15 + 20 points
Sound Portrait by Supine ⠮⡽⣪Rocket
November 25th, 2012 9:20 AM
To my mind, there is no greater gift in life than a beautiful singing voice. Alas, I was given only a passable voice. Thus, in the pursuit of musical beauty, I have always relied on the use of musical instruments instead, as I will for this task.
Of all instruments, the alto saxophone has long been the most dear to me. It reaches the high notes my baritone cannot (excepting screaming on pitch, which I will omit from this praxis, for the benefit of all) and turns the movements of my fingers and the contours of my breath into a melody. To my mind, the degree of conscious shaping that I can achieve with the saxophone makes it a truer musical expression of myself than even my own voice.
I was greatly helped in this praxis by my friend John. He plays all the piano on both of these recordings. This is as much his completion as it is mine. We have been playing together for upwards of 2 years now, in BART stations, in shopping malls, in each other's houses, and even once in Maritime Park in front of Ghirardelli Square (we nearly froze). We have developed the kind of rapport that allows both of us to explore the courses of our musical thoughts without artifice.
Which brings me to these particular expressions. In the midst of recording a set of jazz standards in the studio, John fell briefly asleep while Gary (the recording engineer) listened to a just-recorded take of "Autumn Leaves." Moments later, I drifted into a vivid daydream. We were brought back to reality by the end of the take and cessation of the music. Gary asked us, "What do you want to do next?" We looked at each other and without hesitation answered, "Let's just jam a bit."
Fault Lines
These two single-take improvisations were the result. To me, they are two of the purest expressions of me that I have ever caught on tape. Words spell out the meaning of speech through a shared language, be it English or otherwise. However, music without words resonates with us on a different level, one that is harder to rationalize. Unlike spoken language, we have no agreed upon meanings for different notes. The emotion that each person feels when listening to instrumental music leaves more room to interpret, and each listener comes away with a slightly different feeling of the meaning behind it.
This is what makes music such a good representation of the self. Each one of us appears a little different to each new person we meet. Different notes stick out to different listeners just as different facets of personality stick out to different friends. To no one does the music of our identities sound more different than ourselves. We see ourselves through a more warped lens than anyone else (though our mothers no doubt run a close second) in the same way that a performer hears each note they have played with an ear simultaneously enthralled by the egotistical joy of creation and embittered by a critical comparison to a perfect, idealized should have been.
Whatever should have been, this is what was. I hope that it communicates something raw and authentic about who I am, and maybe stirs something similar in you. As the person least qualified to judge what I've created, I'm curious what this sounds like to you. If the spirit moves you, please leave a comment with a couple of adjectives that describe one of the tracks. I'll be interested to find out what *I* sound like.
Of all instruments, the alto saxophone has long been the most dear to me. It reaches the high notes my baritone cannot (excepting screaming on pitch, which I will omit from this praxis, for the benefit of all) and turns the movements of my fingers and the contours of my breath into a melody. To my mind, the degree of conscious shaping that I can achieve with the saxophone makes it a truer musical expression of myself than even my own voice.
I was greatly helped in this praxis by my friend John. He plays all the piano on both of these recordings. This is as much his completion as it is mine. We have been playing together for upwards of 2 years now, in BART stations, in shopping malls, in each other's houses, and even once in Maritime Park in front of Ghirardelli Square (we nearly froze). We have developed the kind of rapport that allows both of us to explore the courses of our musical thoughts without artifice.
Which brings me to these particular expressions. In the midst of recording a set of jazz standards in the studio, John fell briefly asleep while Gary (the recording engineer) listened to a just-recorded take of "Autumn Leaves." Moments later, I drifted into a vivid daydream. We were brought back to reality by the end of the take and cessation of the music. Gary asked us, "What do you want to do next?" We looked at each other and without hesitation answered, "Let's just jam a bit."
Fault Lines
Early Bird
These two single-take improvisations were the result. To me, they are two of the purest expressions of me that I have ever caught on tape. Words spell out the meaning of speech through a shared language, be it English or otherwise. However, music without words resonates with us on a different level, one that is harder to rationalize. Unlike spoken language, we have no agreed upon meanings for different notes. The emotion that each person feels when listening to instrumental music leaves more room to interpret, and each listener comes away with a slightly different feeling of the meaning behind it.
This is what makes music such a good representation of the self. Each one of us appears a little different to each new person we meet. Different notes stick out to different listeners just as different facets of personality stick out to different friends. To no one does the music of our identities sound more different than ourselves. We see ourselves through a more warped lens than anyone else (though our mothers no doubt run a close second) in the same way that a performer hears each note they have played with an ear simultaneously enthralled by the egotistical joy of creation and embittered by a critical comparison to a perfect, idealized should have been.
Whatever should have been, this is what was. I hope that it communicates something raw and authentic about who I am, and maybe stirs something similar in you. As the person least qualified to judge what I've created, I'm curious what this sounds like to you. If the spirit moves you, please leave a comment with a couple of adjectives that describe one of the tracks. I'll be interested to find out what *I* sound like.
Larkspur Landing
John and I playing at the Larkspur Landing a while back
Wider view
Outdoor malls in the late afternoon make surprisingly good venues.
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posted by Supine ⠮⡽⣪Rocket on December 4th, 2012 7:47 PM
I'm glad you enjoyed it! I enjoyed making it.
Both tracks are awesome! So I guess you are awesome?
Otherwise, from both tracks I would think that you're a calm person, and from the second track I had the feeling you also have some sadness in your live.