Playing Music

[Amelia-Mary]

I play a lot of music! The instruments I play are piano, guitar, vocals, drums, bass, kazoo (though it's not that difficult), a whacky home made drumkit which has like a tamborine, triangle, drum and table, and I thumb bang poly-rhythms all the time

Favourite bands: Evanescence, Flyleaf, Icon for Hire, Anberlin, Avenged Sevenfold, Shinedown, Theory of a Deadman, Florence and the machine, The Agonist, Linkin Park, Disturbed, Eluveite, that sort of stuff

[Azvanna]

Had to share this beautiful interview with you.

http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/...05658#comments

Ben Lee is one of Australia's most successful musical performers. In this interview, he talks about his journey of spirituality and how it has related to his music. He touches on many points including leadership in music, interconnectedness that music can bring to a group of perfect strangers, how he came to realise the purpose in his music gift, how he deals with criticism, his experiences with Ayahuasca, what mystical death means and the effect it has on world-view and his connection with and wishes for his family.

Humour me and set aside some time. Have a listen to this interview and then ask yourself these big questions:

• Why is it important to you to play music?
• What do you see as your unique contribution to your community through music?
• How much self-expression do you allow in your music? Why do you self-censor?
• Do you need other people in your life to enable you to create the music you want to? Why do you think that is?

Discovery questions like these help set a vision and philosophy for your music that act as motivators. When I've revisited these questions over the years, my answers have changed, reflecting growth. Just as we would never box ourselves into doctrine here on Pagan Forum (hahah) it's equally important to remain open to new things in music. I am doing things and have ways of thinking now that I never dreamt of. I'm looking forward to hearing how my music will reflect these changes.

What questions have you asked of yourself as a musician that have helped you develop creatively and spiritually?

[Bones]

I play guitar and bass from time to time. I've also learned piano for a bit many years ago but I kind of gave that up.
On guitar I just mess around and make up stuff, eventually and slowly forming songs. I write lyrics sometimes too. For music I play exclusively metal: - black, death, and thrash.
For music listening I like the same. Don't listen to much else, but I do like other kinds of music that is deep, intense, generally fast, and most importantly has a non-commercial sound to it. Like for example some types of classical, opera, bluegrass.

[Drzewiec]

For music I play exclusively metal: - black, death, and thrash.

I listen to extreme metal very often, but surprisingly I don't like playing metal on my bass guitar. This fact I deem rather strange.
Instead, I enjoy playing and compose neofolk music. I also belong to a rock/blues band and recently we're going to record a demo and start performing live. Also, I used to run a lo-fi noise project with my friend which was a very interesting experience.
I adhere to a principle that one ought to commune with plenitude of types of music, as they convey different emotions and none of the genres is ultimately sufficient, harsh sounds should be replenished with celestial, violent compositions should be poised by mellow ones and so on...

[scaravich]

I can play oboe, flute, piano, recorder, other traditional flutes, a little guitar and ukelele, and various percussion (especailly chromatic percussion, my favorites being vibraphone and glockenspiel).

I like pretty much all music ever... a lot of my favorites are surprisingly j-idol music, eurobeat (as in, the Italian Hi-NRG music), and alternative bands like They Might Be Giants. I also love contemporary classical music and concert band music. I'm getting into brass band music recently, as I've joined a brass band (I play the mallet percussion in it). I really like Robert W Smith, Gustav Holst, and Masashi Hamauzu. Hamauzu is my favorite composer.

But I really like everything, from Beethoven to Sinatra to Beatles to Rebecca Black. Anything XZD

[Unlogisch]

I play the resonator guitar in a number of styles including bluegrass, blues, Indian classical, and jazz. Additionally, I play several traditional long and short-necked lutes, as well as percussion and certain wind instruments, from the Middle East and Central Asia in their respective traditional styles. Someday, I'd like to add some variety of bagpipe to that list.

As far as my favorite artists go....

Hedningarna, Garmarna, Kathleen MacInnes, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, The Civil Wars, Orgy, Susheela Raman, Fever Ray, Allison Krauss and Union Station, The Infamous Stringdusters, Royal Thunder, and The Kovenant are all groups or artists whom I listen to on at least a relatively regular basis but I listen to a LOT of music so that list is far from exhaustive of my tastes.

[Heka]

I play piano - VERY well. I went to uni for music... So I'm good :P

I can also play guitar, bass guitar, a bit of drums, some misc percussion, flute, a bit of alto sax and am trying clarinet. I had to play trumpet once (that sucked) and I've had a good go at violin, that wasn't too bad. I've also been part of a number of choirs, I'm not a great singer, but I like it.

Did I mention I'm a music teacher? :P So it's my duty to know instruments. I can pretty much have a crack at anything. If I can work out the mechanics of the instrument itself, I can play it. I've got amazing theory skills.

I listen to all music, I'll try absolutely anything. Love rock, metal (especially nwbmh), indie, jazz, late romantic, impressionist, expressionist, modernism and post modernism, pop whatevers. Only thing I don't have much time for is country and western.

What can I say though, I like music!

[Sarkana night]

I play flute, guitar and I really want to learn to play piano, but I unfortunately don't have the time. I love playing flute and you'll find that I'm a bit obsessed with it, since I play everyday. I'm also a owner of many instruments, such as African drums, castañets, a tambourine, a clarinet (and even more) which I can't really play on, but because of my grandfather who bought them in his youth and didn't want to just crash them so he just gave them to me, they're just floating around some place in my appartment without being used. But I kinda like them.
I also love to sing, though my voice is not anything special. Yes, I can hit the notes and have a voice with a high range, but it doesn't sound like anything...just.. ordinary.

Then it comes to what music I listen to, I can listen to almost everything. ...though I'm not a big fan of electro... but here is a list of those artists/bands I prefer listening to: Gloria Estefan, Tzotzollin, Elton John, Celtic Woman, Dixie Chicks, Shania Twain, SHeDAYSY, Lila Downs, Leann Rimes, Tunaltik, Celine Dion, Ritchie Blackmore, Queen, Loreena mcKennitt... and many more! The list is so long, and I am sure I forgot someone important here in this list... ah, well...