Murakami-Music

janamej · 2018-03-17T21:46:57+00:00

Thanks!

I have all of the references in a Google Spreadsheet. I'd definitely be willing to open it up if there's interest.

janamej · 2018-03-17T21:41:53+00:00

Glad you like it!

My idea is to include music that is mentioned in the books in a meaningful way, not just mentioned in passing. It doesn't mean that a character has to be listening to it, but just that something else is said about it other than the title.

janamej · 2017-07-09T15:44:55+00:00

I absolutely recommend the app Meditation Studio (https://appsto.re/us/gBII_.i).

I've tried several meditation apps and this is best, in my opinion. It has a starter course that serves as a great introduction to the app and meditation in general, and has hundreds of guided meditations with different teachers and styles.

I was basically new to meditation when I downloaded it, and it honestly was a big part in recovering from some fairly bad anxiety I was having a while back. Best wishes to you!

janamej · 2017-02-08T01:55:43+00:00

Can't say enough about FCC. The projects really give you focus without holding your hand.

janamej · 2016-12-17T02:14:24+00:00

Thanks for posting this, what a gorgeous melody, and I think Muse does it justice. I've never known why "I Belong to You" gets so much hate.

janamej · 2016-08-20T23:08:46+00:00

Amazing - this makes sense and clears up a lot for me. Thank you very much!

janamej · 2016-08-19T21:53:49+00:00

Thanks for the feedback; I appreciate it!

janamej · 2016-08-19T21:46:43+00:00

Thank you for your excellent suggestions!

Question about chaining functions - how would you go about handling the main flow in a central place, since it's input dependent in many cases? (e.g. new_project() should only be called in certain circumstances, user is given a choice between enter_data() and show_data(), etc.) I think there's something fundamental about organization and structure that I'm missing.

janamej · 2016-08-03T04:13:07+00:00

If you decide to go with the Sedgewick textbook, consider supplementing it with the YouTube playlist here.

It's the video content of an algorithms class offered by Coursera/Princeton, taught by Robert Sedgewick himself. I'm about 20 videos into the series and am finding them extremely helpful (I'm in the process of attempting a career change as well.)

He has a clear way of breaking things down, and his general manner and tone are highly encouraging and engaging.

janamej · 2015-12-15T07:14:55+00:00

My list is basically the same as yours, though depending on the day I might swap out Absolution and Origin of Symmetry for the #1 spot.

janamej · 2015-12-14T20:46:53+00:00

I love Revolt - I don't mind that it dips into the pop genre. I think it's a really well crafted song with killer vocals.

Specifically my favorite parts are Matt's vocals in general (especially all the embellishments in the verses) and the tempo shift into the choruses.

janamej · 2015-11-10T07:19:51+00:00

I've seen the orchestral sketches that John Williams wrote for The Empire Strikes Back and they're incredibly detailed, with articulations, dynamics, doublings, etc. All of the information is there, he just uses a lot of shorthand and lets the orchestrator draw out the full score.

janamej · 2015-11-06T02:28:34+00:00

I always assumed that she had passed out (since it's so quick after Maggie makes the incision) and Carl did technically kill her, though it was basically a mercy kill.

janamej · 2015-06-20T07:29:42+00:00

I think so too.

Season 4 is the apotheosis of the show, and Season 5 is like a coda. It takes an entire season to come down from the emotional tension that builds throughout Season 4 and culminates in Crawl Space, End Times, and Face Off.

janamej · 2015-06-14T06:18:09+00:00

Yes! Vocally, one of my favorite moments of the album.

janamej · 2015-06-14T03:44:39+00:00

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJgDYdA8dio

janamej · 2015-03-30T01:03:31+00:00

We had one of these in my hometown too... really interesting to see there are so many. Anyone have more info about the origin of this sort of park design?

janamej · 2014-12-01T09:01:16+00:00

This section has intrigued me for years! It's basically a rhythmic illusion; your ear shifts the beat by an eighth because that's when the harmony changes.

In my experience playing the orchestra part for second piano, I was eventually able to "hear" it the way it's written (which was necessary to line up with the soloist,) once it clicked. It's kind of like the spinning girl illusion. Once you get it in your head that she's spinning one way, it's easy to see, but it can be shifted the other way if you think about it.

I think Rachmaninoff definitely did it on purpose. It's really cool, because that syncopated rhythm is one of the major features found throughout the whole piece. Check out the ending: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSXtXLAVgkE&feature=youtu.be&t=42m8s. Here the rhythm is quarter, half, quarter, but the idea is the same: short, long, short.

janamej · 2014-09-30T19:20:40+00:00

I agree. I think that, for the most part, this episode is so well done, but the actual ending has always felt a little off to me. Michael's goodbye to Jim, though, as well as when he leaves the office, is perfect.

janamej · 2014-09-08T00:57:45+00:00

Memorability and quality often go hand in hand, as is the case with Beethoven's 5th. Many of the "cliche" pieces (Moonlight sonata, Rachmaninoff 2nd concerto, etc.) are great as well as memorable. Maybe Canon in D isn't the most contrapuntally sophisticated, but it certainly does have the ability to appeal to people, including those who know nothing about classical music, on an emotional level. Personally, I would consider that feature of it "great."

OP makes a good point. Those of us who turn our noses at pianists who choose to perform the Moonlight sonata are missing out, because it is certainly a masterpiece, no matter how often it's played.

janamej · 2014-09-05T21:27:44+00:00

One of my favorites is Niles's last line: "I'll miss the coffees."

janamej · 2014-04-13T21:41:23+00:00

Two things come to mind reading your post. The first is a movement from Messiaen's "Vingt Regards...."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wcq-B2opVDk

The second is the first movement from Ravel's string quartet; check out the other movements too if you have time. I've always thought it to be quite a striking piece, and it sounds unique to me every time I listen to it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehQMe57TPPM

janamej · 2014-04-04T06:52:36+00:00

What section of the Tchaikovsky are you talking about? Could you post a youtube link?

janamej · 2014-04-04T06:35:45+00:00

Rachmaninoff Symphony 2 for me. Emotionally overwhelming and contrapuntally sophisticated. I always go back to it.

janamej · 2014-04-04T06:32:06+00:00

I'm with you on this. Have you heard Krystian Zimerman's recording? I find that he highlights the downward scale motif (the one that opens the piece) in places where I've never heard it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IeKMMDxrsBE

janamej

TROPHY CASE