Re: Discuss Amongst Yourselves....

["Larry Tremblay" <ltct@concentric.net>]

Although I disagree with the specious New Age-y
comments here about the link between Quantum Physics
and neo-Mysticism , "Godel, Escher, Bach" is essential
reading, especially for loopists. Fortunately, it
predates the mushy New Agers who've co-opted bits of
it to support their myopic post-hippie delusions.

On the subject of music and the vibratory energies set
into motion, Dane Rudyar's book "The Magic of Tone and
the Art of Music" came highly recommended by Glen Branca,
Philip Glass and Terry Riley.

Ironically, I found Rudyar's book a good read despite
my own distaste for the mushy hybrid of Hindu irrationalism
and Astrology he's famous for. One quote that got my notice,
was

  "A tone is a living cell... It has the power of
  reproduction, of making exchanges, of growing.
  It is a microcosom reflecting faithfully the macrocosm,
  its laws, its center. A tone is a solar system."

This reminded me of Herman Helmholz's book "On the
Sensations of Tone" which was the first scientisfic
inquiry into the properties of sound - Helmoltz was
the first to *discover* the harmonic series and upper
partial structure of tone. Highly recommended.

- Larry

----- Original Message -----
From: <johnmcc@aldiscon.ie>
To: <Loopers-Delight@annihilist.com>
Sent: Wednesday, March 08, 2000 6:58 AM
Subject: Re: Discuss Amongst Yourselves....


>
> The New Scientist Article Ken mentions (
> http://www.newscientist.com/features/features.jsp?id=ns22273 ) is
> excellent. Worth checking out, especially if you've read "Godel, Escher,
> Bach". Putting your brain through some strenuous mental excercise! I 
>think
> it was Neils Bohr who said "anyone who fails to be completely shocked by
> quantum physics hasn't understood it".
>
> I have noticed that playing loops manually (just playing a phrase over 
>and
> over again) can be quite an experience, and certainly a different one to
> using a looping device. Sometimes, your fingers just take over, and you
can
> hear the "loop" interacting with the rest of the music.
>
> I happen to have a Sheila Chandra CD with me today, so on this subject, I
> quote from the liner notes:
>
> "Sacred Stones: Somewhere all of us intuitively understand the links
> between ancient musics, that is, that drones and chanting are at the root
> of all musics.
>
> The act of chanting is like throwing a stone into a lake - however small
> the stone is, the ripples (vibration) it creates affect the whole lake. I
> believe that making sound can make you 'sound' (whole).
>
> Om Namaha Shiva: An ancient chant, a new melody. Shiva is the destroyer 
>of
> ignorance. I find the 'clever' part of me wants the chant to 'go
somewhere'
> - instead I listen to the harmonics the chant creates, or just to its
frail
> simplicity ... One for all of you to join in with at home!"
>
>     [from the CD "Weaving my Ancestors' Voices" (RealWord CDRW 24 - 0777
> 86722 2 7) ]
>
> John
>
>