“Mathematical scholar Douglas Hofstadter, in his aptly titled book, ‘I Am a Strange Loop,’ …reflects how the musical notes…little black marks on a piece of paper, can be thought of as ‘soul-shards,’ enabling us to share within our own consciousness ‘some tiny fragment of the internal experiences of another human being-his sufferings, his joys, his deepest passions and tensions.’” as quoted by Jeremy Lent in “The Web of Meaning”
Synchronicity continues to surprise me. I was writing the song Old Soul when I came across the above quote and decided to change the title to Soul Shards. To see the meaning beneath those little black marks on music notation and think about what went into their creation takes us deeper into human connection. The composition of a song is an expression of the composer’s emotions at that particular moment in time. It can be a healing process for the songwriter and an inspiration to others, connecting in an instinctual way. Notes, rhythm, rests, tempo, dynamics, and embellishments telling a story.
Growing isn’t just about learning technically. Next time you play from sheet music, think about those little black marks and the person who originally made the music and you may find that your heart becomes involved in addition to your eyes reading the score.
For further reading:
“The Web of Meaning” by Jeremy Lent
