when a song changes your mind

December 31, 2007 at 11:15 PM

It's the last day of 2007 and it seems like I should write something hugely reflective and profound but I think perhaps I'll leave that to those more skilled with words. Often my ideas and thoughts all make sense in my mind but come out in text as nothing more than abstract gibberish so if it's groundbreaking blogging (do groundbreaking and blogging even really go together? hmm.....) that you're looking for, my entry today is probably not what you want to read. In fact, I wasn't even going to write anything today but I heard a piece of music yesterday which has put some thoughts/feelings in my mind which refuse to go away. Nothing really concrete that can form a sentence, yet, so beware, there may just be a random explosion of words that have no significant connection between one another but at least it will be interesting. Or maybe it wont. But what the heck! It's the end of 2007, a new year is about to begin so why not try something new and try to come up with some sort of a visual/textual way of remembering something. Maybe I won't succeed in my task, whatever that is, but it is an interesting exercise.
First - the piece of music. Für Alina by Arvo Pärt. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDBsE5gjSi0&feature=related
And as a side note. I did not watch the video that went along with it when I first heard this piece. So here it goes!

Isolation. Sadness. Peaceful chaos. Unknown. Fear. Longing. Reflective. Pure. Innocence.
It's like you're inside a bubble, away from noise or sound, looking out at a scene of complete chaos and sadness. Whatever has caused the scene around has left but now it's the aftermath and all you can do is look at it and react by what you see. You can't reach out to anyone to comfort them and they don't acknowledge that you're there. It's isolated because each person is dealing with their own grief and shock. Peaceful chaos because everywhere you look there is destruction and loss but you still see glimmers of hope and of what was - a bird in a tree, a flower in a garden. Unknown because suddenly all that was isn't there anymore. Fear of change. Fear of moving on, fear of not moving on. Longing for what was, what is to come. Reflective - not letting go of what has happened. Pure/Innocence. Maybe it's been lost as a child experiences heartache and turmoil. Their entire family suddenly gone or separated from them. Or maybe the promise that a new born child still has a chance to experience life and not know the terrors of what their parents went through. There's somehow hope amidst the despair and sadness. Or maybe there isn't. I don't know.

Well that wasn't really the type of New Years entry I had in mind but that's ok!

I hope you all have a wonderful (and safe!) New Years Eve and a great 2008 to come!

From Jasmine Reese
Posted on January 1, 2008 at 12:58 AM

It was not gibberish at all. You wrote with feeling and heart and that is what writing is all about. I agree that some are pretty good at putting just the right words together, but no one can write from your heart the way you can.

From Ruth Kuefler
Posted on January 1, 2008 at 8:36 PM

That was really beautiful, Kelsey. I know what you mean about Fur Alina . . . it's so powerful. If you haven't heard it yet, you'd probably also love his Spiegel im Spiegel. It's a piece very dear to me:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtFPdBUl7XQ&feature=related

From Kelsey Z.
Posted on January 1, 2008 at 8:52 PM

Hey Ruth!
I love Spiegel im Spiegel! I've played it many times! :)

From Ruth Kuefler
Posted on January 1, 2008 at 10:13 PM

I actually have the sheet music, but I've never performed it. I'd sure love to someday . . . maybe on one of my college recitals.

From Kelsey Z.
Posted on January 1, 2008 at 10:17 PM

It would be so hard to pull off in performance, I think. It's so still and evocative at the same time. Completely transparent and pure. I love it! I'd love to program it for a recital sometime!!
How's university treating you, Ruth?

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when a song changes your mind

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