Sonic Revelations, Sonic Revolutions

Josh Levine’s visit to class was really enjoyable for me. A good deal of the music we listen to in class is very abstract, and I found it really rewarding to have the composer in class to answer questions and provide insight into his composition. Levine’s stuff is very cool but also very out, and it’s fascinating to get a peek at the creative process (though I’m sure this is something that’s nearly impossible to articulate for him) and how certain ideas were fleshed out. I always find it really interesting to hear an artist talk about not only his own work but art itself. It enhances the listening experience immensely, and also makes you hear other things differently. I especially liked what Levine said about a piece of music being just that, a “piece” of this huge, unending idea of organized sound that exists beyond the capacity of humans within the universe. I was thinking about this idea when listening to a record I hadn’t heard in a long time, guitarist Dusan Bogdanovic’s “Mysterious Habitats.” First of all, if you haven’t heard of him, definitely check him out. I regret not playing any of his stuff when presenting music in class. He’s a classical guitarist, but by no means does he stick to traditional ideas. The only thing classical about him is his instrument. Bogdanovic’s compositions are incredibly original; he has a true knack for creating beautifully colorful compositions. On this record, a section is devoted to a song cycle he calls “Seven Little Secrets,” which are just that – seven microcompositions, ranging from forty seconds to two or three minutes in length. These pieces are simply wonderful little peeks into the mind of Bogdanovic, little whimsical ideas you can tell just float around his head. Thinking about Levine’s idea of a piece of music made my listening to this series of ideas exponentially more enjoyable, thinking about how Bogdanovic might extrapolate these ideas and turn them into broader works, or what sorts of directions he might go in if the piece were longer. It’s a really great record, and I’d be happy to get anyone a copy of it. Definitely worth hearing.

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