Yahoo Tuning Groups Ultimate Backup makemicromusic new live recordings, the list, matrix poetry

--- Andrew Heathwaite <gtrpkt@...> wrote:

> Greetings!
>
> It's been a while since I sent a message to this list. I hope you are all
> in good health, etc., and keeping inspired. I have a few things, so I'll
> try keep them brief.
>
> I uploaded some new xenharmonic music at
> http://www.soundclick.com/andrewheathwaite. There are five pieces there
> that I improvised at open mics in Potsdam, NY within the past few months.
> I
> played them either at a coffeehouse downtown called The Fields, or at one
> on
> the SUNY Potsdam campus called Hurley's. I've been into other stuff
> lately
> (non-microtonal mandolin songs: http://www.angelfire.com/indie/nodalnim),
> and these mp3s have just been sitting on my hard drive, so I thought I'd
> share them.
>
> A reminder: if anybody knows of any pages with microtonal music that I
> don't
> know of, I'd be delighted to hear about it. I maintain a webpage that
> attempts to be a complete look at microtonal audio online:
> http://www.angelfire.com/music2/aah/microtonal/list.html. I always
> appreciate a tip.
>
> And one non-microtonal, in fact, non-music thing. Since many of you are
> into experimental music, perhaps you would also be into experimental
> poetry.
> I started a message board for an experimental form called "matrix
> poetry".
> Feel free to check it out, read the F.A.Q. to learn the concept, and
> contribute. Best not to respond to it on this list, since it is quite
> off-topic. Either email me privately or post to the "Discussion" forum
> from
> the main link, if you have questions: http://www.matrixpoetry.notlong.com.
>
> Whew. Ok, that's all I wanted to say, I think. Best wishes to all,
>
> Andrew

Oops! My links seem to be all messed up. Sorry about that:

xenharmonic improvisations:
http://www.soundclick.com/andrewheathwaite

non-microtonal mandolin songs (Nodal Nim):
http://www.angelfire.com/indie/nodalnim

microtonal listening list:
http://www.angelfire.com/music2/aah/microtonal/list

matrix poetry:
http://www.matrixpoetry.notlong.com

__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Meet the all-new My Yahoo! - Try it today!
http://my.yahoo.com

🔗Andrew Heathwaite <gtrpkt@...>

🔗Jacob <jbarton@...>

🔗Prent Rodgers <prentrodgers@...>

🔗Jonathan M. Szanto <JSZANTO@...>

🔗Carl Lumma <ekin@...>

🔗Prent Rodgers <prentrodgers@...>

Thanks for all the contributions. I have about a week's supply now. I
put up Jacob's Foum this morning, and have works by John ffitch, Gene
Smith, and Jon Szanto almost ready. I'll get to Robert Walker, Andrew
Heathwaite, and some others later in the week.

I'd like to also do some work of Jacky Ligon and Joe Monzo, but I've
lost track of their email addresses. Does anyone know if Brian McLaren
would contribute? Also looking for contacts with Joseph T. Kung,
author of Xanadu.

Prent

--- In MakeMicroMusic@yahoogroups.com, "Prent Rodgers"
<prentrodgers@c...> wrote:
>
> I think we may be on the start of something very big. My downloads
> from Soundclick have gone from 19 a month to 300+. Jeff Harrington has
> reported similar trends. The world is ready to listen, if we can just
> make it easy for them, and approchable. The Podcasts are a simple way
> for the total geeks in the world to listen to some incredible audio
> programs that they would never have a change to experience otherwise.
> These are the opinion leaders, the tech geniuses who can figure out
> how this works, and other people look to them for guidance.
>
> The way it works is that people subscribe to the Podcast sites, and
> stuff just shows up in their Mac or PC folders every day, with no work
> on their part. Many people synch their portables with their download
> folders every day, so that when they are in their car, or out for a
> walk, they can listen to the day's downloads. My trick is that I've
> created a podcast of microtonal music that is just part of the river
> of content these people are absorbing every day. They have no choice
> but to listen to our stuff.
>
> My problem is that I'm running out of material to post. I need to make
> sure I have a broad spectrum of works to submit every day. I've sent
> emails to everyone I know, and most of you have responded with
> material, but I need more. Let's not let this drop. Send me your
> stuff! If you have a CD, send it to me now. I promise to reciprocate
> with one of mine. I'll make more. Just send me your stuff. This is the
> time. Sieze the day, or at least the afternoon...
>
> Meanwhile, someone listen to all of Jacob's links and tell me what to
> start with. Wow!
>
> Prent
>
> > Here's to the list, and may it inspire budding microtonalists for
> generations to come.
> >
> > Godspeed,
> > Jacob

🔗Andrew Heathwaite <gtrpkt@...>

Jacob!

