21/01/06

音乐，像生命的启动器，可以带动人的情绪。今天，南大管弦乐团在维多利亚礼堂举办了一场别开生面的演出。 乐团的指挥棒已经交到武弘小浦(Takehiro Oura) 的手中了。乐队的启蒙老师是陆开乐老师。 他把二十年的生命献给了乐队，在我们的心中永远是老师。老师其实也出有现指挥。他指挥的是校友乐团。

其实我今天对乐队的演出是分赞赏。尤其是现任指挥的音乐造诣，真是没话说。他在节目表里所提的都是金玉良言。 音乐的三大基础在于（一）音准(intonation)，（二）节奏(rhythm)，（三）和谐(harmony)。没有这三大要素，谈什么音乐感情(expression)。日本管弦乐团能够在国际领域上有一个名堂都是靠这三个要素。我对这个想法表示十分赞同。

今天的南大乐团已经今非昔比了。我真得很羡慕他们的节奏控制和声量控制。让人感到十分舒服。音色也可以说是绕梁三日。

每一次我看到别的乐队演出，我都会为西风乐团感到自卑。我感觉西风乐团真的缺少那三个要素。怎么办？ 一个只会最求声量的乐队是不会走得很远的。看来一切就让天来决定吧。

音乐是一个讲究完美的东西。音乐家为了达到这种完美，不管多少时间也肯花。就是因为这种完美需求，音乐家的思想也有所不一样。 也许说，音乐家很难找到能够和自己的思想产生共鸣(resonance)的人。 我看我也开始陷入那个谷里。

Slice of Life

Be Your Own Cheerleader

Complex our minds may be, but it can really only hold one thought at a time. If you're looking for a way to feel better at any given moment, all you have to do is change what you are focusing on. Your brain is a very powerful tool that you own and you should use to your advantage.

When was the last time you were reminiscing about a great time in your life and it made you feel terrible? When was the last time you were thinking about a painful event in your life and it made you feel good? These paradoxes exist because what you focus on is what you get!

With this in mind, the next time you find yourself in a less than desirable situation, be sure to find the positive side of it and focus your attention on that. Not only will you feel better about the situation, but also you will actually be in a better frame of mind to work through it. With this mind-set you will find yourself focusing on the solution rather than the problem.

The best way to control your focus is to ask yourself good questions. Such as "what can I find that is good in this situation?", "what have I learned from this that will make me more successful the next time?", or "how can I make this situation better?" By asking yourself effective questions, you will force your brain to look for and find a solution for what you can do to solve a problem and how you can make a situation better.

On the other hand, if you ask yourself self-defeating questions - such as "why does this always happen to me?", "why can't I have that?", "what did I do to deserve this?" and similar ilk, your brain will look for those exact answers and tell you why bad things happen to you, why you can't have something and why you deserve something bad. Now it's one thing when someone else tells you something like that, but when you tell it to yourself, you are sure to believe it! So be your own best cheerleader.

Practise focusing on positive thoughts and learn to ask yourself effective questions that will lead to constructive answers. If you look hard enough, there will always be a positive side to every situation. And for the challenges you must face in life, focus on the solution, not the problem. If you focus on the problem at hand, you will never find the solution. Focus on your dreams and they will become a reality. Ask yourself, "how can I reach my dream?"

Don't be surprised when your brain gives you the answer!

勇気わなんですか？　私の勇気わどこにですか?