Humid weekend...

Since I finished proofreading 100 English songs for a forthcoming music book yesterday evening, I feel good even though it's so humid and cloudy today. It's a typical day in the rainy season, so what can I say? ;)

Well, the 100 songs... it wasn't as bad or tough as I thought before I started working on them. I didn't have to proofread the notation, just English words and the syllable per note are the main thing I had to check while listening to the audio files given by the editor in charge of the book.

All the songs are from 1950-60's released before I was born but somehow I knew most of the songs... that actually surprised me. I heard them growing up on the radio or something, perhaps. My family wasn't very musical - they were more into local folk/traditional songs than western pop music - that I cannot remember how or when I heard them, really. But it's certainly was refreshing to listen to those old pop songs for the first time in years.

I sometimes work with my friends' band Matenrou Opera to translate their songwriter's words in English. The 100 songs proofreading provided me nutrients for that job. It's a low-paid job (ouch!) but a good experience (hooray!) to give me goodies I can utilize for my future work :D

One thing I've noticed is that those lyrics in 1950-60's are very simple. I don't know if it's because of Rap but pop songs nowadays seem to have more words and more detailed expressions. Which we are familiar with and taking for granted in a way. Some are good and some are not very good, of course, but I just wonder how many songs will survive 50 years from now. Or maybe the way their survival would be more personal rather than social?

Since Walkman came out, music's got a big aspect of listening alone via headphones in addition to sharing its excitement live with other people on a street or in a club/hall. It certainly is an evolution and I think young music lovers these days have started enjoying both, no good nor bad between them, just they see them different ways of enjoying music. Isn't it good to know both excitements?

I'm always surprised and sorry to know elder people around me tend to live without music - they don't listen to it or have lost an interest in it or believing they're 'mature' enough not to listen to heavy or intense music... Isn't it sad to be tamed by a common sense of 'how a mature person should be'?

Anyhow, I'm absolutely fortunate to breathe in music every day. And that brings me a new experience from time to time. I guess I just can't be an "ideal" old Japanese woman... hee-hee-hee ;P

Have a lovely weekend, folks!!♡♡♡