Missing Something(s)

I don't like being materialistic and I try not to own too many things but fail miserably when it comes to music. I don't regret this or feel ashamed about this but when I am away from my vinyl collection and guitar, I feel like I am not quite the same.

Listening to music on tinny laptop speakers is horrible really but I guess it's a small comfort. As for headphones, the advantage is that I can appreciate the nuances you don't always hear when listening to music but (sob, sob) my head usually hurts after using them for a short time. On top of this there is always the fear that I am damaging my hearing by exposing my ears to such a concentration of sound which is being channelled directly at my ear drums.

Playing vinyls or CDs on something other than a laptop is so much more of an enjoyable experience and makes me appreciate the album format for what it is.

Now when it comes to the guitar it's a different matter altogether. This is the tool I use to express what goes on in my head or what is made up from the imagination. It is the instrument that holds options that writing just doesn't have. I do love writing stories or these snippets I post here for that matter, but the combination of words and music is something special. I love the spark, the new idea and also the thought that the next song will be better than anything that I've done before. The latter is the driving force. First of all I need to prove to myself that I can create a new song that I feel is god and only then does it come to the point of possible performance. There are many songs that I have never shared and never will. They are like diary entries that have been recorded to remember them but that's all.

So I guess all this does make me materialistic but I feel I can justify it by saying it's also very much a spiritual thing.

The Language of Music

In Poland, it seems that the majority of songs played on the radio are in the English language, but by law radio stations have to broadcast at least thirty-three per cent of songs in the Polish language. What I often find strange is the high number of Poles who choose to sing in English rather than in their mother tongue. Does the amount of airtime given to English-based music cause this? Does it really matter what language the songs are sung in? Is music universal and can linguistic barriers be crossed because of the catchiness of the melody? Do the majority of people even focus on the lyrics? A lot of different questions regularly come to mind when thinking about the debate between language and music and to get some other perspectives on this, I have asked the opinions of musicians, Jan Řepka (the Czech Republic), Peter 'Petiar' Lachký (Slovakia) and Jakub Bugała (Poland).

            
What struck me is that, unlike in Poland where Jakub estimates only about ‘ten per cent or less use only Polish’, both Jan and Peter claim, that in their opinions, a very small percentage of people sing in the English language in their respective countries. Jan claims that only about one-fifth of Czech musicians do so while Peter says that only about five per cent of his musician friends perform in the English language. Obviously the Czech, Slovak and Polish languages have their differences despite being part of the same language group. Rhyming seems to be more of a challenge in Polish and perhaps the Czech and Slovakian languages are easier to manipulate and mould to the songwriter’s needs.

            
How important is it to perform in your own native language and what type of audience do musicians aim for? Jan says ‘Primarily, I think it is important to master the language you want to use, especially when it is supposed to be used in an artistic way.‘ Perhaps being judged by people in your own language makes some musicians shy away from singing in their first language. Jan suggests that the songwriter may try to ‘mask the weaknesses of the lyrics by using another (usually) English.’ Peter, on the other hand, likes to play with words which obviously requires a great understanding of the ‘hidden nooks of the language.’ To do so requires skill in any language and especially in one that is not your native one. For Jakub using a ‘non-native language creates a mask that makes you somehow less vulnerable’, which echoes Jan’s thoughts.

            
When choosing to write and perform in another language, there is the opportunity of having a wider audience to reach out to. Jakub chooses to write in English as ‘English is a language of international communication.’ He makes the point that a lot of artists use the Internet as a means of sharing their music and thinks that the majority of Internet users are ‘English native speakers or people who commonly use English as their second language.’ ‘I’m more into translating my songs into Polish or maybe German as I’m more likely to play in those countries than English-Speaking ones,’ says Jan. In Peter’s case the difficulty of translating into English proved to be the stumbling point and has led to him continuing to sing in the Slovakian language. He describes a time when he did try to translate his lyrics into English but states that while doing so, he ‘couldn’t find a proper word, expression or we couldn’t fit it into the rhythm of the song.’ Of course, it’s not always so easy to transfer ideas from one language to another and there is frequently the fear of what is lost in the process.

           
Rather unsurprisingly, all agree that the lyrics of the songs are key to the integrity of their work, although Jakub believes that lyrics and music can be separated ‘by treating lyrics as a pure rhythmical and sonic form.’ Out of the three, only Jakub writes most of his songs in the English language, however, Peter says that when comparing the English language to Slovakian, the former ‘has much shorter words than in Slovakian and is easier to rhyme.’ Finding more ways of expressing yourself is certainly a valid reason for using another language other than your own and it can be another argument on the board for those who do so.

            
Do people pay attention to lyrics? Peter believes that they do and says that the type of people he performs to, ‘know that the music is based on lyrics.’ Jan says, ‘Of course you pay more attention when someone sings in your native language.’ This suggests that singing in a foreign language in front of people from your own country can potentially alienate them. Jakub plays predominantly in front of Polish audiences and he is not so sure if people listen carefully to his lyrics. He says, ‘I have received only a few comments about my lyrics.’ He has only recently released his first album (The Spin, November 2013), so perhaps this will generate feedback on the lyrical side of his songs.

