Monday, March 28, 2016

Composing is a lonely craft, But we can't do it alone

So, this article wasn't quite what I expected. The author, who is a composer, sort of went on and on thanking people-literally, he thanked pretty much everyone who played a part in getting him to where he is today, but he made an important point about connections to people and the role that they play in composing. This aspect of the article sort of reminded me about the Milton Babbitt article we read, and how he thought composers should only write for themselves. The author of this piece at one point says how surprised he is every time he hears a composer say they do not factor in the audience when writing. He expresses that music is the best way of communicating, and it gives an important insight about someone that couldn't otherwise be expressed. He continues to discuss how much one could learn during a concert, especially of new music, and how it brings the community together. We talked about the tradition of music and communication in class a few weeks ago, and I fully agree that it can be one of the best ways of bringing people together. I understand the importance of making music authentic to that composer, and that they should only be writing what they feel and want to write, but I think then sharing that music with others is a way to keep the communication tradition alive.

http://www.newmusicbox.org/articles/composing-is-a-lonely-craft-but-we-cant-do-it-alone/