Snows and silence

Rockers! What's good?

The mean coast east coast is buried under a vengeful sprinkling of righteous parmesan cheese that the Flying Spaghetti Monster is using to punish the non-believers. In other words, it's snowing like crazy. And I am lovin' it! According to my new false iDol, namely, the iPhone, this is set to break a record set for Washington, DC in 1922, and may even approach a snowstorm that ol' Mr. George "One Dolla" Washington recalled in his diary (probably right next to the rant about how Ben Franklin made out like a bandit by getting his face plastered on the fifty.)

And the snow always makes me think of one of my favorite examples that nature can give us about the craft of music. Silence.

I've written about this before, but I can't find the post, so here goes again.

There's a zen quote that states Music makes the silence sound better. This was wayyyy before any crazy singers with the last name of "Spears", so I don't think they meant it like music was terrible. We could transpose it to food, and say that food makes the day taste better. Sorta. It's a neat thought when you think about it.

I love hearing different types of silence. Ever notice 'em? Check it: Awkward silences - a la Nacho Libre "I hate all orphans!" Fall through the floor silences when you decide that your date had really better try to match your linguistic skills, and given the chance, they just sit there and stare at you. Remember when you were a kid, and were trying to catch frogs, and they saw you? The next pond over might be alive with a chorus, but this one is expectant, in a slow blues simmering sort of way. There's the silence of the power going out, and you wake up, and it's so heavy, you could cut it...How 'bout the wind rustling your cap as you sit and look out over the mountains, advising you not to break the ancient hush? "Shhhhhh"

And, one of my personal favorites, the silence of snow. A thousand icy voices tingle across the field, but a hush prevails, muffling your very steps. It's so cool.

So take a listen, and find your own silences. Incorporate 'em, and use your music to make them sound even better.

Shhhhh,

Josh