About Me

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I'm immortally interested in cultural/literary deconstructions, feminism, anti-racism, South Korea, Supernatural, Sherlock Holmes, Hayao Miyazaki, Diana Wynne Jones, food (including but not limited to maple butter, tomatoes, and toast), fairy tales, parentheses, paper airplanes, films and books.

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Music's the Medicine of the Mind

I've been busy editing, revising and creating so I haven't had time all week to update my blog which definitely is bad on my part. In any case, we'll have this be "Song Sunday" for just today.


This week, I'll be listing the top instrumental songs I love off the top of my head. (I say instrumental because some of the songs I'm going to include probably won't be traditional classical music.)

1. Opening - Merry-go-round of Life by Joe Hisaishi


I don't know what it is about this song that just rips me a new one each time I listen to it. I think that maybe it's the nostalgia of childhood. I don't remember Spirited Away's soundtrack as much as I do Howl's Moving Castle, which is strange because it has only been five years since I watched it. Oh, nostalgia, how you befuddle me.

2. Star Locket - Various Artists



I've spent the past ten minutes trying to find who was responsible for creating this incredible thirty second masterpiece. I have come up short and I feel terrible for it.

3. Waltz No. 3 in A minor, Op. 34, No. 2 by Chopin


I used to be able to play this. Unfortunately as my keyboard spent years of neglect in the corner, so did my piano skills. I can do the first few bars with my right hand but that's about it. I do regret it, though. The only thing I can play now is Joy to The World and St. Nicolas is Coming To Town, which is great for entertaining drunk and annoying guests at Christmas. Even as a child, I've always preferred Chopin and Satie, to Mozart and Beethoven. (Not that they're not incredible, I just liked Chopin and Satie's tones a lot more.)

4. Arpeggione Sonata D821 (Pt. 1) composed by Frank Schubert, played by Emanuel Ax and Yo-Yo Ma


Ever since I watched the trailer of 49 Days, I was in love with the show and this song. What is so great about it? The fact that it is 8 minutes long, which means I don't have to get up from my bed and put it on repeat every two minutes like most of my favorite songs. A big plus is the cello. The cello is my favorite instrument, piano included. There's just something so soulful and plaintiveness about it.

5. Maybe - Yiruma


Hands up if you liked Yiruma before all this Twilight nonsense. (Of course I might have discovered him because of my fascination with South Korean culture but you know, he's still just freaking brilliant.) I couldn't pick a favorite so I just went with my favorite live performance.

6. Gnossienne No. 1 - Erik Satie


As stated above, I prefer Satie, but maybe I should rephrase that so it encompasses my all-exclusive love for him. Under great restraint, I did not list my top ten favorite songs by him alone.

7. Ode to Simplicity - Secret Garden


I remember when I discovered this band, I went on a binge with their music for days. Literally days straight without listening or doing anything else. This has to be one of the saddest songs on the album and it is also the thirteenth song off of it which is just awesome. (I'm superstitious but in that weird way that thinks everything that brings bad luck actually brings good luck.)


That's all for today folks!

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