"TEMPLE OF THE ANCIENT MAGICAL PRESENCE"
In the final analysis, my work
lies beyond the limitations of the rational mind. That is to say that it lies
beyond the realm of words precisely because it exists as an 'alternative language.'
My particular form of 'improvised music' unfolded because of the levels of
consciousness that were accessible to me. For those interested, all I can do is
to offer some clues in the words that follow.
What follows is my
response to the question from Trevor Taylor as to what I’ve been doing since
our last project in 1974. Around that time I found myself at a significant
turning point in my musical path and major decisions were then made that
revolved around the integration of my spiritual disciplines into my creativity.
It has been my destiny to receive certain deep spiritual experiences which have
profoundly altered my life and these are intimately interrelated with my
creative process and, as such, unavoidably constitute a large part of my story.
I shall now outline those changes and some of the musical techniques evolved to
fulfil this intention.
THE PERIOD UP
TO 1974
Since 1966 I’ve been deeply
interested in and committed to fully exploring the psycho-spiritual aspects of
my music making. In 1965, awakening to my inherited psychic abilities I became
a trance medium within the family circle, and began consciously working with
the group of discarnate beings known as the Great White Brotherhood from which
arose my desire that my musical gift might serve this world of ‘Spirit’. So I
began my new direction in music with the question: - "What would the music
be like if 'I' were not in the way of it?" The term "I" meaning
not only the ego but also my socio-cultural conditioning which governed how I
approached music. Another way of expressing this same thought/question would be
to ask "What is the music like for inhabitants of other planets/planes of
consciousness?" When I subsequently became involved with "free-form
group improvisation" it was as though I had a completely fresh canvass
with which to begin. There was a vast open country before me and I could make
my own rules whilst disciplines of form could be organically developed from
within, rather than imposed from without.
Since 1965 I've been
concerned with unfolding my alternative consciousness music through refining my
use of percussion and transcending its conventional use. Certain Classical
composers from the past (e.g. Wagner) have linked Percussion with the Earth
Element – the lowest. In my search to transcend the limitations of this
association, I've been intuitively led to explore those ends of percussion
opposite to the normal e.g. Long, Sustained sounds instead of short, staccato
sounds; Metal sounds very rich in singing Harmonic Overtones opposed to drum
skins, woodblocks, or cowbells etc; using Sacred Bells & Gongs very much
associated in the minds of the ancients (particularly the Far East) with the
Spirit Realms and with Sound Healing, Ritual & Ceremonial, as opposed to the
more mundane, secular sound-producing devices. These 'sacred' sounds also allow
me to follow my path striving to produce sounds coexisting alongside of/within
the Silence: - sounds of long duration free me from certain restrictions of
rhythm and Time. However, for myself Silence doesn’t necessarily connote
‘nothingness’ but rather, a
fullness or pleroma state. Also striking a snare drum once
every 3 or 4 minutes would tend to produce interminable strain on all present,
whilst many of my sounds will ring on for up to 4 or 5 minutes after but One
strike! Alternative sound-stimulating techniques (such as bowing or rubbing)
can produce tones the duration of which can last for any desired length of
time.
Photograph by
Andy Burns @ Ronnie Scott’s ’73
In 1974
I was perhaps mostly known for the exceptional clarity and purity of the sounds
which I used, alongside working with their full spectrum of sound-harmonics and
also often allowing them to fade into silence and so not interfering with their
psycho-acoustical effect upon the listener. Gracing the infinite silence, so to
speak, my sounds often appeared to hover on the borders of the inaudible. This
in contradistinction to the then prevailing trend of what I’d call ‘industrialised’
percussion. Apart from some slight reverb - if the studio acoustics demand it,
I still never use electronics of any kind. I consider that albums are quite
simply 'recordings' of what happened at that time and place.
This manner of working with
these instruments had arisen also from my deep regard for their sacredness.
This led me to a respectful attitude whereby I sought to restrict my influence
upon their sound to what was appropriate to their spiritual significance. As far as I could determine, the sound that
they were originally intended to produce, was not to be interfered with, or
otherwise modified, or altered. One reason for this is quite simply that these
are not 'musical instruments' as such, but rather 'ritual instruments' intended
to accompany spiritual practises – mostly, if not exclusively, by
non-musicians. Also, restricting myself to a 'pure' manner of playing these
instruments, I sought self-transcendence in my musical creativity. I want (ed)
to communicate what I’d discovered of the sound-world of each instrument
through my music, in effect this is a dynamic interrelatedness between how the
psycho-spiritual properties of the sounds were deeply rooted in their use, and
therefore in their potential effects on the seven multi-dimensional ‘bodies’ of
the human listener.
