Cycling

  About two times a week (or three, when I have time), I go in my bike to tour some parks near of my house. I believe that cycling is known for to most people, for this reason I will not explain you that it is, but I will give you my personal opinion about it, and is that the cycling is to me, a form of meditation, I have time to see the things, to see people and reflect in peace about my troubles, only with my my own thoughts.

  I started doing cycling, around the five years old, when my father gave to me a bike, I have very clear these memories, because was on christmas day and this bike made me a very, very happy little girl, from that day, whenever I was coming out to play with my friends, I was riding on my bicycle.

  In my life, I remember having about four bikes, first, the small and green bike, later one blue bike.... and on third place, a called "Bicicross", this ultimate was extreme =)

   

  My adventures with the Cross were memorables, with my friends we traveled by many places, including the "Cajón del Maipo" and the Saint Cristobal Hill until one day, my Bike was Broken and my father gave to me another bike, but this time was an Mountainbike. 

  Today I travel around all the places with my mountain bike, and if I have wanted to go to the hill or mountain, always have my mountain bike to accompany me.

A tango from the past

 

  An important song of my past is the tango “Uno”. The name of it, is directly related to the lyric, a complaint from a tormented soul. Libertad Lamarque is a grear singer, so I chose this version, how you can see, is a song in a movie then is more interesting, or is more interesting to me. =)

  This reminds, a part of my life a little dark, depressing, I only had 18 years and recently I had finish with my boyfriend, I really was in love, but well, sometimes the things doesn't works. One day I listened this tango in the AM radio, and the lyric expressed my feelings, was an intense emotion, was a thrill to hear it. Through the time, this song has meant different things on my life, fortunately now are only memories.

  How you can listen, this song is a tango, well, according to the history, the tango is a dance form, that derives from the Cuban habanera, the Argentine milonga and candombe, and is said to contain elements from the African community in Buenos Aires, influenced both by ancient African rhythms and the music from Europe, mmm but about that, is not quite correct, because it is said that in the nineteenth century France, at the cabarets, the predominant music was something so similar to the tango, but these are only oral histories about how this music was, then is very difficult say exactly if the tango is or not, a Latin invention or an european exportation, can you draw their own conclusions, in any case, is not important to me, I like its ability to express feelings.

  Listen and enjoy, she is Libertad Lamarque.

One on one with Marta Harnecker, a hard experience.

  If I had the opportunity to do a face to face with someone, definitely I choose Marta Harnecker, because she is a great woman, very smart and a great thinker of the contemporary world in Latin America.

  My first question, would be related, to her relation with the venezuelan revolution and why she decided leave the charge of Chavez adviser. Well I have my own ideas but would be great listen her reasons. In second place, I would ask about her concept of the new Latin America, the united Latin America under the  figure of Bolivar, Rodríguez and Martí, maybe, now she have other concept about that, will be interesting listen this. Well, on third place, I would ask her about the current crisis of neoliberalism on europe, and if she believes it could expand to the rest of the world, if she see proyections or something about that.

  Finally, I like speak with she about the current situation of the art or the artistic movements in Latin America, how they are articulated in relation with the society, or if she can see new artistic tendencies, that have how concept the contact with the popular society, olso, how she see the relation with the young artist with the local reality, specially on the Chilean case.

  Marta is a very, very smart Chilean women, and speak with she, would be an experience from another planet, no doubt.

A place that time forgot

Some years ago, maybe 2 or 3, I traveled on bus by some states of Brazil, well, really I arrived to Brazil on airplane, but isn't important. I found many great places, with very much nature, and one special place was the town of Paraty, because It was almost literally a place that time forgot. It was one of the richest towns in 17th-century Brazil, maybe because is located between the gold mines of Minas Gerais and the portugal ships, well, I don't know fine the real history, but as I was told, it was forgotten for a long time until he became a heritage site.

All the things in the city are old, is like a old picture, the centre is beautifully maintained, the houses are painted traditionally with white walls and brightly coloured doorways. When I walked by the streets, it felt much bigger than it is, maybe because the stones that formed the floor was very large, you can never see beyond a few blocks. The citizens told me, that there were two reasons for this: one, to protect the town from sea winds, and two, to hide it from pirates, I remember that I thought it was cool.

If you have time and money, go to Brazil, because it have wonderfull places waiting for be discovered.

 

The General Cemetery, a mystical place.

Santiago is very interesting, but there are places forgotten by many people, beautiful places with a great architecture, places like the "Cementerio General"(general cementery), I remember that the first time when I went, I only had five or six years and I went because my mother went with me.

It is an essential part of the country history, was created by Benjamin Vicuña Mackenna and who called it "Ciudad de los muertos" (city of the dead). Was inaugurated on November 1, in the all saint day, is located in the north of Santiago, near to the “Cerro Blanco” in Recoleta.

