“If only.” Do you ever find yourself saying that? I find myself saying that all the time. “If only there was more time in the day.” “If only there were more money in the budget.” “If only I weren’t so tired all the time.” Those two words carry a lot of power because they really convince us of our own limitations as though the universe … Continue reading Music Ed Mondays – If Only
“Blue Skies Over Guardia,” from Chrono Symphonic, released in 2006 and remixing “Guardia’s Millenial Fair” from the Chrono Trigger OST by Yasunori Mitsuda There some things in life that make me profoundly happy: Oreo ice cream, pleasant surprises, when the Winnipeg Jets win a nail-biter of a game and finally, music in odd metre. “Blue Skies Over Guardia” is a 7/8 remix of “Millenial Fair,” so we feel … Continue reading VGM Wednesdays – “Blue Skies Over Guardia” from Chrono Symphonic
Welcome back! In the last post, we talked about how stigmatizing mistakes probably isn’t the best reinforcement of learning. I’ve been thinking a lot about this over the last week and it’s become more complex and paradoxical and moreso the more that I think about it. I think that the caveat lies in the degree of the mistake: Not putting in an apostrophe isn’t going to … Continue reading Music Ed Mondays – Life Includes Mistakes (Part 2)
I have this weird obsession with posterity – not just my own, but anyone’s. I don’t want anything to be lost. I wrote, directed and voice acted in a radio play called “The Constant” and just the other week, I found my notebook with its sketches from early 2008. I completely forgot that I had it. In its faded, smudged pages, I found the outline … Continue reading As the Ink Dries on “Filum Vitae…”
If you’re not prepared to be wrong, you’ll never do anything original.” – Sir Ken Robinson author, “The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything” (this one is quite long, but split into parts, so I hope that you’ll stick around for the read) If there is one thing that high school students really seem to be scared of, it’s making mistakes. Maybe there’s more … Continue reading Music Ed Mondays – Life Includes Mistakes (Part 1)
“Snowman,” from Mother 1-3, released in 1989, 1994 and 2006, respectively. I wish that this series was bigger in North America. One of my oldest friends picked up Earthbound (or Mother 2) around 1996-97 and he was really into it, but I didn’t get it. It was an RPG, but had no swords or shields, goblins, wizards and the graphics had… well… “much to be … Continue reading VGM Wednesdays – “Snowman” from Mother 1-3
So, how did your homework go? Could you see Music? What did he/she look like? How are you connected to him/her*? This is one final essay and the student allowed me permission to use it. It’s a long read, but I promise you, it’s worth it 🙂 ———————————- Music and I have a complex relationship. There are times when we are inseparable, and times that we … Continue reading Music Ed Mondays – The Music Lesson (Part 2)
“Ending Theme” from Square’s “Final Fantasy VI,” released in 1994. So, Final Fantasy VI was released on the PSN Store yesterday and the big question remains: Will I buy it for a fourth time? Well, I have it for SNES, PS1 and GBA, so probably not… but few games have moved me as much as this one. I owe so much of my youth and musical … Continue reading VGM Wednesdays – “Ending Theme” from Final Fantasy VI
In our course, “The Fundamentals of Music,” we teach a novel called The Music Lesson by world-renowned bassist, Victor Wooten. There are two provocative parts to that opening: 1) Fundamentals of Music? Yes, they take place in both Grade 11 and 12, split into Fundamentals I and II. While they started as a theory and performance course (as a buffer to the performing ensembles), we’ve … Continue reading Music Ed Mondays – The Music Lesson (Part 1)
“Time’s Scar” from Square’s “Chrono Cross,” released in 2000. This game has been on my mind for a while now. Lately, it re-emerged with its release on the PSN Store about a month ago and I really considered buying it again. Next, a blog called “Score” wrote a 3-PART analysis on the tune and did a fantastic job. If you like music theory and VGM, you want to … Continue reading VGM Wednesdays – “Times Scar” from Chrono Cross