Through my previous work in
spontaneous musical improvisations, I encountered and explored various
so-called 'advanced techniques.' However, I felt uncomfortable using these in
1974, as I'd not yet penetrated into their deepest psychoacoustic significance.
I am happy to include these within my musical vocabulary when I am satisfied
that I have reached that point where I understand
their hidden message & deeper language through continued entering of
'altered states' of consciousness and Initiatic experiences encountered on my
spiritual path. However, when embracing these 'extended techniques' I strive
for a balance where the inner stillness isn't lost.
At that time I was
within 2 or 3 years of my first Saturn Return, an Archetypal Change that occurs
around 28 yrs of age. As a result, I had to unfold my own language - the
restrictions of which are that I may be the only person who can comprehend it!
However, if I’ve been truly in-tune with the ‘God-within’, then, according to
the composer, astrologer, philosopher, artist (and one time Theosophist) Dane Rudhyar, my
particular language will be comprehended by the time those who were born during
my 28th year reach their own first Saturn Return.
In the piece "Mountain Angel
from Venus" recorded for Trevor Taylor’s project in 1974, I played
'free' and totally spontaneously although the resultant form that my
improvisations took was governed by the influence of regular playing with other
musicians – both solo and ensemble work exploring 'free form group
improvisation' resulting in a style evolved to work within those contexts. My
crisis that year meant that I began to question the nature of the energy that
chooses to manifest itself through such forms of inherited musical/cultural
language.
Recorded solo examples from
that time are "Mountain Temple in Spring. Part 1; Amethyst, Gold and
Royal Blue, my way of saying thank you”, and "Through the Wall, a
Light," "Into the Star Silence," and "The Whole
Tribe Salutes you in Loving memory of many lifetimes." This last piece
is an hour-long improvised hymn to my father recorded at a solo concert
(Wigmore Hall, ‘Music Now’ concert) given upon the day of his passing into the
world of spirit. All these are professionally recorded but only the first was
released commercially on Ovary Lodge RCA/Victor.
Photograph
by Jak Kilby @ Ronnie Scott’s ’74
But, finding myself working
with this inherited-evolving musical language, the major question
was did it fully express me? That is to say, my personal process of Individuation
- that innermost Truth or Source of my Being?
Improvising involves 'going
with the flow', i.e., allowing the Unconscious or Superconscious to take over
or moving into a 'stream of consciousness' approach (somewhat akin to trance
mediumship), and may even involve losing all sense of a separate self
and entering a state of at-One-ment. However, in the main this ‘Unconscious’
has been conditioned so that a certain form of language is used, a primary
purpose of which being to ensure successful communication – be it 'jazz'
phrases; Bach phrases; 'free music' phrases, etc.
My current musical language
has unfolded in a truly organic way since reaching that musical 'cross-roads' in
March of 1974. This crisis-point resulted from having had a weekend free of
musical commitments when I chose to focus upon my solo playing. I was extremely
surprised at how out-of-touch I had become with the deeper, psychic levels of
my sacred instruments. Playing at jazz clubs with my kit, including an
ever-growing number of these sacred Far Eastern instruments, the question began
to beg itself as to whether or not it was appropriate to release the powers
channelled through these same instruments upon an unsuspecting public - many of
whom weren't seeking 'spiritual' experiences along the lines released by these
instruments.
If I chose to be responsible
for my actions and, therefore, prohibit the release of their psycho-spiritual
potential, then I would ultimately become desensitised to their deeper
significance as evidenced during that fateful weekend in March of ‘74. This
increasing discomfort at using my sacred instruments within improvising
situations where the predominant paradigm largely concerned itself with 'absolute music,' and, accordingly, playing
without any kind of extra-musical significance being imposed upon it (be that a
political message, personal, or in rarer cases spiritual/religious), also resulted
in reaching this symbolic cross-roads concerned with the conflict between
playing 'music' and following my heart into total dedication to unfolding the
spiritual dimensions which had presented themselves during the previous years.
