Author: Hannah Park

Hannah Park is a sophomore piano performance major at the School of Music, Theatre, and Dance. Captured Moments is a series in which she shares the intersection between photography and music, where each photo evokes a fresh perspective on the importance of the arts.

Chilled Glow

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Some of my classes are in the School of Music, on North Campus. Many students don’t appreciate the beauty and nature of North Campus. I have witnessed geese in the pond, multiple deers, and the calming sounds of the nature breeze. I especially love to go on walks during sunset hour, so I can capture pictures. This week, I am showcasing a photo I took from North Campus. With the weather dropping low, there is a cold breeze that perfectly blends with the hues of blue and yellow in the sky.

One of my favorite classical pieces, Nocturne in E flat major by Chopin, I feel captures the feelings of this picture. With the weather dropping, I feel slow and a drop in energy, especially with finals coming up. Chopin’s nocturne is sad, in my opinion, as it is yearning for something bright. For me, that brightness is the sun and warmer weather. Yet, even though I want this change, the beautiful colors of the sunset matched by the nature, makes me love the cold Fall season. The nocturne has a glow, and quiet reflection just like the sky, in this picture, itself carrying an expressive “chilled glow”.

The Sound of Falling Leaves

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It’s hard to say that there is still no first Snowfall in Michigan. As an out of state student from Colorado, they experienced lots of snow this past week, and looking through my friends’ from back home posts, I can confidently say that I am so jealous. I captured this image of the beautiful law quad while walking on a chilly day. While I can see the leaves on the ground surrounded by the architecture of the law quad, I can also see a visual symphony, where each unique element in this picture represents a musical phrase. To me, the bare branches of the trees represent the staff lines on a musical piece, with each fallen leave being a single note.

architectureThe center of this image shows the law quad, and it acts as the steady and elegant beats of the music. The rich details in architecture as well as the arch, evokes a harmony that goes beyond a simple melody. It is complex and raw, with the arch welcoming people in to the creativity warm sounds. In this orchestra, I envision the warm colors of the fall leaves as a cello, with its rich tones bringing to life Fall’s beauty.

I am reminded of the piece Cello Sonata in G minor Movement III Chopin. This beautiful piece is a duet with the cello and piano, and its sounds combine together to form a haunting yet heartwrenching piece. The cello stands out to me as the soloist, and moves the notes in a legato way to emphasize the connectedness of the notes. In this way, the Univeristy of Michigan’s campus becomes a symphony, emphasized by the sound of falling leaves.

Autumn’s Quiet Symphony 

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Michigan fall is unmatched. The breeze of the wind, changing of leaves, and orange scenery, gives a comfy and cozy feeling. As the temperature drops, and the cold weather starts rolling in, I feel a feeling of warmness, which is ironic because of how cold the temperature is. However, being able to bundle up and stay warm as I watch the seasons change, adds on to the peaceful setting.

While I focus on classical music, this week, this picture allowed me to reflect on the diversity in music genres. Much like the many different leaves, they represent the dynamics of music compositions. I chose a popular song, “Do you believe in Magic”, by the Lovin’ Spoonful (Do You Believe in Magic). The upbeat melody celebrates the magic in everyday places and moments, and the theme of finding joy in the smallest things, like a beautiful autumn day, gives a magical feeling. The guitar riff, lively rhythm, and light vocals emphasize a sense of excitement and wonder for the autumn season reflected in this photo.

Fading Colors

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The blue fades into a warm yellow, and ultimately into darkness. I snapped this photo on my way back home, and this picture reminds me a lot of painting. With how the colors match and blend perfectly, I am reminded of music. Especially tempo, the blend of colors, releases a soft and steady beat. I can see a resemblence of a series of notes transcending up the keys. Especially with the architecture that makes up the beautiful law quad, it matches the mood of the sun setting, with the twinkling of the street lamps.

With this picture, I see Debussy’s works. Specifically, “Rêverie”, the notes perfectly blend together to produce a series of wandering sounds (Rêverie). This piece reminds me of a gentle good night song, transforming into a dreamy world. Much like the contents of this picture (the colors, street lamps, and night setting), Debussy’s “Rêverie” soothing sounds, encapsulate the beauty of fading colors. 

Sunset Serenade

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Hello, and welcome back to Captured Moments! This week, while I was backing back from class, I captured a picture of the sun setting down above the lighted street. With the peaceful mood, I felt when I captured this image, the blend of nature, buildings, and the sky comes together to form a beautiful combination of colors. The street lamps add a glimmering effect as they extend all the way down the street. With the trees changing from dark green to a pretty autumn orange, they match the sunset’s light pink and orange shades to evoke a sense of blending harmonies, much like in music.

One of my favorite pieces, “Claire de Lune” (Claire De Lune) by Claude Debussy, perfectly captures the mood and setting of this image. The calm and fading light of the sunset evokes the same quiet and reflective sounds of Claire de Lune. As the day transitions into night, there is a dreamlike quality, much like the moving melodic lines in Debussy’s piece. At the end of the piece, the notes go up the keyboard and fade away gently. This rise in the musical score can be represented by the crane in the image, as it extends upwards in a gentle progression.

With the sun displaying warm colors, it serenades the peace and tranquility in the moment.

Quiet Corners

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Hello, and welcome back to Captured Moments! While my previous blogs captured my life as a piano performance major, this year, I am shifting the perspective of “captured” in my blogs. I love to take pictures of everything I see—literally. So, I want to incorporate my love for photography into my musical life. 

I captured this photo while walking back to my house, because of the stillness and peaceful simplicity. The empty streets, sun going down, and quiet houses are translated to the gentle and nostalgic melodies of a certain song that I correlate this image to; “Gymnopédie No. 1”

Satie’s musical composition evokes the mood of this photo, as the slow tempo and harmonies blend to form a beautifully nostalgic piece. Much like the straightforward and clean singing lines of Gymnopédie, this picture has simple lines and minimalist texture. It is straightforward, yet full of complex musicality. 

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TL0xzp4zzBE) Performed by Khatia Buniatishvili.

Emotionally speaking, I felt a wave of nostalgic happiness as it reminded me of my childhood. I also felt a bit of sadness when I realized that time was moving fast. As sophomore year is finished, I will only have two years left at the University of Michigan. Being in the moment while I took this picture, I came at peace, standing alone and reflecting on the quiet corners of the street.