Listening

“Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.”

                                                            ― Stephen R. Covey

10.26.13
Swan Lake Theme -- Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky

 

Sometimes the most meaningful melodies are the ones that are not accompanied by words. Though lyrics can move us and teach us, they probably would not be nearly as touching without the music that follows. Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake is a prime example of pure instrumental that is just as inspiring and captivating as songs with words, if not more.

I have a vivid memory from when I was probably six years old. My family was spending Christmas at a strange house. It was the house of my relatives, but I had hardly ever been there before, and I was frightened. It seemed so gloomy to be spending Christmas in a place that I couldn't call home. My uncle gave me and my sister each a music box. When I opened it up, there was a petite ballerina that would spin, and the box would play Tchaikovsky's theme from Swan Lake. Of course, at that time, I had no idea what the song was or where it came from.

I loved that music box, but the song was so very haunting and, at the same time enchanting. I couldn't listen to it for very long before I would get the creeps and have to close it. It's not your typical sweet, childish, playful little piece- it's almost hypnotizing.

That mysterious little tune was so unique that it stayed in my mind for years. When I was maybe nine or ten years old, I stumbled upon a recording much like this one, and was once again scared. Immediately, the melody transported me back to that horrible memory of a Christmas spent in a foreign place, where I was surrounded by family but felt lonesome and sad. The tune that played, in its full intensity was so familiar to me, that I began to cry. At first I couldn't place my finger on where I had heard it before- but it was an extreme case of déjà vu, which many could relate to. After sitting and crying while I replayed the song thrice through, it finally came back to me. An image of a tiny, spinning ballerina, in a pink music box with soft satin lining. The memory fascinated me so I dwelled upon it for a long while, listening again and again to the original version the whole time.

Compositions such as this, with a melody so original that there could be no mistaking it, tickle my fancy. There are many like this, song which were inspired by such genius, and written with such care and concentration, that there is no other song like it. It boggles my mind! Somewhere around one hundred and twenty-five billion people have lived on this planet, and we are still managing to create, not copy. The human mind simply resounds with evidence of an intelligent Creator! How else would the creative ideas of mankind still not be exhausted, and will they ever be? Maybe there is an infinite amount of possibilities for every song, every poem, every painting. It's impossible to wrap one's mind around it. There are always new ideas, and fabulous ones, at that!

In this case, however, with the magical and mysterious masterpiece by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, his composition speaks volumes to me, simply because of its sheer uniqueness. Songs that are unpredictable, and totally novel are exhilarating to me. At every note that I didn't expect to play next, a cascade of shivers crawls up my spine. It's one of the best feelings ever.

Sometimes I tire of "Christian" music. I've discovered that, if I flip through the different radio stations quickly, I can tell almost immediately which station is a Christian radio station, just by the sound of the song that is playing. Even if I've never heard the song before, there's something about the chord progressions, the atmosphere of the singer, the tempo, everything, that is so stereotypical. Not all Christian songs are like that, but I feel as though the vast majority is just growing lamer and lamer. This is why I began searching elsewhere for exciting music. I become enthralled in secular music that has genius chords and awe-inspiring words. I don't listen to profanity, but songs that are just about life, in general, and by non-Christian authors, I often find are much more appealing and beautiful than the former. 

It's sad, really. We want the world to be drawn to Christ with a pleasing aroma. If I compare a wonderful secular song to a Christian chorus, the secular one I almost always find sounds like it was given much more thought. I mix-up Christian melodies, because some of them are so very close to the other. I confuse lyrics, because they are so stereotypical and overdone! Though they may be true, there is nothing new with the way the words rhyme and sound. Therefore, there is nothing exciting about them. I forget which title belongs to which song or to which artist, because it is all so similar. 

I wish people would take more time while preparing to present God's message in a musical format, so that it would be heard by the ears that need to hear it! If I, Karis Rashleigh, a Christian, am finding spiritual songs are becoming dry and boring, how much more will non-Christians find them dry and boring? This is not how it should be. The gospel is exciting, our music is not!

Classics such as this song stick in my head much more than regular church choruses. Sometimes that's a good thing, sometimes it isn't. When I think about this song, I am drawn to a different place entirely. The intensity of the refrain just makes me want to bawl, it's just so beautiful! The originality of the tune and the meaningful way the notes link together is a perfect example of an unforgettable masterpiece. That's right- it's a masterpiece. 

Listening to your regular Christian song on Shine F.M., it's not often I come across a real masterpiece, anymore. Doesn't God deserve better than this?

