Blast to the Past

I've learned to appreciate history throughout my life. It's one thing we can learn from to improve our future. Looking back can also apply to music. In high school choir we sang a Japanese, Chinese, and Norwegian song. Yes, all the languages were difficult to learn and sometimes the songs we so over sung that they weren't very fun to sing anymore. One day, our teacher decided to explain to us why he chose those songs. I'm from Tacoma, Washington and my teacher loves to ride his bike around and just enjoy downtown and learn different stories about our city and what contributed to make it what it is today. He taught us about the Japanese internment camps, about Chinese immigrants that settled and kept their traditions. Norwegians who developed architecture. It was fascinating and gave a greater appreciation for the songs we were singing. We understood the purpose of them and gained insight to the melting pot of our own hometown. I've since realized how important it is to learn all you can about the songs that you perform whether it's singing or playing an instrument and how it can really have an impact on the attitude you have while you rehearse and as a result, can affect the outcome of the performance. I encourage all musicians to learn something about each and every song and see the difference it makes. I know that your love for music will increase and you will be a lot smarter!