on Music

Music is easy to bullshit. It's easy to say, 'I like whatever makes me feel good.' 'I like music that has a good beat.' But what is good music? Why does music make people feel good? I would argue the beauty of music lies in playfulness—straddling that never-a-bright-line of surprise and knowing satisfaction. Music affords manipulation of so many variables, and relies on the linearity of time.

I remember sitting down with my composition teacher at NEU and discussing what I liked about music and how I go about creating music. I told Tony that form was old, archaic, and I wanted to escape the traditional mundane of classical archetype. Mistake. I had to endure an hour-long rant that involved his destroying a blueberry muffin to make a certain point that form is necesary. Much to my chagrin, a lot of what he said made sense. I have since renigged and now embrace form, though with certain compunctions. In the years since that little talk, I've expanded myself to explore and recognize the inherent forms present and required in musical expression.

The matter of musical form is more than merely aesthetic—and present throughout all disciplines. The formal element is very much important in art, where context creates a meaning. Still, it's a balancing act.