The Source of Musical Magic

Here is a note I'm sending to a fellow at work following a brief conversation
that mentioned my interest in xenharmonics. We didn't go into much detail in
the conversation, but he expressed a concern - I think an understandable one -
about that being an attempt over-systematizing music. You might perhaps be
interested in my response to that concern.

(By the "Tamas" is a Hungarian name.)




Hi Tamas -

I was thinking back to your reaction last Wednesday when I mentioned that I
write microtonal music. I know what you're talking about, but I'm not sure if
you do!

Sorry. I realize that that sounds insulting, but insult not at all what I
intend. So let me explain a bit.

I absolutely do know exactly what you mean about mathematical equations and
musical formulas seeming uninspiring in the sense of the emotional excitement of
musical art. But that's all an illusion when you really get down to it.
Composing music, as with creating any other form of art is inherently both an
intellectual and emotional endeavor. Whether or not composers admit it to their
admirers, or to themselves, they use both profusely in their craft.

Everywhere you go when you pull apart a piece of music, you see evidence of
both evoking well-understood effects and of breaking the rules to create all new
effects. Even the most emotionally inspiring music is absolutely loaded full of
very uninnovative and uninspiring "off-the-shelf" chord progressions. My Theory
instructor was fond of pointing out examples where the magical emotionality of
Chopin's music was much more clearly attributable to just plain-and-simple
cleverness, than to magic or emotion.

Also, even the most exciting and spontaneous jazz improvisations owe their
brilliance to countless hours over the years of relentlessly tedious practice,
study, and memorization. But those things are all part of what it takes to
create really inspiring art.

So, my interest in microtonality really doesn't imply bias toward the
intellectual side of the artistic process. With the intellectual fascination of
using mathematical models to suggest new musical resources, comes an equal and
complimentary emotional excitement for the all-new musical feelings of these
resources. Neither the intellectual nor the emotional excitement is more
important than the other to a microtonal composer on my opinion. They are both
critically needed to produce that magical effect of great art.

- Gary M.


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