V. Vale RE/SEARCH blog 6-24-09. Themes: 1) Meditation 2) Music-Making
V. Vale RE/SEARCH blog 6-24-09. Themes: 1) Meditation 2) Music-Making
2 “themes”: “Meditation in Theory and Practice” – “Making Music for People”
This “blog” arose out of a morning discussion over tea with our intern Alex.
The word “meditation” sounds to me like a “New Age” word — meaning, it provokes that same sense of aversion I instinctively feel toward anything that smacks of “trendiness.” To me — and this is going to offend some people — Buddhism is diametrically opposed to being an artist. The emphasis on clearing the mind, making the mind blank, renouncing all desire, non-attachment to things and people and “delusions,” holding forth as an ideal the ownership of nothing — personally, I’m an advocate of Dada/Surrealist theories of creativity, in which dreams, the subconscious, the unconscious, chance, desire, all are resources for poetic metaphors arising, sometimes unbidden. We are here to channel. The imagination and dreams create the future. All that is “culture” was once only “imagined.”
Anyone playing improvisatory music must keep their mind “blank” to “go with the flow” of whatever instantly arises demanding expression. And especially when one is playing “jazz” with other musicians. Any artist, poet, writer, musician worth her/his salt knows the value of giving free expression to that which arises out of the subconscious — we’re animals, let’s instantly heed our instincts and intuitions, not repress them with faulty systems of “logic” and “rationality.” At the same time, we’re aware that “science” arose out of “necessity” — there seem to be invisible LAWS behind all phenomena. And we’re far from having discovered ALL the laws behind all phenomena. What is most important is what we DON’T KNOW. And why not be afraid to admit that we DON’T KNOW something…
I’m almost a fan of “mistakes” – in fact, a major reason to go hear musicians play live is to hear “mistakes” — and any “good” musician is adept at instantly converting the “wrong” note into a transition toward a more “correct’ note…
For a musician playing for other people in a room it is interesting to try to “channel” everyone in the room — the zeitgeist in the room — or listen to the people present and try to improvise or play something which enhances their collective “mood” — not just play whatever YOU feel like playing. At the least, it’s an interesting game to play: to try to channel somebody or the collective social body. Sometimes it’s interesting to try to come up with something “beautiful.” Other times the impulse arises to play something that “rocks out” and gets people dancing or at least moving their bodies rhythmically. Sometimes it feels “right” to play an old song and have people sing along. But once that starts, it’s often very difficult to think of ANOTHER song to follow up with, especially if some “good” singers have appeared. Write a list of songs for these occasions, and always have that list with you — you never know when you might need it. Maybe categorize the songs by genres: blues, Beatles, 50s, 60s — whatever you know and love.
Actually, it’s always good to ONLY play songs that you truly love… songs that have a lot of potential for “hidden harmonies” to be revealed, or alternative melodies to be improvised. Some songs have bridges or choruses that were obviously “tacked on” at a different time than when the original inspiration for the “hit melody” appeared. Great melodies just “show up,” and sometimes this only happens once, or a few times, during an entire career. Many songs that are “hits” have forgettable bridges or choruses or even verses … just one “hit” section may be enough to make a song memorable and popular.
And don’t feel guilt about coming up with a melody that sounds “beautiful.” The hardest “thing” to come up with is a simple melody that’s never been heard before, like “Happy Birthday.” Simplicity is underrated, both in music, art, and in life… “Simplicity” as a goal in life — you could do far worse…
