In the last article, the creation of a theme, its development, and the use of a libretto were discussed. As one may recall, the theme is the kernel of a production, which dictates the nature of the piece. And in relation to the theme, is the thematic structure that serves as a guide as to how the production will manifest. Ultimately this information is transferred to a libretto. In contrast to the previous article, the strengths and weaknesses of the arts will be addressed. Before one can choose the various media for their multi-artistic production, one must understand the arts in part and as a whole. There are three general categories that the arts can be classified, which include the auditory, visual, and linguistic. Although some art forms can be placed in two or more categories, such as poetry, fundamentally it is made of words, but can be executed vocally.
The labels applied to the categories are general. But each category consists of several genres. The auditory arts consists of music, vocals, speech for the sake of speech, samples, loops, and all other similar art forms. Just as diverse as the auditory arts, the visual arts consists of videos, paintings, movies, movement, dance, the commercial arts, and all similar art forms. Not as diverse as the auditory and visual arts, the linguistic arts consists of poetry, prose, and literature. From these descriptions, the question of how do these arts connects remains. And the answer is simple. If one were to arrange the arts into a linear spectrum, one will see that the arts go from the abstract to the tangible. Or the linear connection between the arts can be seen as going from the general to the specific. On the two extremes of this linear spectrum are the auditory and linguistic arts. Between them are the visual arts.
The auditory arts are by their very nature abstract. For example, music can only express emotion. Music is not capable of producing a tangible object. A composer can only express an abstract idea through music. Because of the abstract qualities of music, a listener can only feel music. To prove this notion that music is abstract one would only need to ask listeners what the music was expressing. As a result one will get varied answers. In addition to music only expressing emotion, it is the only current media that can impact the body as a whole. Moreover, a listener can turn their backs, close their eyes, and, in some rare cases, cover their ears towards the musical source, and still experience music. Due to these aspects of the auditory arts, they stand on the one extreme of the art spectrum.
Contrary to the auditory arts are the linguistic arts. Unlike the auditory and visual arts, the linguistic arts are capable of expressing a very specific and tangible ideas. For example, if one were to see an image of a man standing atop a hill, many would interpret this in a literal sense. Contrary to this example, if one were to hear or read the following: "Atop a hill an Afghanistan man stands looking over a valley," many would have a more definitive idea than the previous example. As one can see from the previous examples, the latter most likely invokes a definitive feeling as compared to the visual description. This is the beauty of the linguistic arts. They can invoke specific ideas that reflect the current times. And quite possibly, linguistic arts can invoke a deeper emotional response than the other arts.
In between the auditory and linguistic arts are the visual arts. Philosophically, the visual arts can express abstract and tangible ideas. Hence, because of this notion, the visual arts stand between the auditory and linguistic arts. Ultimately, visual arts balance the auditory and linguistic arts. As a demonstration of the visual arts capability of producing tangible ideas, one could look at many paintings from the 19th century and earlier. The subject material in these paintings could be touched and experienced by many. For one to see the abstract nature of the visual arts one does not need to look too far. The 20th century has produced many paintings and other visual medium that express abstract ideas. For one to experience a Jackson Pollack painting, one would have to of been in the process of creating the painting or one would have to physically touch the painting. As one can see from these two descriptions, the visual arts can express tangible and abstract ideas.
In the end, the multi-artistic theory that has been discussed represents the underpinnings to the various arts. With this artistic concept and the understanding of a theme and its development, as discussed in the previous article, one can produce a multi-artistic piece without failure. Creating such a piece is simple. It is a matter of choosing a theme, developing the theme, and finally choosing the art forms to express the production. So what are you waiting for? Start creating your production now. Grab a pen. Get a piece paper. And begin. That is where it all begins.
Andrew Hanna is the CEO & Production Manager of At Hand Productions, Inc. At Hand Productions (http://www.AtHandProductions.com) is a leading Philadelphia concert and theatrical production company. Andrew Hanna has 20 years of composition experience and 16 years of saxophone performance experience. His compositions range from duets to large theatrical productions such as My Journal, Requiem for the Now, and Prophecies of War.
