The LWYL Cafe: SONIC RESISTANCE Curating the Sound of Protest event that I attended was, as Mr. Hick’s described, “a jam session about the power of listening.”
One music work that I found particularly engaging was a piece by Composer Raven Chacon using guns as the instrument of choice.
I found the piece to be unique, unexpected, and powerful. And Chacon’s brief description of the piece added depth that I appreciated. He spoke about writing the piece 20 years ago when he was working with experimental music and had started to feel frustrated with how arbitrary the composing process felt. His solution? Set limits on himself. He chose guns because the pitch and sounds could not be manipulated.
Yet, one element he couldn’t impose any limits on was time.
For me, his words made me wonder if time is an element of sound, a silent metronome? And, if so, what would it mean to deeply listen to time?
But, maybe the answer to those questions are less important than the active choice to listen deeply and act with care, both toward sounds that are sweet and familiar and those that protest.
I remember this gunshot composition very clearly as well– it was fascinating to see how the chaotic sounds of gunshots could be orchestrated into a musical performance. Your question about whether time is an element of sound is a good one to ponder. I think it is: time is silent, but silence completes music. Thank you for sharing!