Wow, you've really outdone yourself! An exhaustive (and exhausting!) list.
I finished updating just now, and I also added City of the Asleep. As
always, thanks for the links. Enjoyed some of them quite a bit. I'm sure
I'll go back and take a closer look at many of them in a few days, but I've
had enough of the computer screen for tonight.

-Andrew

--- Jacob <jbarton@...> wrote:

>
> I usually email Andrew with the catch-of-the-fortnight of microtonal
> links, but I thought
> I'd post them here because they are so many, and perhaps they shall make
> good fodder
> for discussion. Reactions to them, personal anecdotes, "hey, that's me!"
> realizations, etc.
>
> http://www.seriouscomposer.com/Phi-Music_MP3.htm -short II examples
> http://www.epitonic.com/artists/matthiasziegler.html -lots of flute
> http://www.johnfarah.com/rastquartet.mp3 -string quartet in maqam rast
> http://www.johnfarah.com/water.mp3 -19-equal electronic
> http://www.maltedmedia.com/people/bathory/cat-solo.html -piece "Thiele" in
>
> quartertones
> http://www.mode.com/catalog/124lucier.html
> http://www.cus.cam.ac.uk/~nc272/compositions.html -canonic hill loss in
> what sounds
> like ETs
> http://www.arquired.es/users/dejong/fuelyaguafragment.mp3 -flute and
> electronics
> excerpt by Christiaan de Jong
> http://www.synestesia.com/exp/experiments1.html -kind of nice
> http://catharsis.egregious.net/tracks/droneI
> http://catharsis.egregious.net/errata/ -giant mix with catler and ligon
> http://www.soundclick.com/pro/?BandID=62070 -one light quartertonal piece
> http://www.soundclick.com/bands/5/tompricemusic.htm -I think he's new to
> MMM
> http://www.kingmixers.com/Hearing%20Greek%20Microtones.html -examples
> galore
> http://www.kingmixers.com/AncGreekMusicFragments.html%20 -some
> reconstructions
> http://www.kingmixers.com/Clouds%20MP3s.html%20copy -some more
> reconstructions
> http://www.manfred-stahnke.de/chaosma.html -mov file
> http://www.msu.edu/~hulenpet/ realPlayer excerpts and complete works,
> search for
> microtonal
> http://www.joemaneri.com/works.html two mp3 snippets
>
> Here's to the list, and may it inspire budding microtonalists for
> generations to come.
>
> Godspeed,
> Jacob
>
>
>
>

__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Read only the mail you want - Yahoo! Mail SpamGuard.
http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail

🔗Andrew Heathwaite <gtrpkt@...>

🔗Jonathan M. Szanto <JSZANTO@...>

🔗Aaron K. Johnson <akjmicro@...>

On Wednesday 24 November 2004 11:53 pm, Andrew Heathwaite wrote:
> --- Andrew Heathwaite <gtrpkt@...> wrote:
> > I uploaded some new xenharmonic music at
>
> http://www.soundclick.com/andrewheathwaite
>
> > There are five pieces there
> > that I improvised at open mics in Potsdam, NY within the past few months.
> > I
> > played them either at a coffeehouse downtown called The Fields, or at one
> > on
> > the SUNY Potsdam campus called Hurley's.
>
> Hi folks,
>
> I was wondering if anyone has listened to these and has any response,
> either to the pieces, the scales, the style, whatever. I can take
> criticism. There are five new live improvs, and one old one:
>
> Yard of Vines
> Sun Circles
> Sometime
> Memory Service
> Old Places
> Episodic Development (old)
>
> Perhaps I haven't gotten any response because I didn't say anything like,
> "Responses are welcome!" If so, pardon me. I will tell you now: responses
> are welcome!

