Kekangan Dalam Pembelajaran Seni Muzik di Malaysia (November, 2010)

Untuk membeli sebuah biola gred pelajar – yakni violin dalam bahasa Portugis; alat muzik ini telah dibawa ke Tanah Melayu sewaktu penjajahan kuasa Eropah ini pada kurun ke-16, harganya sekitar RM500. Yuran bulanan di sekolah muzik berada di sekitar RM120. Harga notasi muzik, buku teori, dan sebagainya, lebih kurang RM200 setahun. Itu tidak termasuk yuran peperiksaan muzik yang mencecah ratusan ringgit saban tahun. Para pembaca sekalian, sekiranya 10 tahun (dan jumlah ini hanyalah fantasi; seniman sejati tidak pernah berhenti belajar) diperlukan untuk menghasilkan satu seniman agung dalam bidang muzik, berapa ramaikah golongan yang mampu untuk belajar muzik?

Saya memohon maaf, tetapi saya ingin mengubah soalan saya di atas, berapa banyakkah anak-anak muda kita yang mungkin berbakat telah ditutup peluangnya untuk mempelajari keindahan ilmu muzik itu sendiri?

Faktor pertama yang menjadi kekangan dalam pembelajaran muzik ialah beban kewangan. Seperti situasi yang dinyatakan di atas, rama. Sungguh sedih melihat anak bangsa yang begitu berbakat dinafikan peluangnya untuk menguasai ilmu seni kerana kurangnya kemahiran asas dalam bidang muzik. Kos untuk memperoleh alat muzik agak tinggi; berapa banyakkah mampu membeli biola sedangkan wang pendapatan boleh digunakan untuk tujuan lain; seperti televisyen plasma dan sebagainya?

Faktor kedua adalah kurangnya guru-guru muzik yang sensistif tentang sejarah muzik. Cubalah tanya murid-murid sekolah tentang pelajaran muzik, berapa ramaikah yang tahu sejarah muzik dan sebagainya? Adakah mereka didedahkan dengan muzik orkestra, koir (padu suara), atau muzik tradisional. Sekiranya mereka tidak tahu, bagaimanakah mereka boleh menilai?

Faktor ketiga adalah budaya separuh masak dalam penghasilan muzik. Ramai golongan pemuzik tidak mahu membaiki teknik permainan atau gubahan. Golongan-golongan ini sangat cepat berpuas hati dengan apa yang mereka tahu, daripada apa yang mereka tidak tahu. Golongan ini selalunya tidak berupaya menghasilkan pemuzik yang lagi kompeten dari mereka kerana mereka tidak mempunyai ilmu permainan muzik yang mendalam.

Faktor keempat adalah kesan perniagaan mempengaruhi keputusan dalam seni. Dunia seni (bukan dunia hiburan popular) pada hari ini sangatlah dipengaruhi oleh kuasa-kuasa perniagaan dan elemen-elemennya seperti permintaan dan penawaran; contohnya mahukan persembahan perlulah menepati suatu ciri-ciri yang dikehendaki. Dalam erti kata lain, seni perlu mengalami proses-proses ala ISO untuk diberi pengikitirafan, peluang mempersembahkan karya, dan sudah tentunya modal untuk menghasilkan sesuatu ciptaan baru. Seni pada hari ini tidak lagi menjadi kehendak seniman (ya, semua jenis seni) namun kehendak pasaran. Seni tidak lagi menjadi satu wadah penghasilan estetika, tetapi lebih kepada medium menonjolkan identiti dan lubuk rezeki. Sembilan simfoni karangan Franz Schubert, seniman (pekerjaan sebenarnya ialah guru sekolah) Jerman di zaman Romantik (kurun 19), tidak pernah didengari atau dipersembahkan oleh komposernya sendiri semasa hidupnya; tragis tetapi mengapakah beliau sanggup menulis sembilan karya muzik yang berskala besar?

