Earth Pony Harmonic Dissonance [Ready]

[starswirlthebearded]

Roleplay Type: World of Equestria

Name: Harmonic Dissonance

Sex: Female

Age: Young Mare

Species: Earth Pony

Eye colour: Dull gold

Coat: Her coat is a pale shade of concord grape purple, with a brighter shade of purple, around her hooves.

Mane/Tail: Her mane and tail are messy similar to the day she messed it up at the concert hall. They are a red wine shade of red.

Physique: Lithe, and considerably taller than most ponies. She has long legs, which make it easier to play the piano with great speed and accuracy.

Residence: Dynamic, but has an apartment in Baltimare, not too far from where she grew up with her parents. She chooses to move about playing wherever she can, doing what she loves. She returns to her family home on occasion. She often claims to “follow the music” and that the music can not lead her astray.

Occupation: Jazz pianist and free lance composer

Cutie Mark: A Treble Clef superimposed on figure eight, with one half a piano keyboard and the other half a music staff with notes on it.

Quite contrary to reason, Harmonic didn't get her cutie mark through jazz.

Her teacher wanted to perform a piece with her. Harmonic was on flute, which at the time was her most proficient instrument, her teacher would accompany her on piano. They went to the concert hall stage which was a rare occurrence, usually only preceded by a performance with the youth orchestra. However today was different. The school which held the private lessons had just received a brand new piano, one unlike any Harmonic had ever seen. It was a large classic grand piano. She instantly fell in love with the looks of it. When they started playing, she fell in love with the sound. She then noticed that the sound in the studio piano simply sounded flat and lifeless, which initially turned her off to the piano, though she had already learned the basics. The sound just turned her off, thinking all pianos sounded that way.

The next day she went into the studio for the first time unattended and found next to the small studio piano a tuning hammer.

She began work on the piano, trying to get it to sound as closely to the sound she heard from the perfectly tuned and brand new grand piano in the concert hall. Hitting every note tweaking every key for hours she worked tuning this old piano. Finally she was satisfied how each note sounded.

Harmonic got up and started playing the basic key progressions she had learned, being more pleased with the sound than she remembered when she was younger. Then she tried the consonant chord progressions. She was discovering that the piano wasn’t the lifeless instrument she had thought but an instrument of limitless possibility and grace. She continued for nearly the whole day like that reacquainting herself with what she once considered her old enemy when she was once forced to play it, now returning as if they were long lost friends.

Harmonic played through the night. She had told her parents she would be home late, but when she didn’t return they got worried. They collected her teacher and went to the studio where she said she would be. Harmonic was still up somehow, still playing the piano. However by this point she was exhausted. She no longer knew what she was playing, as she was hitting the chords that just came to mind. The result was an entrancing set of dissonant chords, much like her name. Her parents and teacher alike were enamored by the unique style of playing and the inherently different music than what most expected. The filly used chords and syncopation that should have resulted in torture to the ears, but the odd combinations somehow worked and somehow created an almost magical trance inducing sound that could only be described as organized chaos. She continued to play like this until she passed out at the keyboard.

Hours later when her parents and teacher woke her, she found that she had gained her cutie mark.

History: Her parents, being who they were, started Harmonic in music classes from a young age. She was started on the basics of music theory and the history of music before picking up her first instrument, of which there were many. She was good enough at most, being able to play basic songs in many of the instruments shown to her. At this point she really didn’t mind, it was a direction for a directionless youth. Harmonic was just following what her parents wanted. She had some instruction on the piano, but the sound never struck her as other instruments like the violin and the flute did. She focused mainly on those for the beginning of her musical career, learning how to read music, as well as the art of composition and notation.

Like her parents had hoped, she was naturally gifted, and with that she was pushed into performing from a young age. Her education was guided very closely by her parents. She was given private lessons along with music specialty schools. She met many ponies during this time whom she at the time considered to be her friends. They would often compete for first chair in the youth orchestra. They pushed each other to new heights and even better skill level. They really wouldn’t interact much outside of school and rehearsals though. She really enjoyed music though, and being able to live her life through music. It was all perfect for her! She didn’t mind following in her parent’s footsteps in the least.

