Rini @ Neocities

Classical Music To Me

I remember seeing clips of orchestras playing in ads on TV in my childhood, and I wondered why, because those ads never had anything to do with music. As an adult, I would finally come to realise that orchestras are used in commercials because they represent a high standard of quality, or so I think.

To produce a single person who can play an instrument to a level of mastery takes years of dedication, anguish, and some divine intervention. A great orchestra is made up of 60, 80, 100 musicians who have all reached that nigh-impossible standard. It is akin to any technological marvel, whether it is the 1800s or the 2020s.

Classical music to me is a high art. Because it requires so much discipline to do well, humans have to transcend being human. Coming from a place where mediocrity is often celebrated, classical music at its best reminds me that people can, and do, strive to create things of beauty.

A Dedication

Depending on who you ask, Ahmad Aliff is either a violinist, conductor, music director, producer, orchestrator, arranger, violin teacher, or, indeed, all of the above. In our cultural desert of an environment, he's accomplished miraculous feats that witnesses take for granted. His work and the way he always overdelivers never ceases to amaze me. Sadly, the fiery passion that burned in him has been gradually extinguishing over years of communal apathy and neglect. It is my humble life's wish that he will one day be appreciated for his deeds and his brilliance.

Notable Efforts

Became the first Malaysian to publish an original work on IMSLP, the online music score library, where it is freely accessible. It would be great to make a proper recording with professional musicians, but as it stands, our amateur premiere is on YouTube.

Formed and directed a volunteer orchestra. Made up of music teachers, students, hobbyists, and occasional guest musicians, we put out six concerts over three years. The project is discontinued, but it managed to achieve its short-term goals.

Commissioned to compose two theme songs. Both ‘Bersama’ and ‘Warisanku’ (snippets embedded below) ended up showcasing Aliff's literary skills as a lyricist and exceeding his own expectations as a songwriter. Bonus: ‘Lagu Covid-19’ is a marching band parody borne out of frustration.

One of Aliff's violin covers was somehow trending somewhere, and became his most popular video with over 24k views at the time of writing. See also: our performance of ‘Lascia ch'io pianga’.

Featured Tracks

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