14/07/20

gentle reminder: you are very capable and I’m excited for your future

slightly less gentle reminder: you do have to work for it

01/10/20

chem test number 2 tomorrow !

Do you have any ideas on how to improve the accessibility of classical music? Playing the instruments, watching performances, etc.

that’s kind of a broad topic. there’s the issue of classical music not being as accessible to people who have a lower income, younger people, historically excluded ethnic groups, people who want to go see a symphony perform and not get dirty glances for wearing jeans to attend the concert, people who want to clap between movements without getting dirty glances and feeling “uncultured,” and so on. 

I could make a post in detail about all of these particular aspects, and people can feel free to add their opinion on the subject to this post, but I’ll say this:

we gotta stop pushing the idea that mozart was like the best classical composer ever. he was obviously talented and made some good music, but non-musicians think that mozart’s music is what all classical music sounds like and so they don’t feel the need to listen to composers who wrote drastically different musical works but can still be heard in the concert halls. classical music is a broad genre written by thousands and thousands of people over hundreds of years, and today, and we have a more diverse group of composers than ever who are currently writing music. I think that everyone can find at least one piece of classical music that appeals to them, but so many people don’t know this.

we gotta stop intellectualizing classical music. write program notes that make sense and help audiences relate to the composer. tell us that berlioz’s dad wanted him to have a practical job so berlioz got his medical degree and turned around to become a composer, and maybe save the music theory terminology that makes very little sense to the average audience member for your doctoral dissertation. help audiences relate to the music and they’ll be able to understand it better. classical music hasn’t been for the educated aristocracy in years but people keep acting like it is. 

we gotta let people know that anyone can learn classical music. my mom recently told me that she doesn’t have the right hands to play piano and that she thinks reading sheet music would be too hard. you can play piano with small hands and it’s simple to learn to read sheet music, it just takes practice for it to become automatic. you can pick up an instrument at any point in your life. if you have the desire, do it, and don’t listen to some idiots who say you’re “too old” or aren’t fit for it.

we gotta let students learning classical have fun with it rather than kill their creativity and yell at them for their mistakes. I nearly quit piano because of something like this and today I absolutely love any chance I can get to play an instrument. that is a huge shift in perspective, and it’s because I can make mistakes and learn from them without getting shamed, and I have had super encouraging teachers, parents, and peers. 

we gotta show students performances that feature people that we can kind of relate to. a lot of old orchestral performances have orchestras that are just white guys and no one else. show a newer video of the same piece that has at least some diversity. is there a young girl interested in playing bass in orchestra? show her a video of a woman absolutely shredding on double bass to get her interested and show her that women exist in the profession. representation matters. 

we gotta drop the draconian concert hall etiquette. I think going to see an orchestra concert should have similar etiquette to going to the movie theaters. don’t talk during the performance, laugh if something funny happens (some classical music is genuinely supposed to be funny), clap when appropriate (it’s so disappointing when the first movement of a symphony ends with a flourish and everybody is still. it is legitimately uncomfortable!), and wear what you would wear to a movie theater. it’s going to take years for this to happen, unfortunately, but as someone who plays in orchestra, I don’t feel disrespected when audience members clap between movements or wear hoodies. I’m just happy they’re there and that they’re enjoying their time. 

everyone feel free to add your thoughts and experiences. this is a broad issue and it’s something we need to address. 

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[6/50 days of productivity] 22 april

i haven’t posted any bullet journal pages in a while so here’s my may spread 🌙 a busy busy month for me as most of my exams are happening and i’m turning 16! 🥳 (unfortunately on the day of my french exams:() hope you’re having a good day !

🎶 — moomin valley soundtrack

thank you @chazza-studies-alevels for the tag :)

relationship status: single (very)

fav. colours: navy, lavender

lipstick or chapstick

three fav. foods: peri salted chips, hello panda biscuit-y things, and raspberry ripple ice cream

song stuck in my head: strawberry blond, mitski

last song i listened to: don’t you worry, oh wonder

last film i watched: pride (2014)

three fav. tv shows: good omens, doctor who, and staged

current book: the astronaut wives’ club, lily koppel

current time: 10:20pm

blankets i sleep with: a duvet and 1-2 blankets depending on the temperature

dream trip: iceland to see the aurora borealis and the beautiful landscapes there

anything i want in life: a sense of belonging, happiness, to be remembered

i tag @stellar-kinematics @studyaurore @shootingshadowss @scrappaper (if you want to!)

i saw @chazza-studies-alevels do this and it looked fun :)

what year are you? i’m scottish so uh i’m starting S6 after summer aka my last year of high school ?? it’s so confusing to compare to english years but i think year 13

what are you studying? advanced higher (similar to a level) maths, physics, and chemistry. also music performance!

what’s next after graduation? i want to study physics at university and maybe do a phd in astrophysics

morning or night person? i am such a night owl, my productivity and motivation spikes at 10pm

front/middle/back of the class? i have terrible eyesight (~-12 in both eyes with a strong astigmatism in my right) so front but sometimes i like the middle

best feedback from a teacher? my physics teacher (my fav teacher ever) said i’m the best student she’s taught 🥺🥺

best study tip? understand content, don’t memorise it

three fun facts: (1) i love terry pratchett’s novels. (2) i am terrible at keeping plants alive. (3) i cry at the finale of every tv show i watch

if you want to answer then i tag you !

16/08/20

a cute lil plant themed weekly spread for my first full week back at school!

summer studying challenge: summer days or nights?

i’d have to say inbetween- i love dawn and dusk during summer because they’re so drawn out and beautiful.

19 april

a visit to the scottish national museum, which always reminds me how lucky i am to live in such a beautiful city 🏰 edinburgh ily ♡