Love Thy Engine Block 2

 

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Austin
Part two ... this time we look at cars in that distinctly American sense. They are our modern horses. Trusted companions who we endow with very romantic mythologies. Think of the Cadillacs of the '50's ... these were true stallions. As with yesterday, today's piece is more sketch than anything else, but nonetheless fascinating the way the same (previously ferocious) car engine sounds, set to a more Americana romanticism, become instantly familiar and comforting. Almost soothing ...

Andy
But I'd rather get there in style.

Love Thy Engine Block 1

 

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Austin
To round off April is a little two-part study of the polar opposite ways I (and presumably most people) think of cars. Part one is perhaps the most obvious: they are raw power; they are machines whose sole purpose is creating vast sums of energy. While I admit that the music is more like a sketch than a thoroughly composed standalone piece, the lack of subtlety is actually the point. Total, unrestrained force.

Andy
From point A to point B.

Steak vs. Sizzle

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Austin
At this point it's probably cliche to try and explore the modern themes of attention span and nuance and whatnot, but within my own Hollywood realm there does appear to be a very strong pull towards the ever-bigger, the ever-crazier. All those bells and whistles, and yet sometimes nothing sounds better than just a simple, soulful piano.

Andy
So let's just say it had been a little too long since I'd bought new running shoes. These things rock. These things are l light and airy yet fast and powerful. They sizzle, and they've got the cred to back it up. Now I just need to catch up.

Nature vs. Nurture

 

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Austin
The first half of the 20th century saw a bitter feud develop between the two major camps of concert composers: the atonal group, led primarily by German composers like Schoenberg, Webern and Berg, and the tonal (or "neo-tonal" perhaps) group led by the likes of Hindemith, Copland, etc.

Hindemith argued that tonality as we know it was the natural result of the overtone series, and that our system has developed as a result of listening to Nature. Schoenberg felt that it was a matter of conditioning, that we were "trained" to hear tonality as normal and that 12-tone / atonal music would come to feel fully normal as future generations raised their children on it.

I'm not sure it's rigorously either of these, but nonetheless today, as a farewell to my recent 12-tone explorations on Allogamy, I have juxtaposed (admittedly rather banal) examples of both. If you hear it as traditional music, interrupted by the presence of a 12-tone row, I suppose you side with Hindemith. If you hear it as two simultaneous but otherwise equal pieces, I would guess that means you're in Schoenberg's camp ...

(Though there would be a 3rd option as well, right?)

Andy
I ran past these today, and I couldn't resist. Not a huge flower guy, but for spring, I make exceptions.

3

 

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Austin
Part three.

Andy
Part three.

2

 

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Austin
Part two.

Andy
A heavily modified photograph in honor of an art museum trip today. Part two.

1

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Austin
Part one.

Andy
Part one.

Free - Part 6

 

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Austin
The final installment, a sort of coda, to this 6-part series. We've left the viola, and now too say goodbye to Lisbeth Scott. Here again are her lyrics:

Hot snow down my face

Writes words you erase

Is there anybody who can bring me up

Equal to the way that you can bring me down

Is there anybody who can touch me soft

Equal to the way that I am tied and bound

Free me, free me, free me

Andy

We are, the lot of us, our own worst enemies. Here: the desperate attempt to break free from that curse.

Architecture 2

 

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Austin
Part two, as explained yesterday.

Andy

I accidentally spilled white out on today's photo, alas, here it is.

Architecture 1

 

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Austin
In the mid part of the 20th century two very different experiments were going on in the world of concert music. Composers like Schoenberg, Webern and Berg had brought to life a new approach to music, a form of systematizing, which allowed for architectural construction the likes of which Bach and his ilk could never have dreamed of. This was taken to even greater, more complex heights by composers like Stockhausen and Boulez.

Simultaneously, John Cage and his crowd began experimenting with so-called "chance music," where many (if not all) the musical events are governed by total randomness. Dice throwing, coin tossing and even things like the ancient Chinese book "I Ching" were used to generate music, avoiding the composer's personal ego and input, and channeling the ethereal universe in a more 'pure' form.

And yet (as explored today and tomorrow) ... can one tell the difference between these two diametrically opposed philosophies? Which do you suppose is extremely tightly controlled serialism, and the other a product of random number generation?

Andy

Paint it black.

Green

 

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Austin
What's in a name?

Andy

Glory, fame?

Free - Part 5

 

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Austin
The penultimate movement of this 6-part series featuring Lisbeth Scott (vocals and lyrics) and David Walther (viola). The extended soliloquy of the viola, before only really hinted at, now serves as a farewell. The dance draws to a close.

Andy

The struggle for freedom continues.

