Philosophy 101 Unit 1

“It is in this trick of perspective, from the humble “it happened” to the questionable “I made it happen” to the disastrous “I can make it happen” that lies the labyrinth of paradoxes that is our “modern” world”- Tom Jenkinson

I found this article really stiking, perhaps because I’m a musician, but most of what Jenkinson has to say is excellent (when it doesn’t come off as just slightly elitist).  Anyways, as I was reading it and nodding my head furiously, I thought of a bunch of artists and just random examples that sort of related to what he had to say, so I thought I would share those with you today.  First up, Mr. Bird!

“I feel like it is a deliberate creative process to hear a sound in my head and then rummage around for the object that makes that sound. Sometimes, as I’ve noted before, the object itself gets assigned a mystical value and must be on a song, though I know most listeners could not care less whether we use a Telefunken mic or a 30-year-old calf skin drum head… perhaps that’s why I ascribe mystical/religious properties to microphones, tape machines record players”- Andrew Bird (taken from the NY Times blog Measure for Measure)

As we see, Andrew Bird follows along the lines of what Jenkinson has to say; he ascribes a lot of character to his violin, his guitar, and even to the bare basic things of recording like microphones, tape reels, etc.  These things add something that he alone obviously could not.  Just because he is the one putting the instruments and mics in place does not make him the priveleged user, however.  He is in fact, perhaps just another tool, the one that puts everything in place and orchestrates it all.  Indeed, he plays a vital part in the making of songs, but ultimately, every tool involved is just as pertinent to the song as the next (including himself).

“This is why I decided to start in Nashville with the basics - voice and guitar - because it’s easy to lose your rudder in overdub realm”- Also Andrew Bird

Again, we see that Andrew Bird acknowledges the studio (overdub realm) as almost its own entity, in that it’s easy to lose direction.  In fact, things are bound to lose some direction in the studio.  “Recording is full of counterintuitive stuff like this, so you can see how quickly the original sentiment of a song can get derailed.” - Again, Andrew Bird

———————

According to Wikipedia, on a radio show in 2003 to publicise the release of Hail to the Thief, Yorke remarked that he would rather make a record just with a computer than with only an acoustic guitar.

Here, I think the implication is that Yorke can pull more sounds out of a computer than he can out of an acoustic guitar.  I think that goes to say that the computer is a more versatile tool and would thus serve a greater role in the system of tools that would define Yorke’s songs.  This is a great example of the collaboration of artist and machine.

———————

“…we gave absolutely no thought to what we were doing, whatsoever. This music is unblemished by any expectations of a specific result, on our part. The three of us simply got together to hear what music had to say that week. We had fun together and this is the record of that fun.” - John Frusciante

This was said of Frusciante (of the Red Hot Chili Peppers) about the recording of a side project called Automatic Writing II.  Really, I think this is the best example of what Jenkinson wrote about.  No explanation needed.

The Virtue of Thought, Techne, refers to craft knowledge.  Aristotle states, “Every craft is concerned with coming to be; and the exercise of the craft is the study of how something that admits of being and not being comes to be, something whose origin is in the producer and not in the product.”  I don’t feel that the production of craft and art are on the same level.  An artist and craftsman have very different intentions for their work.  Making art is an act through which an artist can channel his or her emotions.  Craftsmanship is concerned with producing devices that are of use to society.  A craftsman can be artistic in producing his craft, but the intention is not to produce art.  A chair is a “means to an end”, but a work of art is not just that.  A work of art is not a “means to an end”, but rather a beginning to your own interpretation and realization.  There is nothing that can be taken from a chair more than acknowledging it as a device for resting.  Art can permanently capture what the artist was feeling when the work was created.  Art is a source of the kind of inspiration that cannot be expressed otherwise. 

Music is one of the most sacred things to me.  I have been a musician for a majority of my life.  Playing and listening to music has become my emotional outlet.  John Coltrane once said, “To be a musician is really something. It goes very, very deep. My music is the spiritual expression of what I am - my faith, my knowledge, my being…When you begin to see the possibilities of music, you desire to do something really good for people, to help humanity free itself from its hang-ups.  I think music can make the world better and, if I’m qualified, I want to do it. I’d like to point out to people the divine in a musical language that transcends words. I want to speak to their souls.”  John Coltrane devoted his entire life to the pursuit of performing improvisational music.  His music followed a logical progression starting with playing early bebop.  By the end of his short life he was playing music that had no boundaries.  His records, “Meditations” and “First Meditations” contained tracks such as “Love”, “Joy”, and “Serenity”.  Coltrane freely expressed himself on these records.  You can feel all that Coltrane has felt by listening to his music. 

It is easy for someone to listen to a serious musician such as John Coltrane and claim that it is “hard” to listen to him.  Coltrane’s intention was not for quick and easy satisfaction for the listener.  He played what he felt and was not worried about what was going to please the public.  It takes time and patience to be able to soak in what he has to say.  A lot of great music is similar to this, and is therefore overlooked.  A vast majority of our society’s popular music has very little to no artistic integrity.  This is NOT just a mere opinion.  This music’s intention is for commercial success rather than to showcase musical integrity.  I define musical integrity by mastering a craft to the point that free emotional expression can be achieved.  Some may say that Fall Out Boy has mastered their craft and plays what they hear and feel.  My response would be that they must have a shallow meaning of what is beautiful in the world.