Michael Jackson, IMO

The news that caught the world off guard...

The passing of Michael Jackson...I know I have mentioned about him a few post earlier...at that time, I was not really able to find words that really mirror my thoughts...

Being born in the early 1980s, I will admit that my knowledge of MJ's history is kinda sparse...why, he was touring in Japan when I was just born!!...All I knew about him even till now, are mainly the controversies that engulfed him these recent years...But I must say, though... the proximity of the man portrayed in by media and paparazzi vs the man that touched and changed the lives of millions was, in my opinion...is a little more than disturbing...Those two didn't quite match up and I thought that there could be a missing link...

Michael Jackson didn't become the Michael Jackson we know today, overnight...He was, in truth, what we made him to be...With each performance, each hug, each smile, and each scandal we were taking a part of him to sustain our enormous appetite...He was undeniably a man with an amazing talent, and he was, the superlative musical performer of our era...I am sure most of you would agree...The more he was denied a "normal" existence that we all very well know...the more he turned to his monumental talent to preserve and keep him going...

From the few videos I have seen of him of late...(and yes, I am outdated, I'll admit to that), the way his face would light up when he saw a fan was remarkable, and he always seemed to be very considerate and very generous with his time...He was a man that understood and knew he had the power to change lives and he desired to share this gift with as many people as possible...

While this is often what we expect of those who are extraordinarily talented, many individuals of various stripes fall prey to their narcissistic side that comes with such fame and flattery...while some of this was inevitable with Michael Jackson as well, through his videos and concerts (though I have not watched him performed live)...I observed that he still continued to share himself and his gift with the world in a very selfless manner...He always came off as gentle hearted and generous, going out of his way to be courteous to his fans, often talking with them or giving them hugs when most people in his position would have had them snubbed off and whisked away...

I am not vindicating his personal behavior...He may have caused harm on a number of children, which, if it is true, is completely inexcusable...But I feel that we have to somewhat recognize that we all share certain responsibility for each of those acts...While he may have also had an abusive father and an almost non-existant childhood, we all denied him the chance for human growth in a way that would realigned even the most balanced of individuals...Michael Jackson was clearly a lonely man in pain, and we all share a responsibility for much of that...While the admiration of his millions of fans may have in some way sustained him, this dynamic was only symptomatic of the loneliness and isolation he was forced into...Michael Jackson lived for the adulation of his fans because we witheld him the hope of anything else...We almost categorically denied him the possibility of real and meaningful human connection...Like Janet Jackson has said, to everyone, he would always be Michael Jackson: dancer, singer, icon...but it is only to his family and closest friend, that he was a known as a daddy, a brother and a great friend...He became an image, he became an idea, he became a victim of his gift and genius because we wouldn't permit him to be anything else...We all wanted and demanded more Michael Jackson and he caved into it...

But beneath this image was a human being that yearns to belong...In giving us what we all desired, he was going further and further away from himself, something all us fans seemed unwilling or unable to recognize...And when we finally had a glimpse of the man beneath that mask, it alarmed us that this man was a very lonely and distraught human being, as if he could have become anything else under these circumstances...We screamed for more Michael Jackson (greater moonwalks and anti-gravity steps, pumping grooves, slick dance moves, etc), and while we did get more of him, we also got Michael Joseph Jackson...one which we didn't take the time to understand...And it scared us...And instead of reaching out to the man who first shared his gift with us...we ridiculed him, put him in tabloids, and causing him to become even more reclusive than before...

He lived for us, and once we discarded him for what we had made him, he was understandably broken, lonely, and lost...While he may or may not have engaged in inappropriate behavior with children, in some ways it is understandable that he turned to the friendly company of children because they were most probably the only people he could turn to who would have no ulterior motive...trying to rip some benefit from their relationship, to use his extraordinary talent for their personal gain...Children may be the only ones that could enjoy Michael Joseph Jackson, whereas we were always asking for more of Michael Jackson the performer and artist...

We collectively have become his surrogate parent...and MJ a perpetual child, constantly seeking our approval...He worked tirelessly to earn this approval...when we finally withheld it, not surprisingly, he was alarmed and hurt...

