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A Day in the Life of a Drop

Last month I gave a solo flute concert in the spectacular Jeita Grotto of Lebanon www.jeitagrotto.com, a huge cave full of stalagmites and stalactites. I would like to share this powerful experience with you, please: --

It is the closest I can allow myself to get to a 'religious' experience.... because it allowed me a glimpse of an alternative sense of Time that dwarfs our human perspective of existence (perhaps I will use this as my definition for the word ‘God’, from now on). It drives home the enormity of the lie that we perpetuate as human beings. We lie to ourselves in such spectacular ways, it really is shocking.

To see such glorious structures, completely naturally conceived, is impressive enough.....such magnitude and proportion.....but what really blows the mind, is that this elaborate construction is growing drop by drop by drop, over the duration of hundreds of thousands of years. This very moment, while you are reading this, the structures in this cave are relentlessly continuing their inevitable evolution....drop by drop. This is beauty and creation on an unimaginable and miraculous scale....yet it is materializing so incredibly slowly.

This excites me so, so much...it gives me hope...when progress seems so slow in life, what better example to emulate, than this inspired, hidden cave? From noon I will be perfectly satisfied, if I am able to progress drop by drop, with no anxiety or phobia about the passing of time. Our insecurity about Time gets in the way and pulls us back considerably. It is of course deeply rooted in our sense of life and death, but only because we see these issues in absolute terms. I suppose each drop's life expectancy is about a few seconds long....but it is part of a huge process that is far, far bigger than itself. I suppose that is the difficult part to learn about our own lives - that we are but a part of something much larger than ourselves.

To play the flute in such a breathtaking environment...simply transforms the flute into a magic wand - it felt like I was reaching into dimensions beyond my own. The drops of water sounded deafening in the silences of the music and at times it felt like I was playing a duet with them, particularly when I was tapping the keys in the more modern pieces. It was really eerie to be conversing and concertizing with Time in this way....like taking a silent peek into subversive secrets that I shouldn't be allowed to fathom. There were bats flying around during the concert...no doubt they had never heard a flute (let alone concert) before - considering the fact that they have such sensitive ears because they are nearly blind, the sound of the flute must have been unbearably loud to them at times....I felt slightly sorry to have intruded on their world, to be honest with you.

Anyway, the concert came and went....indeed, our lives will quickly slip into oblivion, nations will be born and die countless deaths, prophets will slip into our consciousness peddling us their respective visions, wars and other tragedies will come to pass too....while these astonishing structures continue to grow, drop by lonely drop.

And what do human beings have to contribute towards all that? We used the grotto as an amunition dump during our 'civil' war....

Maybe the collective tears of humanity can one day result in structures of untold love and compassion.

Drop by drop.

Wissam

On Intonation and Intuitive Learning

Dear Friends

A few weeks ago, I was following an interesting discussion here about intonation, that has been niggling on my mind ever since…I would like to apologize for being so silent over past months, but things get busy and I am not having time to sit down to formulate my thoughts properly - when this happens, I prefer to remain silent.

As far as I can see, the issue of intonation is a complex one, with many dimensions and approaches to it. In my formative years I was inspired by players/teachers such as Trevor Wye, William Bennett, Michel Debost and Jean-Pierre Rampal; Aurele Nicolet and Peter Lukas Graf, who were all important influences in their own ways - out of all these players, I was closest to Trevor (as my teacher) and Wibb (as 'the man who could achieve almost impossible sonorities in performance'). Both of them have a very strong dedication to the issue of 'intonation' in flute playing, which apparently turns out to be one of the most important facets of what makes them sound the way they do (I am aware that this is a generalisation that is only a part of the truth of their make-up as musicians/flutists - but they DO talk a lot about this issue). I do not know how the players I idolised when I was younger have actually affected my own playing…but I DO know that, as with all things powerful and convincing, the work needs to start from within, for each and every one of us - even if certain conclusions are the same as what others have found out before us. There is absolutely nothing wrong with 're-inventing the wheel', if the result is that a person has discovered important truths in the process and life is not taken for granted.

