COLUMNS
The Elements of Music
With Respect to Physics , Psychology & Spirit
By Jerome Jarvis
“ Melody is the Mother , Rhythm is the Father ” - ancient Sanskrit adage
Where does music come from ? Indeed , what is it ? How can a series of compression waves moving through the atmosphere and into the auditory canal of some creature designed to receive and decode these impressions , truly be said to “ be ” any kind of thing ? The best and broadest definition that I ’ ve ever heard is this : “ Music is organized sound .” The organizing principle may be intentional or random , preplanned or spontaneous ; but patterns emerge , are recognized , and persist in memory .
Learning the art and essence of musicianship is not like teaching a novice potter how to throw clay on a wheel . It is more a matter of being ready to recognize a perfect sequence of sound when it occurs , whether heard or imagined , and being able to capture that essence in a way that it can be repeated .
Music is already everywhere around us , waiting to be heard – birdsong , wind whispering in the trees , thunder ! Everything is laying down its part in the soundscape of the world , and you are at the very centre of this earthly orchestra . ( If you haven ’ t seen the film August Rush , I highly recommend it for opening one ’ s mind to the musical world that ’ s waiting to be discovered .)
Music as a commodity is a fairly recent innovation . Up until , and into , the Late Renaissance , music had been primarily an anonymously-produced background setting and a gathering call for social events or religious rituals . Most tunes were “ traditional ,” memorized and handed down to each new generation by time-honoured aural tradition . Titles were often forgotten or replaced , variations added , and whole bodies of folk music travelled with their singers to the new worlds , finding and forging local interpretations of the old tales and tunes amidst their new environments .
So how did the evanescent stuff we call music become a series of discrete “ things ” like songs , which are now commodified , packaged , merchandized , and rated ? Through the acceptance of this abstraction it has become commonplace that any piece of music can be “ owned ,” traded , and sold by someone other than its creator . It wasn ’ t until the invention of the printing press that words and music could be mass-produced in folios of sheet music , allowing a composer ’ s works to travel independently of their author . The new technology of sound recording has caused audio artifacts to proliferate and spread out around the world .
However , the commodification and commercialization of our culture has had the unfortunate effect of narrowing our scope of interests to some specialized genres , and has drastically limited our urge to explore the many new and ancient sorts of expression , ironically , just as more and more cultures and creations from all over the world are being made accessible to us .
Confusion has also arisen over the celebration of the “ craft of music ,” which idolizes the singer or performer out front in the dancing lights ; and diminishes the role of the actual creator , the composer , producer , or session players , hidden backstage or absent entirely . So , we are fooled by our eyes , absorbed by the multi-sensory theatrical display , rather than trying to analyze the sources of the sounds we are hearing .
There is a language at work in the art of music that allows any instrument to sound the same phrase in its own voice and retain its recognizability , and at the same time , allows a talented performer to rearrange the components ( words or notes ) into distinctive new arrangements , to the delight of all . So , what is happening here ?
Practicing / performing players make their sound sculptures using four basic methods , individually and in combination :
1 ) Physical / Manual - The hours of practice required to master any instrument builds neural connections between brain and muscles , which allow the intricate movements required in performance to be replayed at an unconscious level . The performer ’ s attention is thus freed from the mechanics of playing while the motor memory runs on auto-pilot .
2 ) Mental / Theoretical - The composer may not be the performer / interpreter . In either case , the architecture of the piece is laid out as a blueprint / chart for the builders / players to construct in real time . Many factors must be woven together to create the balanced and harmonious proportions that define a great work of art in any medium . Planning ahead allows for dramatic contrasts between sections and can coordinate “ surprise ” moments to thrill the listener .
3 ) Poetic – A story told in song , whether lyrical or a programmatic instrumental will follow a narrative thread to a conclusion / resolution . The words suggest the soundscape and mood of the piece , adding imagery and meaning , which engages the verbal , conscious part of the listening mind . Most folk music falls into the category of sung poetry .
4 ) Soul - You know when you hear it ! It is authenticity produced with minimal effort . Pure communication from soul to soul . Love made audible . No amount of talent or production can replace true inspiration or enthusiasm .
All these elements are intrinsic to an inspiring performance ; but if the soul is not engaged then the whole enterprise is an empty , meaningless charade .
Jerome Jarvis is a composer , author , teacher , producer , and session musician . Over the 50 + years of his professional career he has performed and recorded with artists such as Stan Rogers , Perth County Conspiracy , Pied Pear , Valdy , and more . He is currently recording and constructing an online interactive musical / theatre work The Great Library . www . jeromejarvis . com .
60 CANADIAN MUSICIAN