How do You Describe the Music?

spiderweb

spiderweb

Final Approach
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Ben
As many know, I am a professional musician. Most here can relate to the emotions they feel as they experience the incredible varieties of music out there.

But how do you describe the feeling of driving down a bumpy ILS, popping out, and putting down gently in a strong, direct crosswind? (I feel the same as the last measures of the slow movement of the Third Symphony of Rachmaninoff, if that means anything to anyone.)

How do you describe the exhilarating takeoff and climb on a cold February day? (I feel the same as when I hear the first few bars of "Saturday in the Park" by Chicago.)

etc., etc.
 
Gerry Mulligan's composition "Jeru", performed by Miles Davis, so eloquently illustrates flying along the Mid Atlantic coastline in a Grumman Tiger that I adopted it as my screen name.

I can't explain it...it just does.
http://youtu.be/MRjjqFogPGI
 
I guess I am still in the Styx Grand Illusion stage.
 
For me, the 3rd movement of Vagn Holmboe's 17th String Quartet is exactly like floating in slow flight, doing falling leaf stalls above a scattered layer of puffy cumulus clouds on a warm August morning.
 
Depends on what I'm doing. If it's an early morning flight and I'm kinda groggy, I'll turn on something to wake me up - I'll kick on some 80s songs and sing along. That gets me going.

If I just wanna jam on a long xc, I'll turn on some classic rock. This is one of my favorites if I'm not gonna be home that day.

If I'm taking it all in, admiring the beauty of this really cool place we call earth, I like to listen to this song. I've heard it 1,000 times, and it still hasn't gotten old. I'll listen to it 10,000 more times, too.
Here's another great one to sing along to when you're flying. (Be warned though, this is a really sad song)

Here's another one I like to listen to when I'm flying, it reminds me how good I've got it and that life isn't too bad.

The song I was listening to when the cockpit of the 210 I was flying started filling up with smoke. It started almost exactly when the smoke did, and ended a few seconds after I landed. I suppose it was the theme song for the whole event. I was too busy to turn it off.
 
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DavidWhite said:
Depends on what I'm doing. If it's an early morning flight and I'm kinda groggy, I'll turn on something to wake me up - I'll kick on some 80s songs and sing along. That gets me going.

If I just wanna jam on a long xc, I'll turn on some classic rock. This is one of my favorites if I'm not gonna be home that day.

If I'm taking it all in, admiring the beauty of this really cool place we call earth, I like to listen to this song. I've heard it 1,000 times, and it still hasn't gotten old. I'll listen to it 10,000 more times, too.


Here's another great one to sing along to when you're flying. (Be warned though, this is a really sad song)

Here's another one I like to listen to when I'm flying, it reminds me how good I've got it and that life isn't too bad.

The song I was listening to when the cockpit of the 210 I was flying started filling up with smoke. It started almost exactly when the smoke did, and ended a few seconds after I landed. I suppose it was the theme song for the whole event. I was too busy to turn it off.
Click to expand...

From one under-20 to another, you have excellent taste in music. I'll add mine in here at some point...if I remember.
 
My first IFR solo flight in IMC, in a C182RG:

Cold mid-night, February, coming back across the north Cascades at 12000MSL against a moderate mountain wave with high granite peaks abeam. My secretary had passed out at 8500MSL and her head in her headset was rolling against the window with the constant 30 degree rolls left and right required to maintain a semblance of level flight.

Lost over 900 feet of altitude twice in the down waves, over a 20 minute period but regained it, then iced up including our windshield. -Those parts are the abstract, free instrumental of Led Zep's "Give Me Every inch Of Your love".....

When we started down into the descent, finally freed from the highest mountains and the ice came flying off our windshield with a racket and relief, is when the song resumes the more rhythmic conclusions.... and my passenger also came to passing through 8500, fighting the heaves.

It was a pilot's North Cascades Sleigh Ride.
 
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Ben-

I "know" lots of fine classical pieces, but rarely can I tell you (on the fly) who composed, who conducted or who is performing. Wish I could. And, frankly, I am a little intimidated at the notion of trying to describe musical emotions to a pro like you.

I may yet try.

