Music and Math and Feelings

Symmetric Palaces

In tuning (and in life?) there is a perpetual friction between the pursuit of simplicity and the pursuit of symmetry. That sounds real philosophical, but it’s not. Rather, quite literally: do I choose to compose music with a scale divided up in the simplest way, or in the most symmetrical way? I bet you thought these were one and the same! I know I did. Turns out this very practical question of mathematics has a far-reaching impact on the nature of musical expression. Recently, exploring this question has been a very fruitful starting point for all my own composition. That balance between simplicity and symmetry was the seed of the new piece I’m sharing today. Excited to write more about that in the coming weeks. For now, hope you enjoy the music. If you do, please share! Also, listen to Study #1 here: 🔉👋 Subscribe for free: This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrispthompson.substack.com [https://chrispthompson.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Symmetric Gardens

Over the last few weeks I’ve been exploring the work of Erv Wilson (1928-2016), a music theorist (and gardener) who spent his life exploring and mapping a vast universe of beautiful musical-mathematical structures. Wilson worked almost completely outside of academia, focused on directly serving the creativity of composers and listeners. Speaking as a person who’s creative flow never seems to feel completely accessible until I can see, touch, and breathe the organizational structure of my materials, he cuts a saint-like figure in my mind. I believe it’s only a matter of time before his work is more widely known. I like to think that Erv would have encouraged composers to learn by doing — working toward comprehension of his concepts through the act of actively creating music with them. In that spirit, I started working on a study to explore some of his tuning concepts (specifically the scale structures he called “moments of symmetry”). You maybe recognize the first few measures if you happen to know a previous piece of mine, but wow… that didn’t last long. This one took on a life of its own real quick. Excited to write more about what I’ve discovered in the coming weeks. For now, hope you enjoy the music. Edit: Here’s the follow up post: Click through to learn about moments of symmetry and some tools for growing them in your garden: 🔉👋 Subscribe for free: This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrispthompson.substack.com [https://chrispthompson.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Museums of Obsolete Media

Slipped right out of the devil's hand and slid right into the promised land: two pieces by Chris P. Thompson, affectionately titled "Museum of Obsolete Media I and II." Read the full story at https://chrispthompson.substack.com/p/museums-of-obsolete-media [https://chrispthompson.substack.com/p/museums-of-obsolete-media] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrispthompson.substack.com [https://chrispthompson.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

The Language of Landscapes

A new remix by Chris P. Thompson, from the album by Christopher Stark. Also: "collaboration for introverts - the joy of remixing." Read more at https://chrispthompson.substack.com/p/the-language-of-landscapes [https://chrispthompson.substack.com/p/the-language-of-landscapes] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrispthompson.substack.com [https://chrispthompson.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Watching the Clock Tick

This audio episode is three movements of piano music that make use of myriad harmonic series and microtonal tunings. These selections are assembled from the score to a larger work — Red Folder [https://www.chrispthompson.com/redfolder], the illustrated play. They just seemed to go together — especially when reimagined in the context of a tension that builds without any promise of resolution. It just seemed like there’s a lot of that in the air. Thanks for listening. Music by Chris P. Thompson -- Steppenwolf Theatre Company 2021 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrispthompson.substack.com [https://chrispthompson.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]