yet it can be an incredible amount of fun if we allow ourselves to make it so. Practice, yes…drill, yes…strive, yes! But don’t forget to have fun with it, too. You may be surprised at the improvements you see.
I knew when I read this that you’d want to read it too. PTMs – amateur musicians – have contributed so much to the vibrancy of music throughout the ages. At times when it was dangerous or impractical to be a full-time musician, PTMs also kept the dream alive.
This article from the Philadephia Inquirer is probably harder on FTMs than I would be – I’ve known far too many who sincerely love their “job” and experience their music to the fullest; but the author does make some excellent points. PTMs often play with more license because there is less cutthroat competition to be there in the first place. The fact that the music is a release for them, rather than a full-time occupation, certainly doesn’t hurt, either.
Whether classical music is your bag or something else, there is a lot to consider here. What do you think? Do you allow yourself to really enjoy your music? Do you think you’d enjoy it more – or less – if your paycheck depended upon it? Post a comment and let us know!
