| I am a product of two traditions.
One of these is the tradition of the "professional" musician. This
is the person who knows theory, can read music fluently, and who can realize
a score. This is the person who can follow the conductor, can conduct,
and can arrange a score. This is the person who knows the canon,
who knows the standard repertoire. I have come to Towson, and I have
become all of this.
But I am also of the tradition of the "amateur" musician. These are people who may not know how to read music, and have no formal training in theory. They may not be able to arrange a piece or conduct a score. They know no canon or standard repertoire other than that which lives within their community. But these are people who still make music because to stop making music would be to deny what it means for them to be human. In an African Philosophy course, our class discussion covered the African conceptualization of metaphysics, or how to define existence. For the African, existence or being is defined by vibration. To be is to vibrate, and more importantly, it is to vibrate in a context where these vibrations can resonate in other vibrating bodies. Music reminds us what it means to be. It is a visceral and corporeal symbol of our very existence together. But beyond the symbolism of music suggested by this view of existence, what fascinates me is some of the ethical implications for music. If as musicians and composers, we are creating vibrations, we bring something into being in a creative act. And that thing has force in that it alters the vibrations of every other thing around it. As composers, we bear a heavy responsibility for the nature of the "musical" forces generated. It is for this reason that I desire to pursue a model of composition where the role of the composer is to provide a valid and authentic experience for the community. And for me, this community includes the "professional" musicians that you will see on stage, and all of us present in the audience. We are all active participants in making music today, whether "professional" or "amateur," performer or audience member. Let us lift our spirits together in song. |