Faktor kelima adalah keegoan kita untuk mengakui bahawa kita tidak cukup ilmu dalam bidang seni. Sedangkan karya-karya penulisan tidak dititikberatkan di sekolah (apakah gunanya sekiranya sastera dijawab secara objektif; sesiapapun boleh teka jawapannnya), apatah lagi karya-karya agung seni muzik. Tetapi apabila masyarakat yang boleh mendengar tetapi tidak tahu. Apa gunanya menyimpan muzik sebanyak 50,000 lagu di dalam iPod atau mp3 tetapi muzik itu hanya mampu menghiburkan kita, tetapi tidak membuat kita berhenti, mendengar dan berfikir sejenak…… Indahnya ciptaan Ilahi, untuk kita membezakan antara kicau burung dan aliran sungai yang menginspirasi sesuatu melodi. Muzik telah dipelajari di barat sejak 2000 tahun yang lalu (Pytahgoras a²=b²+c² ingat, tetapi beliau juga memulakan dasar talaan bunyi untuk kegunaan hari ini). Bagaimanakah kita untuk menguasai ilmu ini sekiranya hanya tahu memegang gitar untuk menghasilkan kord tetapi bukannya polifoni.

Tidakkah kita berasa aneh apabila seniman Melayu agung seperti P Ramlee masih tidak dapat dicari ganti setelah 53 tahun merdeka? Adakah kita benar-benar memerlukan program pencarian bintang P Ramlee; peserta yang meniru bulat-bulat gaya P Ramlee dari segi pakaian, interpretasi lagu, mimik muka, jenaka dan segalanya tentang legenda ini. Adakah ini akan menghasilkan pengganti P Ramlee? Tidakkah kita terfikir bahawa bakat muzik perlu diasah sejak kecil, terutamanya melalui pendidikan formal? Kesimpulannya, janganlah kita merasa terkilan apabila kita tidak mampu melahirkan seniman agung sedangkan ilmu tentang pelayaran seni masih tidak kuasai. Izinkan saya mengupas sepatah dua kata oleh seniman agung Malaysia itu pada satu temubual yang didokumentasikan sewaktu beliau masih hidup (baru sekarang mahu tayang):
“Pendidikan muzik harus diajar sejak kecil…. Sekiranya tidak diajar tentang lagu-lagu tradisional, dalam 20-30 tahun akan pupus.” – P Ramlee

Namun persoalannya, adakah beliau hanya kita mengajar tentang lagu semata-mata; bagaimana dengan instrumentasi, ensembel, teknik persembahan, sejarah, dan sebagainya? Marilah kita hayati maksud tersirat beliau ini.

Dawn: A New Chapter in My Life

Few months ago, I have just finished my studies with Vice Chancellor’s List Award. I also had closed my Facebook account due to serious privacy concerns. Now, I’m starting to blog again, to communicate with people who wants to know what’s going on in my life. Honestly, I don’t agree of the idea of writing everything about one’s life in the cyberspace.  For me, it just doesn’t make sense. However, it is unfair for people that truthfully desire to know and to care about what’s going on in my life. Therefore, I’ll try to update about my general life more.

Let’s talk about my recent event, well… On July 17th, I conducted two songs which sung by the SMK (P) Sri Aman choir, accompanied by the orchestra. As the orchestra coach, it is my job to train my musicians to make the best sound, the concert did went well but I do want to express my dissatisfaction over certain matters. Everybody knows that the road to success is through hard work, but I would like to add that success can only be achieved when you realize and make adjustment to your weakness.  Two attributes that I couldn’t stand the most, arrogance without sensibility. I just felt disheartened when people who claimed to know; to spread their teachings of art failed to just do the most simple thing on earth; asking questions.  If you can’t do a certain job on your own, ask for help. That’s why we have musical friends; unless we think them as our competitors for our own survival. Personally, I don’t need a naive apology, but the girls who happened to be in that group really deserved it, and their parents really need explanation. I’m saying this because those who had the musical capacity knows the definition of preparations.

