"Music is not only the notes, it's the people"
“Music is not only the notes, it’s the people” was one of the phrases that stuck with me during John Zorn’s refreshing conference. His driving and irreverent personality wonderfully transmitted his views on composition, collaboration, improvisation and band leading. Views that I believe play a huge roll in the development of an eclectic composer and artist.
Zorn began by emphasizing the idea that whatever he writes on paper is only a skeleton, an initial guide for the players, but in order to effectively perform, they must become emotionally committed to the music. That is the only way he likes to work, and it’s remarkable by the distinct character of his pieces. I believe in the importance of having the right musicians for the right music who put their hearts and souls into it and are able to “get into the bones of it.” In the film scoring world, it is often an obstacle to have so many technicalities and limits that lead to a systematic execution of the score and I think that the key of success is finding the right balance between methodical work and emotional commitment.
His comment about an artists’ working place is fantastic and reflects a metaphysical approach to composition, “The space where you live is a device for creativity.” He lives in the same apartment in the East Village where he grew up and uses one of its rooms as his creative space ever since. He points out that more than 100 years ago the building was originally inhabited by immigrants who had a drive for success, and that energy remains. I find myself spending more time in my studio writing music now that I have turned it into a comfortable creative space where I can always go and get inspired. Additionally, I feel that the regular variation of the location where I work at affects positively my productivity.
Improvisation has played a very important role in Zorn’s life, and that’s noticeable in the way he writes. I have found improvisation to be a liberating source of inspiration in order to keeping my creative forces alive. The magic, according to Zorn, comes when interacting with other people; extraordinary musicians that you can trust and have musical chemistry with. Ultimately these relationships are the cornerstone to an optimal performance of John’s works, and he does not settle for less. The relationships that he maintains with his musicians are for life, he notes, and that is clearly visible in his persistence collaboration with the Jack Quartet for his concert music and other improvisers for his projects: Masada and Bagatelles.
Lastly, his concept of band leading is important to point out. It’s an “esoteric” ability that is only learned by trial and error and leads to conscious leadership in any type of musical collaboration. As a film composer, I think it’s crucial to be sure of when a recording is productive and learn how to transmit that energy to the musicians and everyone involved, this is not only a good way to save time but also to bring the most out of the musicians. Listening to John Zorn was both inspiring and a great learning experience that will help me as a composer to continue developing my voice.
I also really responded to Zorn's appreciation of improvisation and of what the musicians themselves can bring to the table. Some of my friends in the jazz community have played his work at the Village Vanguard and I really appreciate that his work transcends genre which opens it up to a wider group of talented musicians.
ReplyDeleteOne of the quotes I wrote down of Zorn from the talk last Monday was when he was talking about game pieces and improvisation, he talked about that sort of work as something along the lines of "harnessing sounds that can't be written down." This seems in line with his fundamental belief that the on-paper composition is just a skeleton and starting place and that the musicians must be bringing something extra-musical - he's after art that can't be written down, and must be felt.
ReplyDeleteTotally agree with you Kat and Mark. I'm glad we could hear someone like John Zorn speak this semester, because no one else has focused as intensely or exclusively on the power of the musicians to bring a piece to life. John Zorn is a highly unusual person and his work reflects his idiosyncrasies.
ReplyDeleteJuan, I completely agree with all your points. He did present some interesting commentary on composition, some thoughts and ideas i did not entirely agree with nor understand. BUT what i found most interesting was his approach to collaboration. Building a base of both performers and consumers is important to success. This is something I have been trying to do with performers, but not so much the consumer! these are some very interesting ideas that I am going to take far into my professional career.
ReplyDelete- DALLIN BURNS