Philip Glass' autobiographical book Music By Philip Glass covers the period between 1965 and 1985. It starts with his involvement in progressive theater in New York in the 60s, especially with the Mabou Mines theatre group. After this brief introduction, the three main sections of the book regard Glass' three large-scale operas from the period: Einstein On the Beach, Satyagraha, and Akhnaten. He writes in-depth about the development process, the rehearsals and somewhat about the musical material that went into each work.
The book is clearly presented and without fluff. We are shown behind the curtain of one of the great composers of our time. It is invaluable to read Glass' own words and perspectives about music and theatre.
31 December 2011
28 November 2011
A Culture of Accord
Have we lost the ability to disagree? Is there only room in the world for one right answer?
I am struck recently by a lack of respect for diverging opinions and ideas. When there is disagreement about any topic - politics, art, food - the conversation turns toward reaching agreement. There is an underlying belief that we all must believe the same things. Perhaps it is our own insecurity that leads us to want affirmation of our beliefs.
Can't we hold different beliefs and different opinions? Are there so few who believe in what they say enough to hold their ground; and who are willing to let others believe differently? My father always said "if both of you agree, one of you is irrelevant."
If all of us are in agreement, has our culture lost its creativity and its potency?
I am struck recently by a lack of respect for diverging opinions and ideas. When there is disagreement about any topic - politics, art, food - the conversation turns toward reaching agreement. There is an underlying belief that we all must believe the same things. Perhaps it is our own insecurity that leads us to want affirmation of our beliefs.
Can't we hold different beliefs and different opinions? Are there so few who believe in what they say enough to hold their ground; and who are willing to let others believe differently? My father always said "if both of you agree, one of you is irrelevant."
If all of us are in agreement, has our culture lost its creativity and its potency?
24 August 2011
Book Worth Reading - The Story of B
This is just a quick post about The Story of B by Daniel Quinn. It was recommended to me by friend and musician Lucas Cates. The book is essentially an alternate look at human history. How did we get to be the society that we are today?
This book is thought provoking and refreshing, especially to someone (like me) who is often confused and unsettled by the culture we live in. Western culture is both rich and powerful, but it seems consistently to be headed down the wrong path. Were we destined to be this way? What is the role of humans on this planet?
The Story of B explores these questions and many others. It is an easy and engaging read. Well worth the time.
This book is thought provoking and refreshing, especially to someone (like me) who is often confused and unsettled by the culture we live in. Western culture is both rich and powerful, but it seems consistently to be headed down the wrong path. Were we destined to be this way? What is the role of humans on this planet?
The Story of B explores these questions and many others. It is an easy and engaging read. Well worth the time.
12 August 2011
What Politicians Can Learn From Musicians
The recent political situation here in the United States involves heated debate over raising the debt ceiling. Both sides are treating compromise as a dirty word, which is just downright foolish. They could take some tips from us musicians (how often do we get to say that) who are used to working together to making a product that is better than the sum of its parts. I even saw a poll about whether politicians should stick to their ideology regardless of the consequences. An alarming number of participants, though thankfully not a majority, said that ideology should not be compromised. Let me introduce you to the real world.
Compromise is not something to fear nor something to shy away from. It is a way for more people to get a piece of what they want, so more people can benefit. Speaking from an artistic point of view, ideology is a wonderful place to start. A starting point - that’s all. Ideology exists in a vacuum. All bets are off once an idea enters reality. In the immortal words of Mike Tyson, “Everyone has a plan ’til they get punched in the mouth.”
Once an idea enters the real world, it undergoes a whirlwind process of adjusting, editing, refining and yes, compromising to turn the idea into reality. The stronger we believe in the idea, the more refinement is necessary. Compromise is a way to get things right.
It seems that American politicians have never learned what musicians have known for hundreds of years: if we refuse to work with others, we will be lonely and our work will suffer. When we refuse to move forward because the solutions don’t completely represent our original ideology, we find ourselves with nothing to show.
This is the brother of option paralysis (where we have too many options and can’t choose). Call it Ideological Paralysis. The neighborhood kids don’t want to play your game, so you sit on the front steps rather than play something else.
