March 2009

Do you still 'hear' music after you fall asleep?

March 15, 2009 22:49

A question has plagued me for many years, and I am sure it has affected you as well: do you still “hear” music after you fall asleep? I believe that I have solved that question, unintentionally.

Last night, as I went to bed, I decided to go drift off with some music. After pulling the covers over me, I grabbed my iPod and set it to an album called Score, which is a live performance recording of the progressive metal band Dream Theater in Radio City Music Hall (if you don’t know them, check them out. They are amazing). The iPod was set to album repeat, and I dozed off as the album went to its third track.

Throughout the night, I, as usual, went through several reoccurring dreams that I experience every night: a pink washing machine clanking around, a girl that I really like (not telling her name) coming to my house to visit me, me finding out that I’ve suddenly lost 50 pounds. Then, all of a sudden, the haze of my sleep suddenly cleared out and I found myself in a small room, and there was a young man on the ground, and standing over him was a tall woman and (I’m guessing), her teenage son. I looked around and heard music coming from somewhere, but I didn’t know where as this was a closed room, with no windows, doors, or openings of any kind. All people who experience dreams where things don’t make sense know that it doesn’t seem weird while experiencing the dream, so I took no heed and just focused on the scene unfolding before me.

I suddenly recognized the music that was playing. It was the 25 minute epic by Dream Theater, Octavarium, as performed on the Score CD. I had no idea why that music was playing at that particular moment. All of a sudden, the music reached it’s climax point where the singer, James LaBrie, along with drummer Mike Portnoy start screaming lyrics, and the tall woman and her son started screaming along, accenting every syllable with a kick at the man on the ground. They were screaming “Trapped inside this octavarium! Trapped inside this octavarium! Trapped inside this octavarium!” All the while, they tortured the poor man on the ground. Why this image was in my head I don’t know-Dream Theater is not a band about pain and death.

Finally, they reached the biggest point of the song, and screamed it even louder, “TRAPPED INSIDE THIS OCTACARIUMMMMM!” As they screamed it, along with James LaBrie and Mike Portnoy, who suddenly came into the room behind me, we all lifted off the ground and flew into black space.

Suddenly, I woke up, and it was 3 in the morning, with the music still playing in my ears. With the effects of the dream I had had still fogging over me, I concentrated on the music playing through my headphones to clear my brain. Sure enough, it was Octavarium, and it was at the point right after the climax, where Juilliard-trained keyboardist Jordan Rudess went into a synthesizer arpeggiated solo. It made the dream rush back at me, and I realized that I was listening to music while I was still deep in my REM sleep, and the music had been incorporated into my dream, along with a violent image that otherwise would not have been in my head.

This was a very shocking experience, and one of the clearest and most vivid dreams I have had. I knew I needed to write this before it cleared my head, and I am sharing it with you. I think I have solved the issue that music is still recognized and played in your brain, even if you are in a deep slumber. I even think that music makes your dream even more articulate; in other words, it enhances the clarity of your dream. This is a really cool subject and I hope it happens again so I can explore it further.

*Yawn* I think I’ll go to bed now…..and I’ll listen to Shlomo Mintz tonight. I wonder what image that will give me ;)

-Brian

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Keep checking your mailboxes

March 2, 2009 15:39

Everyone hold your breath! We are getting into the season for college acceptance (or, God forbid, rejection) letters, and something even more important: summer festival acceptance letters! Eagerly pry open your mailboxes every day as I have been doing!
This year I applied to two camps-Bowdoin, and one of the most prestigious chamber music camps in America, The Music Academy of the West. I really wanted to go to the Music Academy (Held in Santa Barbara, California), because of the chance to work with the 86 year old master violinist and pedagogue, Zvi Zeitlin. I had just met him this past December and January at a seminar in Florida, and was able to play for him and play quartets with him. He is definitely one of the best teachers in the world-he shaped my playing to a much higher level within a week.
The reason I applied to Bowdoin was to either work with one of my current teachers, Shmuel Ashkenasi, or to work with Sergiu Schwartz, another fantastic teacher. However, I found out on the website for Bowdoin that Professor Ashkenasi was not going to be attending, but I still waited for the letter.
One night, my mom got a call from my teacher. She had just been on the phone for several hours with Sergiu Schwartz, who called her about me attending Bowdoin. He wanted to give me a scholarship and wanted to work with me! I was, of course, naturally excited, but we had to think it over. If I went to Bowdoin, I would have to give up my application to the Music Academy. After much discussion with several of my teachers, my mom, and my dad, we finally decided that we had to wait, because we had still not heard from the Music Academy and could not make a solid decision until we knew what was happening. Mr. Schwartz understood and said, even though he couldn’t give me a scholarship anymore, that I could always come to study with him. Whew! One summer application out of the way-and it turned out well!
Only a few days later, after another uneventful trip to the mailbox, my mom got on the computer to check her email and suddenly exclaimed that I was accepted to the Music Academy. I was pleasantly surprised; Mr. Zeitlin had invited me to come in Florida, but I was a year under the minimum age requirement. However, I still had to think. If I went to the Music Academy, I would be among many college kids, and some much older pre-professional players. It would be a major challenge to try to match up to their playing in chamber music, because in reality, I’m not that fantastic a player. Bowdoin would have fit my age group and level much better. However, I could not pass up a chance to work with Zvi Zeitlin for a whole summer (June thru August). It was decided-I was to go to Santa Barbara this summer for 8 weeks.
Since I am under the age requirement, my mom will have to accompany me and we will have to rent a house or condo this summer. That will be no problem, however, (or minimal problems-my brother is heading off to college next year), as the Music Academy is well funded and offers full scholarships to all of their alumni. I must say, I am incredibly excited to be attending this wonderful music festival this summer! I will most likely be the player there with the most to learn, but it will be a fantastic experience!
So everyone, keep checking your mailboxes and emails! Good luck on all your camps, and to all your seniors, your colleges!

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March 2009

Do you still 'hear' music after you fall asleep?

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