As promised, here’s a new post!
Take a second a listen to the noises around you. If you’re watching TV, mute it. Listening to some tunes? Pause them. Ask someone to stop talking. Whatever it takes.
Now…Listen.
What do you hear?
Currently, I hear the fan running to keep me from sweating to death, the slow and heavy breathing of my own lungs, and the dryer, letting buttons and zippers slam against the sides of the drum, letting a metallic slap occur every few seconds.
Seems random, right? It is, but there’s also some music in there somewhere. The fan seems to have a pitch, a medium high pedal to act as a “tonal center”. I hum along, making some suspensions and resolutions to please my inner ear. My slow breathing acts as a solemn counterpoint to the driving percussion of the dryer.
But all of these things can never be recreated as they have been spontaneously so just now. Thus is the nature of music.
Not to get metaphysical, but it’s something that bears mentioning. Do what you can with what you have, but don’t forget to do it WHEN YOU CAN.
What other things have you heard or heard of being used in compositions?
I’ve been thinking of recording the sound of my windshield wipers at the different settings along with the turn signal so I can finally have a song that will play in sync with them. XD
-10 points to the first person that mentions John Cage’s “4:33″.
Thanks for reading. Keep listening!
-a
June 14th, 2010 at 06:09
I’ve done this at least once a year with Elementary students.
Funny thing, when they hear the buzzing of the florescent lights, I think some of them confuse it with certain AutoTuned current pop music. Indeed, they attempt to hum along.
I’ve also performed Cage’s 4:33 for them. Same reaction.
June 14th, 2010 at 23:08
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