What is tempo?
We're just getting over a couple of mild existential crises, that's all. It started innocently enough. Saturday night was our ward's Christmas party, and we had been asked to take charge of the portion where everybody would be singing Christmas carols--me on the piano and Athena leading the music, as usual. Singing carols is one of our favorite things, so we were happy to do it, and we had several people talk to us later about how much they loved it. It was great, no problems.
Then came Sunday morning, when we talked to the ward music director. He informed me that, as he was in the back of the chapel when we were singing Christmas carols, he could tell that several of the people there were struggling to keep up with the tempo. Of course, it's not like I have a recording of the event, so I can't play it back for anybody and ask, "Does this sound too fast to you?", but from our our perspective, we didn't think it was all that fast.
In fact, we sang "Joy to the World," which is one that both of like to sing fast, so that's a point against us, but! We're both aware of the fact that we are speed demons, and not everyone wants to go quite that fast, so we were both telling ourselves to try not to go to fast for "Joy to the World." I mean, technically, as pianist, I'm supposed to follow Athena's direction, but sometimes my instincts take over...which might be the problem? I don't know!
And that is the cause of the existential crisis. We both thought we were making an effort to not go too fast, but according to this guy, we were going way too fast, but we didn't think it was really that fast, but what is real? What is time? What is tempo? It's all a big jumble.
I also had a member of the bishopric come up to me before I started playing prelude music for sacrament meeting, explaining that it can be difficult to process the words and figure out the melody in time to sing said words (instead of humming) if the music is going too quickly. This seems like an extremely valid complaint, so I figured I out to just suck it up and play the hymns more slowly for the benefit of the people who are having this problem.
But it kind of physically hurt me to play "O Come, All Ye Faithful" that slowly. I don't think of "O Come, All Ye Faithful" as a fast song, but now I have learned for myself that I also do not think of it as a slow song. (Athena also points out that the suggested meter in the hymnbook supports the "not a slow song" theory.)
The whole thing was bumming me out to the point of tears during sacrament meeting, so when we met with the bishop for tithing declaration, I brought it up. Mostly all I got was a thank you for being flexible, and it's kind of killing me. I mean, I don't mind singing (or playing) contemplative songs slowly. But when we're singing about joy and happiness, I hate hate hate playing it like a dirge.
So on the one hand, I hate it when the fast songs end up going slow, so I don't want to inflict that on myself or others. (And I happen to know for a fact that Athena and I are not the only members of the ward who like songs to be upbeat once in a while.) But on the other hand, I want everyone to be able to sing! So if people are struggling to keep up, that's bad, too. And of course, after this whole Christmas party incident, I'm questioning if I even know what's too fast anymore.
Then I remembered, as I remembered when the ward music director tried to get me to slow down in the past (I'm very stubborn), that the hymnbook has fast songs and slow songs. So it stands to reason that if you can't please all the people by singing one tempo, the solution would be to sing a variety of songs--the people who like to sing fast can sing the fast songs, and the people who like to sing slow can sing slow. That way everybody gets a chance to be happy occasionally. Now I just need to figure out how to present this idea to the ward music director without coming across as contentious.
...But he's out of town for Christmas, so Athena and I are in charge of the music for the next couple of weeks! Mwa ha ha!
But we're still trying to be understanding. Fortunately, there's a Relief Society activity tomorrow which also has Christmas carols, and we're in charge of the music for that, too. And it will be a more informal setting where we can ask around before offending people with our speedy ways.
Today I'm thankful for having a productive outing to the Disney Resort, getting to have some yummy sandwiches from Earl of Sandwich, not having to work super late as a result of starting our morning with an outing, having time to play Tintin Reporter, and the fact that Tintin talks to himself a lot.
Then came Sunday morning, when we talked to the ward music director. He informed me that, as he was in the back of the chapel when we were singing Christmas carols, he could tell that several of the people there were struggling to keep up with the tempo. Of course, it's not like I have a recording of the event, so I can't play it back for anybody and ask, "Does this sound too fast to you?", but from our our perspective, we didn't think it was all that fast.
In fact, we sang "Joy to the World," which is one that both of like to sing fast, so that's a point against us, but! We're both aware of the fact that we are speed demons, and not everyone wants to go quite that fast, so we were both telling ourselves to try not to go to fast for "Joy to the World." I mean, technically, as pianist, I'm supposed to follow Athena's direction, but sometimes my instincts take over...which might be the problem? I don't know!
And that is the cause of the existential crisis. We both thought we were making an effort to not go too fast, but according to this guy, we were going way too fast, but we didn't think it was really that fast, but what is real? What is time? What is tempo? It's all a big jumble.
I also had a member of the bishopric come up to me before I started playing prelude music for sacrament meeting, explaining that it can be difficult to process the words and figure out the melody in time to sing said words (instead of humming) if the music is going too quickly. This seems like an extremely valid complaint, so I figured I out to just suck it up and play the hymns more slowly for the benefit of the people who are having this problem.
But it kind of physically hurt me to play "O Come, All Ye Faithful" that slowly. I don't think of "O Come, All Ye Faithful" as a fast song, but now I have learned for myself that I also do not think of it as a slow song. (Athena also points out that the suggested meter in the hymnbook supports the "not a slow song" theory.)
The whole thing was bumming me out to the point of tears during sacrament meeting, so when we met with the bishop for tithing declaration, I brought it up. Mostly all I got was a thank you for being flexible, and it's kind of killing me. I mean, I don't mind singing (or playing) contemplative songs slowly. But when we're singing about joy and happiness, I hate hate hate playing it like a dirge.
So on the one hand, I hate it when the fast songs end up going slow, so I don't want to inflict that on myself or others. (And I happen to know for a fact that Athena and I are not the only members of the ward who like songs to be upbeat once in a while.) But on the other hand, I want everyone to be able to sing! So if people are struggling to keep up, that's bad, too. And of course, after this whole Christmas party incident, I'm questioning if I even know what's too fast anymore.
Then I remembered, as I remembered when the ward music director tried to get me to slow down in the past (I'm very stubborn), that the hymnbook has fast songs and slow songs. So it stands to reason that if you can't please all the people by singing one tempo, the solution would be to sing a variety of songs--the people who like to sing fast can sing the fast songs, and the people who like to sing slow can sing slow. That way everybody gets a chance to be happy occasionally. Now I just need to figure out how to present this idea to the ward music director without coming across as contentious.
...But he's out of town for Christmas, so Athena and I are in charge of the music for the next couple of weeks! Mwa ha ha!
But we're still trying to be understanding. Fortunately, there's a Relief Society activity tomorrow which also has Christmas carols, and we're in charge of the music for that, too. And it will be a more informal setting where we can ask around before offending people with our speedy ways.
Today I'm thankful for having a productive outing to the Disney Resort, getting to have some yummy sandwiches from Earl of Sandwich, not having to work super late as a result of starting our morning with an outing, having time to play Tintin Reporter, and the fact that Tintin talks to himself a lot.