Three Terms
Passion
While this may seem obvious, I truly think that to succeed in any of the disciplines I am focused on,
without some level of passion to motivate/drive me I will never be able to put my all into something nor
enjoy the process/outcome.
without some level of passion to motivate/drive me I will never be able to put my all into something nor
enjoy the process/outcome.
Experimentation
Especially in an artistic/creative field, I feel that one of the most rewarding qualities of a piece is the
innovation behind it. Nowadays it can be extremely difficult to create truly new and original ideas, but
aside from originality, I also mean experimentation on a more personal level. For one to experiment and
do something new to them that they personally have never done before is one of the best ways to push
oneself to grow and become more well-rounded.
innovation behind it. Nowadays it can be extremely difficult to create truly new and original ideas, but
aside from originality, I also mean experimentation on a more personal level. For one to experiment and
do something new to them that they personally have never done before is one of the best ways to push
oneself to grow and become more well-rounded.
しょうがない (shou ga nai) = “it can’t be helped”
This is just one of those terms that simply does not have an English equivalent. People use it in
situations where things are not going well (as planned..?) and it basically means to move on and not
dwell on it. It’s a sort of mentality that is very helpful especially in a creative/experimental field like
PAT where it is common to troubleshoot technological problems, creativity block, etc. I think this sort of
expression also just helps me keep a more positive mindset during my day-to-day life as well when
dealing with anxiety/intrusive thoughts.
situations where things are not going well (as planned..?) and it basically means to move on and not
dwell on it. It’s a sort of mentality that is very helpful especially in a creative/experimental field like
PAT where it is common to troubleshoot technological problems, creativity block, etc. I think this sort of
expression also just helps me keep a more positive mindset during my day-to-day life as well when
dealing with anxiety/intrusive thoughts.
Negative Terms
“Anime-like”
While I understand this not necessarily meant to be an insult, when someone categorizes my music as “something from an anime soundtrack” or “video game music” there are connotations from those terms that I do not want attached to my music. There’s often a stigma that anime is meant for children, or that it’s just weird, and then people sometimes further project that as a negative stereotype about Japan and Japanese people. It doesn’t even matter if my music may not even have anything distinctly Japanese about it besides the lyrics, the genre may something totally different, yet people still tell me “it sounds like something out an anime ost.”
Also within the realm of "anime" there are various different genres, people simply categorize it by language without really thinking about any of the musical aspects of the piece. There are terms we use such as J-pop, K-pop, C-pop, etc., but within those there are different subdivisions of genres, it’s not like we categorize everything in America as just “A-pop” or “pop,” we further divide it into electronic, hip-hop/rap, R&B, country, etc. So when someone refers to my music as “anime-like” or even “J-pop” just based on the fact that the text is in Japanese, to me it almost feels as if the actual musical content aside from the lyrics is disregarded and I don’t get any real feedback about it.
I have to admit I'm a little guilty of having thought that a time or two about your music (it wasn't all I thought!). The artists that influence you probably get that same label, even if the only quality they share with anime is that they're Japanese! It seems to be a quick media reference most young people can associate with, an aspect of Japanese culture they're nearly guaranteed to know something about.
ReplyDeleteIt can be difficult to put a personal staple on your music when its immediately associated with an entirely separate cultural phenomenon. I doubt you want to be simple shelved with the famous anime ost composers of the day, not for lack of respect or interest, but simply for wanting to be distinguished. One comment I can remember getting is, "it's different" about nearly all my music. It kinda seemed like a euphemism for "I don't like it," as it doesn't carry a particularly complimentary overtone like the words "original" or "unique" do.
I know your music will reach a huge audience, hopefully a great many outside the "sounds like anime" boat. I also think, rather optimistically, that probably many of the people that made that comment can or do recognize the greater significance of your music :)
Your appreciation for passion is so important! Passion is so crucial in any field because it brings out a natural authenticity in the artist. It is something that when used properly can produce such a rewarding result. You know when someone is passionate too because It resonates with them on a special level. I can totally see this in your music because you seem to appreciate the musical culture entirely and consider its whole context.
ReplyDeleteI love that 'shou ga nai' exists as its own term. I think this is a super important mindset to have, not just in life in general, but especially when dealing with unexpected technical issues that result in performances turning out differently then they were originally planned.
ReplyDelete