... Function

 

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Austin

Today represents the polar extreme of "Form," from two days ago. Whereas that was a lifeless execution of an essentially arbitrary "musical machine," today is the opposite: totally unfocused, meandering and meaningless "raw emotion." This is not deliberately a nod to any particular composer, but I'm sure we've all heard endless varieties of this basic thing. It drips with "feeling" to the total exclusion of thought or craftsmanship (though I take credit for the rather poor piano playing).

Andy

Quite literally the driving force behind the car. Function.

Free - Part 4

 

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Austin
Part four of six. Lisbeth Scott's tremendous lyrics and performance in a dance (or possibly duel) with David Walther's wonderful viola playing...

Andy

C, indeed. Better late than never today. Here we have a fish, longing for freedom, and... to find Nemo. Tired of his 9 to 5, longing for a condo in a tropical coral reef. Wishing desperately that he could swim past the boundaries of his little home.

Form vs...

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Austin

In somewhat of a return to the "Birth of Originality" series from January, I decided to explore the extreme poles of "Form vs. Function," in the form of meticulously detailed 12-tone "intellectual" writing versus 100% unplanned, mindlessly "emotional" writing. The first of those is today. It's almost like anti-music, devoid of most any discernible emotion, more like a clock executing its tasks as pre-destined by its machinery. Yet it also represents a certain form of admirable perfection (especially in the case of music by Webern, who brought this style to its absolute zenith).

Andy

If only it were a sports car...

....vs. Blue

 

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Andy

Blue, a real man's color. A manly, man's color. Of course, the contrast between pink and blue can be one of harmony or dissonance, and can dynamically shift toward an equilibrium between the two extremes.

Austin

As with Andy's observation above, the music (like yesterday) isn't precisely male or female. It takes, in the context of a rather strange musical vocabulary, elements from both and the inherent dissonances between the two.

Pink...

 

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Andy

Pink, the official color assigned to women from before birth. Even into adulthood the color just says 'girl.'

Austin

The idea of gender identity is more or less what's at play here, inspired by Andy's photo. I have no explanation for why or how the musical vocabulary went in the direction that it did. I just know that it's ambivalent in its "masculine vs. feminine" qualities, at least to my ear.

Free - Part 3

 

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Austin

Part three of singer/lyricist Lisbeth Scott's and violist David Walther's journey into the world of self-contradiction ...

Andy

Part 3, y'all. Enjoy!

Democrats

 

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Austin
Part 2 of our examination of American contemporary politics ... I guess I wasn't quite yet done with my cynicism for 2010. I suppose the central thesis of these two pieces is that it doesn't really matter which of the two you listen to. It's all more of the same. However, as with everything else, it's the inherent contradictions and by-definition paradoxes that intrigue me. That must be why I torture myself each night watching the infantility that is our news ...

Andy

Paul Simon put it best when he called it the myth of finger prints. I have seen them all, and man, they're all the same. There is plenty to be annoyed by with the two big American political parties, and a lot of closed mindedness. Because whether you wear a tie or board shorts, you's a person.

Free - Part 2

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Austin
Part two of six featuring Lisbeth Scott as both singer and lyricist, and also introducing David Walther on the viola. The dance of contradictions continues ...

Andy

Contradictions that seem quite cyclical. As if we maybe put ourselves on these emotional rides. To represent this, the spokes of a spinning wheel, fading in and out.

Republicans

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Austin
I go way out of my way to avoid cynicism and negativity in life, but if there's anything that can virtually instantly make my blood boil it's politics. Yet (perhaps out of masochism) every night I end up glued to the TV, alternating among Fox News, MSNBC and CNN (capping it off, of course, with The Daily Show and Colbert Report). It doesn't seem to matter which side of the aisle you find yourself on: our elected leaders seem to have long ago forgotten the term "public servant."

Ok cynicism quota filled. No more this year.

Andy

I hate wind. It is wretched and the enemy of lighting equipment. That being said, today's photo (arriving late in the afternoon) is one half of a whole. 

Facebook - 2

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Austin

Part two, again ambivalent, but more focused on Facebook's less readily obvious effect: complete and total isolation. It never feels overtly lonely, but yet for me it inevitably leads there. After a while, all those status updates and tagged photos and notes and whatever else feel like a stream of code with absolutely no humanity on the other side. Eventually the consolation is felt in its perpetual state, that 24/7 omnipresent pulse. As with yesterday, the alto flute solo is performed gloriously by Sara Andon.

Andy

The real face of facebook.

Facebook - 1

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Austin

Today and tomorrow are my rather mixed-bag look at the world of Facebook. While both pieces are somewhat ambivalent, today's is my take on the more celebrated side. It connects you with long-lost childhood friends, high school sweethearts and estranged family members. It brings people together and keeps everyone in the loop of what's going on in life. It creates a forum for public discussion on pop culture and politics and everything else. It truly makes the world smaller. An alto flute (played by Sara Andon) sings over the omnipresent, 24/7 pulse that is Facebook ...

