Every now and then , a phrase I’ll hear will be profound enough to stop me in my tracks , but its unusual for me that two of the wisest things i’ve heard ( or that can be applied to art anyway ) were both from chefs ! I worked alongside one in my brief foray into the culinary universe some years back , and his words of wisdom have remained with me since then .
“The first bite is with the eye ” he told me , in a broad Glaswegian dialect. He forgot to qualify the statement by adding ” ye sassanach !! ” to the end , before making a stew from my entrails.
This laid the foundations for why I needed my online musical identity / persona , to be visually appealing , because , in the same way that you would be hesitant to eat a meal in a restaurant if it had been carelessly tossed onto a plate , with no thought given whatsoever to presentation , then , how could I expect people to sample my sonic menu , if it was presented really badly in visual terms ?
These days , music is as much visual as it is sonic. If your artwork is sloppy , who’s gonna take the time to taste ?
The 2nd wisest thing I heard only last night , and although her penchant for an almost , hedonistic decadance unnerves me , she said something that would’ve sent Yoda scrambling about looking for a pen and paper to take notes .
I’m talking about Nigella Lawson of “nigella bites ” fame , and this is what she said , in such an offhand way that got the point across to me exactly.
” Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication “
Sometimes more can be said , in music , when restraint is exercised , and a sense of space in a mix can be a secret weapon almost.
The longer I make music , the more appealing minimalism becomes , and I discover experientially that less is most definitely more.
Its not all about what you put in , but also about what you choose to leave out.
I’m reminded of another pearl of wisdom ……probably from king Solomon , and with this I close , to kinda make the point .
“A fool is known by his many words “
When telling an audio story , which is what music is , essentially , its vital to stay on point , or those listening will lose the plot.
Only say what needs to be said to get the point across.
As Solomon would say ,
Selah
Reblogged this on having more by having less.