Andrew,

I just listened to 'Yard of Vines'. Will check out more tomorrow. Before I
begin, I just want to say good for you for bravely sticking your nose out
there and asking for what I'm sure we all want as artistic
personalities--attention (good mostly, but as long as they are talking about
you, well that's better than nothing, right? ;)--more on the other side of
this below in the Rilke quote) Anyway, I felt the urge to respond right away
because I understand how it feels putting things out there and not getting
the response you would want, let alone *any* response. Let's face it--we want
people to like our stuff. We want ego strokes !

Now, onto the business.... What worked for me first: The title. The mood you
were after. The imagination you have. What I can glean of your aesthetic
drive/motivation. Everything I've heard from you indicates that with a bit of
thought and technique and sweat, you have what it takes to be a very
compelling composer.

Bear in mind, I've only heard 'Yard of Vines'. I'll comment on others after
hearing them....

What didn't work for me above all was the 'form'--there was little to grab me
about the interplay of form and content to keep me wanting to hold on until
the end--an 'arc'. A bit too 'noodle-ey' perhaps, or perhaps a better word
might be 'meandering', in that the vision of the piece/improvisation was
still inchoate. Perhaps your vision might work better thinking about it
'top-down' (form first) instead of 'bottom-up'. See the shape of the forest,
then paint the trees. I'm not imply one should fill a rigid mould, but to
start out with, I never think that that idea hurts. Flexibility and freedom
with form comes only after disciplined mastery, anyhow. I know that great
things happen 'bottom-up' too, but I would suggest that when the itch to hit
fast forward on the mp3 player is in evidence, the large-scale and small
scale structures are not cohesive. Form.

Two ideas to explore: 1st; as you listen to any music, your own especially,
observe your own emotional and physical reaction. Do you lean in with
interest? Or does your mind wander? Do you want to jump up and down with
pride and excitement over what you have done? Or do you want to hit fast
forward? Most important--was it compelling enough that I want to hear it
again? (that last one really is a mark of great-ness in my book)

2nd idea---I think different individuals look for different sensations in
music, but, in my years of experience listening to and talking about music
with fellow musicians and music lovers, it's remarkable how many times we all
have orgasms over the same moments, be they rhythmic, harmonic, timbral,
whatever. So I'm convinced that what moves me in some way will move another
in a similar way, even if they might *reject* being moved in that way for
taste reasons. Composers I know also notice that their most trusted teachers
notice the same weaknesses in their pieces that they did, but hoped the
teacher would let it slide! Nope....so my 2nd idea would be to listen to
something you consider a masterpiece that you would want to more-or-less
imitate in some fashion of your choosing, and write a list of the things that
moved you about it and why. Be clear and as specific as possible. Instead of
'I like the harmony', write 'I liked the disjunct resolutions of the minor
seventh chords'. Even write about what you don't like in certain music. A
list like this help one to have clarity about where one wants to go as a
composer, and where one want to avoid. The key word here is 'clarity'. I
think when you have self-directed clarity, the answers to any compositional
or inspirational problem are within.

I hope this helps, and I'm only sharing this with you as a fellow traveler,
not to talk down. Just what works/has worked for me.

Now, a great Rilke quote about public criticism, I hope it inspires:

"...For I still didn't understand fame, that public demolition of someone who
is in the process of becoming, whose building-site the mob breaks into,
knocking down his stones.
Young man anywhere, in whom something is welling up that makes you shiver,
be grateful tha no one knows you. And if those who think you are worthless
contradicts you, and if those whom you cal your friends abandon you, and if
they want to destroy you because of your precious ideas: what is this obvious
danger, which concentrates you inside yourself, compared to the cunning
enmity of fame, later, which makes you innocuous by scattering you all
around?
Don't ask anyone to speak about you, not even contemptuously. And when time
passes and you notice that your name is circulating among men, don't take
this more seriously than anything else you might find in their mouths. Think
rather that it has become cheapened, and throw it away. Take another name,
any other, so that God can call you in the night. And hide it from everyone."

-Rainer Maria Rilke, The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge

Best,
Aaron Krister Johnson
http://www.akjmusic.com
http://www.dividebypi.com

🔗Andrew Heathwaite <gtrpkt@...>

Hi!

Aaron, thanks so much for your thoughtful response! I really appreciate
your listening and considering my music. Thanks also to Jon and Rick, who
said that they're going to comment after they get the chance to listen. In
fact, Aaron, what you have said is really important to me, and I'm going to
consider it seriously before eking anything new out of my keyboard.

