Improvisation as
Prayer…
Beginning
in silence, holding only an instrument, listening within,
observing a point for departure into the inner world of sudden creative expression,
tapping the
well to draw out a first sound in a musical exploration, that sound which
then
will be
observed faithfully, and which then move with a life of it’s own into the
next,
and the next,
growing naturally along an undetermined path, to be noticed as music
becomes…
We follow this movement, listening creates a connection as we observe
ourselves responding, and allowing the flow of motion, which becomes melody,
rhythm, and harmony that reveals itself at the moment of creation, in the act of
doing,
listening and responding, allowing the inner workings of the Soul to be made
manifest.
Drawing new images, from the subconscious. Where do the images come from?
Emotion and Sound-Vibrating Life and sustaining force… Who are we, but the
vessel
of transmission, the intermediary physician of this living sound, which shapes
itself into
a music, which becomes from our mediation.
And then, what is the Source of this movement?
and unknown. It is truly the instantaneous momentary points of departure based
on memoirs
of experience and the void of the unknown. Whether we are listening for and
through our inner
voice, for the words we need, or the directions to do, or whether we are so
tuned that our
allowance of the given activity transcends beyond conscious direction, to
psychic automatism,
sudden acumen, or emotional abandon, we find the “flow” and observe the
“direction”.
We
are challenged to accelerate, withdraw, or proceed beyond our own creative
expectations, to discover that which is given to us, that we give over to, that
we channel
to new levels, and observe without self-judgment.
We don’t know exactly where or how
we will manage. When we can’t
know a given outcome, but must respond, then we improvise
and therefore experience. When we are living in the moment, we are improvising
our life.
I would like to invite you to consider the nature of a very natural form
of music,
which is called “Free Improvised
Music.” You may find it
interesting to realize that this
music is very akin to prayer. It begins with a point of departure, in which no one is
certain
what will happen, just as our lives begin each and every day.
We wake up and proceed with
faith that the walk, we are about to embark upon, will take us on the path to
higher consciousness
and service to a better world. Even on ordinary days, there is always a miracle,
waiting to be realized.
Sometimes
they are small positive outcomes to mundane situations, but they are only real
if they are
noticed and felt. It can be as simple as a moment of sharing, or feeling the
wonder of changing
seasons, or noticing sentiments. Or
the act of slowing down enough to notice that you are
growing older, and that autumn is once again upon us, with it’s smells and
sounds, it’s
clear blue days…to be enjoyed. Never
mind the “gotta’s” (gotta do this and gotta do that),
but in noticing the feeling of the air at the point of the intake of your
breathing…
This submissive awareness is a form of prayer.
Prayer
is a time of introspection. It is the time when we search our heart for
feelings,
for needs, for communication with the Spirit, however we define it.
We sit in silence and listen deeply.
If we are fervent, we come away feeling a renewed connection with our world of
Spirit, a gentle knowing,
and even a subtle change in our heart.
Music,
as the emotional transformation of Sound, has the power to move us to
this point of connection. Just the act of simply listening and remaining aware
and open to
it’s message, comprehending it’s movement, in melody, harmony, and vibration
can give us
the same inspiration as drinking in the colors of the sunset upon the clouds
while feeling a gentle
breeze upon our skin and so we Silently listen…to the Spirit in music, to the
awesome Sounds
of our environment, and marvel at the Sound of Life all around
us.
As a form of music,
Free Improvisation is an art form. It
is the art of taking the
first sound uttered, and riding
that sound through, while noticing a musical landscape
that is forming, as we are attentive to its creation. It is the act of allowing the creation
to manifest through our willingness to participate, whether as music maker, or
as listener,
by following the process. It is an opportunity for that which arrives from our
subconscious
to show us what is real and imaginary. It challenges a new kind of space. It does not just
represent linear time from beginning to end, but it is manifesting real space
with great depth,
between the beginning and the end. It is a time of expansive listening, to both
the music that
is being received, but also to the subconscious thoughts and feelings that come
up during
that process of listening… It
is the willingness to give over to another frame of reference.
Of being guided, of being an instrument of guidance, and allowing the creative
force to
speak through us. It is not about a
finished product, so much as it is about the process.
The process of actively improvising music is a letting go of the standard
passing of time,
and receiving an expanded awareness of energy, manifested in sound, movement,
and perception.
I invite you
to participate, as improvisatory music is as natural and spontaneous
as the cry of a baby. Begin with
your subconscious mind, your ears, & your own voice.
Just notice your first Sound, and allow its continuation. Connect with
it, as the Sound continues
to grow and explore it’s own territory. Take note of the feeling of it.
See it as a touching in with
the Soul, with the Spirit of the Universe, with the Creator of all Creation, in
harmony with the great
Unknown, and with others like yourself, who have given a moment of time to
vibrate in the pool
of frequencies that make up the Universal Movement which is
known as Life. As you deepen
in
your
musical practice, draw in your awareness and watch as you begin to
improvise and respond,
magnifying the musical moment into a metaphor for the events of the world.
~LaDonna Smith
(revised, October 6, 2004)