Thought for the day - July 21,00

Subject: Thought for the day - July 21,00
From: Peter T.
Date: 21 Jul 00 - 08:47 AM

Yesterday's threads got me to thinking about the love of the artist for his or her materials and tools, here music. An annotated list (for fun):

1. Instruments - discussed yesterday, a bit, but there is much more -- the finding of the right instrument, the one that feels right, the one that needs slight improvements, the obstacles shaved off, the one that makes one comfortable, the one with a revered history, the vehicle for the sound, the voice, the rhythm, the experience.

2. The Body - the use of one's body as an instrument, or a "carrier" of music. Lots of people seem to get by with abusing their bodies, but assume the good use -- how to be balanced, how to relax, how to be appropriately tense, accurate, with the right muscles, the long training, the tiredness.

3. The Breath - Rhythm in voiced instruments, and of course the voice -- the breath as a bearer, as transparent, as safety net, as a signal that things are going right or wrong: from the diaphragm or tight in the neck.

4. The Sounds - what are the timbres, the best patterns, the odd extras that make one's own music: "this is how you make this sound". The sounds one gravitates towards -- this instrument makes this sound with my help, which is why I am here.

5. Relations -- the world between the giver and the receiver and back again. How does one work with, tune to, tune out, tune an audience.

Other materials, tools (at semi-random): time; rosin (helps to playing); books; sheet music (this is how you do tabs, etc.); other players; recording devices (this is how a sound happens in a studio); lovers; money.

Subject: RE: Thought for the day - July 21,00
From: katlaughing
Date: 21 Jul 01 - 01:43 AM

annual refresh

Subject: RE: Thought for the day - July 21,00
From: Amergin
Date: 21 Jul 01 - 01:46 AM

and here I was wondering what the hell he was talking about...

Subject: RE: Thought for the day - July 21,00
From: hesperis
Date: 22 Jul 01 - 02:09 AM

Yeah. I've got some money down on a flute... it sounds great, when I play it the magic happens. It's a while since I felt the possibility of a deeper relationship with an instrument. Usually, I fall in love, and then a couple of weeks or months later, I don't really play it that often. But I've played flute off and on for a few years, and it'll be good for my lungs, and I keep writing stuff for flute...

Subject: RE: Thought for the day - July 21,00
From: Roger in Sheffield
Date: 22 Jul 01 - 03:56 AM

Hesperis a flute!
What kind do share!
Wooden? Bamboo? Metal?
In fact we haven't had a flute thread for a while so how about starting one?

Roger