Sometimes, when I am flying in a quiet and contemplative moment, I feel like Stevie Ray Vaughan's Riviera Paradise.
 
What music comes to mind? Whatever music I have playing on my MP3 player. After run up, I hit play and depart. Sometimes I leave it playing all the way until shut down.
 
Nice selections!

DavidWhite said:
Depends on what I'm doing. If it's an early morning flight and I'm kinda groggy, I'll turn on something to wake me up - I'll kick on some 80s songs and sing along. That gets me going.

If I just wanna jam on a long xc, I'll turn on some classic rock. This is one of my favorites if I'm not gonna be home that day.

If I'm taking it all in, admiring the beauty of this really cool place we call earth, I like to listen to this song. I've heard it 1,000 times, and it still hasn't gotten old. I'll listen to it 10,000 more times, too.
Here's another great one to sing along to when you're flying. (Be warned though, this is a really sad song)

Here's another one I like to listen to when I'm flying, it reminds me how good I've got it and that life isn't too bad.

The song I was listening to when the cockpit of the 210 I was flying started filling up with smoke. It started almost exactly when the smoke did, and ended a few seconds after I landed. I suppose it was the theme song for the whole event. I was too busy to turn it off.
Click to expand...
 
Quite a story!

Dave Krall CFII said:
My first IFR solo flight in IMC, in a C182RG:

Cold mid-night, February, coming back across the north Cascades at 12000MSL against a moderate mountain wave with high granite peaks abeam. My secretary had passed out at 8500MSL and her head in her headset was rolling against the window with the constant 30 degree rolls left and right required to maintain a semblance of level flight.

Lost over 900 feet of altitude twice in the down waves, over a 20 minute period but regained it, then iced up including our windshield. -Those parts are the abstract, free instrumental of Led Zep's "Give Me Every inch Of Your love".....

When we started down into the descent, finally freed from the highest mountains and the ice came flying off our windshield with a racket and relief, is when the song resumes the more rhythmic conclusions.... and my passenger also came to passing through 8500, fighting the heaves.

It was a pilot's North Cascades Sleigh Ride.
Click to expand...
 
SCCutler said:
Ben-

I "know" lots of fine classical pieces, but rarely can I tell you (on the fly) who composed, who conducted or who is performing. Wish I could. And, frankly, I am a little intimidated at the notion of trying to describe musical emotions to a pro like you.

I may yet try.

Sometimes, when I am flying in a quiet and contemplative moment, I feel like Stevie Ray Vaughan's Riviera Paradise.
Click to expand...

Spike, there is no wrong way to describe how you feel--when flying or listening to music. :)
 
I'm an engineer. I don't comprehend music. I do choke up on the old country and gospel music that I know from long ago (1940s) and I love the triumph march from Aida
 
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I couldn't get those to open maybe it's cause I'm using an ipad
 
Every time I listen to the first two minutes of "Grand Central" by Edward Shearmur, (from K-Pax) it reminds me of flying at the cloud tops, and every once in a while, flying through one that extends a hundred feet or so above the layer.

If I had to pick one of my favorites to do the bumpy ILS to, it would be "Go" by Andy Hunter.
 
spiderweb said:
Quite a story!
Click to expand...

That's the short version for your purposes here and of course doesn't do real justice to the whole flight.

Also, Joe Satriani's two electric instrumentals on Flying are most excellent, and Magic Carpet Ride, composed by a pilot, about flying, I heard on an interview.
 
spiderweb said:
Spike, there is no wrong way to describe how you feel--when flying or listening to music. :)
Click to expand...
Bingo! Well said, Ben! It's funny, I never hear music while flying, It isn't until after the flight that the appropriate music comes into my head.
 
Graueradler said:
I'm an engineer. I don't comprehend music. I do choke up on the old country and gospel music that I know from long ago (1940s) and I love the triumph march from Aida
Click to expand...

Those aren't mutually exclusive! Granted, I'm still a mere engineering student, but I do love me some good music. I've been playing classical piano since I was about 6 and play the French Horn when I can. Music and engineering can go very well together!
 
My landings are probably best described musically as a Slayer or Pantera song.
 
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