SILENCE IS GOLDEN

I remember watching Amadeus and the Emperor Joseph II told Mozart there were too many notes. For some reason that really struck a chord with me. No pun intended. I think the emperor was trying to say with so many notes he could not comprehend or process the music. Of course, Mozart said the opera had just the right amount of notes, no more and no less than necessary.

When I look at tablature sometimes, I just see too many notes and am not interested in even playing the piece. Of course, there is the ability to play only a few of the notes written on the tab as long as you don’t disregard the melody. I learned how to meditate at an event by Deepak Chopra in San Diego. They mentioned it was the quiet experienced between the thoughts that would give us peace, the ability to be creative, and so forth. Peace is good with so much in the world seeming to be tumultuous.

Is peace synonymous with Silence? Peace is an interesting word meaning freedom from disturbance, tranquility, or an end to war. It can be used as a greeting or a salutation, or a closing to a letter such as peace be to you. Or it could be an order to remain silent or to be still.

Silence on the other hand is the absence of sound, quietude, the hush that comes over the world when it snows. That’s my favorite. When I lived in the mountains, the snow would bring peace with silence. They seem to go hand in hand. Silence is golden - it’s often wise to say nothing which is a famous saying, meaning we all need a time of silence or peace.

How can this be applied to playing music, you ask? Well, as we breathe so should our music! Giving ourselves a pause and our listeners a break as well. Give the music a breath allowing the ear just a wisp of time to process what has been heard and become anxious for what is to come. It is fun to throw in some pauses while playing many different kinds of music. Now fast paced fiddle tunes probably not so much. Silence can be golden and give us peace and anticipation. You might want to try it on your next waltz or any place where you think a quick breath or pause would be effective. I think you will find it exciting to look for pauses and enhance your performance too! Silence is Golden and Peace be with you all! Your Pres. NancyJ