music of reflection

music, to me.

“Music is a universal language” is a phrase I have heard endlessly, but which has always rung hollow.

How can I actually talk to someone with music? young me wondered. Does that mean I don’t need to learn English?

For me, a more accurate version is: “Music is a medium to express and share emotions”. Let me show what I mean.

brahms: violin sonata no. 2 in a major, op. 100, 1st mvt

I first heard this piece played in a student recital at a violin summer festival I attended.

When I hear the opening piano part, I immediately feel a wave of nostalgia wash over me. That happened the first time I heard it, and every time since. It is a very interesting sensation, because it does not take me to a place or time I have been before. It just bathes me in the emotions of longing, melancholy, and a hint of joy.

Check out my favorite recording of this piece by Itzhak Perlman and Vladimir Ashkenazy.

Just the Two of Us (Grover Washington)

This is the sound of the last month of sophomore year. That period of time was very special to me. It is hard to put into words, but it felt removed from the timeline of my life.

When I hear it, I remember walking around campus with my friends prior to the AP CSP exam. I remember stepping off of campus for the last time that year, feeling that my life was moving on. And I remember being in that bubble of time, enjoying the moment.

If my life was a film, that portion would have a slightly different tint that no other scene would share.

My jazz combo performed this song, as well as a From the Start and a few others, at my school’s Senior Awards.

I listen to it whenever I want to be transported back to that vibe, or when it feels hard to keep living and looking forward.

Listen to this one here.

Suk: Love Song from 6 Pieces, Op. 7

The title of the piece perfectly encompasses what I feel from this piece: love.

Just like the Brahms, I first heard this piece at a violin summer festival, performed as an encore by Ray Ushikubo.

The warmth of D-flat major pairs incredibly with the melody of the first section. The feeling of love builds up and becomes so intense, entangled with the feeling of heartbreak: tender and raw. In the second section, it develops into a brighter and more wistful feeling, as if reminiscing on the happy memories with a past lover. It returns back to the first section, but with more movement in the piano accompaniment, as if they are starting to move on, with the heartbreak fading slowly. The piece ends with a final thought: that everything will be okay.

This piece got me through a lot of difficult times. It is my favorite piece of music, and I can feel myself going through all the emotions whenever I perform it. The way I feel after a performance of this piece is incomparable to any other.

Love. Hope. Comfort.

Take a listen to my favorite recording of this piece by Janine Jansen.

Final Thoughts

Each of these pieces marks a different chapter in my life, and different emotions I have felt throughout it: moments of longing, of connection, of healing. Music has a way of holding time still, of letting us return to who we once were, and who we are, and who we will become.

These three pieces are a small selection from my reflection playlist, where each piece or song carries a memory or emotion that is special to me.