Music is Magic
Last week’s presentation by John Zorn left me with plenty to
reflect upon. Having carved his own path in life with such conviction, there
were a lot of ideas and principles that warrant such review in my own creative endeavors.
Recently for some of my current media projects, I have been
laboring over casting the musicians to record these new scores. I feel that this
additional step, more than just finding x-player or y-instrument, can make the
difference between a good and great recording/performance. Upon hearing Zorn’s
opinion on the matter of performers, I felt reassured that this additional step
I have been taking has been worth it. Now of course, we cannot all have the
JACK Quartet premiere all our compositions; however, the attention and detail
that Zorn gave to each performance—looking well beyond correct notes—is something
that I find commendable: especially since many new works tend to receive less
attention than they deserve.
When one then applies this previous discussion now to the
realm of improvisation, it becomes exceedingly evident the meticulous manner in
which Zorn casts his musicians and compositions. The philosophy of providing
music to players that he knows well—often challenging them to exceed their own artistic
limits—is the sort of dialogue that can bring out the best from both performers
and composer. Now, one would not be remiss to believe that for someone who
insists on having control of so many aspects of their career, music, and performances,
there could be the potential danger of suppressing individual creativity and interpretation;
however, this is not the case with Zorn. In almost complete contrast to the infallible
composer who dictates every nuance, Zorn encourages the performers of his works
to pursue the piece to its fullest through their perspective. All he asks is
that they commit to their performances and ideas.
In the end, for all the extreme opinions and philosophies
that Zorn may have on certain subjects, I feel that he is still conscious of
how to read the room. As a composer, improvisor, and band leader, for any
potentially extreme opinion or experience that he discussed, he also offered a
substantial dose of common sense. This was extremely welcomed, as I feel that
some individuals tend to forget that what works for them may not work for
anyone else. Zorn repeated this numerous times over the course of the evening,
and while he mentioned that he would never dream of teaching, I feel that I
learned quite a bit either from his direct comments or from my own personal
reflection.
I think that finding a performer that you know really well for a project that can both work in their perspective and expand their artistic ability is something to be cherished. A performer can bring out something fresh in music that you may have played in your DAW a hundred times, to give a new feeling, emphasis, and emotion to certain moments. This can be interesting especially in a film cue, where something in a scene may strike you in a different way because of a performer's interpretation.
ReplyDeleteThis level of genuine connection with the music and the emotion behind it can take our music to the next level. Many times in the composition process, I find improvisation to be the foundation of what I write. I hope that I can keep enough time in recording sessions to allow for performers to do the same, mess around with ideas, find a happy little accident, integrate themselves in it, and pass it on to the performance and the audience.
I think at the end of the match this is all about commitment guys, and money is by far the best way to go, that I know, for getting people committed to your stuff. Even if you are really passionate about what you do, delivering the best version of yourself for every single project is really tiring at times... So the first thing that a person leading whatever project must do is guaranteeing that everyone can say "Ok, It´s worth it", and then making everyone part of the project.
ReplyDeleteNormally we only have time for the first one, so we´d better pay decently and make good music...
I remember working at my college radio station, and during orientation noticing the John Zorn section. It was at least 75 albums, and it really ran the gamut. And I mean, RAN IT - folk, punk, zydeko, hardcore, jazz, noise, drone, just about anything you can imagine. After hearing John talk, it's clear he thinks of himself as a musician, period. Not a jazz musician, rock musician, classical musician, but simply as a creator of music and sound. His thoughts on the collaborator selection process are fascinating. You're very much correct - he's not interested in micro managing performances, but simply wants the musicians to give a full commitment to his vision and interpret that in their own way.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, Peter. Zorn has so much control of his own work and performances but when I comes to the actual performances he is very hands off in rehearsals. His idea of trust is a good one. He is picky about people he gives his trust to but he gives it to them fully.
ReplyDelete