I am currently staying in a place that has a baby grand piano, two guitars, several recorders and many music score sheets and books. I would love to play any of these things but alas it is the one talent I lack, I am unable to play any musical instrument, even the cymbals - yes, I hang my head in shame. I would love to learn to play the Saxophone for me it's such a beautiful instrument and goes to the heart of my love for Jazz music. In regards to my musical tastes, they are extremely eclectic - I love Jazz; opera, R&B, soul, Latin, Folk, country, rock, instrumental, spiritual, alternative, heavy metal, pop, Goth and some Rap music. I can sing but cannot read music.
Being surrounded by these beautiful instruments and unable to play is quite sad, especially when I see all the wonderful musical scores I could play to my hearts content if I could play an instrument. So what do you do, when surrounded by such beauty, I do the only thing I know how to do, photograph them with love and appreciation and connect to them through my artistic mind and photography. I love their shapes, I reminisce about the sounds they make, I even play on the piano and strum the guitar and revel in the music scores available to me and smile.
I even find a music score book with a collection of Kate Bush songs, this takes me back to being a teenager and living in the UK. I used to go with my Grandma and Grandad and walk along Brighton seafront with them. At the time Kate Bush was known for her "Wuthering Heights" song and "The Man with the Child in his Eyes". We would stop on the seafront and they would sit on the seats of the Victorian shelters and I would entertain them. At the time, I had long hair and wore flowing clothes, loved dance and singing. I could also impersonate a few famous people, a skill I had honed since early childhood. So, there I was giving them a rendition of Kate Bush's "Wuthering Heights" and watching them smile as I did. Such a happy memory from my childhood. It was good to reconnect to that and find a joy for today.
Music has always been emotive for me, it connects deep within me and moves me and it's amazing how I can hear music even in everyday things, like whirring of washing machines, cars etc. Everything has a rhythm, a musicality, I find and it keeps me present, keeps me aware of my surroundings and my heart connection. It can also help move, shift or change my mood, wake me up or calm me down - music is so versatile and oh how I love to dance to it's rhythm, to express my feelings in dance and outwardly display my connection to music.
I also use different types of music to connect me when creating my art works. Even now, as I am writing this post, I am listening to music. It's a humble focuser, it gently cajoles and moves me, it inspires me, sparks my imagination and yet gets me out of my head and into my heart.
I leave you with two of my favourite quotes on music:
"Music is the language of the Spirit. It opens the secret of life bringing peace, abolishing strife" Kahlil Gibran
"Music is the healing force of the Universe."
Long may I hear the spirit of Music, may it remain in my life to heal, bring peace and abolish strife.
Photographs by Andrea George taken using a Nikon Coolpix P520
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