--- "Aaron K. Johnson" <akjmicro@...> wrote:

> Andrew,
>
> I just listened to 'Yard of Vines'. Will check out more tomorrow. Before I
>
> begin, I just want to say good for you for bravely sticking your nose out
> there and asking for what I'm sure we all want as artistic
> personalities--attention (good mostly, but as long as they are talking
> about
> you, well that's better than nothing, right? ;)--more on the other side of
>
> this below in the Rilke quote) Anyway, I felt the urge to respond right
> away
> because I understand how it feels putting things out there and not getting
>
> the response you would want, let alone *any* response. Let's face it--we
> want
> people to like our stuff. We want ego strokes !

This is true. It wasn't my goal in mentioning these particular mp3s on this
list, especially because I'm feeling pretty successful with the quirky
mandolin songs I've been performing recently. My ego is ok. I didn't want
these to slip through the cracks of commentary, though.

> Now, onto the business.... What worked for me first: The title. The mood
> you
> were after. The imagination you have. What I can glean of your aesthetic
> drive/motivation. Everything I've heard from you indicates that with a bit
> of
> thought and technique and sweat, you have what it takes to be a very
> compelling composer.

Thank you!

> Bear in mind, I've only heard 'Yard of Vines'. I'll comment on others
> after
> hearing them....

I think there are some stronger ones than "Yard of Vines" that you may enjoy
more, but it's also sort of "more of the same". My system was this: I
prepared three things in advance: tuning, timbre, and title, and then I
improvised completely. I had mixed results. There are some that definitely
won't make it to the internet, and it's better that way.

> What didn't work for me above all was the 'form'--there was little to grab
> me
> about the interplay of form and content to keep me wanting to hold on
> until
> the end--an 'arc'. A bit too 'noodle-ey' perhaps, or perhaps a better word
>
> might be 'meandering', in that the vision of the piece/improvisation was
> still inchoate.

I can absolutely see where you're coming from with that, Aaron, and I'm glad
you brought my attention to it. There's something to be said for making
something up on the spot, but there's a lot more to be said for planning.
In some of these pieces, I stumbled into something like a "goal," but I
often just started, played, and stopped. I can understand why that would
make it less pleasing to listen to.

>Perhaps your vision might work better thinking about it
> 'top-down' (form first) instead of 'bottom-up'. See the shape of the
> forest,
> then paint the trees. I'm not imply one should fill a rigid mould, but to
> start out with, I never think that that idea hurts. Flexibility and
> freedom
> with form comes only after disciplined mastery, anyhow. I know that great
> things happen 'bottom-up' too, but I would suggest that when the itch to
> hit
> fast forward on the mp3 player is in evidence, the large-scale and small
> scale structures are not cohesive. Form.

I tend to go bottom up at first, and then when I revise, I look at the form
that is emerging and change things around to strenthen it. This is what I
do with the mandolin, at least. Because of the nature of this project,
there was no revision. Just play something and move on.

> Two ideas to explore: 1st; as you listen to any music, your own
> especially,
> observe your own emotional and physical reaction. Do you lean in with
> interest? Or does your mind wander? Do you want to jump up and down with
> pride and excitement over what you have done? Or do you want to hit fast
> forward? Most important--was it compelling enough that I want to hear it
> again? (that last one really is a mark of great-ness in my book)

This varies with the music, of course. Not all music is best to listen to
closely and with interest. Some trancy, minimalist, etc. kinds of stuff are
best to not focus on and allow to move you unconsciously. I like that.
That wasn't what I was going for with these pieces, or with most stuff in
general. I tend to be interested in what I do, but it's not easy to look at
one's own music objectively. I should try that, though. I bet I'd learn a
lot.

> 2nd idea---I think different individuals look for different sensations in
> music, but, in my years of experience listening to and talking about music
>
> with fellow musicians and music lovers, it's remarkable how many times we
> all
> have orgasms over the same moments, be they rhythmic, harmonic, timbral,
> whatever. So I'm convinced that what moves me in some way will move
> another
> in a similar way, even if they might *reject* being moved in that way for
> taste reasons. Composers I know also notice that their most trusted
> teachers
> notice the same weaknesses in their pieces that they did, but hoped the
> teacher would let it slide! Nope....so my 2nd idea would be to listen to
> something you consider a masterpiece that you would want to more-or-less
> imitate in some fashion of your choosing, and write a list of the things
> that
> moved you about it and why. Be clear and as specific as possible. Instead
> of
> 'I like the harmony', write 'I liked the disjunct resolutions of the minor
>
> seventh chords'. Even write about what you don't like in certain music. A
> list like this help one to have clarity about where one wants to go as a
> composer, and where one want to avoid. The key word here is 'clarity'. I
> think when you have self-directed clarity, the answers to any
> compositional
> or inspirational problem are within.

