Music of Photography: Piano Stair Stepping

Last Updated on August 1, 2016 by Patrick

Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.

Confucius.

Have you ever seen a photograph that sings to you, literally? :D And I don’t mean the one that hits you like a ton of bricks and suddenly you hear choirs of angels singing to you, I mean a photograph that has a voice, a tune, if you will, a music of its own. I said literally but I actually meant metaphorically. I have found that there is a music of photography.

There are many things to say about music and, of course, I am not going to make this article an encyclopaedia of music, nor one of photography, but I’m going to say my mind ’cause this is what really matters in this case.

There is something about a certain photograph that one takes, or makes, speaking in the terms of the world of photography, that speaks out so loudly that one cannot hear it with normal ears, but with different kind of ears that are attuned to its different kind of language, to its different kind of frequency.

People say that “an image is worth more than a thousand words” and I think I can agree to some extent, but some passed the mere words we utter everyday. Of course, in this particular saying I cannot consider the pure literal way of it but take in consideration that it is a metaphor. It doesn’t really mean words, literally, but figuratively speaking.

I have found out that there is a strong connection between visual communication, regardless of the means, in this case photography or even the signs’ language etc., spoken communication and music, a connection so strong and intimate that all these means are purely aspects of the same thing: language. And what is language? A way of communication, some may say. Means of expression, others may opine. But I want to say my mind again and I think that language is music and music is essentially vibration. It all comes down to vibration.

Everything vibrates, my friends, from the very small rock on a mountain cliff, to the very old piano sitting in a person’s livingroom.. from the very food we eat to the very Human Soul etc. Everything that vibrates has life, it moves. Everybody noticed this and may agree, of course. :) Even colours vibrate.

I remember what Bob Marley used to say that “one good thing about music is that when it hits you, you feel no pain”. :D Not like the ton of bricks I mentioned to you about in the beginning of this article. :) It is a certain quality of music that opens up doors, portals and possibilities to the continuum of time and space within us and for us. With the power of music we create and the power of music is creative.

But things have to take it slowly, isn’t it? Things have to progress and not in the manner we want, with the speed we want, but of course much slower than our enthusiasm stimulates us to do it. It’s like the labyrinth from the gothic cathedrals, if you’ve noticed it, where you have to undergo every test, go through every compartment to reach its center, its essence. You go from one octave to another in a progressive manner, not jumping to other octaves but advancing within each and everyone of them. This is the beauty of it. Its complexity is also its simplicity because you take one step at the time. There are no big nor small steps, just one step at the time.

I’ve started this project in photography with one goal in mind, as if I wanna reach a destination: to bring music to light, the music of photography. Actually, this so-called destination is not really a destination as we would imagine it, due to what we’ve been told to think, but rather a goal that has one characteristic: freedom. I don’t know what I would find and where would I stop. I just know I will finish the project when my task is done about this subject matter. How would I know it? I can’t explain in words, but in images. ;D

I know, it’s a very complex one, but isn’t life very complex as well? :D I’d say. But it’s also simple and I don’t want to think ahead. I just want to let myself guided by it.

There was a very interesting little documentary on the web “the other day” that says that “everything is a remix”. Have you seen it? If not, it is very interesting, I recommend it. You should see it! In it, the idea that there is nothing original to create is showed and explained with rather pertinent evidence, due to the fact that everything is a remix. :) I want to somehow link this idea to the one that I wrote above where I said that I want to let myself guided by it. I think that music makes itself up also and we do not really create it but rather we are actors in the dramatic play of it. We play it. We don’t quite create it. I want to explore this idea even further because it’s been on my mind for years now.

If this is true, then where is the originality, creativity and uniqueness of each and everyone of us. I caught a glimpse of it and now I want to reflect upon it, see it, that is, envision it, and contemplate it.

Stay tuned! ;) I will let you know what I find. :)