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Where do our personal preferences come from?
Familiarity, experience, certainly. DNA too probably.
Those explain choices of music, art, types of food and so forth. But I can’t credit my inclination to photograph power poles.
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Against the sky.
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Lining a road.
Lines. Ah yes, those too.
And empty roads.
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Poles seen through a gap in the trees.
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In part, today it was the absence of other subjects on a dull, smoky morning.
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Animals are a favourite subject but they tend to rush away, or we come upon them too suddenly to focus.
A fawn was beside the road with its mother. They turned and ran off.
One thing about living in the country that I do not like is that you can never go anywhere without catching sight of road kill.
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There are certainly many careless drivers but animals often dart out suddenly, or you come upon them around a blind corner. In the dark even total awareness often does not suffice.
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As to where our musical preferences come from, who knows? There are not many types of music I dislike though there are some I never listen too. I find jazz enervating. Country music too schmaltzy, but there are bits of either of those that I quite like.
Hard rock and Rap – not for me.
When it comes to vocal music, I have no need to understand the words and I think songs should be sung in the language they were written for. Some languages were made to be sung, like French. There is no match for Edith Piaf.
Choral music is wonderful and there are so many great choirs.
There is nothing quite as haunting as a Russian choir:
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Whether it is the language itself or the vibrations, I’m not sure.
Of course acoustics have much to do with it and that is the value of a live performance where you are part of the experience.
In the good old days my friend Tim and I went often to Lincoln Centre or Carnegie Hall where much of the enjoyment came from watching the musicians play.
Having access to YouTube is the next best thing. Watching a performer engage in their passion is very satisfying.
The Russian choir is quite sombre but here is another piece of music I came across just yesterday that I find joyous and delightful…
And I love those wolfhounds!
Goodness, Carolyn, where do you find the singers with unique voices? Of course, I know where, but you are lucky! Thank you!
Joanna
I also like to hear songs in their original language, and I am a fan of Piaf and Charles Trenet for songs in French. I also insist on watching foreign language films with subtitles, and if I happen across one dubbed into English, I don’t watch it.
Best wishes, Pete.
No. Dubbed is awful!
What amazing and enjoyable music. Thank you, Carolyn.
I love taking photos of empty roads – and we get more than enough of those when we drive on the back roads (also with our recent visit to Namibia)! You have spoiled me with your two music choices today – it was good background music while I was ironing 😊.