Freedom vs. Methodology
“Works of art make rules; rules do not make works of art.”
The way composers write their music has always been a fascination of mine. To me, although there are many different techniques and methodologies out there, to learn from and to try out, ultimately everyone has to find what works for them. Some people love to sit at the piano and improvise, some people plan out or find their harmonies through various formulas and structures, and others write without any instrument and instead compose from their head onto the page. And yet no matter what, at the end of the process, a new piece of music is produced!
While studying, using methodologies such as pitch sets, tone rows or serialism were seen as ideal. The amount of times I was asked to choose 5 notes before writing a piece or questioned as to why I could not justify every single note I had written through some pre-conceived near mathematical formula was high. It seemed to come up all the time and I couldn’t understand why. I knew that these methodologies existed and I knew how to do them, but when I did try to put them into practice, all motivation and inspiration to write the music was zapped out of me. It just didn’t work for me or my brain. Instead, I have always preferred a more intuitive approach- the freedom to improvise and find inspiration in nature, stories and the art around us. I seek out inspiration in external things- a painting, a poem or a concept… as soon as I have found something of interest, I’m away. Often I find the notion of stories and concepts so compelling, that I write my own specifically for the music I want to write. It is just how I enjoy working. And yet, my way never seemed appropriate, in the eyes of the academics.
“There is no theory. You have only to listen. Pleasure is the law. I love music passionately. And because l love it, I try to free it from barren traditions that stifle it. It is a free art gushing forth — an open-air art, boundless as the elements, the wind, the sky, the sea. It must never be shut in and become an academic art.
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This got me thinking- on one hand the contemporary classical world claims to be open and free to new and peculiar ideas, and yet writing the music to fit into this world is more often bound by rules and incredibly controlled to the nth degree. It seems like such an unusual juxtaposition and disconnection to me. Surely, in order to find our own personal musical voices we have to listen to our own hearts and inner guide? Following or replicating such specific methodologies and techniques can actually be quite dangerous, for it can lead us to all sound the same. It keeps us in the mind- where the ego lies- trying to control every note that comes out of us. I wonder whether it would benefit us to let go and go with the flow? Creation doesn’t have to be difficult, or at least we don’t have to make it harder than it is. Everyone has a unique goal and their own intuition, free for them to use whenever. This combination when used appropriately, can lead us to create so many amazing things that are so distinctive to us, personally.
Not only that, but our own intuition is how we relate to other people, such as an audience. Music is a way to communicate and connect, just like all the other artforms. But how can we expect to get that message across if we ourselves aren’t even listening to what we have to say? An audience who has no knowledge, reference or reasoning in regard to a methodology, will rarely relate to it. But a piece of music that conveys more that just how it was written can express a certain vulnerability, intensity or sentiment that identifies with the human condition, and therefore… people. And so, an audience is more likely to receive more from the experience, no matter what their level of musical understanding is.
In a world where we are looking at more and more advanced technology and AI creeping into our lives and our jobs, the arts are looking like one of the few places where humans retain a certain dominion over. But if we compose using such tight methodologies, surely we aren’t doing much more than a computer could do? Already, music composed by AI exists, therefore, I can only think that the more rules we add, the more likely a computer could replicate it in the future- then where would we be? It is our own intuition and inner voice that gives us an edge, not only on AI but also each other. It is our superpower and one that I believe we should value more. However, for many of us, it is under-developed due to the type of schooling we have had and the expectations that have been put on us from a very young age. But, just like anything, it is a muscle that once worked, can be matured and then put to use- something that I believe we should deem far more important than we do!
I do not seek to completely thwart all musical methodologies exploited by various composers. I seek only to shed light on the one that always seems to be left at the bottom of the pile.
