貓鎮的小公寓
Where Hui & Little Cat Dwell

I can tell you (and myself) how each note can be better in this recording: what part is missing in the guitar accompaniment, which note is off, which note I should sing lighter, and which note I should hold longer.

But I’m not going to.

This is me, singing late at night with sleepy eyes and coarse voice.

And that is what matters now.

因為我說了要唱首歌的.

小學五六年級的時候老師常叫我們背 “方向” 裡的短文. 現在一篇都不記得了. 說老實話, 一個十一二歲的孩子哪懂得解讀什麼人生大道理呢?

好像從小到大腦子裡被塞進很多所謂的大道理. 但當面臨一些抉擇或者是疑惑的時候, 除了一些 “順其自然” 或者是 “follow your heart” 之類的建議, 好像並沒有什麼太實際的幫助. 而當你反過來想要問很多的 “為什麼”, 得到的又是類似 “不要想太多”, “Just Do It!” 的告誡.

想多少是想太多呢? 當不確定自己想做的是什麼, 或是只有一個模糊的概念的時候, 到底 “Do It!” 是要 Do 什麼呢?

Don’t get me wrong, I am doing *something*. 每個禮拜去學唱歌彈吉他, 找一大堆有的沒的來練; 聽音樂, 聽演唱會, 試著要讓自己更清楚自己想要的到底是什麼. 可是… 我還是什麼都喜歡, 什麼都可以. 我是應該高興自己可以 handle 很多不同的 music styles, 還是應該對自己什麼都愛插一腳的個性感到憂心呢?
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C Am Dm G7

第一次聽到人家這麼說的時候真的是愣了一下, “啊? 什麼無敵?”

腦子轉了一下, “大概是好久以前親愛的老弟教我的歡樂年華吧…”

吉他學了好一陣子, 最近才算比較認真的在練習. 沒辦法, 找不到人幫我伴奏又沒有 band 要我, 只好靠自己… 不過靠自己又出現了另外一個問題:

“How to play guitar and sing at the same time?”

後來發現, 其實答案很簡單: 基本上, 就是要一直練習就對了…

絞盡腦汁想了很久到底有什麼我想唱的歌可以用無敵四和絃來伴奏… (真的不是很想錄歡樂年華…)

靈機一動, “好像很久以前在書上看到有所謂的 oldies chords… 會不會是同一件事呢?”

C Am F G

有兩個一樣… 但其實 G7 只是 G 再加上一個音… F… 只要是 C 大調的歌用 F 通常是不會有什麼問題的的… (啊吉他老師要是知道了一定很感動…)

然後不知道為什麼, 就開始練 Earth Angel 了…

其實這首歌還沒練的很好, 所有唱歌的毛病好像都跑出來了; 吉他嘛… 有一個地方和絃非常明顯的彈錯, 還有幾個地方聽的出來有點猶豫… 但我想這就當個, 終於可以自彈自唱錄一首歌下來的里程碑好了…

以後應該大部分的時候還是會吉他跟唱歌的部分分開錄吧…

還是如果再一直練習下去就可以了呢?

Hm…

無論如何, 總是要在生日的時候許個願是吧? ^^

OK, first things first: the sound quality of this clip is hideous. So all you recording purists out there, don’t even attempt to listen to it (and if you do, don’t complain to me that the recording quality is horrendous. ;)

“Why did you even bother to put a clip like this up on your blog, then?” You asked.

Well…

I haven’t been recording my singing for quite awhile now, and I thought it’s time for me to do so. My idea is that, once I start doing it, I’ll continue to do so; also, I guess after taking voice lessons for two years, maybe it’s time for me to *ahem* get organized and document what I’ve been doing in my lessons.

I always learn something no matter how I perform in the workshop. Tonight happened to be a good one, the only good one in the last few months, actually. You’ll hear me talk about what I learned in the bad ones in the future, I guarantee you… :P

So, what did I learn tonight? (more…)

I couldn’t believe I didn’t find out about it until now (or, maybe I should be happy to realilze that because I do have a life, I didn’t have a chance to listen to XM’s Channel 8 on Saturday afternoons.) They’re broadcasting Casey Kasem’s American Top 40 on XM’s Channel 8 on Saturday afternoons!

It’s actually a little creepy to think that I might be listening to the exact same episode 20 years ago. Ugh!

It’s not that I have not heard these songs again after, err, 1986. Somehow listening to the same guy talking about all the numbers, “Long Distance Dedications”, and the “great radio stations” that air this show just brings me back to those Sunday afternoons when I only wanted to plant myself in front of my boombox listening to (one of those “great” radio stations) ICRT.

