Obviously I've been taking advantage of all opportunities to see Paul Simon at BAM. Perhaps I am obsessed, but it's not often that one of your favorite artists makes so many appearances, in so many different guises, only minutes from your door. So, there I was, watching two amazing artists discuss the creative process. Unfortunately, I did not have the presence of mind to bring a notepad. I'm sure that most of the things they said weren't particularly profound and would not necessarily warrant taking notes, but I would like to try and remember a few things if only for my own reminiscing. So I'll scramble to get some things written down before I forget...
Paul Simon opened by asking Philip Glass a very broad question about composers in the 20th century. They eventually found ways to make it interesting, talking about Charles Ives and how to enjoy music on a conceptual level. Glass seemed the more humble of the two (not a big surprise), often giving praise to Simon's songwriting talent. Simon spent a good deal of time talking about his compositional process, which I'm guessing is a common topic for him. They illustrated their differences in the compositional process of bringing words and music together. Simon found a way to work with "Graceland" by starting with the music and setting words to it, whereas Glass usually starts with words (usually some else's). Simon attributed this to coming from a classical tradition of tone poems.
Simon talked about the importance of engaging the listener with music, rhythm in particular, and then holding their interest with the lyrics. He mentioned the art of using musical and lyrical clichés to give the ear a rest and the listener a chance to process. Simon explained the importance of a rhythmic conversation between the lyrics and music, and the significance or irony that conversation can convey.
Glass had a good quote about spending the first thirty years of your life trying to find a musical identity, and the rest trying to lose it. He talked about musical collaborations as a means to break free. Some of the most interesting stories came from their collaborations, and how communicating about music with people from other traditions challenged their concept of music and music vocabulary. Being forced to let go of terminology such as "G Major chord" or even naming a note "B" was a fascinating challenge.
Glass spoke about his commitment to performing music, and the significance of the performer's interpretation. Simon mentioned Aretha Franklin's performance of "Bridge Over Troubled Water" as being the interpretation he had in his head when he wrote the song (though he did highly acknowledge Art Garfunkel's version as well).
There was some other good stuff.... but I'm getting sleepy and my brain is turning to mush. Hopefully I'll remember some other things tomorrow.
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