it depends on how much you've practiced if you want to get drunk. Once you've memorized the patterns of doing something, like the rubix cube, you can do it even if you're totally drunk.
HOWEVER, you're more likely to recover something from your long-term memory if you're in the same chemical state as you were when you first learned it. Meaning if you were drunk while you actually LEARNED the songs you're going to be performing (which I doubt you were), then you'd probably be better off playing drunk anyway! Also, patterns generally have to do with muscle memory (I believe), and playing actual songs (not counting technique issues) seems more of a cognitive process and only slightly a muscle memory.
:tmyk:
I think that's right anyway. And good luck performing... you're way braver than I am. I think that's just because I've performed with a bunch of Asian kids in orchestras I've been in that were absolutely amazing, and I just kind of got it into my head that Asians in general (I would say Chinese but I'm not positive if the kids that were that fantastic were actually Chinese or not) are EXTREMELY musically talented. Then again, I've heard some Asian kids that aren't very good at all at playing their instrument... and the Asian kids that ARE good at their instrument are usually raised by completely strict parents that demand perfection and over-achievement from their children...
Some people are very musically talented, and then can remember the key of the song in their head and, keeping the melody in mind, decide what notes are coming next. I was trying to find a copy of Pink Panther to play (it's impossible to buy music in a country with shitty IP protection laws like China, everyone just downloads here. And saxophone is not a popular instrument here anyway). I tried to find something online to play, but most forums were very unhelpful. They all recomended just listening to it and deriving the notes on my own, which I don't have the ear for.
Memorizing songs is often muscle memory, at least for me. I just play something over and over again, trying to do bits and pieces with my eyes closed, and eventually my fingers move on their own accord. They know where to go, and I just concentrate on the melody, vibrato, and not running out of air. It's hard for me to memorize an entire song in one sitting, because my mind will keep mixing up different melodies and segments, but after a few nights rest after each sitting, and it's very easy to memorize.
And most Asian kids in the US, especially Texas, who are good at music are good because their parents make them practice a lot when they're young. Genetically, I don't think there's a difference, but culturally there is a world of difference. Asian education is much more competitive, and parents make their kids study and practice skills much more than American parents do. So when they come to America they kick all our asses. If it were an RPG, imagine Asian kids being level 50 and competing with other level 50 kids in Asia. But when they come to America, kids there are all level 10, because we're lazy as fuck and want to watch TV and make awkward analogies using video game metaphors. They kick our asses by comparison.
also, what is it about asians and playing string instruments rather than brass, woodwind, and percussion? All the asians (or most) I knew in houston played in orchestra rather than band...
And I can understand the muscle-memory, too. When I was practicing last year for Band UIL, there was a really weird couple of measures where I went across an octave and a half, so I memorized that... it comes naturally now.
also, what is it about asians and playing string instruments rather than brass, woodwind, and percussion? All the asians (or most) I knew in houston played in orchestra rather than band...
Because they all know that being awesome is one part effort, two parts orchestra.
All I kow is; percussion is the backbone of any and all musical performances. So I'm golden no matter how you slice it. Those bastards just don't know how to keep a beat on their own.
And she's not just hitting her baton on the stand, she actually conducts. But our teacher is pretty strict, but as long as you practice and don't goof off in class she won't kill you. For the most part.
In 8th grade I managed to fake my way through an entire Veterans Day parade and not play a single note. I could play the trumpet even with my braces, but I couldn't memorize a piece of music if my life were at stake. The best part was people who had seen me telling me after how good I sounded.
In 8th grade I managed to fake my way through an entire Veterans Day parade and not play a single note. I could play the trumpet even with my braces, but I couldn't memorize a piece of music if my life were at stake. The best part was people who had seen me telling me after how good I sounded.
If it weren't for polite lying, I'm sure there would be a lot more emo kids.