There ARE something different, though. After taking some music lessons (casually) in the last few years, it seems like I can pick out something that I’ve never noticed before when listening to these songs. I found myself repeating some nice vocal phrases after listening to them, paying more attention to instrument solos, or even thinking, “I wonder if this song can be arranged differently.”

And I can’t help but thinking, why can’t I have music lessons like this back in school?

Somehow most of my knowledge in music (and English) were acquired before high school. All I remember from high school’s music lesson was, “There is no sharp and flat in the key of C.” (Do 大調不升不降). How can they make these interesting things sound so boring?

I wonder how many things I’ve missed because I was never shown how interesting they can be. But then, if I can listen to the radio show I probably missed 20 years ago, what else can’t be made up? :)

最近常常會聽到一首歌. 流行吧? 不管是在 top 20, alternative, 或是偏小眾的電台都會聽到.

歌中的故事其實很簡單, 但說故事的人把它描述得很令人感動. 屬於那種, 對不同的人會有不同的意義的歌…

但(一開始不知道為什麼)同事們一聽到那首歌, 或看到擺在 Starbucks 裡賣的 CD, 評語卻是, “Oh, it’s THAT guy.” “It’s THAT song.” 似乎這是件很可笑的事.

很困惑的問了一下同事才知道, 原來是 SNL 之前播了一段取笑這首歌的 music video 的喜劇. 所以, 號稱不聽流行音樂的同事們, 對這首歌的印象是, “啊, 就是那個在 video 裡把衣服一件件脫掉的男的.”

而我也只是在旁邊慶幸, 還好我很少看電視, 也不愛看 music videos, 不然對這首歌的印象不就是大大的被破壞了嗎?

但慶幸歸慶幸, 畢竟我還是很好奇的. 能寫出這麼美的一首歌, 怎麼會願意拍一個很可笑的 music video 呢?
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To make sure that I do understand these two words correctly, here are the definitions of the words from Merriam-Webster OnLine:

Main Entry: folk song
Function: noun
: a traditional or composed song typically characterized by stanzaic form, refrain, and simplicity of melody

Main Entry: mod·ern
Pronunciation: ‘mä-d&rn, ÷’mä-d(&-)r&n
Function: adjective
Etymology: Late Latin modernus, from Latin modo just now, from modus measure — more at METE
1 a : of, relating to, or characteristic of the present or the immediate past : CONTEMPORARY b : of, relating to, or characteristic of a period extending from a relevant remote past to the present time
2 : involving recent techniques, methods, or ideas : UP-TO-DATE
3 capitalized : of, relating to, or having the characteristics of the present or most recent period of development of a language
4 : of or relating to modernism : MODERNIST

So I guess these two words don’t contradict each other like I originally thought.

一個 (acoustic) 吉他手, 一個打擊樂手, 一個大提琴手, 一個 (客串的) 鍵盤手, 當然還有我啦! 如果能有一個會吹陶笛的來幫忙那就更完美了.

啊… 難怪我一直會覺得我是不是不適合唱團…

以前一直沒朝這方面想, 可能已經被標準的樂團編制給制約了. 今天在最近一天到晚聽的 XM 頻道上聽到這首歌, 後來在 napster 上找到了 Damien Rice 的專輯, 一整天就反反覆覆的在聽他的歌. 不知道為什麼, 給了我這個靈感.

在 iTunes 上, Damien Rice 的歌被歸類為 “Modern Folk”, 現代民謠風?

那這樣表示, 下次有人問我那個我一直不太知道該怎麼回答的, “你喜歡哪種類型的音樂” 的問題時, 我就可以抬頭挺胸的說, 我喜歡 “現代民謠” 嘛? 所以現代民謠就是, “旋律簡單歌詞詩意的現代音樂”. 可, 反過來說, “旋律簡單歌詞詩意的現代音樂” 可不見得是 Modern Folk 啊!

基本上我一直不是很理解為什麼音樂會被分成這麼多類. 大家常常會問, 你是哪一類的歌手啊? 你的曲風是什麼啊? 可是, 我, 我就都喜歡嘛! 我喜歡唱 Joni Mitchell, Stevie Wonder, New Orders, 陳綺貞也不賴. 那這樣我的曲風到底是什麼? 我到底該加入什麼樣的樂團呢?