The somewhat prevalent reductionist conception of absolute music within
improvisation could perhaps be seen to focus exclusively upon sound itself
although, ironically, only within the context of 20th century
existential materialistic philosophy. Being a seeker of truth presented with
such a choice, I quite simply had no alternative but to follow my heart. This
inevitably resulted in seriously reducing my commitment to musical group
activities.
My
existing musical commitments came to an end in the spring of 1975. Seeing that
only self-purifying discipline and total commitment to the service of a
spiritual Path could safeguard my future explorations I resolved to follow this
knowing that my existing colleagues were unlikely to join me, and so it was
that I ceased playing with others. Thereafter I made a decision to abandon all
sounds of short duration (i.e. drums, cowbells, woodblocks, and stones etc) in
my solo music. I considered that to be truly effective these sounds demanded to
be used within the context of 'time' consciousness - either through rhythmic
cycles, non- retrograde rhythmic cycles, or an acute sense of timing. I was
searching for sounds that would reflect my continually increasing altered
states of consciousness achieved through my meditation practices and spiritual
work.
Photograph by Jak Kilby @ Ronnie Scott’s ’74
Within the lunatic fringe of
avant garde free-form improvisation I was already an outsider, being
vegetarian, coffee-free, herb tea-total, drug free, into love rather than sex,
and – to top it all, as a natural shaman, I believed in life after death,
spirits, and God! I’d terminated any use of drugs, alcohol, or other artificial
stimulants in 1965. Not only did I not need drugs, I wanted to engage in making
group-music where everyone concerned was committed to creating sacred music
and, even more importantly, to reflecting spiritual values in their lifestyle.
This being necessary in order to safely channel through oneself these higher
energies.
Because in these altered states of consciousness 'Time' becomes
very subjective I found that sounds which had a long sustain and duration
better reflected these other states of consciousness. In 1979 I invented and
built several instruments including the Petalumines featured in this piece and
partly named as a dedication to the memory of Harry Partch
(Petaluma).
The techniques that I now use with my instruments include striking, scraping,
stroking, shaking, swinging, bowing, rubbing, aqua-phoning, and ululating.
I now wanted to make my
improvisations co-exist with the listeners' inner or meditative experience; so
I began concentrating my efforts upon totally rethinking my musical vocabulary,
working principally with my increasing collection of sacred temple instruments
added to those gathered over the preceding years. Thus I decided to dedicate
myself totally towards unfolding my deeper awareness of the psychoacoustic
aspects of the sounds of the ritual instruments which I was increasingly drawn
to both finding and using in my solo performances. I approached this goal
through integrating my supersensible occult observations (clairvoyance and
clairaudience) of the effects of these instruments; applying several techniques
derived from my meditation practice; alongside my other spiritual and psychic
activities, within the sphere of my musical creativity. I knew of nowhere to go
at that time to study these ancient and sacred instruments but happily certain
discarnate beings from several ancient civilisations were drawn into working
with me – apparently, so I was told, through being attracted by the colours
that my music produced upon the higher, invisible, planes. Together we advanced
in pioneering the formulation of ways of working with such powerful sounds.
I began to unfold and develop ideas,
which I later found out were associated with the fundamentals of Chinese and
Indian music; Nada Brahma – the Yoga of Sound; the idea of sound as cosmic
power, as energy. The discovery that tone / sound has a third, previously
neglected dimension was very significant for me: Tone /sound is also spherical,
even when one believes while hearing that it has only two dimensions, pitch and
duration. We can sense that a third, depth, exists, but it eludes materialistic
analysis, since it concerns the power, the magical potency, or ‘value’ of the
sound – what one might refer to as its Essence. Space, when it is suffused by
the power of sound becomes a ‘sound-space’, enfolded and enveloped by this
‘sound-being’ into which the listener has the almost palpable sense of being
able to walk – a vibrant realm of sound-magic reflecting the spiritual
communion found in ecstatic union within the Heart of Divine Love.
My personal ‘spirit guide’ is a
Comanche, as was my father’s, from which perhaps derives my very great love of
Nature. This has been reflected in both my choice of sounds and my approach to
improvising. I also tend to approach my instrumentarium as a 'garden' of sounds
(flowers). Sometimes my compositions are like an imaginary walk around this
garden e.g. "The Way of the Bowl”.
