Day 114: Looking dumb
36yearsago.com
Vienna 1971—A Student Journal
A year of music, study, travel, sightseeing &
friends.
Day 114
— Looking dumb
24-November-1971
(Wed.)
TRANSCRIPT
Good day. Lot of practicing.
Wearing my new “look-dumb” getup. But it’s a
happy-type look and I like it. But so many people
give me the eye. I’ll have to take a picture.
Went to an electronic music concert. Of student-type
compositions. Some interesting and some not. Wrote
down what I thought on the program. Also writing my
own musical ideas in my Idea Book. I’m starting to
get tired of typical contemporary music and typical
electronic music—not that it’s bad, but for me, I
want to make it more meaningful and enjoyable, and
important, for the audience. (See book.)
REFLECTIONS
Another good day. Yes.
I
look dumb. What the
heck is a “look-dumb” getup? I have no idea what I am
talking about. The only thing might be that flimsy
tan autumn coat and my scarf (see horn picture from
yesterday) that could be reminiscent of a young
Bohemian artist living in the Parisian French
Quarter? Or maybe people are looking at me because I
am wearing a flimsy coat in winter weather? Or was it
my new ski jacket and Austrian ski cap with the
eagle? I don’t know.
I should just stop talking. 
Electronic
music concerts. I go to a
student concert of electronic music concert and am
critical. I suspect that I am getting tired of
“typical” electronic music. I am only a student,
remember, and not wise in all ways of the world. If a
piece sounds like every other piece, then I may not
be so fond of that work. It is easy to think this way
in electronic music (and sometimes with contemporary
music), due to the nature of electronic music—it’s
complexity, timbres, lack of tonality, harmonic
melodies, dissonant harmonies, and recognizable
musical forms to hang your hat on. Often the music
and melodies are fragmentary. I do love most
contemporary music, but even as a graduate student
later in life, I find that it is common to feel that
many works are often too similar in these genres.
To be fair, it is not easy to write electronic music
that feels unique and cohesive. An average
traditional musician has trouble relating to this
genre. As mentioned, the traditional musical elements
are not there to grab a hold of.
Writing good music in any genre is not easy. Enough
said.
John
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