Compromise is not something to fear nor something to shy away from. It is a way for more people to get a piece of what they want, so more people can benefit. Speaking from an artistic point of view, ideology is a wonderful place to start. A starting point - that’s all. Ideology exists in a vacuum. All bets are off once an idea enters reality. In the immortal words of Mike Tyson, “Everyone has a plan ’til they get punched in the mouth.”
Once an idea enters the real world, it undergoes a whirlwind process of adjusting, editing, refining and yes, compromising to turn the idea into reality. The stronger we believe in the idea, the more refinement is necessary. Compromise is a way to get things right.
It seems that American politicians have never learned what musicians have known for hundreds of years: if we refuse to work with others, we will be lonely and our work will suffer. When we refuse to move forward because the solutions don’t completely represent our original ideology, we find ourselves with nothing to show.
This is the brother of option paralysis (where we have too many options and can’t choose). Call it Ideological Paralysis. The neighborhood kids don’t want to play your game, so you sit on the front steps rather than play something else.
05 August 2011
Creativity and Hard Work
Very few things in this life just happen to us, especially things like opportunities, talents or skills. Whenever you hear someone say “he is so naturally gifted,” chances are they are overlooking a tremendous amount of time, effort and hard work. We tend to over-simplify other people’s skills into “natural talent” to make ourselves feel better about not having the same skill or success. It is much easier to imagine that they were given to someone else and are out of our power.
But brilliance is not a gift, it is a skill. Success is not an event, it is a process. Have you ever heard the saying “he worked hard for 15 years to get famous overnight”? Malcolm Gladwell’s book Outliers begins with the rule of 10,000 hours: to be great at something, you need to do it for at least 10,000 hours. Simple enough.
Author Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat Pray Love) gave a remarkable presentation at the TED conference about genius. Did you know that “genius” used to be considered an outside force? A person had genius. Now they are a genius. Big difference. It actually takes some of the pressure off to think of genius as something outside of the self. We need to show up for work and sometimes the genius will appear.
The one piece of advice I have heard from every single one of my heros is to work every day. Some days are magical, some days are abysmal. But, in the words of Philip Roth, “the ordeal is part of the commitment.” If we feel compelled to do what we do, any success is just a bonus. The real goal is to spend a life creating.
But brilliance is not a gift, it is a skill. Success is not an event, it is a process. Have you ever heard the saying “he worked hard for 15 years to get famous overnight”? Malcolm Gladwell’s book Outliers begins with the rule of 10,000 hours: to be great at something, you need to do it for at least 10,000 hours. Simple enough.
Author Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat Pray Love) gave a remarkable presentation at the TED conference about genius. Did you know that “genius” used to be considered an outside force? A person had genius. Now they are a genius. Big difference. It actually takes some of the pressure off to think of genius as something outside of the self. We need to show up for work and sometimes the genius will appear.
The one piece of advice I have heard from every single one of my heros is to work every day. Some days are magical, some days are abysmal. But, in the words of Philip Roth, “the ordeal is part of the commitment.” If we feel compelled to do what we do, any success is just a bonus. The real goal is to spend a life creating.
03 August 2011
Planning vs. Spontaneity
I have long been an advocate of planning. Preparation. “Before anything else, preparation is the key to success” said Alexander Graham Bell. But the arts, perhaps more than most other fields, rely on inspiration, fluidity, improvisation and spontaneity. Without a certain amount of planning, a project of the slightest complexity will fall into chaos very quickly. But without enough spontaneity, art turns into process and pedantry. How do we balance the two?
Creative individuals often thrive on the disorganized and the slightly chaotic. Just before tipping into the abyss they will have an epiphany. They perceive the smallest amount of planning to be profane, trusting the ether to provide them with inspiration when it is needed. Unfortunately, this leads to a lot of blank stares during important moments. Too often the inspiration never comes. Preparation is the match that can start a fire. Without it we are waiting for lightning to strike.
