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character and imagination
It's interesting that the more we develop an understanding
of the rational and logarithmic structure behind timing,
the more we realise that it's not the whole story -
that without character and
imagination music can be lifeless, and not fully musical.
These divergent ways of considering things are part
of our nature as humans: the rational intellectual streak
that enables structure, and conversely, the imaginative
intuitive side that provides motivation - the 'muse'.
It's something to do with achieving a full range of
frequency response and the capacity to form a variety
of images. A rational approach appears to occupy 'different
ground' from an overtly physical response to rhythm.
Similarly, it's very different from a 'mystical' intuitive
response to higher frequencies. But they're all valuable
ingredients of music.
I've spent a lot of time getting to grips with a rational
understanding of musical structure, partly because some
of the traditional musical terminology is so misleading.
This may have been at the expense of imaginative character
in some of my music. But this is not the ultimate intention.
The intention is to acquire the ability to
take either approach (rational or intuitive) across
the whole frequency range (depending on the needs of
the piece in hand) and to assemble a musical vocabulary
that allows this.
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©
Jonathan Parry 2000
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