Daily writing prompt

List five things you do for fun.

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I can honestly put music in the number one place, maybe even in the 3 top spots :

1- improvising with others, especially if we change the rhythm of the original music to turn it into something funny and sometimes, amazing. For example playing “Jingle bells” as a zouk, or turning any Western music in a sega (traditional music from the Mascareignes islands), or any children song into a full orchestra-like jam.

2- arranging a song/piece for a full band or even an orchestra. The more I make music the more I realize this is my favorite thing in the whole world : taking a song with just a melody and chords (it can be one of my own songs or not), and writing and recording the parts for every other instrument I hear on it. When I go crazy with the strings and brass, and add some traditional percussion, that’s when the magic really sweeps me off my feet. I recently did one of those just for fun, to gift to my father for his birthday, with a silly little children song about a rabbit, that we invented together when I was a kid.

3- Performing live with someone and messing up, but finding our way back anyways, and the result is awesome. During my last show, we actually had one of these moments on stage where we couldn’t stop laughing. Maybe some would say that this is not a professional way to deliver a perfect show, but actually, for me, these are the best moments to share on stage and they make the best memories.

4- Going snorkeling or diving and hang out with the fish. My all time favorite creature is the nudibranch. They are so cute and shiny, I love them. A few years ago, I was yelled at by my diving instructor, because he was trying to get my attention to show me a turtle, and I was off just gazing at a fluorescent sea slug.

5- Experimenting with cooking a weird but surprisingly delicious plant-based meal. Two recent examples come to mind : a vegan “foie gras” for Christmas Eve dinner made with cashews, and a birthday cake entirely made with mashed carrots and chocolate. See? Weird but delicious.

Mei Li,
island girl making music for the World