Now, I’m a freelance musician but serious music educator. I love to educate people about music, why would I choose this path? Some people took it for glory. Always want to be the super star, the PhD in this blah blah blah crap. In the days of Vivadi and Bach, music is learned for higher means. Some skeptics criticize the lack of music conservatory is the cause and the reason. If these people are truthful about their mission, they won’t be complaining but already start figuring out what can be done to achieve that goal. They also have to bear in mind whether is there any better way to achieve it. I’m trying my best to give the best music exposures to my student, so they actually can make a choice between what is okay and what is great. In that way, they are given the room to analyze their weakness or disadvantages, but it is the educator job to instill belief in them, not to find the next Mozart nor Beethoven but to create that next magical moment. What kind of story would you keep in your life? Your first kiss or the bar 39 at Alban Berg violin concerto? In conclusion, magic can’t be made without illusion. Being unprepared is such an obvious thing.

Cabaran Pembelajaran Muzik Di Malaysia (2010)

Oleh Ahmad Aliff Yusof

Muzik boleh didefinisikan sebagai cabang seni yang melibatkan pengolahan dan pengorganisasian tenaga bunyi. Seni muzik meliputi banyak perkara yang amat berkait rapat dalam kehidupan manusia. Sebagai contoh, muzik digunakan dalam nyanyian, tarian, majlis, upacara adat istiadat, keagamaan, perniagaan dan sebagainya. Tidak keterlaluan untuk menyatakan bahawa manusia dan muzik tidak dapat dipisahkan.

Walaubagaimanapun, pembelajaran muzik di Malaysia seringkali tidak dipandang dengan serius. Pendidikan seni muzik yang diajar di sekolah kebangsaan hanyalah diwajibkan sehingga Darjah Enam. Seringkali kita mendengar bahawa kelas muzik hanyalah tertumpu kepada aspek nyanyian dan permainan rekorder [aspek ritma kebiasaannya tidak ditekankan langung]. Seringkali juga kita mendengar bahawa kelas muzik untuk Darjah Enam digantikan dengan salah satu subjek peperiksaan Ujian Penilaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) di sesetengah sekolah. Lebih buruk daripada itu, golongan pendidik pernah mencadangkan untuk menggantikan kelas muzik untuk kelas intensif bahasa Inggeris. Ironinya, pelajar-pelajar sekolah rendah inilah yang akan mengisi tempat ahli politik, pendidik, golongan profesional, ibu bapa, dan yang juga akan mengajar Negaraku untuk generasi akan datang. Adakah kita benar-benar perlu mengorbankan masa dan hak mereka – untuk menerokai dan memahami ilmu tentang bunyi di sekeliling mereka – demi menjadikan mereka lebih cekap bertutur dan menulis? Adakah kita hanya mahukan generasi yang hanya ada gaya tetapi tiada pengisian diri?

Tidak semua pelajar ini akan mampu menyambung pengajian muzik mereka di sekolah menengah. Kebanyakannya tidak mampu untuk menyertai kelas muzik di sekolah-sekolah muzik swasta. Ada segelintir yang bernasib baik berpeluang menyertai kelab-kelab muzik atau pancaragam sekolah. Antara faktor utama yang menghalang pengajian muzik adalah kos. Sebagai contoh, seseorang yang ingin mempelajari muzik perlu mengeluarkan wang untuk membeli peralatan muzik dan bahan pembelajaran, membayar yuran pengajian serta kos pengangkutan untuk mempelajari ilmu muzik. Kesemua ini memerlukan kos yang sangat tinggi dan tidak semua ibu bapa mampu melabur dalam pendidikan muzik. Lebih menyedihkan lagi, ada segelinitir ibu bapa yang mampu tidak sanggup untuk mengeluarkan wang untuk pembelajaran muzik kerana ia dianggap membazir. Perkara yang boleh disoalkan di sini adalah; berapakah bayaran yang perlu dijelaskan untuk menjadikan seseorang individu itu berdisiplin, prihatin, jujur, sabar, kreatif, artisitik, dan sebagainya? Di sini, kita boleh melihat bahawa wang ringgit tidak mampu menghasilkan nilai-nilai tersebut; dan nilai-nilai ini ialah sifat asas yang perlu ada dalam muzik.