            
Summing up, it seems that the musical genre, the audience the musician is aiming his/her music at and the ability of the artist to use language are the key points here and these will ultimately determine the language used and probably the quality of it. Perhaps using your native language makes you more exposed in front of your home audience but the possibility of making a connection with them is arguably easier. The choice of language is a subjective one based on the individual’s language abilities but it is obvious that all three musicians and musicians in general would like to be understood and appreciated by their audiences whatever language they perform in.

Jakub Bugała - http://inqbator.bandcamp.com/

Peter ‘Petiar’ Lachký - http://petiar.sk/v-krajine

Jan Řepka - http://www.janrepka.cz/

Hooked!

What is it about music that captures me sometimes in a more extreme way than others?

Like obsession, I arise from bed with one thought on my mind or return home from work with a great need which is only satisfied when the first notes of the melody ring true to me. Recently this has been caused by an album I have known for some time but which has come back to me in a very poignant manner as if in revenge for not being appreciated before. This album, is the first one by Loudon Wainright III. The track below I wanted to share is one called 'Hospital Lady' but have been unable to find it online. For this reason, the link I have placed up here a clip of the opening track on that album recorded in 2009 which shows that he is still in good voice. It is the honesty and sincerity in his voice and also the beautiful sparcity of the compositions on this album that makes it seem as if he is playing in the same room that really appeals to me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_8Ludnqh_c

What would you do if I sang out of tune?

'I get by with a little help from my friends' - a song made famous by two artists and a TV show which arouses nostalgia whenever it is brought up in conversation. One of the artists is the above but the original composers of the song are of course, The Beatles.

On Saturday I was focused on the later version of the song at RMF, next to the famous Kopiec Kosciuskzi, for the purposes of correcting a Polish singer as he attempted to emulate the fantastic performance of Mr. Joe Cocker seen above in all his glory at Woodstock. Not only had the singer to perform in front of me and the two sound engineers but also three representatives from 'Open Finance' who were using the song to advertise the bank. So for about three hours we sat and worked together to get the singer to imitate the great performance of a Beatles classic.

The major pronunciation problems for me were with 'work' and 'buddy' with the latter sounding like 'body' which may have taken away from the innocence of the song had the line been
'All I need is my body'.

In the end the singer nailed it pretty well on the head with a throat rasping Cockeresque performance. There had been an earlier suggestion that he either smoke 20 cigarettes or drink some 'spirytus' (I don't think this word needs to be translated to get the meaning) in order to get that throat wrenching effect but it turned out pretty well without the need to resort to such drastic destructive methods.

I haven't been able to get the song out of my head since. Anyway have a listen as it should be coming your way soon and let me know if you think it is a worthy cover version.

Zakaz Gry na Instumentach Muzycznych

For those of you who don't understand Polish, this sign which was located in the Old Town in Warsaw means 'No Playing Musical Instruments' or in other words ' No Busking Here'.

The first recorded instance of laws affecting buskers were in ancient Rome in 462 BC. The Law of the Twelve Tables made it a crime to sing about or make parodies of the government or its officials in public places; the penalty was death (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Busking). Nowadays it is not always necessary but in some countries you do need to have a permit to play. Nowadays, it seems to depend on each city and the local councils. In Germany, it is necessary in some cities to pay for the right to busk and you may even need a work permit as it is considered a job. I've read that in some cities you can get permission to play for certain periods of time and have to pay up to 10 Euros to do so.

In my busking days, I never looked for a permit and I always just took out my guitar and started playing. In Vienna I was told to move on by the Police after first being asked for a license which I didn't have. Playing dumb worked in this situation. In Krakow, I never had any problems with busking and the Police never interrogated me although I was asked to move once or twice by residents. Even though I've never really tried it, in Ireland busking seems to be tolerated and a license is not always necessary. I even read that begging was legalized in 2007 which brings me to an important question - is busking similar to begging?

In my opinion, it is not similar as this is, or at least should be, a creative act for which the performer should be rewarded if the passerby has the desire to do so. For this reason, I dislike being approached by people who are trying to collect money for the performer. This, in my opinion, is a form of begging. Once, when I was playing, a man asked if he could do this and later on we would split the proceeds between us but I declined as I believe that there should be no pressure on the passersby to pay for the performance and the busker should play for the fun of playing. Of course, the sound of a coin hitting being thrown into my guitar case was always welcoming but it was usually not the amount that mattered but the feeling of being appreciated that was satisfying.

Busking is appreciated by the number of busking festivals which take place every year and promote street artists. You may call them a nuisance which clocks up streets and creates a racket or an attraction which creates some magic in the air. I for one believe that it takes a lot of courage to perform in public and everyone should have the chance to do try so I hope that I don't see too many more of these signs in the future.