I’ve had one of those days in which I just want to contemplate stuff, and music naturally entered my thoughts. What is music, other than a series of sound waves produced by vibrations in strings or in the air? What meaning does a piece of music have that appeals to us, that can evoke such powerful emotions?
According to existentialists, life has no meaning until an individual makes it for him- or herself; one’s essence comes after one’s existence. Well, can this apply to music, and if so, how?
The performer makes music, but the listener defines it
The performer technically makes music, but the audience hears and interprets it. Of course, the performer is the first to interpret a work, as he or she had to learn the piece before the audience could hear it.
Moreover, a single composition can be interpreted in countless ways, and the way the performer thinks of a piece likely differs from what the audience actually receives and hears. The meaning of music is perhaps best defined by each individual at the time of listening. There is no universal truth in music, even if it is considered by some to be a universal language, and its meaning can be said to be dynamic in nature (forgive the pun).
So how can a musician reach as many people as possible with his or her playing? Is the conviction a great performance contains strong enough to be conveyed, even if the meaning behind the conviction changes?
There are performances that hold a great deal of conviction and emotion, but seem too personal to relate to. A great musician can project great power (not necessarily in sound volume) that touches the heartstrings, but he or she cannot make the music “closed.” A great deal of rubato may be powerful and needed for a personal performance, but to an audience, it may be too much.
A musician tells a story
A musician’s job is very lonely, even outside the hours of practicing. One must capture the hearts of listeners and evoke constant yet perpetually changing emotions, but one cannot indulge completely, lest the music become private; only the listeners can indulge, while the performer seeks to control and direct the music without making it entirely about him- or herself.
The performer tells a story, and he or she is not necessarily the main character. But we love to perform, and when we return home to practice, we can indulge in the music in private. It can be a lonely existence, but also one with great meaning, a meaning we create for ourselves in addition to our daily struggles and toils.
I might just be speaking nonsense, spending a day thinking of how things and actions are, rather than carrying out the actions. You will decide.
