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Without having read that draft article yet, I would say that
"cutting = against the grain" doesn't necessarily imply ignoring the physical
laws = of the universe to the point of complete abstraction. There are =
infinite ways to organize musical sounds within any set of restrictions,
= of course. That any sound can follow any other sound is true, as Cage
= said. But what's the point? He said he had no point - purposeless = music.
That was the culmination of Western musical egocentrism - by = denying all
ego, through contrived methodologies. And from time to = time, he hesitantly
(as if somewhat unsure of what the total = implications of this might be
in a wider sense) suggested that music = could be a guide that would "sober
and quiet the mind, thus making it = susceptible to divine influence." Other
musics deny ego in a direct = manner, by confronting it and letting go of
it as it is being created - = e.g., in the mystical traditions of Middle
Eastern performers. One = question of great importance that this leads to
is, can it be done by a = composer who is separated from the role of performer?
Is it even = possible, with the limitations of notation? can observe Cage's
philosophy of imitating nature. Nature, however, = is not random. It is
multifarious, as Cage understood. Yet, for = whatever reason, because he
couldn't innately create art in a way that = generated the diversity found
in nature, he had to devise contrived ways = of approximating it. Surely
there is a more natural way that confronts = our fallibility, for those
who are so inclined, where through practice, = a sort of perfection of diversity
is possible to attain. Do we hold on = to and keep Jungian archetypes in
such case? Again, as Cage professed, = music is not
to be an object but a process (an experience). In
the = process of composing or composing/performing
these archetypes are = brought to the surface
and recognized for what they are. We are not
= attached to them. They evolve, these ideas - some die, some regenerate,
= etc. Just as in nature. The process of evolving as a = composer/performer
is like the growth of a plant. Or, it can be, if we = prefer,
to be like the creation of a manufacturing
plant. There certainly has been a mindset in the west which has disallowed
the = emergence of mystics on a large scale, moreso than in other parts
of the = planet. The West's mystics are its scientists. Give me something
I can = use - not empty words or music! And yet there are so many neuroses
that = develop in individuals in the West, I wonder sometimes what it is
we = have lost. It seems we have lost a sense of beauty and harmony with
the = natural world which we inhabit. Mitchell Renner mitchellrenner@msn.com
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