SAM #3: An Introduction to Classical Music

Today, we're having a change in the music genre from pop to classical. I want to share how an individual influenced me through this particular piece of music.

During my primary school years, I joined the harmonica ensemble for my extra-curricular activity (ECA, now known as co-curricular activity). I recall initially being upset about being mandated to join an ECA, but I gradually discovered my passion for music through it.

My first harmonica instructor was a man in his 50s (or 60s) who was quite traditional and taught mainly in Chinese. The music he taught us to play was mostly Chinese oldies, such as "茉莉花", and we used 简谱 (numbered musical notation) for our music scores. Unfortunately, he suffered a stroke and couldn't continue to teach us.

His replacement was a younger man who had quite a different style. Under the new instructor, we played a lot more Western music, such as The Phantom of the Opera and the classical music I'm about to share. The most significant change he brought was the use of musical notation for our music scores.

The change was such a pain in my neck as it was my first time reading such scores. Each time a new music score was given to us, I had to take some time to write the numbers below the music notes in order for me to understand and play it. Over time, I got more adept at converting those notes, but I never got to master the skill of sight-reading (read the music score directly as you perform). Despite my struggles with the new scores, I appreciated the instructor's intention to help us gain the skill of reading a musical notation that is more ubiquitous and useful for learning other instruments.

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Coming back to the music I want to share today, it's Winter: Rain from The Four Seasons by Antonio Vivaldi. This is the first classical music that I got to know through my harmonica instructor. If you're curious how it sounds like on the harmonica, I found this on the internet:

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In the video, only the main melody is played by the harmonica. But if you listen closely, you can hear the gentle plucking of the violin. This rhythmic pattern (or ostinato, in musical terms) was the part I played as an octave harmonica player. It was a really small part of the music, but I remember the instructor saying that it was like the falling of the raindrops, which made me feel the significance of my role.

He also told us to imagine observing the rain falling while playing the music: we play more intensely as the rain gets bigger at some point, then it gets smaller, and we'd have to follow suit in our performance. His interpretations stimulated my vivid imagination, making me appreciate the music a lot more. It was what made me start to enjoy listening to classical music, knowing there's a story behind each piece of music.

I will end this post by sharing Vivaldi's entire Winter composition with you…

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Let me know in the comments if anyone here enjoys classical music too. What made you like it?