I've been stuck on this composition since morning(9.30ish to be exact) and still for the life of me haven't been able to master it.Guess it speaks volumes about the sheer genius that is Matteo Carcassi.Seriously there is something in Carcassi's musiic and his compositions that drive me absolutely crazy.Especially this one.
Its beautiful,poignant,like a waft of cool air on a scorching hot summers afternoon,like the morning dew on the green leaves which hang from the tree adjacent to my room.I don't know what it is about this composition that made me realise what I'd been missing out due to lack of practise all this time and what I'd be missing out if I,God forbid,Had to stop guitaring for the sake of academic brilliance.
That is such a cliched phrase,come to think of it.Academic brilliance.How many people are deprived of there creative pursuits,their passion,their extra-curricular vocation which drives them wild,ignites their minds,lends them wings to fly in the face of the roaring wind,sails to brave the raging seas,courage to smite the odds and a smile to tide through all occasions just for the sake of achieving "academic brilliance"?
Critics might scoff and say its possible to pursue academics and your vocation at the same time.But it does get progressively difficult witheach advancing level.It even drove one of my friends to the pt of tears(or as close to tears as you can get),after which he took the sensible decision to continue with his music,God bless his noble soul!
But I honestly am yet to meet someone like me who's failed to achieve anything in this field even after keeping at it for close to 10 years.Phew!That's a lot eh?!Even I think so whenever the awful realisation dawns on me that I should have achieved significantly more than what I've achieved in the guitaring sense.Definitely.
But one advantage I do have over most other musicians I see all around me is that,firstly,I started off with an acoustic classical guitar,which I have been playing ever since (cep for my first stage performance at my college students union freshers' welcome where I was the bassist)and which I LLOVVE with all my heart and soul!Secondly,I KNOW HOW TO READ MUSIC!I mean,it may sound like a very insignificant thing to say,seeing as i haven't been able to achieve much in this field anyway,compared to my more illustrious compatriots who've played at the likes of venues like Someplace Else(not to put them down though,I'm just saying what comes to my mind).People who haven't had the pleasure of reading music from a piece of paper and expressing themselves on their instrument have underestimated the power of the divine gift of articulate music(Taking a cue from George Bernard Shaw's Henry Higgins where the latter says'"You are a human being...with the divine gift of articulate speech"),whatever be their achievements.No offence intended.
When I see all these talented musicians around me at the college level,I do get astounded by their skill on the six(or four,whichever be the case)strings(and the keys as well).The rudest shock I get I get is when I ask them
"Dude,mind telling me as to how long you've been practising?"
And pat comes the answer,"Not much.ei 3-4 yrs hobe"
And that's when the reality of all the years I've wasted comes to haunt me.To be honest with myself,I've even lost the enthusiasm to play with any sort of a group until I feel I'm well and truly ready to make a mark as a classical musician.Truly.For it is he/she who has mastered a classical guitar that will make his/her mark in the musical world.Not that I don't think it isn't too late already but what I'd like the most is to utilise fully the available time I have,divide it evenly b/w my guitaring and academics and see what I can make of things
Coming back to the composition,it actually starts off with a very pleasing...
...E F F# G(pull of)E and then an arpeggio in C Major.After that Carcassi just effortlessly shifts it to Am(I think,curse my limited knowledge).Really takes my breath away!After that its pure magic.And with the dynamics its,well wave upon wave of pure,unadelterated joy!This composition really made me realise the virtue of toiling hard to achieve your goal.When I had started out this composition I seemed like a hopeless non-starter and I had even contemplated giving it all up and switching to an easier composition.But Fate had some other plans I guess!Now that I've more or less stuck it out,gnashed my teeth,strengthened my resolve,put finger to fretboard to the point of my fourth finger burning like mad(had to 'douse' it in water for quite some time to alleviate the numbness which had got into it)got the hang of the thing,there's this curious feeling of satisfaction and pride which I'm getting at the fact that I'm finally able to play this piece in its wholesome goodness(albeit with some minor errors here and there which I will correct in due course of time).This composition has given me the strngth to face these adverse times and courage to handle all adversity and make a gesture equivalent to that of flicking irksome dust from the vicinity of the left shoulder with a "couldn't-care-less" brushing motion to all those who doubt me and want me to fall from grace.For my true friends will always stand beside me and give me hope and solace and comfort.
Thank God for the divine gift of articulate music.Matteo Carcassi,I bow down before you and the contribution you have made to the learning and advancement of learning of classical music.My journey of discovery has just begun and its a long road I have to travel to get to my destination,albeit there being no destination in sight as of now.