These are the 'parameters' of my quest to become a deeper musician: I am a flute player/person who does not feel the need to read books in order to qualify my opinions - in fact, I consciously refuse to do so. I prefer to work things out on my own (although I certainly acknowledge that I do not live in a vacuum and that outside influences play their role). I do not need science to back up my theories/concepts/methods - if 'it works' and I am intuitively connected to the result, I am happy with that outcome and feel no need to interfere with it. I do so, COMPLETELY happy to face the consequences of standing on such a narrow platform, because I don't feel the need to please academia, nor do I desire to impress other flute players with my knowledge - my aim is to speak through my flute and to perceive life's cosmic energies through the music that sings in my heart. I abhor the idea of regurgitating other people's knowledge and passing it on, in diluted form and much prefer to experience life using my own senses. The reason I do this, is because I believe it leads to a more personal/intuitive connection with life, which in my view transcends 'objectivity' as an aim/method (anyway, I am not sure whether it is possible for human beings to be totally objective - because we always seem to have a specific 'angle' or 'agenda').

So that is the background…now the subject: Intonation.

'Beauty is in the eye of the Beholder': this is a fascinating subjective concept - one that I feel is very true…perhaps this is why there is such diversity of attitude and opinion in life…and I think that intonation is no exception. In the eyes of THIS beholder, here are some issues that the challenge of 'being in tune' brings up:

CULTURAL INFLUENCES
Our perception of intonation is deeply influenced by our cultural origins, or simply what we are used to. Modes and instruments differ dramatically, so our ears get used to hearing things in a certain way. Consider this fact alone: even within 'western baroque' music the differences between the modern flute and the Traverso are huge…even within repertoire that has been in circulation for hundreds of years. What might seem 'out of tune' to someone who plays the modern flute, is part of the character, charm and individuality of the instrument to someone who plays the Traverso - and an absolutely integral part of the expression of the music.

In a similar way, quarter tones (and smaller intervals) within the modes of Middle and Far Eastern music or 'blue notes' in Blues (not to mention the many other ethnic traditions around the world), can often seem alien and uncomfortable to the 'western classically trained' ear, yet these are completely normal, desired and deeply moving to the 'eastern' ear.

HOW IMPORTANT IS INTONATION?
How important is intonation? The answer to that (partly) is: of course it is VERY important. But other issues also influence our perceptions when we hear a performance. Sometimes I find bad intonation excruciatingly painful to listen to…but I have also heard performances that have been out of tune, yet deeply moving and satisfying. The reason for that, I think, is because there is a hierarchy of priorities that make a performance more or less successful.

When a performance is backed up with real emotional and aesthetic depth and concept, it is easy to be seduced away from inaccuracies in pitch. Equally, if a performance is perfectly pitched, but has little emotional weight behind it - the result is sterile and unsatisfying, but in tune.

Therefore, issues of pitch control HAVE to be linked to other very important issues of flute playing and musicianship (balance, timbre, rhythm, breathing and general physical comfort while playing) - if the playing is to be inspired.

PHYSICAL SENSE OF THE WORD - HARMONICS AND SCIENCE
All living creatures are what they are, not by pure chance (although I imagine this plays a role too), but because of the unique genetic pool that we derive from. Our physical, mental, emotional existence is a direct consequence of this. We are also shaped by our environment (thank god!) which means that our life has a destiny beyond imprisonment by our genes…but much of what we are is 'pre-destined', to a large extent.

The notes that are born out of our lungs and flutes are living organisms just like you and me. They derive from a harmonic pool that is as diverse and complicated as you and me. To understand the complex make-up of notes and the relationships that connect individual notes to each other, is to begin to experience and understand the wonderful world of being in-tune, in a deeply sensual/physical sense.

Science has analyzed the phenomenon of harmonics it great detail, which is interesting - but not very relevant to musicians, in my view. Music-making is essentially a sensual/emotional/conceptual discipline…this is why a gypsy who has never read a book in his life can play in tune, moulding harmonics to achieve cosmic vibrations between notes - yet he may never have heard the term 'harmonics'.

RELATION TO HARMONY
I have a deep mistrust of tuning machines…and metronomes. The ability to play in tune with a tuning machine does NOT transfer itself easily into playing with living, breathing musicians, often playing on instruments that create notes stemming from very different genetic pools (harmonic series) than our own instruments.

It takes many years of practise to learn to make the adjustments necessary for each note, for it to find its rightful place within the chords we play. You DON'T need to know the names of the chords…but you DO need to know whether you are the root, third, fifth or leading notes etc…and playing with pianos is a particularly interesting challenge - because they are intrinsically out of tune with themselves (equal temperament).

A very good exercise is to improvise on a simple drone note…and really understand the emotional and physical relationship of each note to the drone. This is actually the origin of harmony as we know it today and is at the root of much of what gives music its emotional tensions and releases.

METAPHORIC SENSE OF THE WORD
There is another dimension to be considered: being metaphorically 'in tune' with what we are playing. This expression exists outside the world of music, of course.