為什麼我們常常得要找到一個盒子把自己裝起來, 才會被自己和別人認同呢? 我其實很想看看這許多不同的盒子裡裝的東西啊…

難怪最近這麼流行 tagging 照片. 常常一張照片真的沒辦法只歸類到一個相簿裡啊! 那, 我也要來 tag 我的 mp3s. 這樣之後是不是就會生出一個 Hui-list? 然後…

下次人家再問我喜歡什麼音樂的時候, 我就可以理直氣壯的說, 我喜歡 tagged 成 “Hui” 的音樂! ;)

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Found this old post (written last September) in my un-published queue this afternoon… I still think it makes sense, so guess it’s time to publish it. :)

我還真隨便. ~”~

搞半天我想來想去想的都是同一件事… 笨死了.

Bob Dylan may not be the greatest singer or instrumentalist, but he’s a great artist, or poet, as some would say.

He is able to express himself effectively to his audience, and that’s probably the most important thing an artist needs to do.

PBS’s running a show - Bob Dylan: No Direction Home - lately. Very interesting.

“Why do you sing?”
“Just because I feel like singing.”

這幾天剛好在公共電視上看到一個新節目: Bob Dylan: No Direction Home.

練歌常會練到忘記唱歌的目的到底是什麼.

聲音再怎麼優美技巧再怎麼純熟都是不夠的. 想唱歌, 想要表達一些什麼的心情才最重要.

那是不是同理可証, 學了再多的技巧知道再多的 tricks 都是沒有用的呢?

要拿這些學到的東西來 做什麼. 那些 什麼 才是最重要的吧.

這陣子不知道為什麼連著聽了好多次演唱/演奏會.

其中有幾次是在學吉他的店裡. 剛好兩個有名的吉他手都在上個月為了他們代言的吉他來宣傳. (代言聽起來好像有點厶ㄨㄥˊ, 可我也實在不知道有什麼更好的說法. ~”~)

LJ 是非常非常有名的, 樂迷眾多的吉他手. 他的 *免費* 小型演奏會自然吸引了不少聽眾. 那天小小的音樂室裡擠了總有四五十個人吧? LJ 說, 這是一場 “互動演奏會”, 鼓勵大家在曲子之間問他問題.

樂迷的問題有時候真的是很有趣. 對 LJ 的問題尤其是集中在技巧方面. 其實我在台下一直偷偷在想, 高深的技巧就算得到了 LJ 的答案, 大部分的人也都還是彈不出來吧…

終於, 在 LJ 用木吉他演奏完包括所有 bass lines 跟間奏的, 頑皮豹主題曲後, 有人問了一個比較有意思/沒大腦 (depending on how you look at it ;) 的問題:

“When do you know you’re ‘DONE’ with an arrangement?”

LJ 做了一個我覺得是他對整晚所有問題的回答:

“It’s not about ‘what’ you play; it’s about ‘why’ you play.”

我甚至記得他在講這句話時的表情.

這已經不只是音樂了.

然後我想起了在另一個演唱/演奏會的一幕…

Jamie Cullum 在唱最後一首歌的時候走下了舞台, 在有一兩千人的觀眾席之間走動著.

這其實不是什麼很稀奇的情景, but…

在他開始往舞台的方向移動後, 他做手勢要大家跟著他走.

一開始沒有什麼動靜.

過了幾秒, 一個, 兩個, 三個, 上百個人從他們的位子上站起來, 走向走道, 跟著他一起往舞台的方向前進. 不知道為什麼, 有一種很神聖的感覺.

這些人在舞台前聚集, 隨著音樂的節奏搖擺, Jamie Cullum 跳上舞台, 一面彈琴一面唱歌.

他說, “This is how it should be!”

and I think this is why he plays…

So, why?

*思考*

it’s hard for me to stop my heart
love never knows when the time is right
i don’t want to hurt anybody but
can’t help loving you

i never felt like this before
i know this is passion worth waiting for
let love take its course
that’s the only thing for us to do

we’ve got time, oh baby, there’s no rush
there’s gonna be a better day for us
hang on, and i will wait for you
our love will always stay as good as new

time and tide
nothing and no one can stop us now
for better, for worse,
this time i’m sure it’s gonna last

how can i stop my heart
love never knows when the time is right
i don’t want to hurt anybody
don’t want to make them cry

we’ve got time, oh baby, there’s no rush
there’s gonna be a better day for us
hang on, and i will wait for you
our love will always stay as good as new

it’s just a matter time
only a matter of time
it’s just a matter of…

time and tide
nothing and no one can stop us now
for better, for worse,
this time i’m sure it’s gonna last, gonna last forever

we’ve got time, oh baby, there’s no rush
there’s gonna be a better day for us
hang on, and i will wait for you
our love will always stay as good as new...