Creativity Traded for Efficiency
by Dean Terry
If you are interested at all in the concept of creativity, you need to read this Wall Street Journal article, “Chains That Set us Free.” Now, there have been any number of articles, musicians, and all kinds of creatives that talk about the benefits of setting limits when attempting to be creative. But, none have put it in such a way that really explained why boundaries are necessary for our brains to be most creative. Jonah Lehrer says,
The larger lesson is that the brain is a neural tangle of near-infinite possibility, which means that it spends a lot of time and energy choosing what not to notice. As a result, creativity is traded away for efficiency; we think in literal prose, not symbolist poetry.
“Creativity is traded away for efficiency.” Wow, I’ve humorously labeled myself an efficiency guru. I’m always looking for the fastest route to the next destination (which is sometimes annoying I’m told), the most efficient way of covering teaching material at a lesson, etc. So, it makes perfect sense to me now why, when I am sitting down to compose something for my students, I am paralyzed unless I know what I am writing about. Knowing what technical skills of pianists I am writing for is also helpful, but not nearly so helpful as knowing what I am writing about. If it’s a pirate, I am so much more efficient finding piratey sounds. If it’s a rainbow, then my creativity is efficiently channeled to a certain type of sound. If it’s a piece for a string quartet, then at least some of those pathway searching neurons can be more effectively channeled.
I’ve wondered whether needing to know my subject or at least some boundary is a weakness or a strength, but I’m happy to realize that its just a part of the process of efficiency that helps me establish boundaries and find creativity in those boundaries. Anyone else have these needs to find
It’s a great article, so don’t forget to read.
Read More20th C Scandal: Performing but Not Composing?
Thanks to a teaching friend* on Google+, I was alerted to a short article by Stephen Hough called Can You Be a Musician and Not Write Music? which talked about how the 19th century public would have viewed musicians who performed, but didn’t compose. I’m not alerting you to this to make you add “compose major work” to your New Years resolutions, but I did think his observations were quite interesting.
I have often written about and spoken about the issue of pianist-composers, pointing out that until the 2nd World War it was virtually unheard of for someone only to play the piano and not to write music as well. To arrive in a town to play only someone else’s compositions in the 19th century would have provoked a raised and not entirely approving eyebrow. Every great instrumentalist was not a great composer, but each one wrote music, published music, performed their own music. Learning how to compose musical notes is no more difficult than learning how to write words – it is a technique.
The article gives one excellent point about the benefits of helping our students compose music with which I wholeheartedly agree. Stephen says,
I do think that music students should be required to write music. We look at other composers’ notes on the page in a different way when we have struggled to write our own. If we have spent time debating where exactly to place a certain dynamic marking or how to space a chord I think we will look at those same issues in the music we play by others in a different, in a more intelligent way.
I’m looking forward to reading his follow-up post about this which has has promised. I’ll pass it on when it’s posted.
*Thanks LaDona Ahenda! *photo by rockmixerRead More
Learning from Giants
When a giant figure like Steve Jobs dies, everyone feels a need to comment. Of course, writing or commenting often helps us process our grief and shock in sad moments like these. But, sifting through the volume of comments and articles can be overwhelming.
I don’t have anything new to say about Steve Jobs’ death of legacy, however I think I found just the right article for artists, composers and any entrepreneur. It is by David Cutler, author of The Savvy Musician. You can read his article here: What Artists Can Learn from Steve Jobs, but I wanted to just highlight a few of the lessons David so aptly summarizes:
#2: To create the future, you can’t do it through focus groups – When most businesses envision new products, they interview consumers to see what these folks want. But not Steve Jobs. He relied on his own inner compass. The masses were unlikely to imagine the phone or music playing device of the future. But he could.
Most artists also have a focus group, whether they realize it or not. It’s made up of teachers, colleagues, family members, and friends, who all have their own ideas about how life should look, what career you should have, and which art you should create. But what if they’re wrong? Innovators find their own way. Following conventional wisdom is rarely the best solution.
This next one is true of life in general:
#4. You can’t connect the dots forward – only backward – Also from the Stanford speech. His point here is that things don’t always make sense in the moment (a terrible car accident, getting fired, etc.). In the future, you’ll be able to see how these important events helped shape you, but not always in the moment.
There are 10 total quotes from Steve Jobs which David then relates to musicians. It’s well worth reading and pondering.
Read MoreRudolf Nissim Prize: $5,000
Here’s a wonderful composition contest to enter for all my composer friends:
This $5000 cash prize is presented annually to an ASCAP concert composer for a work requiring a conductor that has not been performed professionally. A jury of conductors selects the winning score. Dr. Rudolf Nissim, former head of ASCAP’s Foreign Department and a devoted friend of contemporary composers, established this annual prize through a bequest. Support for the world premiere of the selected work will be provided. Previous recipients are ineligible.
ELIGIBILITY: All living concert composer members of ASCAP. Prior winners of this Prize are ineligible.
SUBMISSION DEADLINE: Postmark no later than November 15, 2011.
MATERIAL TO BE SUBMITTED: The bound score (copy, not original manuscript), of ONE published or unpublished original concert work (no arrangements) requiring a conductor, scored for full orchestra, chamber orchestra, or large wind/brass ensemble (with or
Read MoreArt and Self-doubt
I bought a book last weekend called Art & Fear: Observations on the perils (and rewards) of artmaking. I have yet to determine if it’s a good book, but there have been a number of good points made that I wanted to share. Especially for the very reflective individual, I found this particular quote quite telling:
Read MoreMaking art precipitates self-doubt, stirring deep waters that lay between what you know you should be, and what you fear you might be.
Finale Music Composition Contest
Here is a great opportunity for collegiate students from Finale Music, makers of Finale notation software.
2012 Finale® National Composition Contest
In partnership with MakeMusic, Inc., and the acclaimed American string quartet JACK Quartet, the American Composers Forum announces the 2012 Finale® National Composition Contest.
The objective of this competition is to encourage creativity by student composers who are currently enrolled in graduate and undergraduate institutions in the United States.
Three students from the total applicant pool will be chosen as finalists. Each will receive a cash prize and be asked to write a string quartet for JACK Quartet, which will be workshopped and performed by the ensemble in New York City in September, 2012. Ultimately, one of these pieces will be chosen to receive the final prize, which includes an additional cash award and future public performances by JACK Quartet.
Full contest guidelines, application information and submission link are available here.
Application deadline: midnight on November 15, 2011 (electronic submission)
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