Saturday, July 16, 2011

Klangfarbenmelodie*

Today's 100 words:

Once, I wanted to be a singer. I grew up idolizing Cyndi Lauper and Madonna, and although I could never consistently carry a tune, I still wanted to be just like them. I even gave two of my Barbies their names, something my sister probably wished had been her idea. I'm from a small town, and my much older brother said I could stay with him in Chicago so I could have "proper" voice lessons, but my parents declined. Sometimes I think my brother, dissatisfied with his life, wanted me to be famous so he could live vicariously through me.

*I'd never heard of this word before today, but I chose it for my title because I liked the sound of it. According to Wikipedia, Klangfarbenmelodie is "a musical technique that involves distributing a musical line or melody to several instruments, rather than assigning it to just one instrument, thereby adding color (timbre) and texture to the melodic line."

2 comments:

  1. I love both the word and the idea it encompasses!

    That snippet of earlier life really leaves me wanting more.

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  2. Thanks, Deb. Isn't it a great word?

    You know, I wanted to write more than 100 words on this topic, and maybe someday I will. I think this one little episode illustrates the relationship I have with my brother today...

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