musing on the muse

i am confronting today
the basic question
of how we come to be inspired

what happens in a mind
in a person
when there is the idea
and then the energy
put forth
to do something
perhaps the energy
precedes the idea

the process of the
interior decision
to go ahead and
put paint on a canvas
to put pen to paper
to put chisel to stone
to put fingers to guitar
to do the effort to make something
to take up a camera
and propose to compose
something that conveys
meaning


or not


speaking strictly from the
point of view of musical composition
i can attest to the experience
of simply being aware of playing something
and somehow a sequence of sounds
forms itself into a coherent statement
and that is repeated and voila!
a tune is created

there is also the cognitive experience
of active listening
which allows for the possibility
of changing the sounds

and there is the cognitive
activity
understood as
reflective thinking
which often happens
immediately in the act
of making sounds on an instrument
which then can relate to
a deeper knowledge of just about anything
for one might be thinking
about ways of hearing
or about the effects of music
on the human soul
or about the usefulness of affect
and about the relation between
music heard and the impetus to worship

(all important philosophical issues)

boethius in his de musica
wrote of three levels
of musicianship

the first
to be merely a player
of an instrument
barely qualifies one to the
title of musician

they are mere technicians

the second
to be able to compose music
and apply it to narrative
or instrumental performance
attending to the practical applications
of music in the world
for worship
for celebration
for public entertainment
is to be called a musician

the third
and most significant level
which does not depend necessarily
on ability in either the first or second
level
is to have the wherewithall
to discuss music
to consider the sounds
and acknowledge the intelligent
experience of knowing what
is or is not effective
what pleases
what prompts a way of thinking
what informs the senses
as to the proper way of living out wisdom

in short
the real musician
whether adept at actually
playing or performing music
is the one who is capable
of talking about the intricacies
and possibilities
of organizing sounds

the question of inspiration then
is the question of a conversation
of the willingness to have the mind
open to the expression of something
fomenting in the soul
and to make coherent and pleasing
or perhaps merely provocative
the stated idea

artistic inspiration appears to be
as vital to the intellect
as any other activity
i would say more than most other
cognitive activities
including study
which i do in no way disparage

the appreciation
of inspired creation
is to be known only in the
process of doing
or upon reflecting on
the nature of the activity
which brought about
a coherent
work of art

or an incoherent work of art

somewhere there looms the question
"why did you do that?"