This week’s forum was by far the most interesting one. Basically what we did was to perform a pre-planned piece of music in which each person was free to play according to his/her own will! I’ll explain more:
We had percussionists (including me), singers, guitarists and keyboard players who were supposed to play not on an exact beat but within an exact period of time. The result might have been sounding like a disorganised noise-making by bunch of people. It particularly was not. The obligation to follow some rules –however not like other music sheets’ rules- made the performers to pay attention to what they were playing. In contrast, the fact that we were free to play in an assigned period of time made us (at least myself) to think of coming up with the most creative sound possible. We played this THING (which definitely WAS music to me personally) for 45 minutes after which we discussed about and expressed our views on it.
Personally I think the debate that followed the performance was a great result. Some individuals didn’t agree with the idea that the act was interesting, and some (again including me) found it very impressive and inspiring.
Over all, what we played sounded to me like early works of the band King Crimson and in some senses Pink Floyd (when Syd Barrett was in the band). It wasn’t new to me but I surely liked what we did.
Experimental music is defined in Wikipedia as any music that challenges the commonly accepted notions of what music is. The actuality that its concept would never be recounted by one particular definition, makes it the most interesting and beautiful for me.
Throughout years, whoever has come up with a new idea (especially in early stages of modernism) has been criticised by others who tended not to change what they believed as “facts”. Even Stravinsky sustained harsh reactions against what we now assume as rather “classical” artworks.
In recent years, we have had individuals such as Masami Akita who have based all their “music” upon “noise” and nothing else. His works in Merzbow are controversial and I am pretty sure that many people would not consider him as a musician at all.
My point is this; since we are living in a rather post-modern era, it is one of our basic needs and abilities to accept new aspects of art, or so-called inventions, or anything different from what we have had in the past. “Standing on the shoulders of giants” is not just for high-level intellectuals or scientists anymore. This is a reality of our time not just to acknowledge new (and in many cases unpleasant) creations, but also to try to create, introduce new ideas, and break the past’s rules.
PS: This particular post needed way more intelligence than my ability in writing in English. Please excuse me since this is my second language.
We had percussionists (including me), singers, guitarists and keyboard players who were supposed to play not on an exact beat but within an exact period of time. The result might have been sounding like a disorganised noise-making by bunch of people. It particularly was not. The obligation to follow some rules –however not like other music sheets’ rules- made the performers to pay attention to what they were playing. In contrast, the fact that we were free to play in an assigned period of time made us (at least myself) to think of coming up with the most creative sound possible. We played this THING (which definitely WAS music to me personally) for 45 minutes after which we discussed about and expressed our views on it.
Personally I think the debate that followed the performance was a great result. Some individuals didn’t agree with the idea that the act was interesting, and some (again including me) found it very impressive and inspiring.
Over all, what we played sounded to me like early works of the band King Crimson and in some senses Pink Floyd (when Syd Barrett was in the band). It wasn’t new to me but I surely liked what we did.
Experimental music is defined in Wikipedia as any music that challenges the commonly accepted notions of what music is. The actuality that its concept would never be recounted by one particular definition, makes it the most interesting and beautiful for me.
Throughout years, whoever has come up with a new idea (especially in early stages of modernism) has been criticised by others who tended not to change what they believed as “facts”. Even Stravinsky sustained harsh reactions against what we now assume as rather “classical” artworks.
In recent years, we have had individuals such as Masami Akita who have based all their “music” upon “noise” and nothing else. His works in Merzbow are controversial and I am pretty sure that many people would not consider him as a musician at all.
My point is this; since we are living in a rather post-modern era, it is one of our basic needs and abilities to accept new aspects of art, or so-called inventions, or anything different from what we have had in the past. “Standing on the shoulders of giants” is not just for high-level intellectuals or scientists anymore. This is a reality of our time not just to acknowledge new (and in many cases unpleasant) creations, but also to try to create, introduce new ideas, and break the past’s rules.
PS: This particular post needed way more intelligence than my ability in writing in English. Please excuse me since this is my second language.
1 comment:
Just a tip- never reference Wikipedia in University assignments. Use it if you want, but don't put it in writing that you did. Lecturers hate it.
Post a Comment