2026-07-17 23:25 UTC
@composers@fedigroups.social
My wife and her parents all worked closely with me to help me understand the poems. My Chinese is not very good, and it was worse then, so there’s no way I could have done this on my own. I listened closely to how my father-in-law recited the poems, and recorded him doing it. I memorized them all myself too. They explained to me what they meant, both generally and word by word, syllable by syllable, making me aware of many subtle connotations and allusions.
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Replies (1)
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@mcmullin@musicians.today 2026-07-17 23:30
This was all very new to me, and I enjoyed getting a quick education at a level way above my own understanding. I also loved their enthusiasm to do this, and how surprised and pleased they were that I was that interested. What struck me most about the poems themselves was the beauty and subtlety of their sound. I was determined not to mess that up with my music, but to let it shine through as much as possible. 3/ @composers@fedigroups.social