Klarinet Archive - Posting 000959.txt from 2001/01

From: Bilwright@-----.net (William Wright)
Subj: [kl] The Lava Lamp as Metaphor for Practice and Composing
Date: Tue, 30 Jan 2001 02:16:01 -0500

<><> Allen J. Levin wrote:

Watch it! I once represented Creators Inc. (the Chicago company that
sells lava lamps, rain lamps, etc.) in court. They believe themselves
to be on the cutting edge of creative design!

<><> and Karel=A0Vahala wrote:

applying your knowledge to your imagination (or vice versa?)

Imagination, the making of images, and our interpretation of the
'real world', which is a creative design, are firmly linked to each
other.

Pardon me for harping once again on the relationship between
so-called 'rational thought' and the imagery that happens when our
senses extract some, but not all, of the data that is available to us
from the 'real world' and use these patterns as conceptual frameworks.

It happens that I really do like lava lamps. I own one (deep
purple). Last night I was sitting in my darkened living room after I
had finished my practice, and I turned the lava lamp on and watched it.
Is it ridiculous to assert that a lava lamp caused me to think
rationally and analytically about my pracice and my musical art (however
limited my 'art' may be)? I don't think so.

Like the lava lamp, my practice started out cold and sluggish. I
began with long tones, and a few first notes burbled out of the holes in
my horn. As I warmed up, they began to take a more streamined shape
and to rise away from the muck puddled at my feet. I began my
articulation exercises, and the tones broke up into individual blobs
....then my breath warmed them and they shaped themselves into smaller,
more discrete, more energetic particles, luminous and sharply shaped,
droplets against the dark background of space without imagination
....they coalesced above my head into a flowing sculpture that gave them
meaning where one existed before

Okay, enough of that!

But during the process, I did have some interesting thoughts
(interesting to myself, at least) about what melody is --- a mixture of
thoughts about intervals and agglomerations of notes and motions (triads
and rhythms), all of which are quantifiable, and about images
(imaginations). which are not quantifiable, of what good music should
sound like.... I listened to Beethoven piano sonatas this afternoon,
Appasionata, Pathetique, Moonlight, Waldenstein.... it all fits
together.

Yes, it's my bedtime now. A few chapters from Tolkien and a glass
of warmed mulled wine (Glogg) to round out the day, I think.

Cheers,
Bill

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