Something simple and magical

I'm tired tonight, but this just came out as soon as I got home (late). It's very simple (just left hand chords) and a repetitive melody on top. soothing. maybe magical. the repeating pattern somehow holds things together, but gives leeway for embellishment so that it's not monotonous. So it's sort of like the march and the 'sad song' - a regulating repeating framework which grounds, whilst the embellishment tugs at the body.It may be of earth and heaven, but (more importantly) it's at the interface between public and private: between the love that's felt and its proclamation.

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Thumpy march

Now for the sort of patriotic love that can be evoked by military marches, etc. This is a bit bombastic (and goes wrong at the end!), but what are its features? What makes this something that evokes (in some) 'love' of country, etc? Is it down to the identity thing again? Someone  (or maybe many people) listens to this and thinks "that's where I belong!" - but what does that mean? Is the belonging evoked by a 'successful' communication (Luhmann)? It is absolutely steady, totally regulated rhythmically, but harmonically just enough interest for it not to be tedious (although maybe not in my attempt!). So again, I might suggest that it's 'of earth and heaven' at the same time...

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Enchantments

One form of love is the enchantment of seduction - that peculiar intangible thing which is at once of earth and heaven. With this improvisation there is ground and the public exposure of dance - in the form of rhythm and open 5ths, but the eastern scales subvert it, playing with something bodily - almost teasing with the body. Enchantment is fundamental to love; Our children enchant us; lovers enchant each other. Is it all double-bind?? Spoke to dad on the phone this evening. The love for one's parents, particularly when they are ill, seems to rest on the most profound sense of human identity and sense of self.

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Sadness and Love

I'm not feeling sad, but the gamut of emotions - particularly those relating to love (gained and lost) are occupying my thoughts at the moment. Luhmann says "love isn't a feeling; it's a pattern of communication" (or something like that). I think that's quite a revolutionary statement, and deserves some serious attention. But the love of lovers is not the same as the love of one's children, or friends, or the love of music, or knowledge. Luhmann's description may fit, but it needs thinking about.

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Rippling

This one's made up out of arpeggios. I now feel comfortable with this territory - the private-public thing works as a way of making distinctions: it boils down to differences in the regulating framework of the music. I suppose I can be more confident that I "know what I'm about". The fault-line that was defined by Locke is shifting as a result of technological change; the private-public fault line plays out as a religious fault line, but also in many other ways. Is it too grand to say it's probably going to be the story of the coming century... an age of insight?? Must start to notate my Turing piece or I will be in trouble! Must look at love next - it is the common denominator.

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Friday's improvisation

This is still using the altered chord harmonies of the Jobim-style improvisation the other day, but with a more rhythmic bass (slightly crap!). Really getting into Locke at the moment (and my obsession with this music is very much about it!). Karen Armstrong talks about religion being at the fault-line in political disputes. I know what she means, but I think the fault-line is the line between private and public: after all, religion is a public set of practices to express deeply private sentiments...

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Janacek Improvisation

This is 'grounded' through using pentatonic melodies and repetitive motifs (like Janacek). I was reminded of it as I took Isobel swimming this evening and the sun poured in through the window onto the water - like the swimming scene in "The unbearable lightness of being", with Janacek's music. It's been a good day - lots of good news and my presentation on evaluation seemed to go down well.

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