When I'm using music as an accompaniment to something I'm doing - in this case writing an essay - I don't want it to get "too" interesting all of a sudden. The idea of taking a theme and slowly working it, gently twisting and developing it into new shapes and sounds makes a lot of sense to me. It's different enough to allow the brain to notice the change, but not too different that it has to devote extra resource to processing it.
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Elizabeth Gilbert
I cannot describe - (although clearly I'll have a shot at it!) - what it is like - not to play - or I guess more appropriately - when you can't play. [audio:720-wendi.mp3| titles= Wendi theme - July 20, 2010 Development|artists=music2work2 ]
I'm not talking about an injury or about Golf - I'm talking about a blockage - I'm talking about the creative process.
I'm beginning to get a handle on mine - having listened to the amazing Elizabeth Gilbert - I wish it was slightly less intense -however -I'm very thankful that it is there at all.
The nearest analogy I can come up with is a writer who's pen - for some reason or other - stops writing. They can see the ink in the barrel - there's no malfunction with the ballpoint or nib - and yet - nothing comes out.
I imagine the writer looking at the pen - initially with curiosity, then frustration and then usually kinetic energy - shaking it and banging it on the desk. And then I imagine the pen splitting open and the ink exploding over the writer's face - leaving them ridiculous with nothing to record the event.
When I don't play - the ideas stay in my head - it's as if - if they can't get out one way - they'll explode and create a new way out - it's fucking bizarre - but actually kinda logical in a way.
I've worked out how I want to move forward and it involves further development of the themes I've been working on over the years. I have a lot of good reasons as to why this makes sense which I'll write about at some point.
Here's a development of Wendi's G Minor theme - no tempo - just the first time I've played in 4 weeks - I think it's sounding pretty cool. You can download the track by joining the mailing list using the widget below.
Image Credit: C Explosion by mary.streepy - Flickr