That go me thinking about when I played with a modern dance company. I set up my drums on legs in front of me with the cymbasl perched over them. Everything the dancers and I did was improvised. We never rehearsed what we were going to do. To begin, I would make a sound and they would start to move. I would follow there movements and they would respond to my sounds. Nothing was in a steady time; just sound and movement. The whole piece grew from that and each time it was different.
i did the same thing with a group of artists in a gallery. I played, they painted and we respounded to each other. Again, nothing was planned and nothing was in a steady rhythm.
Sometimes I would set up in front of my window and play with the trees as they moved in the wind.
Another great Sunday missive! I do not know if I agree with Jung here or not. "I believe only what I know (italics). Everything else is hypothesis and beyond that I can leave a lot of things to the Unknown. They do not bother me. But they would begin to bother me, I am sure, if I felt that I ought (italics) to know them."
Great article! I’m drawing parallels to teaching. There are many daily unknowns in a classroom that I must be prepared to address. For many of these, I use my teacher expertise and developed craft from years of study and practice. I feel this knowledge in my body. It allows me to improvise when necessary.
Thanks for the introduction to Walter Thompson, Su. (Ethan Hawke will play him in the biopic.) His music and approach remind me a bit of Frank Zappa. Except Frank wrote it down. I'd love to see what a college music student would make of the assignment to transcribe a piece of his. Been reading a lot from the two camps of practice vs. non-practice. It's definitely a combo for me. You practice so you have no fear, no physical roadblocks, to try anything that comes in from the Akashic Field. To have control, so you can let go of control. I would LOVE to play in Walter's ensemble. Except I see he does not utilize any harmonic, polyphonic instruments. And I understand why. A chordal instrument will have too much influence in the vocabulary of what direction the music goes in. Thanks for this excellent, informative piece.
You're right, I've never seen him use a chord instrument. As far as transcribing his ensemble's pieces, I'm sure anyone who did that would get a grant in a heartbeat.
This is a rich topic. One example: when I began graduate school I thought I knew a lot, but the succeeding years were a process (almost daily) of discovering vistas of ignorance I knew nothing about before.
A successful education leads to humility by showing that deep knowledge merely defines frontiers of ignorance. And you can’t grasp that fully until you know a fair amount.
As a visual artist I envy the spontaneity and rawness of the work of children. It’s tough to stay fresh and loose when you have acquired the skills/knowledge in your work. Finding a balance between them is the challenge. Thanks for your intriguing article, Su. 🤩
Once I saw a program where a kindergarten teacher's students were producing "little masterpieces." The reporter said, how are you getting them to do this? The teacher replied: easy, I know when to take the paper away from them.
I’m glad Terrence McKenna did not live to have been a witness to 9/11. The events themselves and the following misguided behavior of humans caught up in the maelstrom. might have changed McKenna irrevocably.
You may very well be right about that. Certainly all of us who experienced that (I was actually in NY then, were you also, Gregg?) were irrevocably changed.
I'm so sorry. I remember all the posters of missing people, and the huge spontaneous mandala that people made in Union Square. My yard in Brooklyn had charred pieces of paper all over it. I should write an article on this because there are many memories, personal things, and universal things about being a musician at that time.
Thanks for this essay Su Terry! Arrived just on time for me. Especially poignant was the McKenna quote at the end. Working on a collaborative film project with an arts group and this “go for it, then let go, “Does not matter need not be.”, is KEY. I know and feel that this is the key but also it’s so difficult to truly let go and trust. I grapple with feeling used, like it’s all a waste of time/energy, impossible. But the truth must beyond these things:
On a personal note , composing from the unknown has been very inspiring because at certain times when I got stuck on what to do I just calmed down and meditate then from it I began and it flowed effortlessly as it was in my subconscious. Wonderful article Su Terry 👍
We were in the studio once and at the very very end of the session the guitar player decided we needed to compose a tune together by drawing rhythms and changes out of a hat, etc. We were tired and crabby but went along with it and it was my favorite piece on the recording. ? Mystery.
That go me thinking about when I played with a modern dance company. I set up my drums on legs in front of me with the cymbasl perched over them. Everything the dancers and I did was improvised. We never rehearsed what we were going to do. To begin, I would make a sound and they would start to move. I would follow there movements and they would respond to my sounds. Nothing was in a steady time; just sound and movement. The whole piece grew from that and each time it was different.
i did the same thing with a group of artists in a gallery. I played, they painted and we respounded to each other. Again, nothing was planned and nothing was in a steady rhythm.