Selain daripada kos yang tinggi, persepsi negatif di kalangan segelintir ibu-bapa, guru, dan masyarakat terhadap pendidikan muzik menghalang individu yang berkemungkinan berbakat. Mereka beranggapan bahawa muzik tidak mempunyai masa hadapan dan menjamin pendapatan yang lumayan. Selain itu, bidang ini juga kadangkala dianggap sebagai pilihan terakhir untuk mereka yang kecundang dalam akademik. Persoalan yang pertama, adakah golongan  ini tahu tentang masa hadapan; mungkinkah mereka mempunyai kepakaran menilik nasib dalam bebola kristal? Persoalan seterusnya, adakah pemuzik perlu didefinisikan sebagai orang yang lemah tentang ilmu-ilmu lain; Al-Khindi, Albert Einstein, Pythagoras serta banyak ilmuan lain yang juga seorang pemuzik? Antara kerjaya yang dianggap popular di Malaysia adalah doktor, jurutera, peguam, guru, dan sebagainya. Namun berapa ramaikah ibu bapa yang mampu mendengar impian anak mereka untuk menjadi insan seni? Kita mengetahui bahawa pembelajaran muzik yang serius tidak menjamin seseorang individu akan menjadi seorang penggiat seni mahupun bintang ternama. Walaubagaimanapun, nilai-nilai murni yang telah diterapkan dalam pendidikan muzik itu tadi mampu menjadikan mereka doktor yang lebih mendengar, jurutera yang lebih peka, peguam yang lebih konsisten, dan guru yang lebih kreatif.

Kesimpulannya, Malaysia masih lagi ketinggalan dalam menghasilkan ilmuwan muzik yang mempunyai gabungan antara kebijaksanaan minda, kelembutan jiwa, dan kemahiran teknik permainan yang mengkagumkan. Kita tidak boleh menyalahkan muzik kerana melalaikan generasi muda dan membuatkan mereka terjebak di dalam gejala sosial; kerana segala bentuk hiburan telah dianggap muzik dan kita telah menyajikan mereka dengan ideologi ini sejak kecil. Bidang seni, terutamanya bidang muzik haruslah difahami secara tepat tanpa sebarang prejudis dan syakwasangka kerana muzik dilihat melalui telinga, dimainkan melalui hati. Pembelajaran muzik haruslah dilihat sebagai wahana pengisian hidup seseorang manusia yang tidak dapat digantikan dengan wang ringgit. Marilah kita renungi kata-kata pujangga ini; “Semua orang akan mati; tetapi tidak semua orang hidup.”

© 2010 Ahmad Aliff Yusof. Hak Cipta Terpelihara.

Expression 3: Elegi I

Description
An elegy can be described as a sad song. The elegy term is used in this poem in Malay language to describe the sadness of the poet; longing for the past, uncertain about his future.

Elegi I by Ahmad Aliff (2009)

Telah aku meredahi jalan,
Yang berliku tiada pedoman,
Segalanya derita,
Sungguh sepi,
Adakah ini permulaan realiti?

Diri ini kau t’lah temani,
Dari cahaya pelita kasih,
Dan aku telah alpa ‘tuk hargai,
Cahayanya terpadam,
Dan ku kesal; tiada erti.

Andai masa dapat kuulangi,
Andai kata dapat mengubati,
Berakhirlah episod gembira,
Dengan derita yang masih setia.

Haruskah kuteruskan perjalanan ini?
Bersama dengan hanya diriku sendiri,
Tanpa hati ‘tuk dilukakan,
Tanpa jiwa ‘tuk dikecewakan,
Gagal atau berjaya,
‘Kan kutetap berbangga,
Kerana itu semua kulakukan dengan rela.

Namun andai ada yan menghajati,
‘Tuk bersama mencari erti hidup ini,
Haruskahku membiarkan?
Haruskahku menidakkan?
Apakahku mendustakan segala kebahagiaan,
Dengan penuh curiga,
Hanya kerana tak sanggup bergelita lagi.

