“The End of April” – My audience and I have weaved a beautiful picture together

During my music program “Morning Concert” @Sound of Hope Radio FM92.3 on Wednesday morning (May 2^nd) between 9 – 10 o’clock, I shared with my audiences an interesting musical journey.

I played to the audience a piano draft recording of my new composition on Monday morning. A piano draft means the musical idea is played by piano solo only without other music instruments. The piece is called “The End of April”, depicting all the living beings are quietly growing in April – the most beautiful time of spring.

Click the player below to listen to the piano version of "The End of April”.

A few days ago, when still in April, I got inspiration from the date number of April 25^th. 4, 2, 5 is Fa Re So, which I used as the starting element for creating the melody of the piece. I liked the melodic ideas and then noted them down. During the broadcasting the music on Monday, I mentioned that I hope my audiences could send me some feedbacks of the music by 8pm. I was pleased that I did receive a lot of letters before 8pm. I could also sense that my audiences take my requests very seriously. The language of music has no borders, as on the same day I also sent my music to westerners too. So eventually I got feedback from both Chinese and Westeners.

I would like to share some beautiful feedbacks with you: (I have translated the Chinese feedback into English)

• ERIC:
  I liked your new work very much when I was on my way to work this morning. I don’t know why, the music made me think of the movie “Forrest Gump”, where the movie piano theme appeared. If the music in “Forrest Gump” makes people think of the wind feathers, your music makes people see flowers quietly opening. I personally think that this is a complete work already, and further instrumentation should be simple. This is also the best music piece of yours I have ever heard before.
• Leslie:
  The beginning part was very dreamy and led to a lot of imagination. I think that will be nice if it goes on a peak park which is more exciting rather than mellow all the way. Although it can end with a soft tail which could lead to more meanings. More instruments involved will be helpful.
• Con:
  It is a very peaceful music
• Sheng Wang:
  The theme is a jumping theme - not too high, and it gave me a picture of garden where butterflies were hopping between flowers, and birds were hopping between tree branches. I could see a garden fountain also running small flow of water in the theme. Your music is language. The last day of April is not the end of spring in your song. It is happy, and joyful, and graceful.
• Tiffany:
  Not long after the music began, I seemed to faintly hear birds singing, followed by the piano taking me into a picture – In a quiet forest, the sun casted a colorful light and shadow through the branches. A young girl in white skirt, wearing a wreath made of tree branches and flowers on her head, danced beautifully barefoot in the forest. Your music brings people grace, warm and peace.
• Melinda:
  It is BEAUTIFUL! Especially in the beginning, it really gives me the feeling of all living things quietly awakening. And also in the middle of the melody, I can feel the spring wind slowly pushes other lazy creatures to wake up. I can feel the early spring, mid-spring. Please give us some feelings of late spring as well as the excitement of getting into summer?
• Susan (Westerner):
  Listening to your composition brought this imagery to my mind: A youthful, meandering stroll through a lush, beautiful garden, where every step and turn yields a delightful discovery.

Quietly reading their feedbacks, I see in two ways. On the one hand, different people have different interpretations, such as ERIC feels the song is complete already, while Leslie feels that the music needs some more instruments. But on the other hand, everyone's imagination is very similar and very beautiful.

I suddenly feel that when I put together the highlights of all the feedback, the overall beautiful and moving picture of the music piece has already been magically formed!

Overall picture:

The time is about between early spring to mid-spring

Butterflies are hopping between flowers

And birds are hopping between tree branches

A garden fountain is running small flow of water

The sun casts a colorful light and shadow through the branches

The crystal water drops turned into a beautiful young girl

She is wearing a white skirt, wearing a wreath made of tree branches and flowers on her head

danced beautifully barefoot in the forest

Every step and turn the girl passes yields a delightful new discovery

Moist all things, birds, flowers, butterflies, water

The garden is becoming more beautiful

Finally, the girl changed again back to the crystal drops

Leaving only a beautiful garden...

The song overall is very quiet. But there is subtle action in it.

When you completely let yourself calm down, you can feel the subtle moves in nature which are  difficult to detect normally without losing the entire picture.

When the song is finished, and I believe it will be very beautiful. Because music has no borders,

the message within the piece transcended language and national boundaries, so that my audience and I have weaved a beautiful picture together.