Abstract for "Shaping Consciousness: New Media, Spirituality, and Identity"
The Planetary Collegium will meet 3-13 April in Dallas, Texas. The conference, "Shaping Consciousness: New Media, Spirituality, and Identity" will be held at Texas Women's University.
Wabi Sonics: Tea Aesthetics, Zen, and Composition in Experimental and Ambient Music
by Norbert Herber
Keywords: wabi, wabi-sabi, Way of Tea, Zen, Japanese arts, music composition, the open work, ambient music, experimental music
Wabi, sometimes also known as wabi-sabi, is an aesthetic foundation of the Japanese tea ceremony. Begun in the 15th century by Murata Shuko and later perfected by Sen Rikyu, it is manifest in the traditional Japanese arts associated with the Way of Tea (Morris, 2003). The approximate English translation of wabi is "rustic." The true meaning however, is much more complex; obscured in layers of cultural and spiritual understanding. Wabi embodies a lack of sophistication, simplicity, and emphasizes natural forms and the inherent beauty of imperfection. There is a close relationship between wabi style Tea and the teachings of Zen. As such, wabi is something that is felt rather than understood and clearly articulated.
This paper draws lines between the wabi aesthetic and contemporary music composition, specifically addressing the composition of "the open work" as defined by Umberto Eco, experimental music, ambient music and in general, genres that place an importance on listening in the moment. This includes music that employs acousmatics and music composed through processes of repetition and bottom-up synthesis. These create a duality of composer and listener, where individual perceptions allow both individuals to control, or surrender to the work. The wabi aesthetic provides additional insight to questions concerning the nature of music and noise, and points to a deeper understanding of musical poetics involving the immersive, the ethereal, and the emergent.
Wabi Sonics: Tea Aesthetics, Zen, and Composition in Experimental and Ambient Music
by Norbert Herber
Keywords: wabi, wabi-sabi, Way of Tea, Zen, Japanese arts, music composition, the open work, ambient music, experimental music
Wabi, sometimes also known as wabi-sabi, is an aesthetic foundation of the Japanese tea ceremony. Begun in the 15th century by Murata Shuko and later perfected by Sen Rikyu, it is manifest in the traditional Japanese arts associated with the Way of Tea (Morris, 2003). The approximate English translation of wabi is "rustic." The true meaning however, is much more complex; obscured in layers of cultural and spiritual understanding. Wabi embodies a lack of sophistication, simplicity, and emphasizes natural forms and the inherent beauty of imperfection. There is a close relationship between wabi style Tea and the teachings of Zen. As such, wabi is something that is felt rather than understood and clearly articulated.
This paper draws lines between the wabi aesthetic and contemporary music composition, specifically addressing the composition of "the open work" as defined by Umberto Eco, experimental music, ambient music and in general, genres that place an importance on listening in the moment. This includes music that employs acousmatics and music composed through processes of repetition and bottom-up synthesis. These create a duality of composer and listener, where individual perceptions allow both individuals to control, or surrender to the work. The wabi aesthetic provides additional insight to questions concerning the nature of music and noise, and points to a deeper understanding of musical poetics involving the immersive, the ethereal, and the emergent.