I tend to work pretty intuitively. It's important to me. Too much analysis
of something, for me, tends to stifle and smother. Perhaps I could strike a
stronger balance between intuition and reason, though. Getting out of my
own little universe and thinking about music in general again couldn't hurt
me.

> I hope this helps, and I'm only sharing this with you as a fellow
> traveler,
> not to talk down. Just what works/has worked for me.

It didn't come across like talking down at all! Thanks so much for your
comments! I'm taking them seriously. It's important to know your own
strong points and weaknesses. The next time I do something at the keyboard,
I think I'll challenge myself to come into it differently.

> Now, a great Rilke quote about public criticism, I hope it inspires:
>
>
> "...For I still didn't understand fame, that public demolition of someone
> who
> is in the process of becoming, whose building-site the mob breaks into,
> knocking down his stones.
> Young man anywhere, in whom something is welling up that makes you
> shiver,
> be grateful tha no one knows you. And if those who think you are worthless
>
> contradicts you, and if those whom you cal your friends abandon you, and
> if
> they want to destroy you because of your precious ideas: what is this
> obvious
> danger, which concentrates you inside yourself, compared to the cunning
> enmity of fame, later, which makes you innocuous by scattering you all
> around?
> Don't ask anyone to speak about you, not even contemptuously. And when
> time
> passes and you notice that your name is circulating among men, don't take
> this more seriously than anything else you might find in their mouths.
> Think
> rather that it has become cheapened, and throw it away. Take another name,
>
> any other, so that God can call you in the night. And hide it from
> everyone."
>
> -Rainer Maria Rilke, The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge
>
> Best,
> Aaron Krister Johnson
> http://www.akjmusic.com
> http://www.dividebypi.com

Interesting, the stuff about names. When I first started performing solo,
it was on mandolin, and I had a pseudonym I used, perhaps to avoid being
responsible for what came out of me, to divorce myself from it so I can be
impervious to ridicule, or whatever. I was less secure with myself. Today,
I still use the name when I play mandolin songs (Nodal Nim), because I like
it and think it's fun and works with what I do. I'm much more comfortable
being personally associated with it now, perhaps because a lot of people
seem to really enjoy it. I'm like, "Hi, I'm Nodal Nim," at the beginning,
and after a while, especially if it's going well, I'll say something like,
"Thanks, I'm Nodal Nim, but my real name is Andrew. I hope you're enjoying
my songs."

I just use my real name with my xenharmonic keyboard stuff. I'm not afraid
to be associated with it. It's not all brilliant, but I'm proud of it, and
I'm more secure in myself than I used to be.

Ok, that's enough spilling my guts. :<)

Thanks again for your thoughtfulness, Aaron! This has been helpful to me.

Best,
Andrew

__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Meet the all-new My Yahoo! - Try it today!
http://my.yahoo.com

🔗Jonathan M. Szanto <JSZANTO@...>

🔗Aaron K. Johnson <akjmicro@...>

Glad to hear you are appreciative of my responses!

Looking forward to hearing more from you in the future....

-A.

