Dear Ones,

Being a creative artist - for me at least - is like being alive in a garden.
Every minute of every day - or night - the relationship with light is revealed in a different way.
So too, the relationship with sound.

Relating to sound emotionally, intellectually, physically, spiritually - no two moments are ever the same.

This is part of the joy and mystery to me in this journey.

I can come up with clever ideas of what to write about how to create music and teach music and listen to music - and then I notice something new over there and it turns my understanding of music - the Kaleidoscope. Turns my relationship with teaching - with everything.

That’s OK and that’s part of the beauty. Every measure in a Mahler symphony is different and connected. Like moments in life.

Part of what I love about music is how the perception of music is linear and therefor greatly influenced by what is heard preceding what is being presently heard. (like life perception)

I can be all certain about … such n such …. then I learn about 10 new ways to “cook an egg” .

An interesting analogy is using filters and digital manipulation to study photos of paintings which I paint.
I will make a painting then photograph it. Next, I will view it through various filters to learn - observe differently. Each providing new “insight” or perhaps a skewed insight - but with points of reference and differentiation. Hmmm - akin to the seasons of the year. Same year with variation.

Historically, I’ve blogged about my music - including some of what is available for sale.
It feels so strange to me to do this as there are hundreds of ways to comprehend one flower - or one note or measure or phrase or movement or work of music - or collection in a book.

Yes, every note a microcosm - to be viewed from countless angles, and experienced differently and a new.

I’ve been most reluctant to share recordings of myself performing my music because for one thing - I like to recreate my music differently each time, I encourage others to recreate what I write in a way that is suitable for themselves - not a mimicking of how I write.

THAT WRITTEN - please understand - if you are an instrumentalist - viewing, recreating, hearing, teaching - the composition “I” composed (i feel absurd saying that - does a flower take credit for the petal is grew - but my philosophy aside) I encourage people to use the details and nuances of what I may specify as guides and suggestions as ONE way to play. And if I wrote it - it’s a valid way and one that would bring to life a deeper awareness of the structure - but once that is experienced and understood enough - feel free to let it be a springboard to how YOU wish to fly with the music.

I’D LOVE TO HEAR IT.

Part of the joy of being an artist - a musician - for decades, is returning to the same written work, each time it is a different experience to recreate. I love how ALIVE music is in this way.

Like reading a poem aloud. One can hear and experience different meanings and relationships with words, and the world in which we live. So too, music.

Once upon a time when I taught a lot of children music appreciation, I would lend them CDs from my library with the assignment - listen to this music three different times - when you’re in different moods, different times of day, and notice how the experience for you is always unique. You might find you like the music a lot at this listening - and not at another listening …. let me know!

Music can be a lot like food. One piece of music might be like eating - this - which might be perfect for breakfast but not for dinner - so be patient, take time to listen and hear and recreate music at different times of day, year, life….

As a composer, I have mixed noticed at times very fickle feelings about my own music, as well as other’s music. I’ve noticed music that works well in Winter tends to work well in Summer… so too Autumn and Spring. Nocturnes tend to work well in Autumn and Winter and Aubades in Spring and Summer.

I greatly enjoy reserving special music for only specific times of year. For example I love to indulge in Schubert once Autumn and Winter strikes. It helps me cope with the dark.

As a composer, I prefer to compose and listen to the muse between 5 - 7 AM, then edit, revise, work towards sharing and completion later in the day - but keep the early morning hours the inventive time.

I learned about the method from my last composition professor who said that Mozart had a habit of early morning writing.

It helps.

Mary Oliver - poet - did that as well, started her mornings writing poetry and greeting the sunrise.
And every person, every day, different. How well can a person know anything?
We can learn to recognize patterns and variations and more. In this way music helps and opens doors.

Methods - like recipes - wonderful and enriching. Even when we try to follow exactly the same - it’s different.

I’ve had students wonder why I’d ask them to listen to the same orchestral work - again on another recording. I would reply - imagine your mother singing happy birthday to you. Now imagine your father singing happy birthday to you. Same song - different experience. Same thing hearing different people read you the same story. Listen to different conductors with the same orchestral work.

Part of the excitement of listening comes with contrast and comparison to appreciate differences in what is revealed and noticed.

SO I encourage all readers to remember the following.
There is only one you.
Where every you are there is love.
Give the world the unique light YOU alone have to give. No one else can do that.
If you hear someone you admire perform a piece, enjoy it - but never let it silence you.
EVER

To the muse!
Kathryn