Yet another powerful
influence upon my future creative path arose from my regular attendance at The
White Eagle Lodge in London (a non-denominational Christian organisation
devoted to the more esoteric and mystical teachings regarding the Cosmic Christ
from White Eagle - a representative from The Great White Brotherhood), where I
also encountered the posthumous teachings of Sir
Arthur Conan Doyle (from the book The
Return of Arthur Conan Doyle) and was deeply affected to
learn of his personal remorse at having created Sherlock Holmes.
Photograph
by Jill Furmanovsky 1980
The sobering thought that I
too would have to dace my own creations when I come to pass over into the next
world resulted in completely rethinking my musical path. Henceforth, my creativity
had to become more fully in-tune with my chosen Path of dedication to the
Brotherhood Work. I had also read the books which were causing me to seriously
reconsider my methodology – such as the writings of the
Rosicrucian occultist Corrine
Heline, including Colour
and Music in the New Age; Music the Keynote of Human Evolution, Star Gates, and “MUSIC, its secret
influence throughout the ages” by the
composer and theosophist Cyril Scott, who had
likewise dedicated himself in service to the Master (dhyani chohan) of the
Second Ray and of Music (Khoot Hoomi – who had Pythagoras in one previous
incarnation) and much of the hierarchy’s more spiritual view of musical forms
was contained within the pages of his book. I cannot recollect any of the books
that I had then studied, concerning the spiritual effects of music, having a
good word to say about Jazz. In fact, it was decidedly quite the contrary.
Admittedly these books were written prior to the advent of spiritual jazz as
pioneered by John Coltrane and Albert Ayler.
Frank playing the 12th century Tibetan meditation cymbal. Photo by Trevor Taylor 1998
Earlier during that period of
my development, I had also absorbed certain ideas from reading John Cage and
was happy listening to 'spontaneous concerts' of sounds/'music' in my everyday environment
until I received an extremely ancient (800+ yrs) and very powerful
Tibetan meditation cymbal the day before my 25th birthday in 1973. This was a
‘sacred gift’ given by a yogi from Tibet as a result of my request, two years
earlier (to the Leader of my spiritual family) for something to represent my
past lives in Tibet. I often refer to that fateful day when the yogi first
struck this unique ancient Tibetan meditation cymbal, for I saw a flash of
silver-white, bluish light, whilst later the observed effect of this cymbal was
to 'cleanse' my ears - to awaken my 'third ear'; I found that I heard sounds as
if for the very first time after it was struck. It certainly was of inestimable
value in assisting me in my experimental researches into the occult dimensions
of sound. I had actually, personally made
this cymbal in my last Tibetan incarnation, whilst several other instruments
from that past life have also returned to me in this present sojourn, and it
transformed both my life and my music.
At this time I was also assisted in my supersensible
studies of my ancient and sacred sounds by a discarnate Tibetan from thousands
of years ago, before Buddhism reached Tibet and, maybe, even before Bon had
arrived there. It was through such profoundly insightful experiences that I
came to distinguish between such Cageian 'sound-concerts' and, what we may
term, ‘animated’ sounds - those behind which there was a consciousness/energy
seeking to communicate itself. In other words, instances where, over and above
the mere physical sound-vibrations, there was a meaningful message,
consciousness, or other expression of the will/energy/being seemingly 'surfing'
those 'sound-waves;' e.g. the quality of intention or volition
behind the sound which we can perceive distinguishing a dog barking from a
shaman chanting invocations or from a bus braking in the street.
With the assistance of my discarnate
Tibetan friend I immediately discovered that certain of my ancient sacred
ritual instruments did far more than merely produce a sound: - their vibrations
also possessed very definite effects upon the inner levels; they indeed held
certain 'magical' properties and often resonated with various meditative or
heightened-altered-consciousness states. In short, they were intended as
instruments to assist in the inward journey back to the Source. This
distinction is also applied by Taoists to different foods, which they rate
according to their varying levels of chi. As a result I have evolved the
ability to divine the subtle level of sounds available to those who reach the
final stage of Hatha Yoga, Laya Yoga.
Western civilisation is very Yang but I instinctively
found myself adopting a Yin approach in 'following' these various sacred
instruments into their own realm. Once I feel that I've thoroughly penetrated
their mysteries I am then ready to work with them and feel that they become
'extensions' of my total being and body. A piece of music, for me, is like
inviting various of these friends to a party to see how they get on together
and where their combined energies will take them.