I love this conversation. Ryan, you mentioned being able to write down music from just listening to it; I've totally done that for a wedding once, it was hilarious because I ended up just writing out the notes by LETTER onto a sheet of paper, and then just remembering the note rhythms to actually perform the piece. The guy I was performing with thought I was crazy, since he actually is a professional musician, but he just laughed and said "Alright, if that works for you!"
And yeah, I figured it was just the cultural difference. But just because I've seen SOO many amazing Asian violin/cello players in orchestras I've been in, my non-Asian friends in my orchestra would always joke about the Asian violinists having a natural advantage over us white/black/mexican AMERICAN kids, haha.
Adam, I can totally keep tempo by myself. Sometimes.
QueenQuinlin and amazox... your comments are TOO funny. I haven't had a conductor hit a baton on a stand instead of conducting for a LOOONG time. It's so funny to hear you talk about being actually conducted FOR REALS as if it's really difficult. Not stupid in any way, don't get the wrong idea. Just freakin' cute.
Hooray! My performance at the company's Chinese New Years party was successful! I totally rocked (jazzed?) out on Pink Panther, and then I played a traditional Chinese romance song called The Moon Represents my Heart. The crowd freaking loved it, and they were constantly cheering, whistling, and clapping throughout the entire performance. They erupted in cheers and applause when they recognized the Chinese song. And the cheers I got at the end were ear piercingly loud. I totally rocked.
The best part too is that the two MCs were introducing each show separately. When they got to me, they simply asked the crowd who I was, and they got the crowd shouting my name. All 500 people at the company knew exactly who I was (being the only American in a Chinese-only company means I'm famous apparently).
I had a crowd of people cheering my name before I got on stage. It was fucking awesome.
Sadly no groupies. Instead I spent the remainder of the evening getting coffee with a girl who has told me before that she has absolutely no romantic interest in me. I'm smart like that.
But the best part is I might get prize money! Every performance group gets 300 yuan (about $44 US / £29 UK), so I get that no matter what. Now everybody in the company votes on the best act out of the eight available. One project team is almost entirely voting for me, since I'm friends with many members and their project leader, but there are many other project teams total. If I win I get 800 yuan (about $117 US / £77 UK).
QueenQuinlin and amazox... your comments are TOO funny. I haven't had a conductor hit a baton on a stand instead of conducting for a LOOONG time. It's so funny to hear you talk about being actually conducted FOR REALS as if it's really difficult. Not stupid in any way, don't get the wrong idea. Just freakin' cute.
Yep, however every band/orchestra teacher in the district I've met doesn't actually conduct, except ours. (Which really sucks when we get a sub that cannot conduct to save her life.) I suppose hitting the baton on the stand is easier to follow, but it’s just annoying for me. I have no clue if conducting is difficult, but it is really nice to actually have a teacher who, not only can, but does conduct.
Keeping a beat with a baton is actually pretty easy. You don't need to tap the stand to do it. Keeping the beat while cuing people for their parts and for crescendos and controlling the volume and just keeping track of 20 different parts on the music...that can be a little tricky.
You don't really notice the difference between an awesome conductor and an okay conductor until you play with an awesome conductor. You can hear the difference, everything blends and somehow you know how to do something you wouldn't have normally done in the music, just by watching the conductor. They can CONTROL YOUR MIND.
I guess I'm the odd man out on this one, I never really noticed a difference between a bad conductor and a good one, I just played my part at the volume he/she told me to.
I guess I'm the odd man out on this one, I never really noticed a difference between a bad conductor and a good one, I just played my part at the volume he/she told me to.
Bad conductors tend to produce more heat, and you lose a fair bit of current in the process.
I've got to say, Mrs. Beck (the conductor QueenQuinlin and Amazox are referring to) is probably the best conductor in Idaho Falls. That doesn't say too much, but given we have a symphony of mediocre quality it says a bit.
I went to a karaoke bar with 9 other people from work on Friday night. Normally karaoke bars in China have a very poor English song selection; their artist selections are random at best, and they only have one or two songs for each artist.
