The following essay describes my personal philosophy of sound and music. This philosophy not only affects my compositions but also how I view the many aspects of the music profession.
The Science and Spirituality of Music
Sound is created by the vibrations which pulse eternally though our universe. Some of these vibrations are audible, such as the hum of an electric light bulb, or the bark of a dog, or a person talking, laughing or sighing. Some of these vibrations are inaudible to the ear but can be sensed in other ways, such as touch or even seen with the help of a computer. All things create vibrations, and thus the universe continues to flow.
It is using these vibrations that musicians create music. For me, music is the arrangement of vibrations inaudible and audible into patterns. These patterns have an affect on other vibrations. In the composition of a musical piece, a set of sounds are arranged into tones, chords, clusters, fugues, expositions, themes, variations of themes, rising and falling sequences. These, along with many other compositional techniques, are what make up many of the great works by both modern and classical composers. Because all things give off vibrations, musical vibrations stimulate sensations by either mixing or clashing with other vibrations given off. This explains why some music is pleasing or unpleasing to different individuals.
It is not a surprise then, that music is used in religious worship. Those tones and patterns created by the arrangement of cosmic vibrations, such as chanting, singing or humming, can aid in creating a connection with that which is divine. Since music is the arrangement of these celestial sounds, to me it is almost something which is sacred.
To me, a musician is a very powerful figure because he or she has the power to manipulate sound and tone into music. A true musician must not only be able to read notes, but also shape them to their purpose. Because of this, musicians are just as important as individuals who devote themselves to the service of a religious community or to the God or Gods these communities honor.
There are different types of musicians: performers, composers and educators. Performers use their own senses and emotions to enhance that which they are playing to make beautiful melodies and harmonies sound even more pleasing to the ear. Composers arrange sounds and patterns they hear in their minds to a readable form, like a roadmap, for a performer. Educators have the gift to teach others the skill it takes to be a musician. All of these individuals have strong bonds with each other, as a performer could not perform without compositions; composers could not provide written music if they were not taught notation by educators; and teachers would not be able to teach without the other two making the music that they can teach. Many musicians possess all of these traits, and it is these individuals who are absolutely essential to the development of music in education and performance.
Music is the arrangement of vibrations into patterns that have effect on other vibrations. Like science, music is a way of learning more about our universe, thus being able to connect with its divine core, where all vibrations once extended from the creative force which pushed it all into existence.