As I said before, we can find many types and manifestation of architecture, for example, a scale replica of the church of San Francisco, many pyramids with its sphinx and monuments that remember past presidents too. I like this place, because its silent and have many. The psychiatric hospital is near to the cemetery and the San Jose Hospital too, all this atmosphere is very extrange, the tales about the psychiatric patients say freak things, things like they run free at the cemetery at nights.

I go to to cemetery year by year, in the all saints day and in the anniversary of Violeta Parra, I walk arround the crypts and I think about the life.

It is great place really! =) 

Young Players and Composers concert.

Wednesday, 26 October 2011, live at the Isidora Zegers theatre, listening the “Compañia 1264 quartet” playing the "Quartet for the end of time" by Olivier Messiaen. It was an exeptional interpretation, the most beautiful interpretation that I remember, inclusive better than when I went to listen the interpretation of the master "Cirilo Vila", in abril of 2009. The reason why this ocacion was the better?, I don’t know, maybe because the players was my friends, or maybe that now I know better the quartet, and its structure, its design, its armony, parameters that I did not know in the past, but now, are in my head, and I can analize it.

The "Quartet for the end of time" is a very interesting piece, for a lot of reasons, one is that was made in very extreme conditions, during World War II, Messiaen  was taken as a prisoner of war by the Nazis and spent a good amount of time in a Nazi prison camp, and it was during this time that he composed the quartet. Its instruments were chosen, because at that time he was imprisoned with a violinist, a violist and a cellist (the piano was played by himself), another important fact, is that the piano could play only some notes, but this notes, were sufficient to compose this master piece.

The Messiaen music is beautiful, and the quartet in special is ...mm magnificent, their parts are follow:

• I-Liturgie de cristal
• II-Vocalise, pour l'Ange qui annonce la fin du Temps
• III-Abîme des oiseaux
• IV-ìntermède
• V-Louange à l'Éternité de Jésus
• VI-Danse de la fureur, pur les sept trompettes
• VII-Fouillis d'arcs-en-ciel, pour l'Ange qui annonce la fin du Temps
• VIII-Louange à l'Inmortallité de Jésus

If you have the possibility to listen, taken it, because there will be not a lost time.

http://www.salazegers.uchile.cl/calendario/concierto-de-jovenes-interpretes-y-compositores

An Ambition.

  Well, I have a very singular ambition, it’s come back to practice marcial arts. When I had 11 years, I started to practice marcial arts, Karate Do specifically, at the Wado Ryu academy, with the sensei Eduardo Bastías, he is a great man, a great inspiration for my life. I remember that I practice non-stop for almost five years, until I started the final courses of secundary, because my time was shortening day by day, and when I had 15 or 16, I had leave to practice the Karate. Later when I had 21, I could go back to practice again, although it was only for a few time, because I got sick for a while and then I did not have the physical capacity to return to practice... 
  Is very sad, because inclusive now is very difficult to me return to practice, I’m not completly fine of my rheumatic problem, for this reason, the Karate still isn't recomended for my, but is in my blood, on my mind and in my style of life. I always try on remember and apply on my life the fundamental things, peace, harmony, discipline and perseverance, in all the things that I do, isn’t easy, but I’m try, maybe one day the doctor tell my: “Maria, you can practice again”, that would me very happy, is my ambition.

SECOND HALF OF 2011

Hello everybody, welcome to the second half of 2011 at FAU. Have a nice semester!

How to prepare a concert, words of a great teacher.

   I remember that when I played for first time in a live concert, mi proffesor, Eduardo, took to me about some things, I remember his words... "When you going to play on a live concert, you need concider some recomendations. First, the week before the concert, the study of the piece must be focused on finding the best possible sound, then, in theory, the tecnical troubles were resolved before. Second, the day before the concert, you need repose too much, you need sleep early and eat light foods, this time is for think in the pieces, but not too, you only need this time for relflection. Third, the day of the concert, you need concider in all the cases, do a inspection of the concert venue, check their acoustic characteristics and imagine your disposition on this place, is highly recomended too, eat light foods and drink water, just before play, will be fine eat a chocolat or some similar thing. Now, when you're playing, you need have present that if you start a piece, you can not stop, if you have some trouble or something, never can stop of play, you need improvise or invent some way to scape of the situation, and resume the piece, only if the error was impossible to solve, you can stop, give a public apologies and begin again."
  I always remind his words, hereby I wanted to share with you these suggestions and I hope some of them serve them, as I have served me for years.

  Many greetings!

Blog 8 - Mi job

Five years ago, my father had many financial troubles, he lost his job and his debts, were growing day by day. On this time, I was in the third year of college, when all these things were happening, this situation was very disturbing to me, because by the finantial troubles of my father, maybe, I could have to stop to study. Then I took a decision, I needed a job.
I began to search jobs in supermarket, partime jobs or somethings, when a friend called me to give me a contact for a best job, conducting surveys in a marketing agency. On the one hand it was a good job, I liked it, I was freelance in the agency, my working hours was free and I had the liberty to organize my time, but on the other hand the job had a problem, I had no contract, I had no insurance. For these reasons, in the next year I changed my work, I searched and searched in many places, but I could not found nothing, then a friend called me, one more again, and gave me a contact for a best job, in a computer technical support.
I started on this job in march 19, 2007 to now, I have a lot of experience on all the different departaments and sections, really I could not imagine that this work, would become so important in my life, or in better words so important for develop my economic independence. Now, I pay my college, I have a car, a bank account, credits cards and all the things that I want to buy, I buy it by myself.
It is great!

