Resolutions.

And then the new year is on. We write 2016 (unless you like me are stuck on 2015 and still sign documents a year back). The resolutions for the new year are dusted off from last year, and we try again.We do, to a large extent, create our days, so lets get started!

"It's a New Year, and I will start being the new, and better, me!" We hear, and read, it everywhere. At least these few first days after New Year's eve. It's like we are caught in the mainstream of changes.

I have read quite a few blogs on the topic lately; 5 days ago was like an explotion of people who went online to announce to the world what a better person they were going to be. Better in the sense of meeting what they thought society would like them to be: slimmer, healthier, more fit, and great at time management... and picking up hobbies they always wanted to do.

I am not sure if giving up a lot of food, smoking, drinking and pleasures of shopping make us better people, but by all means; It might have unthought of side effects.

In my opinion new year's resolutions are absolutely wonderful when you lack motivation. When we start a new year, it's a new beginning, which we percieve as a legal, or just, time to change our ways. We don't have to explain our issues, we just explain our new ways by "it's a new year's resolution", and we go "Ahhhh, right". Much like when we reply "Sorry, I'm busy"; it is a legit excuse for every possible shortcoming.

Because of the unfortunate fact that other people may not always understand our issues, this time of year gives us a legit reason to adress what we feel is not optimal, acceptable even, in our lives, and it should be grasped with both hands. Unless you are quite content embracing being less than perfect... like me.

I think new year's resolutions are a great way for people to give themselves the motivation to do something good for themselves. Of course, in some cases, it is a burden of self-imposed agony and force. Simply because often we know things have to change, but we don't really want to.

When other people announce their resolutions, it may be a good idea to jump on board. Make a deal to get on with it together. It is such a bummer to admit you have not done your part... but even a bigger pleasure to say you have done well. If the resolution is to go for a walk at set times, it is easier to skip the walk if you are the only one who will ever know if you actually did it.

There are a lot of reasons why you shouldn't commit to any new year's resolutions, though. They all boil down to the chance you may let yourself down, again. You can't fix a zillion flaws and "if onlys" just because you wish they would. I hate the feeling of letting myself down. And then I let myself down even more, by blaming others, even though I know it's my own fault.

Timmy Grasshopper sings it so beautifuly in Pinoccio:

When You Wish Upon A Star

When you wish upon a star
Makes no difference who you are
Anything your heart desires
Will come to you.

If your heart is in your dream

No request is too extreme
When you wish upon a star
As dreamers do.

Fate is kind
She brings to those who love
The sweet fulfillment of
Their secret longing

Like a bolt out of the blue
Suddenly, it comes to you
When you wish upon a star
Your dreams come true

When a star is born
They possess a gift or two.
One of them is this
They have the power to make a wish come true.

When you wish upon a star
Makes no difference who you are
Anything your heart desires
Will come to you,

If your heart is in your dream
No request is too extreme
When you wish upon a star
As dreamers do.

Fate is kind
She brings to those who love
The sweet fulfillment of
Their secret longing.

Like a bolt out of the blue
Suddenly, it comes to you
When you wish upon a star
Your dreams come true.

A lovely song and a wonderful thought, isn't it? Unfortunately it isn't true. I have watched weight loss reality programs, dating reality programs, personal finance reality programs, redecorating/upgrading/redoing house reality programs... and there is one thing they all have in common: something must be done, for changes to happen.

You can't sit in your bed eating chocolate, wishing you were four sizes smaller, expecting to shrink while at it. I wrote about how losers lose some time ago... it doesn't work. I tried.
There is no way Prince Charming will turn up, out of the blue, knock on your door and ask you to marry him.
You can't buy a lot of stuff and then buy a vacation, maximizing your credit card, again, and wish you had a bit more slack on the finances.
Unless you tend to your house, it will rot, with you in it.

When we dream, we can be anything we want. It is a good thing to dream, it is important to have dreams. In reality it's not that simple. It takes a set goal, hard work, patience and a bit of help on the way. The energy you spend being euphorically excited about it during that intoxicating hours after midnight doesn't change much.

I am not getting any younger. But these days 45 is not really getting on a bit: it's the best of ages. To me it is, anyway. There are things I have not done, because I thought I was too old, too big, too busy... The list of excuses was long, and to be honest... just pointless, but convenient, excuses.

Now is my chance to sit down and prepare a list of important lifestyle changes I want to make, waiting for me to get younger is pointless. I can't make it happen just by willpower, alas.

Timeless, timed, forever music?

