This is probably the Animenz arrangement that has had the most impact on me as a pianist.I hesitated to put this one out now because I recorded it in mid-September 2020, and I’ve already made significant improvements to my playing, both with getting back my old stamina and technique, and also developing my ear and more interesting ideas. And combined with the growth of this channel, I feel even more pressure than ever to put out “perfect” content to maintain my image and brand.
But this comes as a fitting reminder in the midst of this growth that I am a person first, musician second, “content creator”/brand last. And as I’ve said many times before, I make and share music to connect with people, and this is a very real example of that. So here’s me, a week after I recorded Mozart K545 and Crossing Field with my garage light and not even a third angle, recording Tabi no Tochuu, full of errors and whatnot.
Oh, and if you’re tracking along with my descriptions, this is the next part of my summer narrative following “Ocean” Etude
This summer was quite difficult mentally and emotionally for me. Some things were happening in my personal life (that will remain undisclosed for obvious reasons), but fortunately I was rediscovering my voice in playing the piano and found that to be an incredible outlet and way to process everything. However, that changed when I developed tinnitus.
Learning that it was from hearing loss really put me in a depressive state for several days. I had no motivation to get out of bed or do anything because it felt like one of my lifelines was being cut, and I had no say in it. I still don’t know if it’s genetic or environmentally caused, but for me then I immediately assumed it was environmental. The result was that I became incredibly bitter towards the piano, and it felt insulting to even sit down at the bench, because the instrument that had given me so much now seemed to be taking it from me.
A few days into that, I randomly decided that I would watch Spice and Wolf, and I absolutely loved it. I finished the anime in like 2 days, read the manga in another 2 days, and read the first 6 light novels in the next 3. Not only was the plot compelling, but the characters were as well. I think I especially connected with the loneliness of Holo and Lawrence, which was strangely unique yet ubiquitous to both of them.
And of course, I fell in love with Tabi no Tochuu. I love the instrumentation, the way Natsumi Kiyoura’s voice is so smooth, the orchestral elements that give it an old feel, and even the slight growl in the bass that comes in the choruses.
But what strikes me the most about the song is the juxtaposition of the hopeful lyrics and the somber, brooding melody that carries it. “If the world we dreamed of exists anywhere, let’s go look for it, beyond the wind” - The beginning of an epic journey, one that will bring much joy and good memories, yet the vocal softly sweeps with a deep, melancholic yearning that carries the full gravitas of knowing that the journey will someday end, and all that will be left are sadness, emptiness, and longing for better times.
That’s such a lonely feeling. That describes Holo so well and her loneliness.
And that described me.
It was in that state that I finally found Animenz’s cover. And it was like God showing me that I need to keep playing the piano.
Animenz’s playing reminded me of the beauty that the piano could create; he reminded me of how the instrument could sing, cry, laugh, and speak. And it was listening to that and being reminded of that, that I was almost brought to tears, both listening to it and finally playing Chopin’s Nocturne in E flat again for the first time in weeks.
And so that’s the story that I’m telling in this. It’s not perfect technically by any means, but I emotionally felt the entire song all the way through. It was a part of my story, and in that moment when I was playing and recording, I was telling it with all my might. Literally at 3:11 I’m driving so much weight into my fingers that I felt like I could lift myself off the bench, and at 3:29 I felt that whole section as a burning in my heart so deep that words could not explain.
So why is this one of my favorite Animenz arrangements and favorite songs in general? Maybe it’s truly something that I can’t put into words, but that I can maybe show in my playing.
Until next time,
- WattKeys
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Season 3 when???
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