I recently saw a documentary about filmmaker James Toback called The Outsider. Toback is a notoriously spontaneous writer and director, often waiting until the day of filming to decide in what direction the movie will go. He lets his actors improvise liberally to fill the characters with personality and realism. What he ends up with are shockingly natural and raw performances.
I don’t think that the arts could exist without a healthy dose of spontaneity, improvisation and inspiration. But there is a powerful place for being prepared. Planning is the groundwork that should be laid to take full advantage of the inspiration. Like setting out a rain barrel to catch the rain.
Creative individuals often thrive on the disorganized and the slightly chaotic. Just before tipping into the abyss they will have an epiphany. They perceive the smallest amount of planning to be profane, trusting the ether to provide them with inspiration when it is needed. Unfortunately, this leads to a lot of blank stares during important moments. Too often the inspiration never comes. Preparation is the match that can start a fire. Without it we are waiting for lightning to strike.
I recently saw a documentary about filmmaker James Toback called The Outsider. Toback is a notoriously spontaneous writer and director, often waiting until the day of filming to decide in what direction the movie will go. He lets his actors improvise liberally to fill the characters with personality and realism. What he ends up with are shockingly natural and raw performances.
I don’t think that the arts could exist without a healthy dose of spontaneity, improvisation and inspiration. But there is a powerful place for being prepared. Planning is the groundwork that should be laid to take full advantage of the inspiration. Like setting out a rain barrel to catch the rain.
30 July 2011
What Are the “Benefits” of Music?
I am currently reading the wonderful The Personal MBA by Josh Kaufman. It is full of clear rules and principles of business from product, value and marketing to sales and finance. It is designed as an alternative (alongside real-world experience) to the lifelong debt that is business school. Quite brilliant and revolutionary.
As a musician, I find myself wondering about how the so-called “Core Human Drives” apply to music. The Core Human Drives are basically what people want and why they take the actions that they do. Any product or service that hopes to communicate effectively with its customers had better understand their motivations.
Kaufman references powerful marketing campaigns like the iPod’s “1,000 songs in your pocket.” The campaign was successful because it highlighted the benefits of owning an iPod. Namely that you could carry way more music with you than if you use a tape or CD player. The opposite would be to highlight the features, like a touch screen or 32GB. Features are cool, but they are too cerebral and they don’t communicate as powerfully as benefits. Sadly, far too many people and businesses focus on features instead of benefits. Which of course got me thinking.
What are the benefits of music? It is easy to talk about virtuosity, cleverness, production value, even beauty when we discuss music. But those are features. What are the benefits? I go back and forth between believing that music is entertainment (and therefore dispensable) and believing it is fundamental to human understanding of existence (read this speech and you will never think about music the same way again).
Why do people listen to music? My closest guess, referring back to the Core Human Drives, is The Drive to Learn coupled with The Drive to Feel. And music concerts certainly fall into The Drive to Bond category. Does that mean that we should market concerts as “a great place to meet people”?
As a bit of an existentialist, I can’t help but think there is also a more ethereal drive, like The Drive to Understand Why We Are Here. Does music help with this? It certainly informs my need to create music, because I feel more at peace when I am writing and playing music. Perhaps it doesn’t tell me why I am here, but it makes me truly happy for awhile. Do other people feel this unrest?
As a musician, I find myself wondering about how the so-called “Core Human Drives” apply to music. The Core Human Drives are basically what people want and why they take the actions that they do. Any product or service that hopes to communicate effectively with its customers had better understand their motivations.
Kaufman references powerful marketing campaigns like the iPod’s “1,000 songs in your pocket.” The campaign was successful because it highlighted the benefits of owning an iPod. Namely that you could carry way more music with you than if you use a tape or CD player. The opposite would be to highlight the features, like a touch screen or 32GB. Features are cool, but they are too cerebral and they don’t communicate as powerfully as benefits. Sadly, far too many people and businesses focus on features instead of benefits. Which of course got me thinking.
What are the benefits of music? It is easy to talk about virtuosity, cleverness, production value, even beauty when we discuss music. But those are features. What are the benefits? I go back and forth between believing that music is entertainment (and therefore dispensable) and believing it is fundamental to human understanding of existence (read this speech and you will never think about music the same way again).