The unique connection between such
truly sacred instruments, especially those from Tibet, and their ability to
embody specific spiritual energies (having been psychically charged by certain
Tibetan spiritual practitioners) led me deeper into discovering just exactly
what lives within a single sound or note - in other words, what the instrument
/ sound is saying.
Photo of
Frank playing the Olmo Lung Ring Bowl by
Trevor Taylor 1998
Sacred
and Magical instruments such as these demand a very great sense of
responsibility. Their sounds ring on for a long time and therefore don't lend
themselves to athletic displays of technical virtuosity. Because these sounds
act on inner or psychic levels, I was led to work with them accordingly. Such
as an increased awareness and sensibility of the affect these sounds are having
upon the various inner bodies/levels. Working in this manner, any change in
direction or energy has to be initiated by an impulse coming from a higher
plane than that of the perspective of mere imagination. Everything must be
related to a centre of higher occult observation. Creating improvised music
upon such instruments, within
the common context of instincts stemming from the realm of the rational lower
mind, is incompatible with, and fails to fully comply with, the deeper
responsibilities incumbent upon their use.
Since encountering the
Russian artist Nicholas Roerich (1874 – 1947) in 1973, I've been
inspired to Create through Beauty, and have come to think in terms of Icons of
Sound – vibrantly pure and powerful sounds, like Roerich’s own use of colour –
which may serve, as Roerich’s paintings do, as a way into the inner dimensions
of Life both; - a pax cultura inspiring and awakening those ready to encounter
the deeper values.
One rather crucial aspect of
musical improvisation involves how the improviser answers the question: - 'How
do I choose which sound comes next? What is to follow any one sound at any one time?'
Being a practitioner of meditation and contemplation, to a large extent this
question is answered through additional determining factors arising from my
supersensible observations regarding the creative effect that the sounds are
having, or will have, upon the inner space. However, being very intuitive it
follows that I’m also highly instinctive in my playing although, as in my
astrological work, I like to use both aspects of my brain - rational and
suprarational.
Tests by kinesiologists have revealed my brain to be
perfectly balanced between Left and Right hemispheres whilst a recent scientific
test revealed my brain to be balanced between Male and Female characteristics.
Currently I am somewhat surprised to find that far more
compositional techniques are entering into my recent musical pieces. This has
most noticeably resulted in more complex, richer, and thicker textures, etc.
I’ve always been interested in the play of opposites (re my first article written
for MICROPHONE magazine - April ‘72 - titled ONE WAY TWO PLAY).
My improvisational method is to create pieces comprising any combination from
within one or more of the following polarities: Atomic-Oceanic.
Simplicity-Veneering. Chaos-Order. Psychic potency-non-psychic appropriateness.
Suprarational-Rational.
Atomistic - each individual sound particle
exists microscopically in and of itself (this often requires
intense listening). Oceanic - the collective waveform
holds sway telescopically.
Simplicity
- one single sound/instrument dominates the soundscape – or where the music
approaches conformity to a ‘single’ dimension. Veneering / Layering -
numerous textures co-exist.
Chaos
- an indeterminate form of layering using Oriental Aleatoric
passages (organised chaos). Order
-numerous structural devices embody predictability through repetition producing
a stasis perhaps as an overall mood/colour/feeling.
Psychic
potency - guided by Clairvoyant or Clairaudient observation. Non-psychic
appropriateness -guided by acoustical phenomena, the performing space, or
conventional musical considerations i.e. quite simply the right sound for that
time and place.
Suprarational mostly manifests in ‘blind’
over-dubs; where I record an over-dub without listening to, or referring to,
the first track. Intuition stemming from a trained unconscious (Zen). Rational – naturally involves using the conscious mind
and being aware of every aspect of the creative process.
The ‘veneers’ approach actually arose
for myself as a natural extension of my drumming style, influenced by the
innovations of Elvin Jones and Rashied Ali, whereby poly-rhythms
and multi-directional rhythms were freely adapted to a number of sounds /
textures / colours / energies co-existing harmoniously together. Veneers can range between: a)
simple - everything interrelated and going in one direction, like a tree or, b)
complex - more akin to a street with cars and pedestrians moving at several
rates and in their own directions, being aware of the movements of others only
through necessity i.e. more independently co-existing. This symbol of the Tree
is an important one for me. Put simply, in my
approach to improvisation; the basic Plan/Idea or Inspiration (Source) is
represented by the immoveable TRUNK whilst the Actual Performance correlates to
the BRANCHES signifying the flexibility necessary resulting from adjustments to
those several variable influences coming from both within and without.
