Starting a fire with a single spark

Hi,

I've long wanted to try and 'move' things a little on the list, and it may
be that in the coming days and weeks I can devote a little extra time to
doing just that. I'd like to get a bit of synergy, and maybe make a couple
of tweaks that would make it easier for people to be a bit more productive,
even if (and maybe especially) the results are small explorations, trial
balloons, etc. Everything we do needn't be the final, polished diamond.

But ruminating on Spring and recent discussions, I've thought about the
yin/yang of simplicity/complexity, and how frequently in tuning circles Harmony is the ultimate goal, as opposed to other uses of tunings. We all are attracted to differing muses, and will do what seems most compelling to
each of us. But I found the following text in an article on Kyle Gann's excellent blog, "PostClassic":

http://www.artsjournal.com/postclassic/

The quote:

"Of all the despicable follies of modern music, the most despicable is the
devaluation of simplicity. Simplicity has always been an artistic virtue,
and it remains one still - not an essential virtue, for there is too much
enjoyable complex music to believe that. But other things being equal, one
remembers simple music far better than complex music, and I come back to
the simple pieces that have impressed me far more consistently than I do
the complex ones. Beethoven’s sketches reveal that his first ideas were
rarely simple and rarely good, and that in revising them he invariably
simplified them and made them infinitely more powerful in so doing. To get
your music to where it is simple, and therefore memorable, and therefore
powerful, takes tremendous effort, and many composers lie about that fact
because they don't want to put forth the effort."

I'm sure that there are people that won't agree with that, but I do. I can
certainly remember plenty of time(s) erasing tracks, simplifying parts,
cutting it down to the core essence.

I'm going to try simple for a while. I'll start with one musical match and
see what burns...

Cheers,
Jon

--- In MakeMicroMusic@yahoogroups.com, "Jonathan M. Szanto"

/makemicromusic/topicId_5990.html#5990

<JSZANTO@A...> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I've long wanted to try and 'move' things a little on the list, and
it may
> be that in the coming days and weeks I can devote a little extra
time to
> doing just that. I'd like to get a bit of synergy, and maybe make a
couple
> of tweaks that would make it easier for people to be a bit more
productive,
> even if (and maybe especially) the results are small explorations,
trial
> balloons, etc. Everything we do needn't be the final, polished
diamond.
>
> But ruminating on Spring and recent discussions, I've thought about
the
> yin/yang of simplicity/complexity, and how frequently in tuning
circles
> Harmony is the ultimate goal, as opposed to other uses of tunings.
We all
> are attracted to differing muses, and will do what seems most
compelling to
> each of us. But I found the following text in an article on Kyle
Gann's
> excellent blog, "PostClassic":
>
> http://www.artsjournal.com/postclassic/
>
> The quote:
>
> "Of all the despicable follies of modern music, the most despicable
is the
> devaluation of simplicity. Simplicity has always been an artistic
virtue,
> and it remains one still - not an essential virtue, for there is
too much
> enjoyable complex music to believe that. But other things being
equal, one
> remembers simple music far better than complex music, and I come
back to
> the simple pieces that have impressed me far more consistently than
I do
> the complex ones. Beethoven's sketches reveal that his first ideas
were
> rarely simple and rarely good, and that in revising them he
invariably
> simplified them and made them infinitely more powerful in so doing.
To get
> your music to where it is simple, and therefore memorable, and
therefore
> powerful, takes tremendous effort, and many composers lie about
that fact
> because they don't want to put forth the effort."
>
> I'm sure that there are people that won't agree with that, but I
do. I can
> certainly remember plenty of time(s) erasing tracks, simplifying
parts,
> cutting it down to the core essence.
>
> I'm going to try simple for a while. I'll start with one musical
match and
> see what burns...
>
> Cheers,
> Jon

***I'll drink to this, too (but in a little bit; I have some work to
do...) Some of the *worst* passages in my *own* music are some of
the most "complicated" sections. I'm actually *aware* of that fact.
And these are the passages that some of the performers struggle over
the most. I pity them, actually... (sometimes I rewrite...)

best,

Joe "all freebies all the time" Pehrson

Jon,

I wholeheartedly agree with the sentiments of Kyle and you on simplicity.
Bravo and well-put. I think also that it takes a certain bravery and
vunerability to be simple--complexity is easy to hide behind, but we are
naked with simplicity.