Why do people listen to music? My closest guess, referring back to the Core Human Drives, is The Drive to Learn coupled with The Drive to Feel. And music concerts certainly fall into The Drive to Bond category. Does that mean that we should market concerts as “a great place to meet people”?
As a bit of an existentialist, I can’t help but think there is also a more ethereal drive, like The Drive to Understand Why We Are Here. Does music help with this? It certainly informs my need to create music, because I feel more at peace when I am writing and playing music. Perhaps it doesn’t tell me why I am here, but it makes me truly happy for awhile. Do other people feel this unrest?
26 March 2011
Those Who Can't Teach... Do
We've all heard the condemnation of teachers and teaching in general claiming that people who can not actually do an activity or an art form are resigned to teaching it. I am not a teacher, but a doer, and I find the statement both inaccurate and insulting.
Teachers are the cornerstone of our knowledge. I would not know what I do if it were not for teachers I have had. I assume the same is true for you and for everyone.
I am not someone who is naturally inclined to teaching. I struggle to cross the divide that separates those who know (teachers) from those who do not (students). Teaching is a profession of communication; transferring knowledge and inspiration from one person to another. It is completely separate from the actual doing of a task. Sure, a certain amount of understanding is necessary, but expertise is not fundamental to teaching.
I have known several teachers who can not practice brilliantly the skill they teach, but they understand it exceptionally well. More importantly, they understand how to communicate the process of learning it. They know how to get a student from point A to point B, even when that path is different for each one.
It seems to me that teaching - transferring knowledge - is a more nuanced and skilled profession than most arts. I strive to be a better teacher. A better communicator.
Teachers are the cornerstone of our knowledge. I would not know what I do if it were not for teachers I have had. I assume the same is true for you and for everyone.
I am not someone who is naturally inclined to teaching. I struggle to cross the divide that separates those who know (teachers) from those who do not (students). Teaching is a profession of communication; transferring knowledge and inspiration from one person to another. It is completely separate from the actual doing of a task. Sure, a certain amount of understanding is necessary, but expertise is not fundamental to teaching.
I have known several teachers who can not practice brilliantly the skill they teach, but they understand it exceptionally well. More importantly, they understand how to communicate the process of learning it. They know how to get a student from point A to point B, even when that path is different for each one.
It seems to me that teaching - transferring knowledge - is a more nuanced and skilled profession than most arts. I strive to be a better teacher. A better communicator.
14 February 2011
Silence
We can not consider music without considering silence. Without silence, there is no sound - no way to tell the difference between sound and not sound. As musicians, we are interested in the way that sound is structured to create a spiritual, intellectual or emotional impact. And too many of us overlook silence.
Silence is to a musician what shadow is to a painter or photographer. It is a way to accentuate the bright areas. It is a way to draw attention to where you want it. But silence is something more in a temporal medium like music. It is a way to create, satisfy or foil expectation.
When we consider rhythm, is it a repetition of sound or a repetition of silence? Is silence the default state for music? That is, when the music is over, does the world revert to silence? Or is silence a constructed thing, like music. Perhaps the default sonic state of the world is chaos or noise - the hum of the computers, cars, airplanes, talking, birds. But when we enter the world of music, we have the rare ability to construct silence. People are quiet, the world is quiet.
Perhaps we composers are some of the few with the ability to create silence, not just music.
Silence is to a musician what shadow is to a painter or photographer. It is a way to accentuate the bright areas. It is a way to draw attention to where you want it. But silence is something more in a temporal medium like music. It is a way to create, satisfy or foil expectation.
When we consider rhythm, is it a repetition of sound or a repetition of silence? Is silence the default state for music? That is, when the music is over, does the world revert to silence? Or is silence a constructed thing, like music. Perhaps the default sonic state of the world is chaos or noise - the hum of the computers, cars, airplanes, talking, birds. But when we enter the world of music, we have the rare ability to construct silence. People are quiet, the world is quiet.
Perhaps we composers are some of the few with the ability to create silence, not just music.
24 January 2011
What is Music?
As a musician who has composed, played and listened in many different genres, I sometimes find myself wondering what they have in common.