My favorite piece of technology =)

My favorite piece of technology is my notebook. Fifteen years ago, I started with a

desktop pc, but seven or eigth years later, I could buy my first notebook.The reason for change is very easy to explain, for my career, I need to take my work to different places, but finding pc's  for public use was very difficult.

This technological advancement made my job easier, because I could download programs from the Internet, especially designed for writing music, and listen to an approximation of the piece, an approximation of the sound, the laptop allowed me  listen to the full orchestra, or only some instruments in my arrengements.

Other aplications, allows me to communicate with relatives or teachers who are abroad, let me write post in forums, comment on web pages, see facebook of my friends, upload videos of interest. I have also a virtual storage in which I have photos, videos, music, jobs.

I use it daily and I have to keep an eye on my email, because it can have interesting lectures or classes. I consider important too, see daily my calendar of events, keep me informed of news online, remind me activities, dates with my boyfriend and meetings with classmates. I thought about changing my notbook for something smaller and lighter, a notebook meets all the characteristics, especially for taking notes, ideas, or anything that I can imagine in anyplace.

How can help your musical composition, the programs for writing music?

Since composers began to use writing to record their works, writing systems began to evolve, to become the complex system of symbols we use today, where the composers can use existing symbols for the effects to be write, even if they doesn’t exist, they can invent the symbols, or replace it with any drawing that composer wants to create.

Well, if you think about that, the writing also allowed to understand different phenomenon referred to the music, that maybe otherwise, could never have been observed for anyone. They began to analyze the musical forms, the the relations between the notes, the relation between text and music, and many others things, that over the time, going to create a very specific musical knowledge.

In the early 80's, personal computers began to be massive, and its use spread across the world. The original idea was to make life easier for people, then, the engineers invented computer programs that were able to respond to these needs. The music-oriented programs, included basic tools to emule all musical procedures before invented, and allow you to create musical pieces with very little effort, using these tools for develop the music and composing music with the help of a machine. The trouble with all this, is that the machine is not a human, isn't think, isn't feel and isn't have the capacity to take desicions for itself, for this reason, all the procedures will be generate the same or similar music.

In conclusion, the write music programs can help you in the same way that writing music, for understand the musical procedures, but by themselves can not help you in creating music.

Petrucci Music Library

Hi partners, I going describe to you, the International music score library project, my favorite page to work in the web. 


The link is : http://www.imslp.org/wiki/


This web was created for the purpose of made accessible for everyone, a music library to provide music scores free of charge to any people with internet access, and is a compilation of many scores and books, sorted by year, composer, year of composition, instruments of the piece, styles and many other things, as can you see.
Recently, the page added recordings of different pieces sorted by performer name and composer name. Maybe you question yourself, how to solve the problem of copyright?. Well, that is a big problem, but the page was created according to the Canadian copyright laws, that allows the publication of information (scores, recordings, etc), if the author or in this case, the composer, died at least 200 years or more, ago. For this reason, the page can work today. 
The authors of the page, invite to all the people that want, to participate in the project contributing with material (free of copyright), and I believe that is cool, because the page grows day by day, and is a very good source of information to find the scores for make your work. 


That is a.. that is a... that is all, partners! Greetings!

Personal commentary

Now, I will write a short commentary about one selected topic.

How did we lose, the real South American music?

When Colon arrived to america, he found many different people, with many different cultures and realigions too, sometimes stranger for the foreign people. This was so, because the practices of the natives were very bloody and the European people, saw them as diabolical. For this reason, the European invasor was deleting all the american cultural practices, and replaced them, with their own practices.

In this process, some arts have survived and others have not. In general, the difference was marked by different factors, the most important, was the material support that enabled to preserve fragments of those arts. For example, in the case of the sculpture is easy preserve pieces of arts, in paint too, but in the music, is very difficult if  you don´t have any system for write or record sounds, then, all the original South American sounds, the original native South American music, was erased.

What you think about that?

Discussion :

I will propose three topics related with my profession :

• Music and media.

• How can help your musical composition, the programs for writing music?

• How did we lose, the real South American music?

Welcome post =)

Hi guys, how are everybody?

My name is María Cristina Catalán, and this is my blog, specially made for the english course by professor Belén.

When I question to myself, why is so important study english? The answer is so evident, because since the last 50 years, until now, the english was invading all the informatic sistems, manuals and instructions. This laguaje is appropriated from the internet, it is appropiated from the cinema, the media and finally, this lenguaje is concreted to itself, how the second obligated lenguage for all the occidental world.

For this reason, I always answer, my own question by saying “Because the world speaks in english!”

Luck for everyone, and enjoy the course!