On Saturday 27 November 2004 11:56 am, Andrew Heathwaite wrote:
> Hi!
>
> Aaron, thanks so much for your thoughtful response! I really appreciate
> your listening and considering my music. Thanks also to Jon and Rick, who
> said that they're going to comment after they get the chance to listen. In
> fact, Aaron, what you have said is really important to me, and I'm going to
> consider it seriously before eking anything new out of my keyboard.
>
> --- "Aaron K. Johnson" <akjmicro@...> wrote:
> > Andrew,
> >
> > I just listened to 'Yard of Vines'. Will check out more tomorrow. Before
> > I
> >
> > begin, I just want to say good for you for bravely sticking your nose out
> > there and asking for what I'm sure we all want as artistic
> > personalities--attention (good mostly, but as long as they are talking
> > about
> > you, well that's better than nothing, right? ;)--more on the other side
> > of
> >
> > this below in the Rilke quote) Anyway, I felt the urge to respond right
> > away
> > because I understand how it feels putting things out there and not
> > getting
> >
> > the response you would want, let alone *any* response. Let's face it--we
> > want
> > people to like our stuff. We want ego strokes !
>
> This is true. It wasn't my goal in mentioning these particular mp3s on
> this list, especially because I'm feeling pretty successful with the quirky
> mandolin songs I've been performing recently. My ego is ok. I didn't want
> these to slip through the cracks of commentary, though.
>
> > Now, onto the business.... What worked for me first: The title. The mood
> > you
> > were after. The imagination you have. What I can glean of your aesthetic
> > drive/motivation. Everything I've heard from you indicates that with a
> > bit of
> > thought and technique and sweat, you have what it takes to be a very
> > compelling composer.
>
> Thank you!
>
> > Bear in mind, I've only heard 'Yard of Vines'. I'll comment on others
> > after
> > hearing them....
>
> I think there are some stronger ones than "Yard of Vines" that you may
> enjoy more, but it's also sort of "more of the same". My system was this:
> I prepared three things in advance: tuning, timbre, and title, and then I
> improvised completely. I had mixed results. There are some that
> definitely won't make it to the internet, and it's better that way.
>
> > What didn't work for me above all was the 'form'--there was little to
> > grab me
> > about the interplay of form and content to keep me wanting to hold on
> > until
> > the end--an 'arc'. A bit too 'noodle-ey' perhaps, or perhaps a better
> > word
> >
> > might be 'meandering', in that the vision of the piece/improvisation was
> > still inchoate.
>
> I can absolutely see where you're coming from with that, Aaron, and I'm
> glad you brought my attention to it. There's something to be said for
> making something up on the spot, but there's a lot more to be said for
> planning. In some of these pieces, I stumbled into something like a "goal,"
> but I often just started, played, and stopped. I can understand why that
> would make it less pleasing to listen to.
>
> >Perhaps your vision might work better thinking about it
> > 'top-down' (form first) instead of 'bottom-up'. See the shape of the
> > forest,
> > then paint the trees. I'm not imply one should fill a rigid mould, but to
> > start out with, I never think that that idea hurts. Flexibility and
> > freedom
> > with form comes only after disciplined mastery, anyhow. I know that great
> > things happen 'bottom-up' too, but I would suggest that when the itch to
> > hit
> > fast forward on the mp3 player is in evidence, the large-scale and small
> > scale structures are not cohesive. Form.
>
> I tend to go bottom up at first, and then when I revise, I look at the form
> that is emerging and change things around to strenthen it. This is what I
> do with the mandolin, at least. Because of the nature of this project,
> there was no revision. Just play something and move on.
>
> > Two ideas to explore: 1st; as you listen to any music, your own
> > especially,
> > observe your own emotional and physical reaction. Do you lean in with
> > interest? Or does your mind wander? Do you want to jump up and down with
> > pride and excitement over what you have done? Or do you want to hit fast
> > forward? Most important--was it compelling enough that I want to hear it
> > again? (that last one really is a mark of great-ness in my book)
>
> This varies with the music, of course. Not all music is best to listen to
> closely and with interest. Some trancy, minimalist, etc. kinds of stuff
> are best to not focus on and allow to move you unconsciously. I like that.
> That wasn't what I was going for with these pieces, or with most stuff in
> general. I tend to be interested in what I do, but it's not easy to look
> at one's own music objectively. I should try that, though. I bet I'd
> learn a lot.
>
> > 2nd idea---I think different individuals look for different sensations in
> > music, but, in my years of experience listening to and talking about
> > music
> >
> > with fellow musicians and music lovers, it's remarkable how many times we
> > all