How does medieval polyphony relate to hip-hop? How does jazz relate to heavy metal? How does John Cage relate to Lutoslawski or Philip Glass? What do they all have in common? They have all been called music, but what is it that ties them together?
Some music can be defined by its emotional expression, but that definition falls short with much art music that is created with formulas and intellect. Some music can be defined by its use of pitches, tones and rhythms to structure sound, but that definition would include so much that isn't music, like sound design, poetry and oratory.
Perhaps it is beside the point to search for a cut and dried definition to such a varied and versatile art form. Perhaps music's elusiveness is fundamental to its magic. Perhaps it is elemental to art that it can not be defined or constricted, for the very moment you think you can grasp it, it changes and foils all preconceptions.
If music were definable or predictable, I imagine that it would lose its wonder.
How does medieval polyphony relate to hip-hop? How does jazz relate to heavy metal? How does John Cage relate to Lutoslawski or Philip Glass? What do they all have in common? They have all been called music, but what is it that ties them together?
Some music can be defined by its emotional expression, but that definition falls short with much art music that is created with formulas and intellect. Some music can be defined by its use of pitches, tones and rhythms to structure sound, but that definition would include so much that isn't music, like sound design, poetry and oratory.
Perhaps it is beside the point to search for a cut and dried definition to such a varied and versatile art form. Perhaps music's elusiveness is fundamental to its magic. Perhaps it is elemental to art that it can not be defined or constricted, for the very moment you think you can grasp it, it changes and foils all preconceptions.
If music were definable or predictable, I imagine that it would lose its wonder.
10 January 2011
Friends and Fans
One of the most frustrating aspects of the music business, and one that extends into show business in general, is the tendency to try to turn your friends into your fans.
Let me make this abundantly clear: YOUR FRIENDS ARE NOT YOUR FANS! And your fans are not your friends. Do not confuse the two.
It is especially common in young artists who have yet to create a professional identity. They are forced to use their real-life identity to represent their art. But this is a mistake on many levels. While your art and real-life are closely related, they must also be kept separate. Otherwise we become confused and lose track of who we are as people.
Fans see (or hear) a miniscule part of us. They create their own perceptions of who we are as people based on the tiny snippets that they observe. But they do not know us. And usually, they do not really want to know us. Most fans prefer artists to be figments of their imaginations.
This is also why your friends are not your fans anymore than you are your own fan. They may come to hear you play in order to support you. As wonderful and necessary as that is, they will never love your work. And they will probably never understand it. And they will certainly never look to you as a brilliant artist.
Do not try to cultivate your friends as your fans. You will probably just lose your friends without gaining any fans.
Let me make this abundantly clear: YOUR FRIENDS ARE NOT YOUR FANS! And your fans are not your friends. Do not confuse the two.
It is especially common in young artists who have yet to create a professional identity. They are forced to use their real-life identity to represent their art. But this is a mistake on many levels. While your art and real-life are closely related, they must also be kept separate. Otherwise we become confused and lose track of who we are as people.
Fans see (or hear) a miniscule part of us. They create their own perceptions of who we are as people based on the tiny snippets that they observe. But they do not know us. And usually, they do not really want to know us. Most fans prefer artists to be figments of their imaginations.
This is also why your friends are not your fans anymore than you are your own fan. They may come to hear you play in order to support you. As wonderful and necessary as that is, they will never love your work. And they will probably never understand it. And they will certainly never look to you as a brilliant artist.
Do not try to cultivate your friends as your fans. You will probably just lose your friends without gaining any fans.
09 January 2011
Earplugs
If you care about your ears as much as I do, earplugs are a must. In addition to the abusive volume of most music concerts, trains, buses, airplanes, construction, background music, even crowded conversation can be at levels that are detrimental to your hearing. If you can not have a conversation at a normal speaking volume, then the environment is loud enough to damage your ears.
There are a few ways to avoid this, and since reclusiveness can have negative effects on the career of a musician, earplugs become very important. There are two routes you can go when it comes to earplugs: expensive or simple.