Sometimes I would set up in front of my window and play with the trees as they moved in the wind.
There's more to music than Rhythm changes.
My group did a gig like that recently with a dancer, it was so fun. I recorded it and would like to put it out.
I'd like to see and hear it.
Same here would love to hear and see it if possible
Another great Sunday missive! I do not know if I agree with Jung here or not. "I believe only what I know (italics). Everything else is hypothesis and beyond that I can leave a lot of things to the Unknown. They do not bother me. But they would begin to bother me, I am sure, if I felt that I ought (italics) to know them."
"....if I felt I ought to know them"!
Great article! I’m drawing parallels to teaching. There are many daily unknowns in a classroom that I must be prepared to address. For many of these, I use my teacher expertise and developed craft from years of study and practice. I feel this knowledge in my body. It allows me to improvise when necessary.
Yes!
Thanks for the introduction to Walter Thompson, Su. (Ethan Hawke will play him in the biopic.) His music and approach remind me a bit of Frank Zappa. Except Frank wrote it down. I'd love to see what a college music student would make of the assignment to transcribe a piece of his. Been reading a lot from the two camps of practice vs. non-practice. It's definitely a combo for me. You practice so you have no fear, no physical roadblocks, to try anything that comes in from the Akashic Field. To have control, so you can let go of control. I would LOVE to play in Walter's ensemble. Except I see he does not utilize any harmonic, polyphonic instruments. And I understand why. A chordal instrument will have too much influence in the vocabulary of what direction the music goes in. Thanks for this excellent, informative piece.
Just amazing and super intriguing sounds using his approach; wow!
You're right, I've never seen him use a chord instrument. As far as transcribing his ensemble's pieces, I'm sure anyone who did that would get a grant in a heartbeat.
This is a rich topic. One example: when I began graduate school I thought I knew a lot, but the succeeding years were a process (almost daily) of discovering vistas of ignorance I knew nothing about before.
A successful education leads to humility by showing that deep knowledge merely defines frontiers of ignorance. And you can’t grasp that fully until you know a fair amount.
"deep knowledge merely defines frontiers of ignorance"--this needs to be written on every wall!
As a visual artist I envy the spontaneity and rawness of the work of children. It’s tough to stay fresh and loose when you have acquired the skills/knowledge in your work. Finding a balance between them is the challenge. Thanks for your intriguing article, Su. 🤩
Once I saw a program where a kindergarten teacher's students were producing "little masterpieces." The reporter said, how are you getting them to do this? The teacher replied: easy, I know when to take the paper away from them.
I’m glad Terrence McKenna did not live to have been a witness to 9/11. The events themselves and the following misguided behavior of humans caught up in the maelstrom. might have changed McKenna irrevocably.
You may very well be right about that. Certainly all of us who experienced that (I was actually in NY then, were you also, Gregg?) were irrevocably changed.
A few hours away, but heading in. My trumpeter lost several business colleagues that day who were holding a conference in the twin towers.
I'm so sorry. I remember all the posters of missing people, and the huge spontaneous mandala that people made in Union Square. My yard in Brooklyn had charred pieces of paper all over it. I should write an article on this because there are many memories, personal things, and universal things about being a musician at that time.
Thanks for this essay Su Terry! Arrived just on time for me. Especially poignant was the McKenna quote at the end. Working on a collaborative film project with an arts group and this “go for it, then let go, “Does not matter need not be.”, is KEY. I know and feel that this is the key but also it’s so difficult to truly let go and trust. I grapple with feeling used, like it’s all a waste of time/energy, impossible. But the truth must beyond these things:
“Come to the edge,” he said.
“We can’t, we’re afraid!” they responded.
“Come to the edge,” he said.
“We can’t, We will fall!” they responded.
“Come to the edge,” he said.
And so they came.
And he pushed them.
And they flew.
-Guillaume Apollinaire, 1880-1918
That poem was on a poster for Stuart Wilde's first lecture in New York in the late 80s.
On a personal note , composing from the unknown has been very inspiring because at certain times when I got stuck on what to do I just calmed down and meditate then from it I began and it flowed effortlessly as it was in my subconscious. Wonderful article Su Terry 👍
Next week I'll be writing more about this topic!
Looking 👀 forward to reading it then 👍👍
A beautiful article!
We were in the studio once and at the very very end of the session the guitar player decided we needed to compose a tune together by drawing rhythms and changes out of a hat, etc. We were tired and crabby but went along with it and it was my favorite piece on the recording. ? Mystery.
Walter Thompson! Amazing! Thanks