Out of the Fog

It is not music in the common sense, yet it is not far removed.

Music most often gains acceptance by popular acclaim, or in some cases through various processes that confer artistic status through institutional recognition or that of the popular media.

These are external scenarios, largely outside the control of the composer.  Things that are within the composer's control are the will to create, to perceive and analyze clearly, to be firm and disciplined in the conception and execution of works, and to act with honesty and integrity.

One may be called to roam far afield, and so it is.

Impression and the Real

Artistic works may be starkly superficial or imbued with creative insight.  Both are representations of reality and ways of approaching the phenomena of existence.

The shared impressions of observer, composer, and listener, for instance, will be those that correspond to their human experiences, particularly those of an intellectual and emotional nature.

Within the scope of these impressions the aesthetic sensibilities connect and unite in varying degrees around the musical work.

Every artistic form speaks through such language as brings these experiential forces together.

Crossing Horizons

Creation of those things that might be called possibilities may be realized in any media.

Poetry, for example, may be shaded with ambiguity, while every word is laden with potential.  In such ways is the mind brought through obscure terrains of meaning into clarity, and so to direct perception.

The way of art is action with aplomb, as opposed to interference, regardless of the medium of expression.

Transmission IV

Cultural cycles produce conditions in which art reflects various stages of conflict, resolution, and stasis.

While the progress of these cycles is apparent in the historical record, the aesthetic perspective of the individual artist remains unique, and may or may not speak to the issues such conflicts generate over the course of their existences.

Cultural forces are always dynamic, even as they give an impression of stability and quiet.  The way of the artist is to perceive, experience, reflect, create, and live the real and the possible.

Sound Over Time

What is generally accepted as music is informed by perception and culture, experience and effect.

The aesthetic grasp of "the beautiful" is internal and external in nature, defined in myriad ways, and most often associated with appeal to the senses, intellect, emotion and spirit.  As music and sound design are intimately conjoined with the element of time, so the listener's sense of the temporal world is at play as well.

To listen and hear contemplatively is to slow the pace of life, reflect upon experience, and enjoy subtleties and complexities of atmosphere and aural imagery, regardless of musical biases and preconceptions.

Conception and Action

The composer's art contributes to a singular attitude of mind toward sound and music, one which focuses inwardly with the intent of externalizing an artistic vision beyond that of subjective perception.

Such attitudes necessitate contemplative reflection and force of volition, involving flexibility of process, decisive activity, determination of limits, and vigorous work ethic.  The knowledgeable observer would call this neither passion nor drive, but a visceral detachment, understanding that the work and its effects are paramount to the artist, the associated consequences and rewards being insignificant.

The preeminent measure of success is that of the integrity of the work in its final form.

Measure of Attention

April, 2012 A.D.:  Some estimates suggest that over 100 million musical works are available online.

Among the implications of such a number, it is notable that music is regarded in terms of generic styles rather than according to the particular qualities of individual performers and groups.  The element of uniqueness is overshadowed by sheer mass of recognizably analogous material, and the consequence of this is boredom and loss of interest.

Ultimately, this scenario necessitates change, not of style, fashion, or performance, but in the fundamental awareness of the nature of listening and hearing.