In class we were talking about how to describe this one piece, and my mind reached the edge of a vast ocean by one of the comments the professor made. He said that music has to have time to be expressed that it is not stationary or like a thing, for example a statue. A statue does not take time to reveal its art, its beauty. It may take you time to absorb the beauty, but everything about the statue is present, and you can see all of its parts at once. Music takes time, a couple minutes, an hour to be performed.
This idea just blew me away. I had never really thought of the importance of time in music. Sure rhythm is extremely important in music, and when we discussed Bach Brandenburg concertos, rests were a big deal when they showed up. Music, theatre and dance are probably the only art forms that take time to be performed and experienced. In some ways music is far more mysterious and interesting than art. Art can be seen at once, there is no surprise or waiting, no anticipation. Art doesn't become a part of you like music. You do not drum your foot or dance to a beautiful masterpiece. Sure, art can move you and inspire you, bring joy or sadness, but not to the extent where you actually move with the music. Art is one person transmitting information; it is a solo activity, not a group one. Music allows you to create stuff with other people. Music is a part of your functions. Your heart has a beat, it is not still and silent like a painting unless you are dead.
There is something so mysterious about the fact that music takes time. I don't know what it is. Maybe it is that some part of it is always hidden until the end of the piece. Maybe it is the fact that at the beginning there is complete silence, and then sound starts. Perhaps it is because our lives take time just like music, and so I in some way feel that the two are related. Whatever it is, it is an eery feeing.
Time and Music
By under the sun - Posted on February 11th, 2009
Great blog. Coulda done with a few paragraph breaks, but it was still very nice. Not too many people talk about music in their blogs.
Music you experience live is a transitory thing...you can only experience it at that particular moment. The next second, it's all gone. It's not like you can continue that moment forever.
However, there are other mediums in which you can work together with others to create something. Just thought I'd mention that.
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I need some more input from y'all here in this forum topic: A ProgressiveU Radio Show/Podcast
I think this is an idea that can improve the ProgressiveU community.
If you feel like pursuing this thread any further there's something very neat you might be able to get out of Nietzsche's "Birth of Tragedy Out of the Spirit of Music"
Hey thanks. I always feel that I should be reading more about music than just playing it.
As to the first post, what activities, art forms can be done with other people? I mentioned dance and theatre, but I don't think painting is a group activity.
If you think about it, anything could be a group activity. Video production, for example. And multiple people could work on a mural. Multiple people could build a giant sculpture. Really, anything is possible, right?
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I need some more input from y'all here in this forum topic: A ProgressiveU Radio Show/Podcast
I think this is an idea that can improve the ProgressiveU community.
Yeah, right. I didn't think of that though after the painting is done; it is a still one way transmission. The artist is telling what he wants to his listeners. Maybe music can do the same thing. I don't know, but with music, there are people who do new mixes or in classical music they take a theme of a prior composer and use it. With music it seems that the art is taken by its listeners and changed more than painting or sculpting.