11.4.13

Into The West - Annie Lennox

After his quest to destroy the One Ring . . . the Shire was not enough for Frodo Baggins. It had once seemed like home to him- but no longer. He had tasted a glimpse of something bigger and better, and he had tasted it through the most seemingly unattractive circumstances- suffering, pain, sadness, torture. To go back to the Shire and experience a 'normal' life did not click in his mind. He had seen to much, he had done too much. He couldn't stand going back to that state of mind- of ignorance and carefree living. He needed to go . . . Into the West.

I love this song. The intensity of the chorus especially- on that very first high note, "On the horizon . . . ." It's amazing! I can feel myself literally being COVERED with goosebumps- the good kind. It nearly brought me to tears when I first listened to it- so moving. The woman's voice is so strong and deep. I believe it's talking about heaven, the lyrics seem to signify that. "Night is falling, you have come to journey's end." For Frodo, he didn't want his journey to be over- for how could anyone go back to the way things were after experiencing things that the people around him couldn't even imagine.

"Sleep now, and dream of the ones who came before . . . . They are calling, from across a distant shore." It's seems like it should be a sad song, as in the movie, it plays as Frodo says his last good-byes to his friends: Merry, Pippin, and Sam. The idea of going to Heaven is a beautiful one, but the idea of leaving loved ones behind is tragic. I find the song very moving, it could be sung to one who knows they are about to die. After a long, hard journey, if their life was lived well, and to the fullest, it's perfect. 

"The ships have come, to carry you home . . . ." Though he had never been there, he knew that it was where he belonged- where the gray ships passed: Into the West. It is the same with us. We are not from this earth, if we are living in Christ.

In many allegories, the Kingdom of Heaven is described as being a city across the sea, which is why I believe the picture of the ships sailing into the west is describing how life for believers does not end, it simply continues into eternity. "Why do you week? What are these tears upon your face?" The Bible says that He will wipe his tears from our faces- there will be no sorrow in Heaven.

I wrote a blog post on my thoughts about 'Home,' and you can read it at http://pasthedges.blogspot.ca/2013/04/a-confusing-concept-that-has-been_3.html, and at http://pasthedges.blogspot.ca/2013/04/home-is-where-heart-is-part-2-for-now.html.

9.6.13

Sovereign - Chris Tomlin

 That song. Every time I listen to it, the more it touches me. It is such a huge comfort.

I found that I was very hard-pressed to be able to write this response out- I felt so overwhelmed with everything else I had piled up on my plate. High School. I feel tired and grouchy and busy. I have so much going on, so many responsibilities I need to fulfill, and sleep I need to catch up on. 

I have this dilemma every year, it's nothing new. I have to say 'no,' even when my heart longs to say 'yes.' I have to exclude myself from those get-together's and events that I had been looking forward to, simply because my plate is already overflowing. It's a problem with me. I love being... busy. At least, I think I do.

Throughout the year, when I'm gone from home from 8:00am until 9:00pm running around town like a headless chicken, I come home and whimper over my overbooked schedule. I complain, "I'm soooooo tired!" "I'm sooooooo busy!" "I have no time to do my homework!" "I have no time to do anything!"

Come mid-July, it's a whole different emotion: "I can't wait for school . . . ." "I can't wait for dance . . . ." "I am soooooo bored!"

I guess I'm just never satisfied with the present busyness level. I get stressed over simply things and lie awake and night worrying over something I signed up for, something I said to someone else, something coming up... I worry over everything. I pray and pray to God that things will go smoothly. I plead that He will work things out so that I won't be disappointed. I just want things to go my way, basically.

That song. Every time I listen to it, I love it more. It is a huge comfort to me. Sovereign. It's something that I fail to grasp, over and over. I am not sovereign. My way is not the way. Alone, my way is the way of destruction, even though I don't realize it.

I am not sovereign, but Someone is. That Someone already knows the way things are going to turn out. He is Sovereign. I cannot sway Him in one direction or another, for He is perfectly steadfast. Steadfast. There's another thing that I am not.

Things this year are going to get crazy- I can sense it. I'm feeling pumped, I'm feeling apprehensive, I'm feeling wary, but almost ready. I'm anticipating many tears and many failures. So many new things are hurtling towards me, and I feel like I have no time to prepare for them. It's like a barrage of new experiences, some fun, some scary, are storming towards me.

But.. He is with me in the storm.

And... He was with me in the calm, too.

I'm going to change this year. It's starting already. I'm going to have to step up my responsibility, and work harder than ever before.Things wlil probably never be the same as they used to be. Less time to relax, less time to play. Hardly ever will there be a day when I have absolutely no care in the world- but maybe that's a good thing. Even though I'm growing and changing, He is still the same. He wias with me all this time, and He will never leave me, nor forsake me.

Even if I mess up at teaching, He is still sovereign. If I flunk a test, He is still God. If I am diagnosed with cancer and am bedridden for the rest of me life... He is still with me. He is still Himself, and that will never change!

