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My musical biography
It was music that awoke me to
full living consciousness at the tender age of two. I was lying in my
crib in the Namanui section of Naha, Okinawa, and the sounds of a
koto and gamelan came drifting into the open window near my crib. The
sound was fairylike, magickal, drifting in from the garden across the
street. A connection was made somewhere in my mind, and for me,
conscious life began at that moment. From that moment on, music
became the soundtrack of my life. I can hear better than I can see,
and music allows me to multitask- read, write, and think. In my
house, the stereo gets more play than the television.
Let me tell you a little about
myself: I am 40, single and childfree, a US Air Force veteran,
TechMage, cat-herder, broom pilot, computer builder, WebCrafter, and
music lover. I write under two names on the Internet: my own (Lorie
A. Johnson), and my 'nom de web', Sunfell. I take care of the
Arkansas State Legislature's computer systems for a living. I write,
cook, and avidly collect books and music. Calling me eccentric is a
complement. I am a solitary person, but enjoy the company of
intelligent, articulate, and humorous people. I am a classic 'late
bloomer', and life is starting to really be enjoyable to me. My best
years are ahead of me, not behind, which delights me to no end. I am
a double-Virgo Metal Rat.
The gear I play my music on is
above average, but not quite audiophile, except for the speakers. I
picked up my beloved Klipsch Kg4 speakers while stationed in Germany,
and I bought the Pioneer midi system that is currently running them
in England. I have an older Sansui receiver that I might put back
into service- it's a 1986 model with a 130 watt class AB amp. It'll
blow the walls down if I crank it up past say, 3. I have plans to
upgrade my audio system- I have my eye on a nice midsized Onkyo
receiver, and a multidisk progressive-scan DVD player that'll do duty
as a CD player, too. Eventually, I'll have the home theater rig of my
dreams, with a surround sound Polk (or Klipsch) speaker system,
digital projector and THx- quality audio gear, but that's a ways away
budget-wise. Gotta walk before I fly.
I suppose it's unusual for a
woman to take such technical interest in audio systems- when I was
shopping for my stereo gear, I'd often know more about its specs and
details than the salesman did. I've been interested in them since my
dad taught me how to thread his Sony reel-to-reel forever ago. Audio
gear and electronics were, to me, much more interesting than dollies
and playing house, and the interest stuck. I was an electronics tech
in the Air Force (microwave and satcom systems) and I am a PC Support
tech today.
What are my reviewer
qualifications? I almost hate to admit it, but I am not a musician,
singer, or songwriter. I was an Air Force brat, and our frequent
moves precluded any music lessons. But I have an 'ear' for good
music- sounds that make my mind and heart soar. I love complex, 'high
calorie' sounds- electronic or acoustic makes no difference. I listen
for the soul, the life of the piece. There is a lot of mediocre and
even poor music out there, sad to say. I strongly subscribe to
science fiction writer Theodore Sturgeon's 90% rule: 90% of
everything in the world- books, websites, movies, TV shows, and
music- is BS. My job is to hunt down that worthy 10 percent and let
you know about it so you can buy it and enjoy it for yourself. The
goal is to encourage the musician to create more good music- which
they can't do if they're starving.
I ask myself questions when I
review any sort of music for recommendation. Is it empty musical
ear-candy, or an exhilarating audio treasure? What imagery is
invoked? Is it suitable for trance- work, writing, ritual,
lovemaking? Is it housecleaning music, or am I meant to stand rapt in
the sweet spot, soaring along with the melody? Will it be a good
dinner guest, or party piece? How about taking a road trip with it?
How long will it live in my CD player? If I lost it, would I buy
another to replace it? Would I snap up the performer's next album
without thinking? If I am writing, and it captures my attention, is
it good enough to get me out of my seat to see which track it is?
Will it do this twice?
I believe that there are two
kinds of music in the world- repeatable and recyclable. By
recyclable, I mean that I'll take the disk to a secondhand shop and
find another home for it. I might review a few 'recyclable' disks
here, just to contrast the 'Great' with the 'Needs Work'. Everyone
has to start somewhere. I'll always give a questionable album a
second chance: sometimes it takes time for it to grow on me. If I am
accustomed to a particular style with an artist (Delirium comes to
mind), and they change their style, this can be a rude jolt. It's a
musical FNORD: like reaching for a candy bar, and retrieving a cup of
coffee instead. If my ears are 'set' for one thing, I have to clear
my mental palate in order to properly appreciate what I'm listening.
I like all sorts of music- but
ambient, electronic, most jazz, and world fusion are my main
favorites. "Switched-On Bach" was my introduction to the
world of electronic music, and "The Well-Tempered
Synthesizer" was the first album I bought as a kid. My peers
thought I was strange because I wouldn't swoon over Donny Osmond- I
liked Walter/Wendy Carlos better. Still do. And 500+ CDs later, the
majority of my collection reflects my unclassifiable but rich tastes-
I have hardly a pop album to be found, but lots of wonderful obscure
audio treasures rarely played on the radio.
It's hard to write about music
and sound. Words crawl where sound flies. But I hope that my words
will intrigue you enough to tempt you to listen yourself. I'll tell
you what I like and why- in as elegant and interesting way as
possible. After that, it's up to you. If I liked it, chances are, you
will too. Better get your music budget in line- your collection is
probably going to increase exponentially!
Visit my website: www.sunfell.com |