My music falls into two main
categories. Pieces utilising a huge range of
soundscapes and then others focussing upon a single family of instruments or
one specific energy (e.g. Heart Chakra Bowl) as well as Vertical and Horizontal
preponderances.
However,
here are a few suitable favourites: -
HORIZONTAL
“Temple of
the Ancient Magical Presence;” track 2 of STAR PEACE (Mountain
Bell Music label BEL CD 005) "Rays of Light from the Tower Penetrated
often the Mists" (over 23 minutes of all 40 Gongs alone! - many
techniques) BELOVODYE Volume 1; "Temple of Sound"
(Petalumines only) track 1 of the CD NEW ATLANTIS (Celestial Harmonies
label);
VERTICAL
"An Ancient Pathway" (for Tibetan Bells, Tibetan
Tantric & Mongolian Throat Singing with Didgeridoo) and; "The City
of Light" (for Petalumines & Soundplates); both from the CD BELOVODYE
Volume I (ISIS label); “Chintamani” track 3 of CRYSTAL PEACE (BEL CD 004);"The Way of the
Bowl" (Tibetan Singing Bowls & Harmonic Choir) Track 2 of the
CD THE HEALING BOWLS OF TIBET (BEL CD 006).
Photo by Trevor Taylor 1998
I still very
rarely practise my music. I simply play music upon the instruments utilising a
variety of approaches. I need to feel the Immediacy of the creative act and a
vibrantly 'living' connection to my instruments whilst playing them - I wish to
become absorbed into the Vibrant Realm of Sound! To 'practise' upon them, for
me, brings in a far too objective approach that I may liken to contraception. I
prefer to interact with them in a more interrelated or 'interactive' kind of
way - a way in which the world that the instruments/sounds 'speak' of
themselves, and my own 'inner world' of experience, dance together. I prefer to
be always in a vibrantly creative and loving relationship with them, simply
playing and being in the Instant Now.
For me, music must be fully alive; therefore, in striving
to reconcile its Dionysian and Apollonian streams, I endeavour to ensure that
none of this extra-musical awareness gets in the way. So, just as I have a
larger 'garden' of sounds than are featured in every piece of music, so too, I
never allow my large repertoire of correspondences (e.g. Numerology and other
extra-musical disciplines used to align my creativity and spiritual aims) to
become a barrier to simply playing - improvising freely and spontaneously as
'absolute music'.
Playing virtually exclusively
with Metal instruments, the elements of melody and harmony have
to be considered to a certain extent. Because I work mostly with sounds of very
long duration, the melodic aspect can likewise be extremely drawn
out e.g. the average pop song has a melody lasting around 12 seconds, my
melodies have more in common with the song of the Humpback Whale which can last
23 minutes. However, unlike the Humpback Whale, my melodies may well not be repeated.
The long sustain of each sound somewhat inevitably brings harmony
into the picture as these invariably co-exist together.
My ideas of harmony arise more from consideration of how a
particular instrument continues, changes or complements the effect of the
previous sounds - rather than from conventional harmonic music. This is in part
because my instrumental collection nowhere approaches the regularity of a
musical scale. Thus if I've been playing an instrument which creates
tranquillity and serenity, my sense of harmony dictates the choice of either
another instrument which reinforces that energy (whatever its pitch) or else
one that will change/modify the energy's direction with a different quality
(related or otherwise). This is similar to constructive and destructive
'interference patterns.' However, I avoid creating sudden shocking contrasts in
my music for meditation, as it is essential for the listener to be able to
trust the musician(s) to lead them safely through their own inner world. This
demands a very high degree of sensitivity from performers, and an acute
awareness of the psychic potency of their sounds, so that they deal responsibly
with the way these sounds affect a listener's whole being.
