Principles of a New Music

Greetings to all--

Hope some of the old timers of this list are still active. I have
been offline for many years now--was here back in the early 90's when
listserv was at Mills College and processed email throu an old .edu
unix account. I have been fascinated with alternative music for most
of my conscious life--influenced by Gurdjieff and Rudolf Steiner, to
name a couple. Was recently layed off my "day job" and have been job
hunting--but this morning sat down and jotted down a few principles
for a New Music--I am curious if there may be others who may share my
sentiments and would like to provoke a little discussion as to what
we can really do about it. I'm not completely nuts--have been
involved in music as an avocation most of my life--currently a member
of the Reno Philharmonic, a horn player--hence my fascination with
harmonic overtones!! Hope this is not too long a post but curious if
there is any relevant feedback. Thanks,

Bruce

Principles of a New Music

1. The Fundamental tone upon which a musical scale is based
determines the Nature of the scale produced—the Intervals of a scale
are of secondary importance and reinforce or disintegrate the Nature
of the Fundamental. These Fundamentals are directly related to
Elements of the Eternal. Music is experienced in Time but points to
that which is outside of Time.
2. The Intervals of a musical scale shall be based upon a
universal phenomenon—that a vibrating body, which is the basis of all
sound production, produces a fundamental tone and harmonic tones
based upon the laws of physics and the nature of the body itself,
which determines the timbre and quality of the sound produced—this
phenomenon is the universality of the principles of the harmonic
overtone series and expresses itself through simple number theory of
mathematics.
3. Harmonic overtone theory reflects universal principles of
Relationship between all phenomena, Eternal as well as human—this
model is to the Sense of hearing as the quest for union with God is
to the Soul.
4. Music based on these principles can lead humanity to an
experience of the universal—within this music we can understand our
place in the Universe.
5. There is no reason to continue being constrained by a musical
scale devised centuries ago. It was a profound development for that
time and has lead the West into the modern age, but must now be let
go and understood as the limiting constraint to the advancement of
the human Spirit that it is. We should not fall into the trap of
merely seeking another scale, arbitrarily designed by our limited
intellect.
6. The quality of the sound environment that we live in has
become so degraded and impure, cluttered by the "noise" of the
machines we have produced, stimulated by the sound environment of
the "even-tempered" scale we have been immersed in for centuries. It
will be difficult for the human spirit to cut through the quagmire we
have created for ourselves. Men and Women of Vision must work
together to strike the chord that will awaken, will sympathetically
vibrate to consciousness, the Spirit of Good that lays dormant in
every person. To this end I dedicate my life.

Bruce Kanzelmeyer

>Greetings to all--
>
>Hope some of the old timers of this list are still active.
>I have been offline for many years now--was here back in the early
>90's when listserv was at Mills College and processed email throu
>an old .edu unix account.

Welcome back! I joined in '97, and there are more than a few
here who predate me.

>currently a member of the Reno Philharmonic, a horn player--hence
>my fascination with harmonic overtones!!

Always good to have a horn player around. I played trumpet for
a number of years, and often fooled around on the horn. It's a
marvelous instrument.

>Principles of a New Music
>
>1. The Fundamental tone upon which a musical scale is based
>determines the Nature of the scale produced—the Intervals of a scale
>are of secondary importance and reinforce or disintegrate the Nature
>of the Fundamental. These Fundamentals are directly related to
>Elements of the Eternal. Music is experienced in Time but points to
>that which is outside of Time.

Well, most of my work/interest centers around the intervals, and
ignores the fundamental. To each his own!

>2. The Intervals of a musical scale shall be based upon a
>universal phenomenon—that a vibrating body, which is the basis of all
>sound production, produces a fundamental tone and harmonic tones
>based upon the laws of physics and the nature of the body itself,
>which determines the timbre and quality of the sound produced—this
>phenomenon is the universality of the principles of the harmonic
>overtone series and expresses itself through simple number theory of
>mathematics.

No argument here.

>5. There is no reason to continue being constrained by a musical
>scale devised centuries ago. It was a profound development for that
>time and has lead the West into the modern age, but must now be let
>go and understood as the limiting constraint to the advancement of
>the human Spirit that it is. We should not fall into the trap of
>merely seeking another scale, arbitrarily designed by our limited
>intellect.

When I came to this list I very much had the view of the piano as
'88 drums', and I basically wanted a bigger kit. But at some point,
I've become convinced that I want not only a bigger kit, but also
different scales.

>6. The quality of the sound environment that we live in has
>become so degraded and impure, cluttered by the "noise" of the
>machines we have produced,

Tell me about it. I enjoyed a weekend away from noise once and it
took a full day to set in but my ears were virtually ringing with
silence. It seriously lowered my blood pressure.

>stimulated by the sound environment of the "even-tempered" scale
>we have been immersed in for centuries.

This is where I differ from many here -- I don't think we're
immersed in it. I think that, outside of piano and guitar music,
most everything sounds much better than 12-tET. I think we're
immersed in the diatonic scale and < 11-limit harmony, and those
are the things I'm interested in turning out.

-Carl