In Praise of the Musician


BY KARDELEN KALA (TRIN/I)
kala@ug.bilkent.edu.tr


Music is an indispensable part of anyone's life. At least I would hope so, because I sincerely believe that meeting someone who is indifferent to any kind of music whatsoever would seriously damage my worldview. There are almost as many styles of music as there are people in the world; and thank God for that. Some of the music (and I apply the term loosely here) I hear around me every day would get me really depressed if it weren't for the knowledge that I have the safety of my own MP3 player to turn to. I do have some things on it that I would never publicly admit to listening to (so don't ask), but apart from that, I have a pretty defined taste in music. Defined in the sense that there's no logic to it, obviously.

That being said, I am not a musician, nor have I ever been one. I am utterly incapable of "hearing" real musical talent and go by my instincts only. (This is part of the reason why a musician's intentions in creating music are almost as important to me as the final product. Incidentally, not calling their music a "product" would get someone pretty high up on my list.) I played the piano for seven years, but that seems like a lifetime ago now. I was never any good anyway. A big part of the reason why I stopped was that I completely lacked the discipline serious piano playing required. I don't have the "bug," though I certainly wish I did. Music never flowed for me, so to speak. That, however, doesn't mean that I don't occasionally get a little envious of people who did persist in music as their chosen field. I experience this feeling especially when I listen to accomplished pianists, because I actually have a pretty good idea of what's going on in their heads and the feat of intense coordination they seem to be pulling off effortlessly.

So, as I was sitting in a small concert hall watching my dear friend and fellow translation major Emre İlikli and his accompanist Oydın Alimova, I couldn't help feeling just slightly envious. Emre, apart from being a very good student who will graduate this year as a simultaneous interpreter, is also an accomplished violinist. He played a wonderful selection of pieces by various composers, while Oydın accompanied him on the piano. Sitting there listening to them was an amazing feeling. Classical music has a strange but wonderful effect on me. I have always believed that it provides ultimate proof of the universality of music. I have great respect for both Emre and Oydın, for having the determination and the love of music that I lacked, for going up on that stage and also for completely rocking it. Getting to see them perform made it well worth braving the cold on a Friday evening.

All kinds of thoughts were running through my head as I looked up at them on the stage. Envy was, however jokingly, a part of it. Also, pride, joy and a little something that was beyond them and beyond me. It was music, the music itself, free of all pretension. The creation of something beautiful is a precious thing, and I can't help but think of Oscar Wilde's views on art. Music is a sanctuary, and I am truly glad that there are people in the world who are willing to work for it. So I guess the whole point of this article is to thank everyone who has ever created music simply for the sake of doing so: Mozart, who kept on composing right up until his last breath. People who are willing to perform to a small audience that loves and appreciates what they are doing, instead of going on impersonal, soulless stadium tours. People who rent studios by the hour to create something they believe in with limited technology, instead of simply forking out the cash to hire someone like Timbaland to produce robotic tracks with millions of dollars' worth of equipment. And also, people who do have access to that equipment and manage to do magical things with it. Oh, I don't know, someone like Björk, who has never compromised and has managed to be very successful just the way she is.

I don't want to give the impression that I'm free of the trappings of mainstream music - far from it, in fact. I'm willing to bet many people would hate the contents of my iPod and think that I'm either insane, have no concept of what constitutes music, or both. However, I do believe in what I'm saying, and the points about intention and pretension help me justify my eclectic and disjointed taste.
I can't pretend that I can always find the kind of music I'm talking about - I wouldn't even know where to begin - but I sincerely get joy from the knowledge that it's out there, lots of it. I know I'm being a tad too romantic this week, uncharacteristically so, but I felt like the act of creation, the kind that actually exists, needed to be praised unconditionally for once. I was never meant to become a musician, but thanks to the people I'm talking about, I can appreciate music anytime, anywhere.

And also, as a last note, thank you, Emre, for inviting us to your wonderful, spectacular recital.