An understanding of what
'lives' within the several musical ‘Intervals’ (from an esoteric standpoint)
is likewise an essential part of my musical vocabulary. The intervals in common
use derive their meaning from the 'Overtone series' as produced by the human
voice, strings, and tubes. Bells have an overtone structure different to this
and in fact, we could say that each bell has its own unique family of
overtones. Microtonality also features e.g. Indian music’s 22 tones per octave
or Harry Partch’s octave of 43 notes etc. As may be deduced from certain
of the foregoing comments, I'm also more interested in the philosophy of
'dissonant harmony' than with that of 'consonant harmony.'
That is to say; future-oriented rather than rooted in
the past. There may often be so-called 'discords' in my music but this
may have more to do with many listeners being conditioned by centuries of
'equal tempered' tuning than anything else. As Partch pointed out, concords and
discords are often reversed between the tuning of equal temperament and that of
just intonation.
I see the issue of Key signature
as a Centring device whereby the overall ‘Energy’ (spiritual 'Keynote'),
decided upon at the outset of a piece, is not deviated from throughout its
entire duration. This is also reflective of a solar system where everything
revolves around a Central Sun/Son. For instance, one such keynote or OM in one
of my improvisations might be the quality of spiritual Peace.
Most mainstream Western music has a strong Horizontal
emphasis; that's to say that it is 'goal - oriented' with a strong
sense of direction and a definite sense of everything moving towards a certain
(climactic) conclusion. This horizontal axis also rotates around relationships
between the past, present, and future aspects of chronological time. It may be
said that my music is based upon a more Vertical approach. That's to say that
it is more static; more emphasised upon Being in and of the moment communing
with That which lies beyond Time or direction, and so not needing the sense of
going anywhere, and no need for any 'symphonic' arguments. Having an 'ending' to
a piece I also find is not necessarily appropriate. It's 'time spent' in a
situation (like reading a book whilst waiting for a train, bus, or coach and
having to stop whenever the transport arrives i.e. not at the end of a chapter
or book) or like a 'view from a window.' It's always the same and it's also
ever-present. We choose to look through it for a 'time;' a period, or like time
spent by a river: - it's a 'river' (archetype) and yet it's also a particular
river (named) with water moving onwards towards a specific sea. Similarly,
Western music is strongly Yang but I strive to embrace both Yin and Yang within
the eternal Tai Chi. For this reason my music may, at times, also contain
certain 'goal-oriented' procedures.
Playing
instruments which are in excess of 800 years old, the Vertical aspect is
derived from the fact that they were made to do 'One thing;' they make 'One
Sound,' and countless people have listened to that sound throughout the past
800 years. To find that 'One Sound' of the instrument and to truly hear it
'speak' is to follow or enter into my way of playing music with such sounds.
Photograph of Frank playing a Talking Bowl by Esther James 1995
Prized above all else in my life is
the 'Mystical Experience.' This informs and inspires my music - I wish to share
such unspeakable experiences through the language of 'Sound - Music.' In this
context, 'Sacred Communion' is a state of at-one-ment with the Whole Universe
and thus open to us all. As a result my music is consciously multi-dimensional,
containing many levels, and each person responds with 'who they are' to this
'resonant field' and nothing is guaranteed or predetermined to happen.
Nevertheless, such inherent potential is certainly present for those with eyes
to see and ears to hear. Each instrument contains a variety of facets,
alongside the numerous approaches utilised by myself, which provide a number of
ways, levels, or degrees, of experiencing the music. This means that a listener
who is unsympathetic to my highest aims can ignore all I say and quite simply
enjoy the composition of actual sounds which they hear, in and of, 'themselves'
- the 'music,' being independent of such esoteric considerations, stands firmly
upon an earthly foundation, the appreciation of which needn't necessarily
extend into the higher, inner, superphysical/paranormal regions. It's a kind of
'parallel world' of music which I strive to create and it's possible both to
relish it by staying in one 'level' or to move between the several 'worlds' or,
equally, to enjoy all levels simultaneously!
A
prominent inspiration in my music is an aim to mirror within the realm of
musical sounds that experience of sharing Holy Communion within the
Heart of the Supreme Intergalactic Universal Cosmic Being - the heightened
experience of 'at-one-ment' with the Solar Logos; the One Great Spiritual Sun
or Source of Light, Love & Life for all the entire Universe(s) or whatever
others might name It. That way my activity may come to be of the greatest
service towards the highest potential. Naturally, I make absolutely no claims
that I am always successful in realising this aim!