Saturday, August 23, 2014

Quietude

The natural order of things reflects tranquility.


Just as naturally, cycles of intense activity, storms, and violence shatter the stillness, but afterwards, the clarity of the undisturbed flow of life returns.  Within this flow and these cycles lies the sense of musica universalis, for those who listen, and hear.

Friday, August 22, 2014

Boundaries, Distortions

Media constructs processes of continuous manipulation.


Perceptions may be altered, truth divided in terms of fact and plausible fictions, reason narrowed, subverted, or both, and attention drawn to presentations of spectacle that have no basis in reality.

But let us look beyond the sensational, the superficial, and the absurd.  There is far more to life, music, and art than these hollow appearances.

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Crossing the Mind

Contemplation may be considered an art of observation and reflection, while meditation is generally practiced as immersion in the inner consciousness.


Both engage states of mind and being that transcend self-absorbed existence, attachments to material possessions and consumer culture.  In doing so they contribute to the development of spiritual values and refinement of perception.  Each elevates the intellect, enhances emotional moderation and fortifies sensory acuity.

For speculative music and sound art to complement these virtues, composer and listener will do well to envision and realize their forms accordingly.


Download  Prescience:Excerpt 1

© Crucibulum Publishing (ASCAP). All Rights Reserved. 
Compatible with iPod®, iTunes, Windows Media Player and other MP3 players.

 

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Fusion and Individuation

Experience is a continuum overflowing with words, imagery, and sounds.


The unconscious, in perceiving, adapting, and transforming, shapes the content of dreams and the faculty of imagination in myriad ways, contributing to realization of what Socrates and Plato called self-knowledge, and thus to illuminating reason and expression.

This leads to a quest for listener and composer alike, that of seeking the musica universalis, or "music of the spheres", outside the reach of the mediocre and the mad.

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Heed, Harken

Attention, as a function of attitude, places value on specific things.


To see and hear contemplatively is to give attention to the fullness of experience.  The senses inform, but cannot value; this is a function of will.  Art may reflect and represent, but only the mind and spirit realize meaning.


Download  Prescience:Excerpt 2

© Crucibulum Publishing (ASCAP). All Rights Reserved. 
Compatible with iPod®, iTunes, Windows Media Player and other MP3 players.

 


Monday, August 18, 2014

Realization Through Sound

Atmospheres created artificially range from the minimalistic to the extravagant.


But I am interested in speculative arrangements, and speculation involves genuine possibilities, not absurdities or fantasy settings. There is much more happening in the world perceived by the senses and the mind than it is always possible to apprehend.

Sunday, August 17, 2014

Spirits of Place II

Sound environments reveal and establish tone, mood, and situation.


The composer's attitude may be apparent, but it is not of primary interest to the listener.  Nor should it be.  It is the set of conditions the listener experiences through sound that suggests the richness of the composition.