It's time to face the music!

Have you ever been asked if you liked some certain kind of music? I suppose everyone has! And the most common answer to this question is also very simple – different kind of music!
I have to admit, that I’m one of those persons as well. However I can somehow describe what kind of music I like or, let’s say, it’s easier to describe, what kind of music I don’t like (because my preferences change from time to time, but the music I don’t like – almost never).
So I started to think, what are those qualities, that define Good music?

For centuries, people and musicians have done everything they could to combine two main things – melody and lyrics. That’s the basics!
I used to say that the text was the most important for me for a very long time, because I really was trying to understand and sometimes even to remember the texts. Just for myself. This kind of attitude made me love hard rock, metal, and sometimes even the death metal… Sometimes it even helped me to „like” some poor music… For example, some rap…
But then somehow it changed and I understood that there is no use of good text without good music (rap, again). And, of course, the best combination is when melody and lyrics complement each other. Unfortunately, the text can kill the melody and vica versa. So, probably it’s better to choose just a melody? … and read poems while listening to the music?
However, the two factors I mentioned before doesn’t play the main role in the modern music any more. At least I think so. Damn pop-culture has put it’s own stamps – Pr’s, money, charts, sales, sensations, rumours etc, etc…. It just seems that you don’t need to care about the quality anymore: if you can’t sell your records – do something stupid, get drunk, make a crash with your car, sleep with someone famous, get married with someone strange, get divorced or even… die! (sorry, but, that’s so) And people will buy the record even if it’s a crap – but it’s damn famous crap and even more expensive, so it puts you on some sort of a different shelf in the eyes of society!

But yesterday I realized one thing… All those things don’t matter much, if you have no feeling for it! You don’t need a high quality performance with extra quality sound, you don’t need super-deep-and-thought-challenging texts. All you need is a good company and good emotions! That’s what matters the most! I had experienced this feeling at least 3 times lately and that has made me feel happy... And all of these times were different... the music was different!

If someone would ask me now, if there is some concert (let’s say – of some world famous band) I would like to attend, I couldn’t choose a single one! Because I think there is NONE! Well, ok, maybe 1 or 2...

Yes, I would probably sell my soul to see Pink Floyd live, however It’s unrealistic early morning dream…

Ireland - the land of my "dreams"

I just came back from Ireland – the „green island” that used to be the land of my dreams!
I might say I used to be obsessed with Ireland some 10 years ago: Celtic and Irish music, poetry, nature, art, weapons, jewelery, tattoos, beer… Almost everything! I even had a thought of learning Gaelic without any need to use it in the future! Later on, when taking some quiz, Ireland was named the country where I should live.
This was the second time I visited Ireland and I realized that SOMETHING HAS CHANGED!

I still love all the things I mentioned above, but somehow my attitude has changed and I wouldn’t say this is my dream country any more. Why?

During this week I spent in Ireland, I didn’t see much of all the things I like, but I saw some things from the real life not just from imaginations. Probably not from the point of view of an Irishman, but from a point of a tourist and from the point of some Latvians who live there.
I had a chance to have a ride around Dublin region without concentrating on cultural objects. So I paid attention to some other things: I saw a lot of nice houses and farms, but at the same time I saw a lot of ugly architecture (I mean REALLY UGLY) and a lot of mess around these houses. I saw a lot of luxurience and vulgarity at the same time. But that’s ok – every country can „BE PROUD” of such things as well!
But I guess the people impressed me the most! And not in the best way! Didn’t have a chance to meet much of them, but got the impression for sure. It seems that they just don’t care about anything, about the way things look around them… and the way they look themselves! Probably the only thing they do care about is pub and few pints of beer… I also heard a lot of stories about the attitude of authorities towards different groups of people and believe me, it seems that there is even a bigger mess than in Latvia, but all of this is worth a longer story or even a research.
Despite all this, from now on I will respect more and more those Latvians who have gone there working and living. Because they are not getting everything from the ”RIVERS OF MILK AND HILLS OF PORRIDGE”. Their bread comes out from the sweat and sometimes tears. But despite all this they struggle… And that makes me respect them even more! And specially the young people, who have to adapt to the cruel reality of Irishness!
Yes, THE REALITY IS CRUEL! As everywhere, I guess…

And I don’t think that everything I saw during last week will make me love „Clannad” less or adore „Lady of Shalott” by Alfred, Lord Tennyson less. However, I don’t think that I will consider moving to Ireland to live or work in the nearest future… But I’m looking forward to going there again… soon – to see more!

P.S. Well, maybe just shopping is worth going there! Even if I hate it…