On Sunday 11 April 2004 06:28 pm, Jonathan M. Szanto wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I've long wanted to try and 'move' things a little on the list, and it may
> be that in the coming days and weeks I can devote a little extra time to
> doing just that. I'd like to get a bit of synergy, and maybe make a couple
> of tweaks that would make it easier for people to be a bit more productive,
> even if (and maybe especially) the results are small explorations, trial
> balloons, etc. Everything we do needn't be the final, polished diamond.
>
> But ruminating on Spring and recent discussions, I've thought about the
> yin/yang of simplicity/complexity, and how frequently in tuning circles
> Harmony is the ultimate goal, as opposed to other uses of tunings. We all
> are attracted to differing muses, and will do what seems most compelling to
> each of us. But I found the following text in an article on Kyle Gann's
> excellent blog, "PostClassic":
>
> http://www.artsjournal.com/postclassic/
>
> The quote:
>
> "Of all the despicable follies of modern music, the most despicable is the
> devaluation of simplicity. Simplicity has always been an artistic virtue,
> and it remains one still - not an essential virtue, for there is too much
> enjoyable complex music to believe that. But other things being equal, one
> remembers simple music far better than complex music, and I come back to
> the simple pieces that have impressed me far more consistently than I do
> the complex ones. Beethoven�s sketches reveal that his first ideas were
> rarely simple and rarely good, and that in revising them he invariably
> simplified them and made them infinitely more powerful in so doing. To get
> your music to where it is simple, and therefore memorable, and therefore
> powerful, takes tremendous effort, and many composers lie about that fact
> because they don't want to put forth the effort."
>
> I'm sure that there are people that won't agree with that, but I do. I can
> certainly remember plenty of time(s) erasing tracks, simplifying parts,
> cutting it down to the core essence.
>
> I'm going to try simple for a while. I'll start with one musical match and
> see what burns...
>
> Cheers,
> Jon
>
>
>
>
> [MMM info]------------------------------------------------------
> More MMM music files are at http://www.microtonal.org/music.html
> ------------------------------------------------------[MMM info]
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>

--
Aaron Krister Johnson
http://www.akjmusic.com
http://www.dividebypi.com

OCEAN, n. A body of water occupying about two-thirds of a world made
for man -- who has no gills. -Ambrose Bierce 'The Devils Dictionary'

One other addition---we owe tremendous debt to Kyle Gann (are there any others
as good?) who surveys the musical landscape with such ability to point out
the bullshit follies of modernity, as well as shining a bright light on its
under-explored and worthy corners which can give all of us microtonalists who
haven't given up on tonality a reason to smile, and to have hope....

-Aaron.