Seketika, kuhentikan langkah ini,
Agar aku dapat memahami,
Makna sebuah pengembaraan,
Ada pada saat ia bermula.

Moga sinar cahayakan kembali,
Moga yang setia bukan lagi sepi,
Untuk aku akhiri satu perjalanan,
Ke destinasi penuh kepastian.

Expression 2: Andai Aku Di Sana

Program Note
I’ve posted this poem in my previous blogs but since my blog has been removed, I feel that I need to put this post as a sign of respect to those who had respected me. This poem is actually lyrics of the song I wrote in 2006, entitled ‘Andainya Ku Di Sana’, a song about a guy who was longing for the person he used to care about, but did not what had happen to her. However, in 2009, a mysterious girl had came to the poet’s life through text messages , without him knowing the real identity of this person. However it was a shocking discovery after one of his friends told the news of her death; it was one of his colleauge at his college. Instead of mourning for her lost, the poet felt relieved as her worldy pain is over though it was utterly sad because did not have a chance to say goodbye. He believed that people will only feel sad when they lost someone, because they just did not treat them well during their life. He prayed that her afterlife would be better than what she used to have in this world. May she  join the glorious people who had faith in God- Amin.

To whom I found after your lost….

Andai Aku Di Sana by Ahmad Aliff Yusof (2009 ed)

Prolog
Teringat akan dirimu,
Terasaku kehadiranmu,
Setelah sekian lama,
Kau hilang di mata.

Pergimu mengejar mimpi,
Ke mana? Tak kupasti,
Adakah engkau bahagia;
Atau sengsara?
Segalanya tak dapat kutahu.

I.
Andai aku di sana,
‘Tuk menemani hati,
‘Tuk mengubati luka,
‘Tuk menghiburkan sepi.

Namun andaiku tiada,
Janganlah kau menangis,
Kerana masih ada,
Yang menyayangi.

II.
Masih tiada jawapan,
Tinggal kini hanya harapan,
Masihkah kau mengingati,
Akan diri ini?
Andai kau pernah kuluka,
Maafkanlah aku.

III.
Andai engkau di sana,
Sejahtera ceria,
Akanku terasa bahagia,
Mendengar darimu khabar gembira.

Namun andai di sana,
Kau berduka lara hiba,
Jiwaku ‘kan turut tersiksa,
Andai ku ketahui dikau derita.

Kurindui dirimu,
Kudoakan dirmu,
Andai engkau ingin kembali,
Disini ku menanti.

Epilog
Andai engkau di sini,
‘Kan kutemani hati,
‘Kan kunyatakan cinta,
‘Tuk merahsiakan kasih.

Namun kau telah pergi,
Tidak aku menangis,
Kerana dirimu ada,
Yang Lebih Menyayangi.

(Doa)
Wahai Tuhan Yang Esa,
Hanya Engkau Yang Kuasa,
Limpahkanlah Rahmat-Mu,
Dengan Keampunan-Mu.

Semoga bahagia,
Semoga sejahtera
Semoga lebih indah,
Dari dunia yang fana.

Thoughts 1: Is accreditation from music examination providers relevant?

1. Currently, we can see that more parents in this country send their children to music classes. Many of them believed that it is a good activity after school. Moreover, parents mostly have the tendency to be proud of academic achievement i.e. certificates, high grades in examination, talent recognized by an international examination board, etc.

2. I recently involved in a music camp of an orchestra which comprised of talented young musicians. During a casual chat with a group of young violinists, they seemed to be proud of what they have achieve in their music examination e.g. Diploma from Trinity or Royal School. They do have the technical capabilities of producing sound beautifully, but it seems that by having a Diploma in such a young age, maturity in playing is relatively low.

3. How to get a music diploma from boards such as Trinity College, Royal School of Music, London College of Music, Australian Music Examination Board, etc.? The procedure ain’t that difficult. A violinist could practice their pieces, scales, sight reading, etc. thoroughly few months before taking an examination. The parents are proud when their children can score distinction in their examination.