Expensive:In most cities, you can go to an audiologist to get your hearing checked and molds made of your unique ear shape. Then they make custom earplugs to fit your ear perfectly. These earplugs dampen all frequencies evenly, so you do not get that muffled earplug sound when you use them. They run around $150.
I got a pair of these nice, custom earplugs a couple years back. They worked wonderfully. Comfortable and they sounded great. After about a year, I lost one of them at a gig in a city far from home. And earplugs do not work as well when there is only one of them. I think Vegas is the only other place where I could lose $75 so quickly.
Which brings me to the second type of earplugs...
Foam: You can find foam earplugs at music stores, hardware stores, grocery stores, drug stores, gas stations, pretty much anywhere. And they are dirt cheap. Less than a dollar a pair. They are easy to use - you just scrunch them up and stick them in your ears. You can just throw them away after you use them and they get wax on them. And if you lose one or both of them, it is not going to break the bank.
The biggest drawback of foam earplugs is that they create a muffled sound when you use them, especially if you get the really strong ones. Also, they tend to stick out of your ears unless you shove them way in (which is bad), causing you to look pretty goofy with orange or blue foam sticking out of your ears.
The remedy that I have found for both of these issues is a scissors. I cut my foam earplugs in half so they are only half as long. This way they do not stick out of my ears, and they give a sufficient amount of dampening without muffling the sounds too much.
There are a few ways to avoid this, and since reclusiveness can have negative effects on the career of a musician, earplugs become very important. There are two routes you can go when it comes to earplugs: expensive or simple.
Expensive:In most cities, you can go to an audiologist to get your hearing checked and molds made of your unique ear shape. Then they make custom earplugs to fit your ear perfectly. These earplugs dampen all frequencies evenly, so you do not get that muffled earplug sound when you use them. They run around $150.
I got a pair of these nice, custom earplugs a couple years back. They worked wonderfully. Comfortable and they sounded great. After about a year, I lost one of them at a gig in a city far from home. And earplugs do not work as well when there is only one of them. I think Vegas is the only other place where I could lose $75 so quickly.
Which brings me to the second type of earplugs...
Foam: You can find foam earplugs at music stores, hardware stores, grocery stores, drug stores, gas stations, pretty much anywhere. And they are dirt cheap. Less than a dollar a pair. They are easy to use - you just scrunch them up and stick them in your ears. You can just throw them away after you use them and they get wax on them. And if you lose one or both of them, it is not going to break the bank.
The biggest drawback of foam earplugs is that they create a muffled sound when you use them, especially if you get the really strong ones. Also, they tend to stick out of your ears unless you shove them way in (which is bad), causing you to look pretty goofy with orange or blue foam sticking out of your ears.
The remedy that I have found for both of these issues is a scissors. I cut my foam earplugs in half so they are only half as long. This way they do not stick out of my ears, and they give a sufficient amount of dampening without muffling the sounds too much.
A Slave To Process
A lot of people wonder about the process of writing music. Do you start with the melody? The lyrics? The concept? The chord progression? The rhythm?
The answer is that you start with whatever is there. Sometimes it is a bit of melody that comes first. Sometimes it is the idea for the ending. Whatever it is, that is what you must hold on to and elaborate to create the complete work.
There is no one way to write music. As disciplined as it is, there is always give and take, improvisation and even fear about where the next idea will come from.
I had a teacher who used to say: "If you only have one way of doing things, you are a slave. If you have two ways, you have a choice. Once you have three or more ways, you start to have options."
And that is what being creative is all about - giving yourself options so that you can turn a disaster into a work of art.
The answer is that you start with whatever is there. Sometimes it is a bit of melody that comes first. Sometimes it is the idea for the ending. Whatever it is, that is what you must hold on to and elaborate to create the complete work.
There is no one way to write music. As disciplined as it is, there is always give and take, improvisation and even fear about where the next idea will come from.
I had a teacher who used to say: "If you only have one way of doing things, you are a slave. If you have two ways, you have a choice. Once you have three or more ways, you start to have options."
And that is what being creative is all about - giving yourself options so that you can turn a disaster into a work of art.
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