Invisible Places

“Touch is the parent of our senses as all our senses rely on specialized skins.” “A place is understood through its echo” Juhani Pallasmaa As I have returned home after visiting the conference on Acoustic Ecology, Invisible Places, I can understand how Juhani Pallasmaa, Finnish architect and keynote speaker on the conference, refers to all…

The presence of everything

“Silence is not the absence of something, it is the presence of everything. […] Silence can be carried like embers from a fire. Silence can be found, and silence can find you. Silence can be lost and also recovered. But silence cannot be imagined, although most people think so. To experience the soul-swelling wonder of…

The tuning of the world

It’s been extremely stormy tonight and the whole house was vibrating. An amazing feeling that got right through my blanket under my skin and it also gave me some uncomfortable dreams, but I also felt very much alive. IT made me think of the elements and the constant drone of sound they add to our…

The Elements of Music

When pondering about the relations and tensions between the core elements of a musical work I got drawn to the reality of my need to perceive a bigger picture, wider understanding – the structure of a piece and the core elements of music. It seems that the elements serve most fully as a team; melody,…

Some little persistent melodies

“Melody is powerful.  Melody played from the heart is both powerful and spiritual. Melody played from a heart that has been crushed to all things earthly and then beautifully recreated in the image of God is…divine…” – Kirk Whalum Bold melodies. That’s what I wondered this week. Bold, or lonely? And your input on that expanded…

Inspirational Quotes about Music

 “It’s all about listening… and being ready.” – Keith Jarrett (on improvisation)   “If, while at the piano, you attempt to form little melodies, that is very well; but if they come into your mind of themselves, when you are not practising, you may be still more pleased; for the internal organ of music is…