As I was scrolling the list of artists in disappointment (they didn't even have Queen, so no Bohemian Rhapsody for me), I found one artist that stuck out from the rest.
Comments
HOWEVER, you're more likely to recover something from your long-term memory if you're in the same chemical state as you were when you first learned it. Meaning if you were drunk while you actually LEARNED the songs you're going to be performing (which I doubt you were), then you'd probably be better off playing drunk anyway! Also, patterns generally have to do with muscle memory (I believe), and playing actual songs (not counting technique issues) seems more of a cognitive process and only slightly a muscle memory.
:tmyk:
I think that's right anyway. And good luck performing... you're way braver than I am. I think that's just because I've performed with a bunch of Asian kids in orchestras I've been in that were absolutely amazing, and I just kind of got it into my head that Asians in general (I would say Chinese but I'm not positive if the kids that were that fantastic were actually Chinese or not) are EXTREMELY musically talented. Then again, I've heard some Asian kids that aren't very good at all at playing their instrument... and the Asian kids that ARE good at their instrument are usually raised by completely strict parents that demand perfection and over-achievement from their children...
So I'm probably totally wrong. Have fun!
Memorizing songs is often muscle memory, at least for me. I just play something over and over again, trying to do bits and pieces with my eyes closed, and eventually my fingers move on their own accord. They know where to go, and I just concentrate on the melody, vibrato, and not running out of air. It's hard for me to memorize an entire song in one sitting, because my mind will keep mixing up different melodies and segments, but after a few nights rest after each sitting, and it's very easy to memorize.
And most Asian kids in the US, especially Texas, who are good at music are good because their parents make them practice a lot when they're young. Genetically, I don't think there's a difference, but culturally there is a world of difference. Asian education is much more competitive, and parents make their kids study and practice skills much more than American parents do. So when they come to America they kick all our asses. If it were an RPG, imagine Asian kids being level 50 and competing with other level 50 kids in Asia. But when they come to America, kids there are all level 10, because we're lazy as fuck and want to watch TV and make awkward analogies using video game metaphors. They kick our asses by comparison.
And I can understand the muscle-memory, too. When I was practicing last year for Band UIL, there was a really weird couple of measures where I went across an octave and a half, so I memorized that... it comes naturally now.
It's also like when Sammy Sosa corked his bat.
If it weren't for polite lying, I'm sure there would be a lot more emo kids.
And yeah, I figured it was just the cultural difference. But just because I've seen SOO many amazing Asian violin/cello players in orchestras I've been in, my non-Asian friends in my orchestra would always joke about the Asian violinists having a natural advantage over us white/black/mexican AMERICAN kids, haha.
Adam, I can totally keep tempo by myself. Sometimes.
QueenQuinlin and amazox... your comments are TOO funny. I haven't had a conductor hit a baton on a stand instead of conducting for a LOOONG time. It's so funny to hear you talk about being actually conducted FOR REALS as if it's really difficult. Not stupid in any way, don't get the wrong idea. Just freakin' cute.
The best part too is that the two MCs were introducing each show separately. When they got to me, they simply asked the crowd who I was, and they got the crowd shouting my name. All 500 people at the company knew exactly who I was (being the only American in a Chinese-only company means I'm famous apparently).
I had a crowd of people cheering my name before I got on stage. It was fucking awesome.
But the best part is I might get prize money! Every performance group gets 300 yuan (about $44 US / £29 UK), so I get that no matter what. Now everybody in the company votes on the best act out of the eight available. One project team is almost entirely voting for me, since I'm friends with many members and their project leader, but there are many other project teams total. If I win I get 800 yuan (about $117 US / £77 UK).
Ryan, that is freaking AWESOME. Way to go!!
As I was scrolling the list of artists in disappointment (they didn't even have Queen, so no Bohemian Rhapsody for me), I found one artist that stuck out from the rest.
Rick Astley.
I'll leave the rest to your imagination.