4. The question is what’s next? There’s no module of ensemble playing; an important way of music making because in professional music performance, many musicians perform in an ensemble rather than performing solo.

5. At some private music schools in Malaysia, ensemble playing is not really their main concern. Music students are being coerced to swallow every spoon that their teachers fed; no questions really asked and many teachers don’t really like questions. The students are mechanically program to play a specific piece or specific scales according to the teachers or the system that the school has set.

6. When these students were put in an orchestra,  they can play the repertoires quite well, but often lack of soul and lack sense of expression. I can say that I have encountered many desk partners in orchestra who writes instruction on the parts e.g. soft, don’t rush, one-two, on the string. Why are they doing this? Because that is what being told by their teachers; the same approach they will do on their exam pieces.

7. From what I’ve read, people in baroque music expressed their music more freely compared to the modern performers. Playing music is about expressing what is right; there are two things that you write in a part, techniques/ instructions and expressions e.g. sadly, happily. I hardly seen any of my orchestra colleagues write expressions, but only techniques. I can deduct that most of these musicians only do music from what they see but not what they imagine about the sound they are going to produce.

8. Stage fright is an element that music examinations did not cover, most people think that stage fright is something normal and it will go after several performances. That’s not right; I played violin for more than a decade, I didn’t know what causes stage fright, and still make mistakes because of stage fright. Until I discovered that there are many ways to overcome it.

9. In music examinations for instruments and singers, many of the students will perform to only the examiner, so where is the performance? Performing for someone that you don’t know is more frightening than someone that you know quite well. When you’re frightened, there is tendency to make mistakes and the examiners will only rate you from what they see and hear. The goal is to impress examiners but not to impress the music itself. Just imagine when we play a Beethoven piece for Dr. Someone or to Beethoven himself, which one is more exciting and stimulating when assuming that Beethoven is just a student composer (when he wrote his first violin sonata, he was just a student).

9. Why this matter is a concern for me? After 13 years of violin playing, I just realized that I only started to learn the violin now, before I was just imitating and followed instructions that had been given. And then we think that music examination is an indicator of musicianship or the level of education that we receive during our instrumental classes?

10. Therefore, I strongly urge that people here will not take music examination accreditation as the benchmark of social acceptance because music making is more than scoring distinction in a Fellowship examination.

Expression 1: Why I Like You

Prologue
1. From what I’ve understand about the word expression, it is the noun form of the word to express; which means to create a clear statement from one party to another party through communication for i.e. speech and written. In short, expressing can be an act to pronounce what is being thought in one’s mind to another.

2. If we use the Act of Contracts 1950, an offer can be considered taken if it’s being expressed i.e.  agreeing in words; written or verbally or implied i.e. agreeing in form other than words; nodding, etc. (Gibran Agi Abdul Ghaffar, 2008).

3. I’m using this post to express and the same time implying what do I feel about this someone who just recently came into my life, but have made signifiance improvement towards it. I can’t thank her enough but she asked me reasons why do I enjoy her presence in my life currently?

4. Therefore, this post is actually a response to her simple but intriguing question. I hope that the one concerned with this post will find this answer satisfying.

When the sun glared through the lens,
Through the worm hole of the aperture,
As the symphony of shutters cracked the vagueness of my heart.

1. Thou hath entered my shattered heart through it’s sealed door of sorrow.
2. Thou hath taught me that the fruits of patience comes through sincerity and undying passion.
3. Thou hath lit and warmed the darkness of my freezing yesternights.
4. And thou hath shed and showered me with silvery drizzles through the glaring  heat of the days.
5.  Is this a traumerëi? I  am yet to take nothing but thy potrait.
6.  Certainly this is not a rêverie. And I am yet to leave nothing but the sweetest of memory.
7.  The sneezes of lies hath turned by thee into an aria of truth.
8. Through the aperture of thine eyes, a sonata of life being composed so smooth…..
9. Verily, the picture of a true love means more than the words of thousands.
10. Even with its dusts and scratches; I like thee anyway, do I truly need a reason?

