sonder
the blog of William Brown Percussion
Perspective. Purpose. Personal.
Sonder: The profound feeling of realizing that everyone, including strangers passed in the street, has a life as complex as one’s own, which they are constantly living despite one’s personal lack of awareness of it.
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At least once a week I have a day where I get absolutely nothing done. I become paralyzed by thoughts; not really about how bad things are but how bad things are going to be. I’ve lost so many gigs...
Fences
Imagine a field. A cheerful sun shining down on grass as soft as a cloud, a meadow that ripples like water in the gentle breeze, fresh air filling your lungs. This field is boundless, disappearing over the horizon in all directions, melding into a cloudless sky.
Service
How does your work provide a service to others? Does it make people think differently? Tell a story one could relate to? Offer a new perspective. . . There are moments, unpredictable but inexorable, that we will have the opportunity to give.
The Killing of All Possible Futures
A parade of shadows approaches the seat of my consciousness. As the years go by, I am faced with one misty figure after another, each one seeking judgement. Will I pull the shadow into the light, for its features to be revealed? I could keep it in twilight, postponing my decision.
Your Inner Child
Sometimes the universe brings you things and people that remind you of the simplest, and most important, truths. I hope everyone can take time once in a while to be adventurous, to be confident, to stop judging every move you make, to laugh at yourself…
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“…This completely changed the way I thought about studying music. In one lesson with a composition teacher, they mentioned that “the choice to study is an act of modesty. You’re admitting that there’s value in something you don’t understand.”
Beethoven: The Truth lies in the Whole
Music, more than any other art, is an activity that operates in a different dimension than all else. It relies not on brick, paint, or marble, does not use color, height, or depth, nor does it even rely exclusively on sound: Music is created through memory, and created through time. The management of these two elements is the foundation of musical form. Music moving through time may of course seem obvious, after all we are all moving through time together.
Beauty
About a year ago now, I was standing on the tip of The Rock of Gibraltar. It is, perhaps, my favorite place in the world. What a view! Gaze west into the depths of the Atlantic, turn North to see the rolling hills of Spain. To the East are the warm, inviting, turquoise waters of the Mediterranean, and, perhaps most amazingly, to the South you glimpse the rocky shores of Africa.