As his physical ailments robbed him of his performance abilities, he became, a man who regularly endured an extraordinary amount of physical, emotional and mental anguish...I think anyone else would have long perished under such circumstances....but not Michael Joseph Jackson...Stripped of the talent that had long sustained him, he turned to prescription drugs and painkillers, and to what little sanctuary he found in the privacy of his own home...

The demise of Michael Jackson seems to have been, in some ways, unavoidable...There is a saying..."The candle that burns brightest also burns fastest"...and Michael Jackson's light was blindingly bright, much to the benefit of us all...But as we stoked the flames and the light burned brighter it inevitably burn out...when the flame was finally extinguished, and the candle ran out, we are left with no one else to blame but ourselves...

I believe that Michael Joseph Jackson was not only a singular, once-in-a-century musical artist and performer, but he was also a sincere and kindhearted being...His greatest flaw (or is it even a flaw??) was that he expected of us what he gave in return...We forced him to create and live in a pseudo-reality that facilitated the offering of his amazing talent and gifts to us, and when he tried share himself with us, he was laughed at and mercilessly criticized and ridiculed...We asked him to live in the funhouse, and when he asked us to join him we scoffed and threw stones through the windows...

Michael Jackson should be remembered first and foremost for the way he changed the lives of millions of people...It will likely be a long time, if ever, before we see another musical performer with the incredible gifts and generosity that he possessed...We made him to appear super-human, and in many ways it seems like he was, but reality bites that he was just as human and just as frail and prone to mistakes as we all are...We were given the gift of this extraordinary man, and thus began the rise and fall, the slow and inevitable erosion, of Michael Jackson...The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away, and so it goes...

Rest in Peace, Michael Joseph Jackson...

Have you seen my Childhood?

I'm searching for the world that I come from
'Cause I've been looking around
In the lost and found of my heart...
No one understands me
They view it as such strange eccentricities...
'Cause I keep kidding around
Like a child, but pardon me...

People say I'm not okay
'Cause I love such elementary things...
It's been my fate to compensate,
for the Childhood
I've never known...

Have you seen my Childhood?
I'm searching for that wonder in my youth
Like pirates in adventurous dreams,
Of conquest and kings on the throne...

Before you judge me, try hard to love me,
Look within your heart then ask,
Have you seen my Childhood?

People say I'm strange that way
'Cause I love such elementary things,
It's been my fate to compensate,
for the Childhood I've never known...

Have you seen my Childhood?
I'm searching for that wonder in my youth
Like fantastical stories to share
The dreams I would dare, watch me fly...

Before you judge me, try hard to love me.
The painful youth I've had

Have you seen my Childhood....

- Childhood by Michael Jackson...

He is out of my life...

One of my earliest memories besides London Bridge, Ten Little Indians...Cyndi Lauper's "Time after Time" (my mom puts it on EVERYDAY while she does her DIY aerobics...so much so, I still have that song twitching in my head involuntarily)...was Michael Jackson's ever famous Beat It...which in my opinion, is still one of the groovy and rhythmic piece then...and still is now...

Fame now comes cheap...Take Paris Hilton for example...a blond airhead, who squeezes fame out of every opportunity...zero character and substance...but Michael Jackson has earned it though talent, amazing charisma and spirit...though as time passed, with much deviate and strange behaviour...and the curious case of child molestation or not...

Put any weight as you want on his qualities, but there is one sure thing...Jackson is...sorry, was...a singular talent who has stunned the world with his amazing singing...his moonwalk, crotch grabbing and thrusting and jerky body movements...and his ability to mesmerize with the crowd with his groove...

Over the years of my teenage life, he had a way of 'dropping by' in my universe...be it a marriage, or a divorce...court cases...and a performance where a chick would faint on his feet, etc...but as time passed by, other things started to interest me...and I slowly outgrew the hype of it all...I didn't have the chance to anyway...my family weren't financial able, to buy me MJ's casette album...and Internet never existed back then...