Andy

I've been doing a lot of dark backgrounds recently. Mainly because I haven't bothered cleaning and well this is easier. I'll break away from that once it's consistently warm out and I can comfortably shoot outside. I've had enough of freezing my fingers off until autumn. I also edited out the Dell logo from my laptop. They don't deserve my endorsement.

Free - Part 1

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Austin
Today we present the first of the 6-part "Free" series, featuring one of the single most inspiring musicians I've ever had the privilege of getting to know and collaborate with: Lisbeth Scott. Lisbeth composed lyrics and short song based around the idea, which then became my brick and mortar in the construction of this piece ....

Hot snow down my face

Writes words you erase

Is there anybody who can bring me up

Equal to the way that you can bring me down

Is there anybody who can touch me soft

Equal to the way that I am tied and bound

Free me free me free me free me free me free

Andy

More than just a little intimidated to have such an amazingly talented singer in any way associated with a photograph of mine. Due to some unfortunate computer issues I actually took this photo before having heard today's track, so I hope that it works for anyone viewing and listening.

Taijitu

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Austin

The Taijitu is the symbol from Taoist belief which represents the notion of equal and opposites in balance with one another (more popularly referred to as 'yin and yang.') One of the keys to this symbol is the fact that within each side of the opposing halves there contains the seed of the other, such that balance is achieved not only by pitting these opposites against each other, but by recognizing that in each lies some hint of the other. The music today is precisely that: it is the "conflict" and ultimate balance between several different simultaneous "opposites," each containing some sort of suggestion of the other (principally 'acoustic vs. electronic,' and '12-tone versus tonal.')

Andy

It's Rockies season. They've known wins, and they've known losses, and incorporated the lessons of one into the other; however, this season they will just win. World Series, baby.

Progress 2

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Austin

... or perhaps Progress is the ability to withstand the crushing pressure of that unstoppable march forward. Maybe true human progress means not forgetting to stop and admire a sunset despite the glittering (admittedly beautiful) skyline in the foreground. It is the filtering out of all the background noise, the complications of an immensely complex modern world, and simply appreciating silence.

Andy

Although each individual moment might be critical to progress, it is the collection of a lifetime of moments that make progress a measurable thing. An integration, if you will. Continuing with my visual analogy: Yesterday's water was seemingly frozen in a very precise moment. Today, a much longer exposure shows the water's trajectory and gives a better sense of where the individual moment from yesterday eventually led. I also zoomed out to show that there are a chain of fountains feeding into the pool, each an important contributor. Today's water is also much softer to say that although individual moments might be a bit tumultuous, they trend towards a calmer whole.

Progress 1

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Austin

Progress, in the broadest sense, is movement forward. It is innovation, and industrialization. It is the hand of man carving out an ever-more prosperous place for itself within the universe. It is us proudly proclaiming that we are here! Symphonies, epic poems, skyscrapers, cruise liners, international space stations ... all serve as monuments to our incredible intelligence and creativity. Progress is the unstoppable march forward.

Andy

I prefer to view progress on a much more personal level. Am I doing everything I can to be the man I want to be? And if not, what do I need to do to get there? Like this fountain, a single moment frozen in time can decide if I am heading towards a goal or away from it. Every decision plays into progress. Progress is also not always prosperous, it can be raucous and born of calamity, but even chaos and hardship can catalyze the drive forward.

Love is ____ - 2

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Austin

Love is fiercely powerful, passionate and destructive. True love is also unpredictable, defying any real logic and not fitting neatly into preconceived constructs. It is fire.

Andy

Love is muddy waters, and it comes with a warning. 

Love is ____ - 1

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Austin

Love is calm, love is serene and peaceful. It is in some ways unfamiliar, but eternally gentle. Simple, uncomplicated.

Andy

I love spring. There's nothing better than sweeping winter out the door. No more low angled sun or 5 o'clock sunsets. Suddenly the evening breathes again and for the first time in months you can really feel the sun. T.S. Eliot couldn't be more wrong about April. Unfortunately, early spring is also incredibly fond of me and my nose. So much so that trees attempt to pollinate my sinuses for the first few weeks of April. (Thank you Tim.) This short burst of misery is completely worth it for all the benefits spring brings, because I get so much from it, I'll take the pain.

... the fool or the fool that follows him?

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Austin

A fond, quiet farewell to an incredibly rewarding project.

Andy

Did I ever tell you about the time I was abducted by aliens? There was this bright light and then I was gone...


On a more serious note, and in light of recent events, I have decided that this will be my last post to allogamy. I need to really focus on the pursuit of medicine and decide where I am heading in my life right now. Thank you for following along and at least you have 91 great images to enjoy and contemplate.