She always strove for perfection, and then the day came when she discovered her talent in writing and performing music with unique chord progressions and syncopation. Harmonic started practicing the piano endlessly, thinking of interesting ways to utilize the instrument. She would purposely detune pianos to get sounds that she wanted. She was especially fond of playing the grand piano in a rather unique way. She would place pins to change the sounds of notes during play, and even pluck the strings She worked hard with her teachers to hone this style. Eventually she progressed from just writing piano parts to doing entire orchestral arrangements. Harmonic was then given a great honour, to orchestrate the final performance of her and her “friends” in the youth orchestra. She worked hard for weeks on it, trying to make everything perfect. She discussed it whenever possible with her private teacher, and everyone she showed it to agreed it would be a performance worth remembering.

After endless hours of practicing everypony felt that they were ready. The day had come to perform it. The concert hall was filled to the brim, and Harmonic had never seen it filled so much. Thoughts of failure started to run through her head. She started to think about the possible negative criticism, in her head she saw ponies booing and jeering at her, the failed composer. When she finally got up on stage with the other members of the orchestra the nervousness finally got to her. She rubbed her well groomed mane furiously and slammed down on the keyboard of the grand piano she loved so much and stormed out of the concert hall.

Tears in her eyes, she didn’t know what to do for the first time in her life. She loved music but she couldn’t take the thought of failing everyone. Running around the city on her own with only the thoughts of how angry everypony would be with her. That is when in her panic she heard something, something that was entirely different. It was coming from the open door of a bar that said “Live Jazz.” She had heard of jazz but had never listened to it. She walked up to the bar and asked for the strongest thing that they had. The bartender poured her out a glass of whiskey as the next set started. She slowly sipped the whiskey as the trio started to play. She was enamored by the pianist, who played with such vigor and liveliness. She didn’t realize music could ever be played like this. It was washing away her troubles from earlier that evening.

After the final set she approached the pianist and started talking to her. She bawled out her troubles to her, telling her about the trouble at the concert hall. The pianist was very sympathetic, feeling that way before every set. The pianist asked if Harmonic would show her what she had. She brought her to a smaller club that had an open stage. The jazz pianist told her to play, and just to have fun with the other two members. The drummer and bassist started playing. Harmonic closed her eyes and put her hooves to the keys. She started to play how she usually did, with off beat syncopation and dissonant chords, but as it progressed she started playing with more of a mix. The jazz pianist smiled as she saw the crowd start to get into Harmonic’s unique style. It wasn’t perfect but it was certainly different and full of possibilities. After the night was over she walked up to Harmonic and started a conversation.

“So how did you dig playing jazz for the first time?”

“Uh... dig? What?”

“I mean, did you enjoy it? And more importantly would you like to continue?”

Gobsmacked Harmonic just nodded her head. She had thoroughly enjoyed playing the way she did. It was different, yet entirely the same as she played the first time she played the piano on her own and got her cutie mark.

“Great! Then it’s decided, we’ll go where the music takes us and I’ll take you under my wing. I can’t wait to see how you can swing this awesome talent for the piano for jazz”

With that Harmonic wrote up a letter to her parents explaining what she was doing. She followed the pianist everywhere, and she taught Harmonic everything she knew about jazz and how to play jazz piano. Harmonic couldn’t just cast off years of classical training though, instead she took it into the jazz that she quickly fell in love with. For several years she continued this journey. Along the way she learned how to just relax and go with the flow. She still had a streak of perfectionist in her, but it no longer ruled her life. She came to love letting loose and going with the flow. She really didn’t keep in contact with her parents during this time, she became hopelessly lost in the life of a traveling musician.