On Sunday 11 April 2004 09:57 pm, Aaron K. Johnson wrote:
> Jon,
>
> I wholeheartedly agree with the sentiments of Kyle and you on simplicity.
> Bravo and well-put. I think also that it takes a certain bravery and
> vunerability to be simple--complexity is easy to hide behind, but we are
> naked with simplicity.
>
> On Sunday 11 April 2004 06:28 pm, Jonathan M. Szanto wrote:
> > Hi,
> >
> > I've long wanted to try and 'move' things a little on the list, and it
> > may be that in the coming days and weeks I can devote a little extra time
> > to doing just that. I'd like to get a bit of synergy, and maybe make a
> > couple of tweaks that would make it easier for people to be a bit more
> > productive, even if (and maybe especially) the results are small
> > explorations, trial balloons, etc. Everything we do needn't be the final,
> > polished diamond.
> >
> > But ruminating on Spring and recent discussions, I've thought about the
> > yin/yang of simplicity/complexity, and how frequently in tuning circles
> > Harmony is the ultimate goal, as opposed to other uses of tunings. We all
> > are attracted to differing muses, and will do what seems most compelling
> > to each of us. But I found the following text in an article on Kyle
> > Gann's excellent blog, "PostClassic":
> >
> > http://www.artsjournal.com/postclassic/
> >
> > The quote:
> >
> > "Of all the despicable follies of modern music, the most despicable is
> > the devaluation of simplicity. Simplicity has always been an artistic
> > virtue, and it remains one still - not an essential virtue, for there is
> > too much enjoyable complex music to believe that. But other things being
> > equal, one remembers simple music far better than complex music, and I
> > come back to the simple pieces that have impressed me far more
> > consistently than I do the complex ones. Beethoven�s sketches reveal that
> > his first ideas were rarely simple and rarely good, and that in revising
> > them he invariably simplified them and made them infinitely more powerful
> > in so doing. To get your music to where it is simple, and therefore
> > memorable, and therefore powerful, takes tremendous effort, and many
> > composers lie about that fact because they don't want to put forth the
> > effort."
> >
> > I'm sure that there are people that won't agree with that, but I do. I
> > can certainly remember plenty of time(s) erasing tracks, simplifying
> > parts, cutting it down to the core essence.
> >
> > I'm going to try simple for a while. I'll start with one musical match
> > and see what burns...
> >
> > Cheers,
> > Jon
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > [MMM info]------------------------------------------------------
> > More MMM music files are at http://www.microtonal.org/music.html
> > ------------------------------------------------------[MMM info]
> > Yahoo! Groups Links

--
Aaron Krister Johnson
http://www.akjmusic.com
http://www.dividebypi.com

OCEAN, n. A body of water occupying about two-thirds of a world made
for man -- who has no gills. -Ambrose Bierce 'The Devils Dictionary'

--- In MakeMicroMusic@yahoogroups.com, "Aaron K. Johnson"

/makemicromusic/topicId_5990.html#5993

<akjmicro@c...> wrote:
> One other addition---we owe tremendous debt to Kyle Gann (are there
any others
> as good?) who surveys the musical landscape with such ability to
point out
> the bullshit follies of modernity, as well as shining a bright
light on its
> under-explored and worthy corners which can give all of us
microtonalists who
> haven't given up on tonality a reason to smile, and to have hope....
>
> -Aaron.
>
**Hey Aaron!

Nobody quite as knowledgeable, that is very true...

JP

Aaron,

{you wrote...}
>One other addition---we owe tremendous debt to Kyle Gann (are there any >others
>as good?) who surveys the musical landscape with such ability to point out
>the bullshit follies of modernity, as well as shining a bright light on its
>under-explored and worthy corners which can give all of us microtonalists who
>haven't given up on tonality a reason to smile, and to have hope....

As they say on 'NYPD Blue' all the time, "Absolutely". (I wish I knew if that was a NY-ism, or just a TV-ism as attributed to NY) I've personally enjoyed Kyle's perspective on music, put forward with formidable chops both in compositional expertise and literary acumen; I'd recommend his book "American Music in the Twentieth Century" (at amazon.com = http://tinyurl.com/2emob )

As for "under-explored worthy corners", I just finished watching "Lost in Translation", and was struck by one moment in the scoring (the film is done with all pop music - and I won't insult anyone by trying to nail it any more than pop-electronic styles). At one point Charlotte goes to a park, where she comes upon and wedding procession, and continues walking, ending in a place where slips of paper (prayers? wishes?) are tied on branches. All through this scene is a deceptively simple 'song', but while it isn't microtonal, there is a very, very definite fuzz added to the sound by the fact that most of the synth stuff is out of tune.

By that, I mean that it sound like the good old days of drifting oscillators on analog equipment, and it becomes a sonic analog (if you will) for the soft focus of some of the shots in the scene. It isn't someone purposely playing in 59tet, but it renders such a differing mood that the 'tuning' becomes an important part of the sound field.

FWIW.

Cheers,
Jon