Then came MTV...I remember thinking “Billie Jean” was one of the first music videos that actually looked professional...Jackson was stunning, sharp, sophisticated...His moonwalking was perfect...his anti-gravity lean was superb...He revolutionalized MTV, the music cable channel, with his plots and storylines, instead of mere lip-synching videos...

But one thing I will always remember of him, is the depths of emotion he placed in his songs, and the words that were composed...inspirational songs that brings attention to the tearing down of racial division...that "it doesn't matter if its black or white"..."They don't really care about us"...all great songs that I have tapped my feet to...

Even when he was caught up in controversy over child molest claims, I could not help thinking that money was the driving force behind these allegations...while he was a victim to greedy accountants and lawyers...or he may be guilty as charged...I guess we will never know...

Having said that, I have truly been enriched by his music...from a fellow musician to another, I do admire his talent and sympathize with him for the spiral fall of his career which he so desperately wanted to reclaim, but never saw fulfilled...

MJ has reminded us about love and unity, much more than politicians can...For this, I know his music will continue to live on...

The fans won’t stop even if they have gotten enough...

I’m starting with the man in the mirror,

I’m asking him to change his ways.

No message could have been clearer,

If you wanna make the world a better place.

Take a look at yourself and make a change.

- Man In The Mirror by Michael Jackson

I could not have said it better...

Note : Well, he isn't entirely out of my life per se...His pumping rock tunes keep my blood pressure steady, especially when I am on the road surrounded by idiots...or when I am hitting the gym...and there is a screamer beside me 'enjoying' multiple 'orgasms'...

Mummy's not coming home today...

He stars out of his bedroom window, his eyes blank and void of emotion...The clear evening sky was out to greet him...the sunset light caresses his face...but he never noticed it...the wind breathes a gentle cool breeze, playing with a strand of hair on his face...but he wasn't bothered...

Weeks before, the telly had gone on and on about special TV programs in honour of mothers and their sacrifices...Florist and gift shops wasted no time in planning promotions and packages in celebration of Mother's Day...His friends have been excited and boasting about their plans to surprise their mother...breakfast in bed, a little red rose, a great big hug, a kiss on the cheek...and all that jazz...

His friends wouldn't leave him alone, constantly bugging him about his own lip-seal plan for Mother's Day...well actually, he didn't have one...he never saw the importance anyway, but his friends would never put the subject to rest...tired of the harrassment, he sheepishly replied that planning was in progress...

He closes his eyes...trying to recall back the little memories he had of her...it wasn't much really...She left when he was 2 day old, in the hands of his father...without lingering touch, or the tinnest peck on the cheek...He does not know her name, nor does he have a photo of her...and his father didn't seem very interested to depart any information at all...

He thought that he did have a glimpse of her once, when he was four...a lady knocked on the door of his house years back...he opened the door and greeted the stranger; a tall willowy figure, compared to his 2 feet tall body...

"Hi, son..I am your mo-...", she started before being interrupted by a call from his father back in the kitchen...

His father was just walking out when their eyes met...and his father's countenance changed...The lady wanted to borrow some money...but that was all he heard...for the next thing he knew, he was carried up to his bedroom and was firmly told to stay there...

There were many a times he felt a twinge of sadness and pain whenever he sees his friends run to their mums for a long awaited embrace...Makes him wonder what that would have felt like...But as the years passed, he has grown numb to it all...He does not feel much pain; or so he thinks...hot bitter tears still accompany him to sleep at times...

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on his bedroom door...

"Heys, I am starving...Do you wanna join me for some Domino's Pizza??"

He smiles...His father looks exhausted, and didn't look like he was in a mood to cook...which was good...his father would not be able to tell the difference between a wok and a frying pan at all!!!...

But nevertheless, he was home...

[Legal disclaimer] : I am well aware today is Mother’s Day. I wish all my friends who are mothers, and my mother, a Happy Mother’s day. Today, however, I’d like take a different route and remember those who do not fancy celebrating Mother’s Day because they find no meaning in it. It is really sad, but that’s the reality. For those who do not have mothers and those whose mothers have left them, for some reason or another, my heart goes out to you.