I am a tiny part to this picture, and my idea of controlling my own life is as flimsy as saran wrap. My aspirations to an organized, calm, collected lifestyle will hopefully turn to mush. My goals to run my own life solo... pfft. Yeah, right. Those were just hallucinations. God is sovereign, I am not.

Psalm 103:15-19 ~

As for man, his days are like grass; As a flower in the field, so he flourishes.

When the wind has passed over it, it is no more; And its place acknowledges it no longer.

But the loving kindness of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him,

 And His righteousness to children's children, To those who keep His covenant, And who remember His precepts to do Him. The LORD has established His throne in the heavensl

And His sovereignty rules over all.

My says are like grass. I will soon whither. All my accomplishments, everything I am working so hard for, it will be completely forgotten. And when the end is come, no earthly thing that we once deemed worthy will be worth anything at all. Nothing mattered. This whole time, God was sovereign. We work so hard for money. We strive so hard for popularity. We move mountains for relationships. We fight tooth and nail for status. We... what do we do for God?Funny. The one and only thing that actually matters is the thing we forget about the most.

In the end, all these things I'm biting my nails over now, I will never remember them again. Every mistake I make this year, they will be long gone. But every right choice, every time I answer His call, every time I give a cup of water to someone in His name... those will be counted. They will be remembered.

When I win, God is sovereign. When I lose, God is sovereign. When I cry, God is sovereign. When I laugh, God is sovereign. When I die, God is sovereign. His absolute power is the most important thing ever, and it doesn't depend on my success. That  takes a load off of my shoulders!

Yes, I will stumble- big time. But it is not the end of the world. In fact, even if a million people witness it, even if they shun me for years and I am a public disgrace, God is STILL SOVEREIGN. Do you notice a pattern? His sovereignty doesn't change. It doesn't depend on me. It doesn't depend on you. In fact, we depend on Him. (At least, we need to.)

The important things in life will be remembered, so strive for those things! Depend on the only steadfast One for your needs, not on your own accomplishments.

I know that my position is secure in Christ, no matter how stressful and tiring this coming year will be. I know that the most important decision of my life, my second birth, has made me right with God. Nothing else matters so much. I want to work to honor Him because of His gift to me, but I want to rest in Him. There's no need to get worked up over these human-made expectations.

I will still work at all these assignments and projects and upcoming trials, but they will not define me. He is sovereign, no matter how I do. What a blessing to be able to rest in His everlasting love! He will always be God. He will always be Lord. No matter what happens to mankind, He will not budge! It's such an awesome realization, one that I am too baffled by to comprehend completely. Nothing depends on us, because it isn't about us! It's about God. And He is the One who will never fail. And that same one who will never fail, He's the one who has all the pieces of my life, from beginning to the end, so I can trust Him!

Lord, whatever comes my way, I will trust you.

I am safe.

I am loved.

And He is Sovereign.

 

10.22.13

Edge of Night (Pippin's Song) -- Billy Boyd

This obviously has nothing to do with my obvious obsession for the Lord of the Rings... of course not! Okay, although my love for Peregrin Took's song in the Return of the King may have been solely because of my adoration of the story, especially the movies, after listening to the song over and over nonstop for days, the words were impressed upon my thoughts and I began to seek other meanings.

If one who had never heard the song before just listened to the words, not knowing where it came from, they would have no idea that it was from The Lord of the Rings. There is nothing in the lyrics that would hint specifically toward the story, therefore, they can be interpreted for anybody here, and now.

All I can think of as I listen to this song, is the ever-impending doom that we all must face: growing up. But instead of simply the sadness and gladness that go along with that prospect, as I recounted in my response to the book, Peter Pan, this song tells of the responsibility, the uncertainty, and the danger that is a part of it. When I think along the lines of growing older, the lyrics make so much more sense.

It sounds like a gloomy, melancholy reflection of one who's perhaps, just graduated and/or moved out of the house. "Home is behind, the world ahead. There are many paths to tread." There are many paths that a person can choose- whether it is the right or wrong one, it is sometimes difficult to tell. "Through shadow, to the edge of night." They look blindly toward the end of the path, and with each forward step, the darkness closes in faster. Soon, they are lost- trapped in the blackness that engulfs their once innocent, safe bodies.

One who has just given in to a temptation that has been gnawing at them for a long while- laziness, self-harm, pornography, lust, greed, deceit... these are the things that most people have been taught to avoid. These are also the things that trap the very same people. When they set off on their own, eager to be their own bosses and run their own lives, these are the past desires that come knocking, once again, on their now vulnerable heart.