When we are metaphorically 'in tune' with something, this means we are at ease, in flow, happy within our environment. This means we are physically and emotionally secure and in balance. This has a huge effect on our ability to control the pitch (especially when playing at the extreme limits of our dynamic and emotional range). Most flute playing I hear is not sufficiently prepared, for the performer to feel so secure; so the resulting tension and tightness often lead to compromises in pitch. One of the most effective remedies for this: playing from memory, because it allows us to see everything before it arrives, and empowers the performer to dominate situations as they arise.

MUSICAL ASPECT
There is also a musical dimension to intonation.

For example, when we play a slow movement that speaks of ethereal spiritual flows that defy gravity…we need to BE THERE OURSELVES otherwise we wind up flat (even if we are actually playing in tune).

Another example, is when we are playing big, powerful music and we are playing extremely sharp…the reason for this is that we are physically uncomfortable and out of touch with our breathing - the end result is 'sharp and hysterical' rather than 'powerful and rooted in the notes we are playing'.

We must take extra pains to insure that we are living the music in emotional terms…to be in-tune with the emotions and dimensions of the music. If intonation was as simple as 'turning in or out' - we would all be consummate masters.

TECHNICAL ASPECT
A by-product of playing in tune, is technical facility.

It is easier to play legato between notes when we understand the relationships within notes and are therefore able to better manipulate harmonics. Splitting notes also comes largely as a consequence of being out of touch with the physical make-up of notes that we play. Beauty and consistency of sound is also a consequence of the harmonics being in tune with themselves (and us being in tune with them).

BEAUTY IS IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER
Never forget that if you have 500 people in an audience, each one of these people is going to hear something different - depending on where they are sitting, what instrument they play or don't play, which culture they grew up in, what kind of a day they are having, if they know you or not…the list goes on and on.

All you can do, is be yourself…and to try to behold yourself as others would…listen very, very carefully.

ASKING A QUESTION IS MORE PRODUCTIVE THAN FINDING A DEFINITIVE ANSWER
Eternal quest and perpetual curiosity are usually more rewarding than finding an …answer. Finding an answer is to arrive at a dead-end - a full-stop…where do we go from there? Sooner or later, we find that we are moving on from these same answers anyway - so we might as well resist the temptation of closing the book in the first place. For me, the most interesting prospect is the idea of a 'blank page'…where all is possible, and nothing has been preconceived.

If the truth 'lies between the lines'… why do we bother with the words in the first place?

love

wissam

COMPETITION

I have read Robert Dick's articles on the Geneva competition with great interest; in fact, I find most of what Robert has to say about ANYTHING interesting. He has a unique and brilliant mind and has been the catalyst for so much change and evolution within the flute community.

Having participated in several competitions during the earlier part of my career with varying degrees of 'success' (always a tricky and misleading word to use), I thought I would share my perspective with you. As with everything I write about, my interests always seem to revolve primarily with concept rather than detail - I try to avoid drowning in specifics as there always too many exceptions to every rule, so I prefer to analyse the general phenomenon of competition and its effect on our playing and attitudes within the music profession.

Competitions are a very important source of experience and development for young musicians in spite of the many reservations I have about them; they allow instrumentalists and composers to develop repertoire and experience, while being an important source for building contacts for the future. Unfortunately however, this valuable experience is often tainted by the reality of what competitions often wind up as - corrupt or settling on the mediocre…this does NOT happen all the time, but it happens often enough for it to be a major stigma for the music profession and industry as a whole.

From my teaching, I am discovering that one of the most frequent reasons for underachievement in many players (often starting from a very early age) is a sense of 'destructive competition', a sense that we have to compare our ability with that of others. This can often result in severe loss of confidence which can easily lead to disastrous consequences on our music-making and relationship with our instrument and people in general, not to mention our self-esteem. Having said this, I definitely do believe that competition can be a very healthy thing, especially if this is born out of a true love for the wonderful discipline we call 'music', rather than the hardnosed desire to 'win' - competition 'within ourselves', not 'against others'.

Ambition and competition are very closely linked - both can be a catalyst towards achieving goals, whatever these may be, yet they can also lead us astray in serious ways, particularly if our motives are less than exalted and loving, and our luck less than fortunate!!

After any given recital there will be as many opinions as there are people in the audience. Making music is not as simple and obvious as 'winning or losing'. To start with, the culture of 'winning' often casts a veil over other extremely important aspects of life - one of them being the invaluable experience of 'failure'. These two opposites (success/failure) are far closer to each other than is often acknowledged: they are born out of each other and they are the seed for each other's growth. It is important to look at the long-term implications of success and failure, and to learn how to play them off against one another other like two old friends who meet occasionally and establish meaning in the whirlwind of busy and tempestuous lives.