Many a time, society’s thoughts flow on a one way street. I am always guily of forgetting that not everyone is as lucky as I am, or as fortunate...Hence, I am writing this to remind myself to count my blessings...

The story above is a real narrative of a boy whom I used to teach music to during my social working days...He later learned that his biological mother have always been living a lifestyle of the rich, and couldn't bear to be held down with the responsibility of caring for a child...He is now a degree holder in business management, with a dream to own a business of his own next year...I wish him all the best...

My teacher taught me...

There was this dog, that was wandering outside of my house...well, there are dogs aplenty in the neighbourhood...the security guards in the guard house keeps them for company...but this dog caught my attention today...

It didn't look like much...a brown bitch...not of any special or famous breed...you can see that it wasn't in the healthiest condition...for one, it could sure use a bathe, and scrub for ticks...secondly, that wound on her shoulder, needs some attending to, though she doesn't seem to care...obviously, she got into a fight of some sort with her own kind...

She was scrambling through my neighbour's garbage today...looking for some food, I suspect...but its funny, though...the security guards here do feed them...not all the time, of course...but the stray dogs here rarely goes through any of our garbage...not in my street anyway...

I saw her, on my way out to collect some stuff from my car...she perked up at me...ears twitching, eyes alert...she didn't growl or anything...just checked me out for a moment...and went about her business while still keeping an eye on me...

Just as I was coming back, she scrambled off, with what I thought was food of some kind...I wondered if she was bringing her food to her young pups...I knew she gave birth to a few, just less than a month ago...I ran after her...I wanted to have a closer look at those cute pups...I have always watched them from a distance, playing while their mother was keeping a sharp look out for them...

I followed the dog, into the back of a house...true enough, I saw her young pups...but I saw more than that too...I saw two young kittens...who couldn't be more than a month old as well...the little kitten's mum must have gotten lost or something...probably ran over, which is the most common possibility...

The young pups rushed to their mother...cheekily pushing each other away, in their attempt to reach their food...I noticed that the kittens were no match for them...and they stood alone...completely abandoned for a while...

I then saw one of the most noble act, that will probably stay in my memory for a long time...the mother dog, dragged the plastic full of food scrapings, and placed them in front of the little kitties...obviously inviting the hungry ones to eat...

I stood there for a while...in both admiration...and humbleness...admiration, for the mother dog, who has chosen to care for the kittens, as her own...humbleness, watching her ignoring the fact that she already has so many mouth to feed...or the fact that she being a dog, and they, a cat...making them worlds apart...a mother's love, as Socrates has said...knows no bounds...

Makes me wonder why at times...we, the human race...are not able to accept one another as we are...

Here we boast, that we are the most intelligent species in the planet...yet, we have failed in providing the most basic need of a being...a need to be loved and accepted...no matter what the skin colour...no matter what the race...

In Malaysia, we have such people of the extreme...just a couple of days back, our newly chosen Deputy Prime Minister; Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has commented that the Chinese community has betrayed the government, by not appreciating the government's effort in building them vernacular school...and therefore are to be blamed for the fall-out from the tri-election this early April...when most of the Chinese votes fell to the opposition party...

This, I'll say...please...Enough of these racist remarks...Malaysia is made out of three main races and more...the Malays, Chinese and the Indians...without Malays; there won't be a Malaysia...but on the other hand, if Chinese or Indians are missing from the context, Malaysia would not have existed either...so quit barking up the tree, and get to work, will ya??...

If a stray dog I met today, could show a little kindness and love to another different being...why can't we do the same, to our own people??...

Man, sometimes I do wish that aliens would attempt to take over our planet Earth or a disaster of that equivalent..I am sure, we will then see the whole world unite together as one, regardless of race and skin colour, fighting for our rights to be free...

Brainless Morons...

So yes, I am going to rant a little today...a lot, in fact...if only I could get my brain to work normally...I think I have a right to feel pissed...and I have a feeling that I am going to stay that way for a long time more...