I don't know what I would introduce to my life, if music didn't exist. To me music is essencial. Music absorbs my senses; sets the rhythm to my body, life and thoughts, as if it keeps me going, alert and present.
The feeling of a roar tingling down my spine makes it physical.

It is hard to explain how music compliments your heartbeats. How it throws a blow at you, and strikes you right to the the core of your body, soul and mind.
And then I experience the times when I curle up inside with dislike, or I cringe in fright. But hey, those are emotions too, right? It can still be great music, just not my taste then and there... or ever.

It's so hard to explain how music compliments my heartbeat, how it strikes me right to the core of my body, mind and soul.

You can always tell, can't you, who sings and performs music and lyrics which are significant and important to them.
When what you hear is that genuine, you recognize a part of who you are in that music.

Then you have those who perform and/or sing music which follows the predictable recipe. The designed music, made for alternative purposes... like making money.

Impact from my surroundings and my situation at any given time, creates a jumble of chaotic impressions which rumble and disturbs me, it's a "thing" I have. When I feel challenged, music allows me to gather myself and sort my mind out. It gives me the calm I need to focus on how to stay present.

I often struggle to ease my mind, and use a lot of energy to stay sound. Music helps to settle my mind. Regardless of genre, music boost my energy. That's probably why I think of myself as a liker of all kinds of music, but most often what I listen to is chosen by my mood.

It's almost funny, when you think of it, how music can adjust, direct or enhance your mood. I think music affects all of us, some more than others, though, but still.

It's common knowledge, too. It's not something I make up. If you google Shopping music, you get a vast number of hits. Even soundtracks especially designed for malls. One site like that states:

"The shopping experience should be a pleasant one. Our talented DJs have designed this background music playlist to entertain your diverse range of clients while they visit your store or eat at your restaurant." 

We like to be entertained, and my guess is that we stay longer and buy more when there's music played. In addition music makes us associate to a lifestyle, a mood or a memory which triggers and push our feelgood buttons. The movie industry is really clever at this.

Music serves as a motivator when I need to be inspired to do chores, work , exercise or just relax when I am worn out and tired.

Cleaning the house without dancing with the mop would be an gigantic hurdle. In fact, I am not sure I would clean the house as often and as well if I could not turn up the volume and be accompanied with driving rhythms.

And then we have remembrance; Those tiny pieces of glimpses from life; good, bad, happy or sad, whether it deals with feelings or thoughts, events or people from the past, which is often triggered by what I hear or experience through music. I really enjoy hearing something that is entertaining, but it is even more fun to hear something I haven't listened to in a while and remember the people I was with, or that were in my life, at the time I last heard that particular song.

The way we express music has from the beginning of time, been determined by the instruments, the technology and present talent available.

Or, talent is a bit off... some time along your lifespan a talent stops being a talent and becomes great, skilled... or even genious. To be declared a talent your whole life can't be very inspirational. I think I would have been pretty disappointed if I never really were considered good at what I really knew, and performed, well.

Funny thing about the difference between a talent, a great talent and to be good, great or bad, is just that: To be great you have been determined to have full-fledged your potential... but keeps up the curiosity, the exploring and the willingness to try out what comes next.
A talent is, by the very nature of the expression, aspiring yet not complete in finding your sound..

For some reason there is an expression called "timeless music". I don't know why, to me that is a strange expression because it points towards the future, rather to the past. Timeless is like referring to the unknown, because only time will tell if it can stand the standards we don't know yet. Musical timelessness happens when two factors are involved: originality (or innovation) and a personality that's very hard to replicate, but it is worth a try.

Even though the notes are the same; have been for hundreds of years, you can still recognize the time the notes were put together to a melody.
Mozart was the rock star of his time, and today listening to his music gives us a sensation right here and now, while we accept it was created way back then.

Even when Ekseption made their versions in the 70s, it's still music we identify as music from second half of 1700s. It was probably controversial back then, but to us it is what it is.
A modern setting doesn't change it. Same thing with Dan Mumm: music composed in the past, performed today.
Some like it, others think it's disrespectful. And that's all fine.

We are supposed to have our very own perseption, and opinion, on music.

Art is always a product of its time. It will always hold aspects sprung from impacts given at the time of creation.
Music will too.

I guess what I am trying to say is that music, like any other artform is put together at a set time, but will forever give the listeners a tune to their spirit.

So how is the music you embrace doing today? Timeless or timed? Will you bother listening to it next month?
I have always thought about music as forevermore.I don't like the expression timeless music, to me music is timed... but also forever.


Do take time to read this as well:

For Black MarchingBands, It’s About Rhythm,Precision and Flair

By David Gonzalez