Relation, Manner, Formation

To be cognizant of the range of sounds in environments large and small demands the development of conscious effort.

With concentration, near-infinite admixtures of tones and timbres, patterns and lines appear to emerge, as it were, from formless shadows of sound.  Yet these dense textures and swirling aural tapestries are dashed into a fog of fragments and withdraw back into the psychic distance at the least distraction, however mild, that asserts itself fully into our consciousness.

Still, it is an experience of an immense pleasure, and, having known it, much to be desired again.

Musical works, or fabrications of sound design if you prefer, that evoke atmospheres of this nature are the objects of my methods and strategies of composition and recording.

Unrestricted Listening

Sound and emotion are inseparable, but the art of sound extends beyond simple association with mood.

Musical atmospheres may be designed with the goal of directing the listener's attention and perceptions outside the range of mundane thought and activity.  This is directly opposed to musical compositions conducive to escapist fantasy; the aim is that of bringing about a more creative and autonomous state of mind through engagement with listening experiences that are aesthetically pleasing, yet out of the ordinary. 

I desire music that is liberating, in an emotional, intellectual, and spiritual sense.

Imagery in Sound

Listen at any time and place to hear myriad events produce varied sounds in continuous succession.

These are sounds in an original state, so to speak, taking form without being intentionally given form in terms of controlled musical elements, like rhythm, melody, meter, beat, and so forth.  Certain sounds will be human in origin-- automobile engines, for instance, or laundry flapping on a clothesline in the wind.  Other sounds will be, like the wind or rain, primordial in nature.

The creation of a piece made for aesthetic listening, as if the sounds were happening in such manner, need not relinquish all control to chance, or be contrived as representing random, disconnected noises.  Manipulation of tones, patterns, contrasting sounds and textures may lead to compositions that fill the atmosphere and the ear with uniquely enjoyable sounds while allowing the mind to wander freely, unburdened by music that demands all one's attention. 

Synthetic, Organic, Personal

Environments most often encountered are combinations of natural and artificial elements.

A child puts an ear to the seashell and listens for the ocean.  Listening, interpreting, aware of the objects in the room, the people in the house, the sounds of traffic and echoes of windows and walls. 

The sea is not making the sounds inside the shell, but the sounds are real, and not the sounds of the everyday world of the child.  The room becomes strange, and deep and distant within the shell is a roar that is the ocean and is not the ocean.

This aural impression lingers for a while, and during this time the light of reality is subtly changed.

Stylized Realities

Art comes into being in its final forms by virtue of the efforts of the artist, and these labors include applications of abstract ideas as well as choices and actions regarding manipulation of media. 

Theories multiply as artists and composers investigate and analyze, experiment and evaluate. Ideas behind successful experiments are incorporated into works, and failures set aside, but not forgotten in refining the creative process. 

Ideas, concepts, and theories abound, but the artist in search of unique expression weighs, balances, measures, tests, and synthesizes these to suit intended outcomes.  The work embodies the elements the artist designs and produces the total effect the artist envisions, and at times inspires new concepts and applications as a consequence. 

From the perspective that sound is a medium for producing artistic works, it follows that theoretical constructs are of value as technical and aesthetic principles in the execution of such works.  A clear and critical view of connections that may be explored in aleatoric, generative, and emergent music, for example, provides insight into ways and means of originating cogent ideas and methods for developing them as well as new designs in sound. 

The final goal of these fundamental ideas and processes, as interesting as they may be, is a finished work of art in sound that is pleasing to the listener and interesting in and of itself.

Transformation Ambient

When styles diverge in popular music and coalesce into new forms that demonstrate a pronounced difference from previous styles, these forms are identified by new names to denote their originality. 

When experimental music follows suit, the same thing is done to distinguish one mode of sound and composition from another.  Well-known examples are ambient and generative music as developed by Brian Eno, as well as the widely diverse stylings of popular electronic music termed electronica during the formative phases of digital music culture.

In speaking of transformation ambient as the result of various processes utilized in its creation, I am identifying the asymmetrical form of arranging combinations of tones in temporal and spatial relationships I employ to design sound compositions, the works produced in this manner, and the concept behind the music.

This theory proposes that by dispersing as well as ordering tones and phrases, the composition provides the listener an experience of ambient music that reflects naturally occurring and perceived environmental stimuli, thus disengaging anticipatory expectations and responses --the "following" of the progress of the "tune"-- associated with music generally. 

The result is transformation, altering ideas and methods related to composition, and, in turn, processes of listening as well.

Unseen Worlds

 Transient emotion, distraction, and diversion bury perception. 

Caught up in the events of the day, carried along in a flood of  thoughts and activities, how effortless it is to lose contact with the wider, deeper awareness human consciousness engenders.

To certain artists and listeners, music not simply a medium for self-expression and diversion, but a gateway to penetrating insight, to a more intense and profound state of being.

It is a vision to be shared with all who can experience it.