For those of you who don't know, or haven't guessed from the title of my blog, I am both a jewellery designer and a singer. I am still at the training stage of singing so whilst I do work as a singer, and so a lot of teaching, I am still a student myself. It's safe to say that music and song are a huge part of my life! So, when Erin threw out the challenge to create a piece of jewellery inspired by our favourite piece of music, I jumped at the chance. This challenge was perfect for me, surely!
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Or maybe not....I can honestly say this is one of the most difficult blog challenges I have participated in and hands up, I'm not totally happy with the outcome. I really like the necklace I made, and I love the song I chose (one of, but not my absolute favourite piece of music in the whole world; I just don't think I'm capable of making that decision!) but I feel that I have been inspired by mainly the words rather than the whole song. This month has been quite a busy one with a lot of blog challenges on the way (pinwheel, 7000 Bracelets, Bead Soup coming up in a few days) and with me going away today (it's currently the 24th, last Friday to you, I'm scheduling this post) I haven't had quite the time to devote to it that I would like. I think I am going to do a personal challenge later on, and make myself pick a piece of instrumental music - no words to get absorbed by. I wasted a lot of time worrying about what piece to pick - I think the idea of picking my favourite just seemed too massive a challenge and the very thought swamped me! At the beginning of this week, I was teaching one of my pupils and started her on a new piece, a very beautiful John Dowland song which I performed at a music festival a few years ago. It truly is one of my favourite pieces, but it's one of very many. You can listen to it here, sung by Emma Kirkby with Anthony Rooley on the lute.
Magical....The combination of voice and lute is so intimate; so haunting and other-wordly. The song about finding beauty in sorrow - both literally and figuratively. I took this idea in the form of tears,; the smooth and delicate flowing line of the voice and the gently strummed lute forming lines of the music. I tried to echo these lines and tears of the song. (Ceramic bead caps by ChelleV2.)
As I said, I really like what I have created, I just think I could have risen more to the challenge. So I think I may have a series of personal challenges, right here on Songbeads, to be inspired by other music. Instrumental music so that I can't 'cheat' with the words! Can't wait to see what everyone else has come up with when I get back from Paris. Please hop over to Erin's blog for the list of other people taking part.
12 comments:
Oh. My. Goodness! I hear this divine music and I don't know what else you could have created other than that gorgeous and subtle necklace. They look like rain bells chiming in time with the lute.
Rebecca, As I listened to the hauntingly beautiful song that you chose and looked at your necklace, I imagined the tinkling sound of the chain and the clay bells as the lady moved in her grief. I enjoyed your post. Your necklace is very pretty and unusual. I enjoyed listening to your song choice as well.
Therese
Dear Miss Rebecca! If ever there was someone suited to this challenge it is surely you! I fancy myself a singer, but I can't even begin to attempt something as sublime as this song. It is haunting and lyrical. It is perfect with the lute. I understand what you are saying about this being a challenge that was difficult. I am sure there can be more than one interpretation for the same piece of music, so you could make that part of your challenge. There are so many choices of songs and they really tell the story of our own lives. Hard to choose just one! But I also love that you are willing to revisit this challenge and even make it a recurring one on your blog. That is serendipity! If this goes over well, I will consider making the Challenge of Music an annual event, like color, but maybe in the middle months of the year. I am excited to hop around and learn more about each participant through their music. Thank you again for always rising to my challenges. You are a truly gifted designer and a good friend!
Enjoy the day!
Erin
Hi,
boh, very beautiful
greetings
karin
The necklace is lovely and the music perfect for a peaceful cup of coffee on a chilly rainy morning.
Your necklace is such a quiet and peaceful piece. Congrats.
You went beyond challenge and frankly I am blown away!
Exquisite! That is the only word I can come up with. Completely and utterly overly exquisite! I don't know what to say Rebecca. That song is just so heavenly beautiful.
And I think your necklace is absolutely beautiful too. Exquisite! It really captures the feel of the song for me.
Being a foreigner I don't pay too much attention to the words in this kind of music, and I don't think it is cheating to use the words anyway. They are a part of the music. But I do understand what you mean about wanting to capture the feel of the actual music.
Thank you so much for inspiring me today and for widening my horizons.
xx
Lovely blog. I hope to meet you when I'm at Waterstones in Manchester in July!
Your necklace is a wonderful reflection of the elegance of the inspiration music -- deceptively simple, flowing, delicate, timeless. And thank you for introducing me to a new composer. Lovely!
I must have missed your post in the blog hop...
I really like the song you chose and the necklace you made inspired by it. Beautiful!
Nothing wrong in being inspired by the lyrics only -- as others have already said. I find that with some songs it's really the words, perhaps just a short phrase that you really remember and which captures you. With other songs it can be the mood of the song, or a certain part of the melody or even the singer's voice. This necklace could be an example of a song where focus was on the text.
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