Some moron parked his car so close to mine, that I could not open my driver's car door...that a**hole...can't even stay within the blardy parking box...you had to tread in mine...and to make things worse, my driver's door has a chip mark as big as a 10 cent coin...no prize for guessing what happened...it must be that moron's friend who was PMS-ing on the passenger seat...choosing to open his door so freakin' wide and rough, the door brushed against mine and got stuck...in its impatience, he pulled his door back, resulting to chipping some paint off my door...

FYI, I just painted my beloved car, a year ago...deep, maroon red...really nice...and expensive too...

If it was just a black scrape, I would not mind so much....nor be bothered about it...my car is a maroon red, so you would not be able to see the mark, unless you were to sit in front of it and stare...But in this case, the paint was chipped off...And now, at the driver's side, you can see a glaring white spot where the mark lays...all spoiled beside its glory...no apologies written whatsoever...just me, my car with THAT mark, and my seething anger...

(this is the part where you may want to cover your ears with cotton balls)...

Don't say I didn't warn you...

"WTF!!!!!"..........

Dearest Moron who chipped my car...

You have the right to remain brainless...but man, if I ever do see you around, I will kick your arse...LITERALLY...mark my words...I am warning you...

Hear me roar...

Lessajinomoto

p/s : I need some anger management therapy...any suggestions???...if not, my boyfriend is going to get really bruised today...*sigh*...

WGL1669

*ring* *ring*...*ring* *ring*...

"Hey, girl...you called me?"

"Yes, are you free now?"

"Not really...why?"

"Are you in a good mood?"

"Not really...what is it?"

"Its ok then...I will call you to tell you some other time."

"What is it?...you called me, but now you don't want to tell me about it..."

"OK then...I just thought you should know...your daugther got into an accident, but she is ok now..."

*silence*

"Is the car okay?"...

So, yesterday, I was involved in an accident (Tuesday, 27th Nov 2007)...though my car wasn't a total loss...and the fault wasn't mine...its the inconvenience of it that frustrates the hell out of me...having to drive all the way to Ampang to see the traffic police and make a report, send my car for extensive fixtures, claim insurance...yup, and all that jazz...

I was on my way to Corus Hotel, to attend a Trinity College Music Examination, as a piano accompanist for a student of mine...I passed the round-about and took a 3 o'clock turn, to join the crowd of traffic, all slow-moving...though not at stand still...I was easing my way to the right side of the lane, from the middle lane...and yes, I did my safety checks...signal lights were on...looked in the rear-view mirror...checked...looked at the right side-mirror (which was the most important, as I had to check if there is any cars on my right, before joining them)...yup, I saw a lorry...looks small from the side-mirror...but, yup, I could see the whole bloody lorry...which means, he is some distance away...and I could make my move...and I did...little by little, though...as the car in front of me, has not cleared yet...

I heard a loud and LONG honk...should be the lorry-driver, I presume...maybe he is irritated, that I've cut his queue...understandable enough...I do that sometimes...I get annoyed easily, especially when I'm stuck in a non-air-conditioned car...in the midst of a traffic jams...and someone conveniently cuts into my queue...no big deal...it will blow over soon...

I saw the lorry coming...I would expect him to stop...(since he honked, it actually meant that he was aware of my presence, wouldn't it)...but NOOOooooo...he whacked straight into my right passenger door...and because of the speed he was in, when he whacked my car...it didn't stop there...it plough through, till it reached me...the driver's door...

From the left passenger's window, the passenger in the lorry, asked me to move my car...

"You rammed into my driver's door, making a small valley whole, with your headlights french-kissing it...I can't even move, you DOOFUS!!!...YOU reverse YOUR lorry!!!"...I thought...and signaled him to do so...and he did...

I got down from the car...with much attempt, as I could barely get my door to open...it was completely jammed...

Took a good look at the driver...

"I ade brek!!!" (Direct translation : I got brake!!!)

I kept my composure...and talked to him, wrecking my brains to find the words in Malay...which I shall, for the ease of readers, translate it to English...