Most inspired creation is achieved through countless experimentation with failure - if creation has not been born out of these, it probably is either lucky or superficial. Furthermore, depth of character and wisdom are usually attained and paid for with the painful price of failure. On the other hand, many 'successful' ventures can be peaks of glory, with only one place to go afterwards - down. There is nothing wrong with success being an aspiration but it should never become the ONLY way we judge ourselves. This of course forces us to face up to the reality of the whole music-industry which is held hostage by a system that feebly follows in the wake of 'perceived success' rather than adopting enlightenment and inspiration as its reason for existing and propagating.

If we are to truly touch people's hearts with our playing, then we must deeply examine our motives for being musicians in the first place - not only must we examine them, but we must make sure that we live up to them. It takes courage and endurance to be such a musician, but this is the very quality that makes sounds shine, what opens hearts to each other and what brings hope to people in what is so clearly a very sick world of confused values and frustrated dreams. This inner power and sincerity is the heart of our music, it is what makes music sing and speak. It overrides every detail and trick of the trade that we use to enhance our 'performance skills'.

This is the competition that needs to be won within us - the competition that, once won, empowers us not to be intimidated by (or compare ourselves to) others. Once this is achieved we become INcomparable, Invaluable - glorious in our uniqueness. We are able to give unconditionally, because we no longer are afraid that others may be 'better' than us.

With love

Wissam Boustany

Wissam Boustany
on
Charisma - what is it?

Some people have it and others don't. Sometimes the same people can fluctuate from a state of being charismatic to being very quiet and withdrawn, suggesting that the "charismatic state" can be influenced by mood swings. In fact, this should come as no surprise, because if charisma is about "making our presence FELT", then it should be sensible to conclude that this can be influenced by changes in our emotional state.

IS CHARISMA SOMETHING WE ARE BORN WITH, OR IS IT A STATE OF 'BEING' THAT CAN BE DEVELOPED AND NURTURED?

I have observed that with older people, charisma is more likely to be found in those who have an unusually high sense of purpose, commitment, ideal or love in their lives; they speak with deeper passion and are therefore able to dominate the flow of a conversation with their enthusiasm. Charisma certainly exists in abundance in children - why is it that certain children are able to radiate such a strong energy? Children wear their feelings on the outside - they transmit their feelings before controlling and editing them. Often, they can make their presence acutely 'felt'. Children also possess an awesome ability to concentrate ferociously when their imagination is fired up by something, so when they enter into a room or conversation they command our attention. I believe that to a large extent this heightened state of being can be nurtured, by the way we lead our lives and the commitment we develop towards issues that are important to us.

IS CHARISMA AN IMPORTANT ASPECT OF BEING A PERFORMER?

A most definite 'yes' - the ability to hold people's attention throughout a recital is about radiating a strong energy to all those present. Also, the way we handle ourselves while rehearsing (whether rehearsing a concerto with an orchestra, or when we are working with a pianist) is fundamental to the process of putting together music in a convincing way. The ability to convince people to adopt our ideas is essential, if our dreams are to see the light of day - it is important to note however, that if we merely try to dominate, all that is achieved is that we put people off. A charismatic person still needs to LISTEN to other people to help them feel comfortable and therefore more receptive. A healthy charisma finds it within itself, to be sensitive towards other people's feelings, otherwise it is likely to make a massive, charismatic fool out of itself!!!

CAN IT BE A HINDRANCE? CAN IT BE ABUSED?

A charismatic person probably has a head start in dealing with the challenges of life. But this high confidence can easily inflate itself to the point where it puts people off and leads us astray. This is why what we have to say (in our music, or otherwise) has to be so finely tuned with our deepest and purest motives in life. Some charismatic people are motivated by strong hang-ups, fears, prejudice or hate and therefore abuse their charismatic powers, sometimes leading people towards bitter disappointment or even the fragmentation of whole communities. Charisma can certainly be a curse, if motivated by unloving thoughts.

CONCLUSION

I believe that our charisma is a distillation of all that we feel, think and believe in. All this energy is harnessed into a white-hot "presence" that makes itself felt. We are sometimes attracted to a performance of music, even if it is not perfect or stylistically authentic, which can be attributed to this intense presence, sincerity and self-belief that is to be found in some musicians. Have a good practice!!

Wissam Boustany
From FLUTE email discussion group - February 99