When the choice is finally up to them, the choice they make represents the path they take. There were many paths to tread. The farther one travels up the one that is covered in a dark shadow, the harder it is to turn back. The home that once housed their innocence, the place that guarded their purity, the life that frolicked in ignorance- it seems but a dream. It begins to fade out of memory, as its principles and lessons fade out of the individual's mind. The stars are all alight now, not just the ones that they had been taught to follow and trust in for guidance. No, now everything is confused. Everything is complicated. Which way is up, which way is down? Is there any good left in the world, or even in their own heart?

"Mist and shadow, cloud and shade..." The fog envelopes the floundering soul, searching for wisdom but finding only the biting chains of sin and knowledge. All shall fade.... All shall... fade.

I love how discretely the background music creeps up during Pippin's song. It creates an atmosphere during the song that realistically echoes the story behind it. Beginning quiet and meek, one sole voice, the further it gets to the end of the song, the more disastrous and intense the music becomes. The closer and closer to the end it comes, the more hopeless and panicky the melody sounds. I can just picture someone, so very lost and alone, ready to give up, feeling oppressed from all sides by the suffocating blackness. On the very last line: "All shall fade," the deep, resounding note rings through, and signifies the point of no return. In the movie, this is shown by the orcs, who are readying their bows and arrows to seal the fate of the men who are running straight for them. It is a very heavyhearted moment, as the viewer knows already that the circumstances are incredibly bleak. Pippin understands that, too, which is shown by his choice of song, and his manner of singing it.

It reminds me of the story of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. God had made the garden their home, but they chose the knowledge of good and of evil instead of eternal bliss in paradise. The world lay ahead of them as they left their perfect home behind. The world is a dark, cruel place, and it became that way because of their sin. The idea of true perfection has faded away more and more since that day, so that now, look at the world around you, and you will see that it is filled with vile corruption and disgusting sin.

It reminds me of birth. A perfectly innocent, blameless, oblivious, and fragile life is brought forth into the cloud and the shade. Upon leaving the safety of the womb and the shelter of the secret place, every one of us was given a chance at this life filled with mist and shadow, cloud and shade. Many have made right choices, and all have made wrong ones. Everyone has traveled along the wrong paths, and only some have managed to find the right stars to guide them back to square one. Some were taken to the very "edge of night," but before they fell into the abyss, were caught by the Good Shepherd and given a second chance. Some refused to call for help, and are now lost for eternity.

This song sends goosebumps down my spine, (just like every other song that I put on my portfolio,) just because of the depth of the message. I love that it could relate to anyone, anytime. Just as I've shown above, there are many different examples, or things that the writer, Billy Boyd, could have been alluding to. Perhaps he was thinking of something else entirely. One thing is certain, it was not written for the sake of pure entertainment in the movie it was written for... it's too profound- too mysterious for that. When one can conjure up this many different meanings and representation for the beautiful compilation of melody and lyric, a deeper message was meant to be instilled.

Through shadow, to the edge of night,
until the stars are all alight.
Mist and shadow, cloud and shade
All shall fade,
all shall . . . .
Fade.


 

11.11.13

Some Nights - F.U.N.

 

This is one of my all-time favourite songs. My peers get annoyed with me almost as much as they are annoyed with the song itself, when I tell them about how much I love it. I replayed it nonstop, all day one Saturday a while back- and I still haven't grown tired of it. The melody is awesome. The rhythm gives me adrenaline and is pure genius, everything about it is original, and amazing. 

As you may have read in my response to the movie, War Horse, I am extremely enthralled with war. It sickens me, but I love learning about it. Some Nights was written as if from the perspective of a real soldier. The music video depicts a fictional battle taking place during the American Civil War.

Although I realize that the song itself also was talking about the artist's personal struggles and dealings, I can't help but let myself be whisked away to an imaginative battle field, or perhaps an army boot camp. It's gruesome, it's sad, but it's incredible. It's also fitting that I wrote this response on Remembrance Day.

During Remembrance Day services, I find a lot of people are incredible bored, and dread all the solemnity of it. I love it. I get so wrapped up in remembering that which I have never seen, nor experienced- it brings me to tears, sometimes. I guess I just marvel at the heroics and nobility that is shown by soldiers in the war- it's amazing, and inspiring. I love watching movies and documentaries about the war, and I love hearing stories about it. Though I hate war itself and it grieves me to know how our world thinks the ownership of land is more important than the preservation of the lives it costs, I love the discipline and obedience of the soldiers who accept their duty and march courageously, anyways.

Those thoughts, mixed with this masterpiece, basically puts me either in a delightful trans, or makes me want to dance around my room. I don't necessarily think the song applies to me, as he's basically announcing that he doesn't know what he stands for. I, on the other hand, know for sure- I stand for Christ. I am in a battle, but I'm on the winning side.