She eventually returned home to find her parents in tears when they embraced her. They never knew how to contact her and were extremely worried after she stormed out of the concert hall. Though she really expected them to be disappointed in her. She had, after all, let them down. But in the end, they felt that perhaps they pushed her too hard and fast, and impressed upon her their hopes and dreams. In the end they just wanted their little virtuoso back. She explained to her parents that she was rediscovering music with her mentor who was an awesome pianist.

Her parents looked at each other. They nodded and said “We’re glad you’re back, did you at least find what you were looking for?” Harmonic replied with a simple word “Jazz.” She continued to explain what she experienced where she had gone and what she had learnt. To her amazement her parents were smiling with the pride she had once saw when she was preparing for that final performance. They simply wanted her to be happy with the music and to live her life to the fullest. They knew jazz, and respected jazz musicians. “They are the masters of improv” her parents explained, stating that they should have seen her talent for it when she was playing on the piano when she got her cutie mark.

“I just came back to find my roots, I intend to follow the music again soon though.”

“Of course, we did the same in our youth as well and is in fact how we met. You need to find your own voice through music, we’ll always be here for you. So please, don’t forget to write and visit. You’ll always have a place with us.”

A few weeks later, she played her first gig in Baltimare, with her parents watching. Afterwards, she told her parents that she was leaving the next day. All three in tears Harmonic set off on her own path through jazz.

Character Summary: Harmonic, unlike in her youth, became very laid back. While traveling with her mentor, she learned that the only person she needed to please was herself. She still has the heart of a perfectionist though, always striving for technical perfection even in jazz. She loathes missing a note or a transition. It is something that even if the crowd doesn’t notice, she’ll be disappointed with herself at the end of the performance. She would often drink with her bandmates and apologize when they were drinking post show, and they would all laugh about how she would blow a small error out of proportion. Sometimes they would even tell her that imperfections make jazz better and more memorable. No matter what she did though, she was always a pony about technique and precision on the piano.

Despite her love of perfection, she never does play the same exact song more than once. She is a true showmare. She integrated her more inventive ways like modifying the sound of the pianos with pins and nails and physically plucking the strings into her jazz. She loves improvising most of all, considering it the core of jazz. In fact, if she ever does miss a note, she covers up by improvising the next section of the song to make it seem intentional. This doesn't change her aversion to actually missing a note.

Though she is hard on herself, she is a real breeze to work with, and is always willing to laugh at herself over her misgivings. She is a go with the flow kind of pony and always takes compliments graciously, though she is more humble, often replying to compliments with a mere thank you. She isn't shy and always love meeting new ponies and especially new musicians. If anyone mentions a jam session to her, it doesn't matter the time, she can and will play like a pony possessed by the spirit of jazz itself.

Sometimes she still composes the music she grew up with for some extra bits. Friends that she grew up with would sometimes send her letters and ask for her assistance. Though she wasn't there for it, apparently the show that she composed for was a great hit and she was well remembered in musical circles of Baltimare. She didn’t particularly mind it either, she felt that returning to her roots allowed her to see the future more clearly and come up with new interesting ideas that she could use in her performances.

[Gerrard]

This seems ready for looking over as is. The only thing I can question would be her cutie mark. It sounds really complicated to the point that it would need an explanation. I am not familiar enough with music to make that determination though.

[Rosewind]

I agree, Gerrard. Is there some way you could simplify its description better, Swirly?

[starswirlthebearded]

I agree, Gerrard. Is there some way you could simplify its description better, Swirly?

Sure thing. I can explain it the same way I explained it in the chat.

[starswirlthebearded]

Changed discription, added picture.

[starswirlthebearded]

I know you said it might be "too busy". But keep in mind that image is a concept picture and the actual cutie mark will be much simpler.

[starswirlthebearded]

Added proper picture drawn by the lovely elderflower cutie mark and all!

[RarityDash]

Excellent work as always, Starswirl!

[Rosewind]

Moving to accepted - earth pony.