Ann Powers said: "Don't censor the music and artistic... Read More
Mid 1959 Stratocaster vintage guitars have a slab rosewood fingerboard... Read More
You may have heard that bagpipes are a Scottish invention;... Read More
Is your heart in the music? If so, it won't... Read More
Different styles of music have different "sounds." We can all... Read More
You CAN do everything.Repeat.You CAN do everything. What you cannot... Read More
Gibson guitars have been around forever. It's funny, but although... Read More
Do you have a wide variety of things that you... Read More
It sounds like a side show, doesn't it? It does... Read More
After months of email and posts, we've finally compiled and... Read More
President Harry S. Truman, the man in the White House... Read More
A while back I was driving along the Jerusalem highway... Read More
We don't simply wear a theatrical costume; we wear the... Read More
Vision Music USA is a proactive and progressive music service... Read More
Technically, it's illegal to remove DRM from WMA protected music.... Read More
Eric Clapton performs his slow-handed magic on his. Even with... Read More
Movie and record producers alike are saying file-sharing networks that... Read More
Introduced in 1982, the compact disc was intended to provide... Read More
Have you ever dreamed of performing a piece you created... Read More
Are you frustrated because finding your favorite songs on the... Read More
Today's music fan interacts with a "community" that is far... Read More
Most of you have probably heard of the RIAA's quest... Read More
A number of people have asked about my own methodology... Read More
If you've been playing piano for some time, you may... Read More
The Kasabian concert at the Kool Haus seemed like a... Read More
This article discusses 8 vital things to remember as improvisers... Read More
Piano playing doesn't have to be boring. There's no law... Read More
Music licensing can be a very confusing subject. My... Read More
There's a reason Apple Computer dominates the legal 99-cents-a-download digital... Read More
G-Units 50 Cent , was born 6th of July 1976... Read More
Well, you love music so much that you have decided... Read More
Released in 2003, Pass the Flask turned this little quintet... Read More
Music courses are a great way to learn about virtually... Read More
A while back I was driving along the Jerusalem highway... Read More
"Music isn't just learning notes and playing them, you learn... Read More
Do you know what a didgeridoo is? There are so... Read More
In reflecting on the world of the Music Business in... Read More
Have you ever started learning a lick or exercise and... Read More
Both of these timbers make great soundboards on flat top... Read More
Piano lessons are a great activity for children. They encourage... Read More
Congratulations! Your singing has become amazing, and it's time the... Read More
This article gives the essential basics for how to play... Read More
Did you ever wish that it was your song playing... Read More
Back in the 90's we had a local Southern Gospel... Read More
There is a lot more to the story that meets... Read More
While many people think that the mixing of the separate... Read More
There are roughly umpteen zillion reasons why you should learn... Read More
One of the most intriguing aspects of music is how... Read More
The Russian Composer Igor Stravinsky once said: " A good... Read More
Controlling the images of the mind through image projection has... Read More
"The difference between success and failure is information," notes Ritch... Read More
This lesson can open for you a secret of high-speed... Read More
One of the things New Age pianist George Winston is... Read More
If you're a recent vintage guitar collector, the stories you've... Read More
There are basically two ways you can compose a piece... Read More
Kenny "Axil" Rose (Lead vocals), D.J. "Slash (Lead guitar), Joshua... Read More
So you want to be more creative when playing piano.... Read More
There are 88 keys on the piano keyboard. Most pianists... Read More
Every once in a while a band comes along that... Read More
If your band is in rehearsals, either preparing for gigging,... Read More
Music licensing can be a very confusing subject. My... Read More
"But I'm not in it for the money" you say.Me... Read More
In 1982, Sony and Philips introduced the compact disc, a... Read More
Already making plenty of noise in the marketplace is a... Read More
CORRECT PRACTICE IS INDISPENSABLE!Your success or failure at the keyboard... Read More
When I first started playing the piano I wanted to... Read More
Music & MP3 |