Music Mosaic

For seven years through middle and high school, I played the trumpet. I enjoyed it immensely, particularly playing as part of a larger ensemble. There’s something exhilarating about hearing a chord come together and resting on top of it, as the trumpet part often did. As a result, I developed a particular affinity for music and instrumentation. This formed the backdrop to my creative approach with the music mosaic. My goal was to encourage viewers to reconsider what defines a musical instrument and how an orchestra or band might look if the process of musical production had developed in an entirely different way.

As I listened to “We’ve Never Met but Can We Have a Cup of Coffee or Something?” I noticed how each instrument builds on the previous, similar to a round. I imagined to myself, if I had never learned about traditional musical instruments, how I would describe the sound. The result was an amalgamation of musical inventions and natural forces, an unconventional orchestra capable of playing the same song.

The process was similar to Annie Dillard’s description of cataract patients who, blind from birth, see for the first time. Although they are human like anyone else, their perception of shape, depth, and color is foreign because of their unique life experience. I wanted to apply this thought to sound and explore how intricately our sensory abilities are associated with and influenced by our cultural and educational background.

Color played a role in this project as well—partly to explain how each instrument might produce its sound—but also to add a natural element to each image. The song carries a distinctive water motif throughout, providing a comforting rhythm that cradles the melody and countermelody. I visualized this effect by combining a striking light blue with darker, earthy tones, reminiscent of a babbling brook contained within its channels.

I describe my work as transcendental, not out of pride or any sense of accomplishment, but because it relates to the Transcendental movement of the mid-1800s, which claimed that authentic creativity was not beholden to established institutions, conventions, or patterns. In fact, the most original insights often come from people who lack experience entirely; one only has to spend time with young children to see the evidence of such an assertion.

However, I must admit that the images that accompany my chosen song are not entirely natural nor original. Musical devices and instruments such as a gramophone, pipe organ, and bells are still present, although their use may be modified. My attempt to break from tradition was only partly successful, which I find nonetheless appropriate for someone familiar with musical convention. In all, it was an excellent experiment in stepping out of my own shoes, squinting my eyes, and trying to see the world from a different perspective, or rather, hearing it.

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