Epilogue
1. I hope that by expressing myself through this post,the person who asked the questions will be answered. I’m neither a philosopher or a poet, but I do believe that what I’m trying to express and imply will be considered with utmost care.

2. Please, if you really need to copy a portion or the whole post for your whatsoever reasons, don’t forget to quote the source from this wordpress. If this post seemed to be taken from someone, please notify the blogmaster where the similarities had occureds so proper acknowledgement can be made.

3. For the one who seek her answers, “UYO WKNO THWA MI GTIYNR OT PXSESR; OMA UT”

Reflections 1: Music and Sound

1. Musicians are one of the most unique profession on earth. They make sound from their instruments and manipulates the emotion of the people who are listening to them.

2. Musicians come from various socioeconomic backgrounds and demography. Everywhere in this world, people listen to music, plays music and sometimes needed to face the music.

3. Musicians speak what do they have in mind through a medium called musical instrument. A music instrument is a device which derived various form of kinethics energy from human body to produce sound. One can hit, scratch, blow, pluck, etc. to make sound. In general, musicians take such actions to produce the sound they needed.

4. Sound is a truly enigmatic entity. It always amazed me how the vibrations produced by the musicians can touch one’s emotions. Sound contributes many factor to human’s life; it can be a cause for a great or disastrous life. For example, even though not thoroughly proven, the type of music can determine the attitude of a person. I know one person who can’t even sleep without the radio turned on loudly.

5. Music is the art of manipulating sound properties such as timbre, pitch, duration and intensity. Timbre is about how the sound is produced e.g. you hit them and pluck the instrument will give you different sound. Pitch is the highness and lowness of sound, for example a male voice generally sounds lower than female voice; the higher the vibration produced, the higher the pitch is. Duration is about how long is the sound being made, either it’s long or short. Intensity for this general purpose means how loud or soft the sound being produced.

6. Many people think that music is merely about entertaining people, but not many really care to ask why the sound of the music can touch their heart. For me, what’s the difference between a musician and mp3 player if music is just about entertaining? Therefore I totally disagreed by labelling musicians as people who entertain people, for me they are the mysterious teachers of life. But allow me to quote the epitaph of Gustav Mahler’s tombstone, “Those only who seek me will find me, the rest will not.” For me, only those who seek knowledge will truly understand.

A New Hope: Evolution

1. First of all, this is the third time I needed to open up a new blog link because my previous blogs had been abused and misintepreted by some irresponsible parties.

2. Second thing, a blog is a great channel for me to express myself but not all people can take criticism since they tend to be very emotional about it. They also find that they only dare to speak up in the virtual world, rather than speak up in the real world.

3. The most important things within a blog is actually thougts because thoughts will influence the way we behave. However, thoughts without proper reasoning, research, analysis, etc. could be misleading and leads to improper actions. Improper actions will result undesired effects in either short or long term.

4. Improvement is one of the most important aspect of human lives; without evolution, human just could not survive. They need to learn and adapt to their environments which always change. It can be learned through experience such as trial and error which is a natural way of learning process.

5. However there are something in life that can’t be risked at all time. What makes the human race survived other species because they have evolved into species that can learn, understand and applying new concepts to the environment. They are the only species on the planet which has database, books, journals, etc. so what benefits to one can benefit to others. Humans can neither fly nor spray out fire from their mouth; but humans can find elements to generate or experience them. One thing for sure, they always improve day by day.

6. Therefore, I believe that I must improve the way on how I write a blog. In this blog, I hope it will be more systematic and easier for the public to understand. I also believe that blogging is a good way of expressing my side of story.  I’m just a human, I make mistake, but I’m privilleged because I have been granted minds to think, and hands to act. Therefore, as I stated in previous blogs, thoughts are worth not to be  penned but to be done.

7. Allow me to paraphrase exquisite words of Dale Carnegie who expressed that fools can criticize and condemn, but only those who are wise can understand and forgive.

8. Hope that this blog would be beneficial to some who read them. Salam and peace to al of you.

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