"The problem is not weather you braked or not...but its that you did not brake in time...meaning...you were not paying attention..."

"Kenape you keluar?...Tak nampak I pandu laju ke?" (Direct translation : Why did you move out?...Didn't see me speeding, is it?)

"Driving fast or not...I did after all signal..."

"Ya, I nampak you signal...I ade brek!!...I ada brek"...(Direct translation : Yes, I saw you signal...I got brake!...I got brake!!)...personally...I think "I ada brek" was the only the that existed in his mind, since he emphasize it ever so often...

Looks like we are back to square one...apparently, he was not listening to me no more...

"Can I see your licence please"

"Tengok buat apa?" (Direct translation : See for what?)

"So that I can make a police report."

"Buat polis report, buat la...you ingat I takut you ke?...I ada lisen...semua ada...pergi buat polis report, I bagi tengok"...(Direct translation : you want to make a police report, make la...you think I'm scared of you?...I have licence...everything I have...go make a police report...only then I let you see)

Frankly speaking, I would have gone to make a police report immediately...but as I was rushing for the exam, I didn't want to create an uproar within myself...so I left...two guys against a girl...I was just not a match for them...

I had a thorough check of the damges made on my car, after the exam...so, right passenger door, half smashed to the pulp...the door handle is gone...(and just so you know, my car is made of metal, old Toyota Corona 1.6 (1982)...so imagine the speed he was in when he crashed into my car)...door cannot be opened nor closed...because the curvature was so great, it actually had the top of the door, where the windows are...sticking out...naturally letting in fresh air...

Driver's door is screwed too...though not as bad...still...the lock is jammed...you cannot open it at all...with all the muscle building that I've done to tone my arms...I still failed...have to get in through the left front passenger seat to be able to drive...back wheel's allignment is gone...I can feel it totally out, when I take hold of the steering...

To the idiotic-ninkampoop driver of WGL 1669,

I have thought and thought again...reflected on the incident...look up online about situations like this...read and re-read, checked the words on the online dictionary...and it still says you are in the wrong...and I quote from a site...

"the insurance adjuster would need a witness beyond the other driver to prove you came into the motor home's lane so fast that the motor home was unable to stop."

And here...'motor home' means, you, my dear bro...so...I was in a stationary position, and I definitely DID NOT go to your lane "so fast" that you were unable to stop (I couldn't go fast, even if I wanted to...it was a TRAFFIC JAM!!!)...AND...dude, you were way behind me...not in my blind spot...the problem??...you were speeding...and therefore, you couldn't stop in time...simple as that...when there are tonnes of car, oozling in and out...you choose to speed...which I don't understand...if it was a highway...I could close an eye...but in TOWN???....

Yet, I'm aware...this accident was not a dead-on, rear-end-hit...where it would then make yours and my life so much easier...therefore, difficult to prove your liability for my loss...and that, I understand...I'm not angry nor hurt...as much as it does hurt my pocket...it could be surprising, but I feel sorry for you...sorry for the ones sitting in the car you drive...hopefully, it would not be traumatic, as it has been for me...and I'm not even sitting in your car...

You know...I may be months poorer...and maybe as poor as a church mouse for a couple of months, while I get my car fixed...but that it is not the main thing...so, yes...it is a big pinch for me...and yes, I do feel it...but at least I can sleep peacefully at night...I've no doubt you will too...seeing that you have totally no sense of responsibility...hopefully, next time, the person who suffers the crash would not be you...HOPEFULLY....*fingers crossed*

Owner of Toyata Corona 1.6
WAS 2754

Back to the conversation with my dad...

"So now that the door is spoiled...what if the thieves steal the car?"

Well, dad...if they are able to OPEN my driver's door in the first place...then we can consider the fact that they MAY steal this precious right-side-crushed car...

Misconception about Contemp...whatchamacalit...

This is the usual scenario...when visiting relatives...or even bumping into an ex-schoolmate, which you've been trying to avoid, the minute you finished high school.....

"Oh...so...what are you studying now??...Engineering degree??....Gosh, you must be making good money in future!!"