> > have orgasms over the same moments, be they rhythmic, harmonic, timbral,
> > whatever. So I'm convinced that what moves me in some way will move
> > another
> > in a similar way, even if they might *reject* being moved in that way for
> > taste reasons. Composers I know also notice that their most trusted
> > teachers
> > notice the same weaknesses in their pieces that they did, but hoped the
> > teacher would let it slide! Nope....so my 2nd idea would be to listen to
> > something you consider a masterpiece that you would want to more-or-less
> > imitate in some fashion of your choosing, and write a list of the things
> > that
> > moved you about it and why. Be clear and as specific as possible. Instead
> > of
> > 'I like the harmony', write 'I liked the disjunct resolutions of the
> > minor
> >
> > seventh chords'. Even write about what you don't like in certain music. A
> > list like this help one to have clarity about where one wants to go as a
> > composer, and where one want to avoid. The key word here is 'clarity'. I
> > think when you have self-directed clarity, the answers to any
> > compositional
> > or inspirational problem are within.
>
> I tend to work pretty intuitively. It's important to me. Too much
> analysis of something, for me, tends to stifle and smother. Perhaps I
> could strike a stronger balance between intuition and reason, though.
> Getting out of my own little universe and thinking about music in general
> again couldn't hurt me.
>
> > I hope this helps, and I'm only sharing this with you as a fellow
> > traveler,
> > not to talk down. Just what works/has worked for me.
>
> It didn't come across like talking down at all! Thanks so much for your
> comments! I'm taking them seriously. It's important to know your own
> strong points and weaknesses. The next time I do something at the
> keyboard, I think I'll challenge myself to come into it differently.
>
> > Now, a great Rilke quote about public criticism, I hope it inspires:
> >
> >
> > "...For I still didn't understand fame, that public demolition of someone
> > who
> > is in the process of becoming, whose building-site the mob breaks into,
> > knocking down his stones.
> > Young man anywhere, in whom something is welling up that makes you
> > shiver,
> > be grateful tha no one knows you. And if those who think you are
> > worthless
> >
> > contradicts you, and if those whom you cal your friends abandon you, and
> > if
> > they want to destroy you because of your precious ideas: what is this
> > obvious
> > danger, which concentrates you inside yourself, compared to the cunning
> > enmity of fame, later, which makes you innocuous by scattering you all
> > around?
> > Don't ask anyone to speak about you, not even contemptuously. And when
> > time
> > passes and you notice that your name is circulating among men, don't take
> > this more seriously than anything else you might find in their mouths.
> > Think
> > rather that it has become cheapened, and throw it away. Take another
> > name,
> >
> > any other, so that God can call you in the night. And hide it from
> > everyone."
> >
> > -Rainer Maria Rilke, The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge
> >
> > Best,
> > Aaron Krister Johnson
> > http://www.akjmusic.com
> > http://www.dividebypi.com
>
> Interesting, the stuff about names. When I first started performing solo,
> it was on mandolin, and I had a pseudonym I used, perhaps to avoid being
> responsible for what came out of me, to divorce myself from it so I can be
> impervious to ridicule, or whatever. I was less secure with myself.
> Today, I still use the name when I play mandolin songs (Nodal Nim), because
> I like it and think it's fun and works with what I do. I'm much more
> comfortable being personally associated with it now, perhaps because a lot
> of people seem to really enjoy it. I'm like, "Hi, I'm Nodal Nim," at the
> beginning, and after a while, especially if it's going well, I'll say
> something like, "Thanks, I'm Nodal Nim, but my real name is Andrew. I hope
> you're enjoying my songs."
>
> I just use my real name with my xenharmonic keyboard stuff. I'm not afraid
> to be associated with it. It's not all brilliant, but I'm proud of it, and
> I'm more secure in myself than I used to be.
>
> Ok, that's enough spilling my guts. :<)
>
> Thanks again for your thoughtfulness, Aaron! This has been helpful to me.
>
> Best,
> Andrew
>
>
>
> __________________________________
> Do you Yahoo!?
> Meet the all-new My Yahoo! - Try it today!
> http://my.yahoo.com
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>

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

new live recordings, the list, matrix poetry

🔗Andrew Heathwaite <gtrpkt@...>

🔗Andrew Heathwaite <gtrpkt@...>

🔗Andrew Heathwaite <gtrpkt@...>

🔗Jacob <jbarton@...>

🔗Prent Rodgers <prentrodgers@...>

🔗Jonathan M. Szanto <JSZANTO@...>

🔗Carl Lumma <ekin@...>

🔗Prent Rodgers <prentrodgers@...>

🔗Andrew Heathwaite <gtrpkt@...>

🔗Andrew Heathwaite <gtrpkt@...>

🔗Jonathan M. Szanto <JSZANTO@...>

🔗Aaron K. Johnson <akjmicro@...>

🔗Andrew Heathwaite <gtrpkt@...>

🔗Jonathan M. Szanto <JSZANTO@...>

🔗Aaron K. Johnson <akjmicro@...>

🔗Joseph Pehrson <jpehrson@...>