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교수님께서 서양 음악사를 사용하여 여러가지를 설명 하시려고 하는데 갑자기 서양 음악사의 변화를 연도 별로 아는 사람이 있냐고 물어 보셨다. 아무도 손을 들지 않아서 내가 조용히 손을 들었다. 교수님은 날 놀라운 눈빛으로 쳐다보셨다. 그래서 난 다음과 같이 대답했다. 350 for Middle Age => 1350 for 르네상스 => 1600 for 바로크 => 1752 for 클래식 =>1820 for 로맨틱

교수님은 놀라운 표정을 금치 못하셨다. 그래서 다음과 같은 질문을 나에게 하셨다. 한글로 번역하기 어려우니 그냥 영어로 쓴다. (P for Professor and B for Brendon)

P: Did you study music?
B: Negative Sir. I am actually studying music. Not as in terms of playing a musical instrument but to understand the history of Western music.

P: Interesting. What made you study music?
B: Previously I had no interested in any form of art, including music. Now I have a family and children. In the event that having a family dinner at Becasse and my curious daughter suddenly asks me "Dad, what sort of music is this? Who is the composer?" In order to teach someone, I must know before hand and it is inevitable.

P: You speak well and your logic is valid. Let me ask you this question then. How do you distinguish art and modern art so called junk?
B: There are two essential elements which differentiate art and junk – art must be inexpressible and inexhaustible. For example, when you listen to Beethoven’s symphony, it is refreshing and rejuvenating because everytime you listen to it, it feels always new and allows myself to disallocate myself. However, if I listen to the ‘junk’ about 10 times in a row, I will get sick of it.

P: Interesting. Your point is well made. You mentioned the word ‘disallocate yourself’. Can you please elaborate that?
B: Disallocation – I experienced this few times. When I was listening to Pachelbel’s Canon, I felt that my mind was drifting in a dimension where only myself exists solely – complete disallocation with the present. The status simply surpasses the current time and space. In other words, when my wife calls me to have a dinner, I couldn’t hear her. Until she repeats herself a few times.

P: If you say you are an artist, then I will believe you. By the way, what would you call them? Those who produce and sing junk?
B: I often personally address them as ‘visual entertainer’, not singer.

P: Why not?
B: Because it is so primitive – no perspective and no depth. No disallocation can be done by listening to junk.

P: Perhaps you and I should continue this conversation in private.
B: Understood Sir. Thanks for granting me with the honorable opportunity.

P: Were you born in Australia?
B: Negative Sir. I migrated to Australia with my parents on 27th day of June 1994.

P: I see. I never met anyone like you before who is well mannered, well literated and well educated as a late migrant from Asian region. I hope you don’t take any offense to that.
B: Not at all Sir. Thanks for your compliment and it is a great honour for me to be highly regarded by someone like you.

내 노트 옆에는 교회 전도사님께서 적어주신 작은 종이가 있었다. 거기에 서양 음악의 변천사가 기록 되어 있었다. 김전도사님께서 날 어제 저녁 영웅으로 만들어 주셨다.