"Business Management?...wow....what are you majoring in?".....

"Bio-technology?...that's great!!...How many years before you graduate?"....

And the most common that I've heard so far....

"Doctor?....Gosh...you must have been a top student in your school!!...So clever".....

Well, you get my point...

But its a different case for me....almost every time I visit MY relatives....or even when I tag along with my mom to visit her friends...

"Hey girl (some of the old aunties just can't get the hang of my English name, so to be safe, they just stick to the name "girl"...)...so what are you studying now?....Contemp-what?..."

"Contemporary music?....what music is that?...is that the same as classical??"

"Contemporary music, majoring in performance?....wow, how bad did you do in high school??..."

"Contemporary music...dude, why do you take such an easy subject?...you will have so much time in your hands, that you'll be wasting too much time hanging out in mamak stalls!!"...

"Contemporary music...erm...let me see....erm...erm...

.*blank*/*silence*.....

And the best response that I get....tops the list....

"Contemp music?...you don't look like one...Where are your piercings?...Tattoos?...Do you smoke cocaine?...Does mummy know?..."...(*are you kidding me??*)

So...Summoning the little dignity that I have left...I would just like to make a statement here...for the sake of setting the record straight....to clear all obscurity....and for venting out purposes, of course...

1. Contemporary music...DOES NOT only consist of pop songs....we DO NOT only play pop songs...which consist of an average of 3-6 chords, and 2 basic chord progressions....Contemporary music covers music of the early 1900s...starting from even Stravinsky and Aaron Copland...who are actually classical composers...Contemporary music consists of Blues music, Jazz music (Cool Jazz, Swing Jazz, Big Band Jazz...etc), Rock and Roll, Rock, Metal, Disco and Dancing Music, RNB...get the picture?.....

2. We, contemporary students don't get life easy as many people think....we don't just play music...we have to study them too...It really escapes my imagination...and understanding...as to what and how people perceive Contemporary music to be....they seem to think that we just crank up the distortion on the guitar, strike a few notes in beat and in pitch....that's music....but I do beg to differ...

a)...Learning music...be it classical and contemp (they are a completely different genre, by the way)...takes just as much discipline and concentration...like any other degrees would require....Unlike some professions like business management, Mass Communication...(No pun intended on anyone at all, as I said...its just my opinion)....students would have to bury themselves among their text books and do countless hours of research papers night after night....For us music students, not only are we suppose to produce research papers, but we are expected to practice our instruments every day....to make sure that we stay in shape...and even this, I fail to do, because I'm just so packed with daily assignments and classes...in fact, even as I type this post...it is 1:30am, 7th April '07...and I've just finished my Modern Band Ensemble final exam one and half hour ago...yup...thatz right...I finished class today at 12am....talk about having free time, eh?

b)...Music isn't only learning about notes....we also learn about the theory behind the music...learning to understand what and why the composer has written the music piece the way he did....and through that, we learn to compose our own music too...besides that, we have got to know the history of how music has evolved...we learn Aural Training...transcribing music....Band Ensemble skills....so, tell me...which part of this is easy??....Heesh....

Hey, Don't get me wrong...I'm not saying that studying to be an Accountant or even a Pharmacist is a piece of cake....but honestly speaking...studying music...Contemporary music...ain't any easier either...

3)...true, the market for Contemporary music in Malaysia is small...but that don't mean that its stagnant...we are all here to study music...for the passion of it...be it in teaching, arranging, composing, performing...or even in music technology....we will survive...well, of course...the bland fact of life, would be that....not all of us would make music as our life long career...but, heck...I'm learning something that I truly love....my life is defined and I'm happy...enough said....

4)...Learning Contemporary music don't mean that I need to DYE my hair green, mousse it up....pierce my nipples and my belly....nor get a dragon tattoo!!!...

Its just really frustrating....being labeled "bad" or even "lost"....or worse..."loser"....just because of they do not understand the very thing that I study....well...sorry, if they don't agree with my choice of career...heck, I'm not living for anyone...but myself...