Sound in motion
Saturday April 12 2008
Patty blogged about this book recently and I’ve finally had some time to pick it up and begin reading through it. It’s a quick read, and is filled with many anecdotes and quotes that make you stop and think about, but I can say I do agree with every one of them.
As a musician, I think there’s been nothing new in Sound in Motion that I haven’t been told or have read in another book as of yet (I’m halfway through), but what is done in this book that hasn’t been done previously is that it’s stated in a very accessible way. At times, Thurmond’s Note Groupings can get a bit heavy and complicated but David McGill keeps this book easy to understand. There have been many times where I have read something in the book and said “That’s exactly right! I could just never describe it!”
One excerpt I enjoyed quoting my oboe idol John de Lancie:
My woodwind instructor, John de Lancie began his first freshman class each year at the Curtis Institute of Music by asking: “What is music?” This bombshell brought forth many timid responses such as “tone,” “pitch,” “dynamics,” “phrasing,” “line,” and “sound.” Once a student hit upon “sound,” de Lancie explained that sound itself is indeed an essential element. But then shouldn’t street noises or rustling leaves be considered music? To some, they are “music to the ears,” but they are not structured, ordered sound as in musical composition. To further steer our thinking, de Lancie used the analogy of an animal sitting in a faraway field. He asked us, “How could you tell if this animal is alive?” The obvious response came forth: “If it moves.” With that, Mr. de Lancie followed with his definition: “Music is sound in motion.“
Suvayd
Apr 13, 2008
Oh, BTW, I heard from Laila Storch and her book on Tabuteau should be coming out soon… at LONG LAST! She said that according to a friend of hers who also published a book, the endless delays etc. are par for the course… Still the lady is 87 this year, so hopefully they won’t make her wait TOO MUCH longer!!!
Apr 13, 2008
NICE quote!:D
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