11 replies to this topic

[dhiggs]

I enjoy composing and playing music, and it is one of my greatest passions. As I may live my life as an artist, I have been
wondering, is this activity more yin or yang by nature? This question is in the effort to balance my life. Does it really fall
into a specific category? If so, does anyone have suggestions on how I could complement it? Thanks.

Edited by dhiggs, 10 July 2012 - 03:21 PM.

[ChiDragon]

The integral of Yin-Yang is always One. The musics can go either way. For example, if the music sounds sad then, it will remind someone's sorrow which is in the Yin attribute. On other hand, if the music makes people happy and lively, then it is in the Yang attribute.

[Protector]

I think it's more Shen

[zanshin]

For a composer, I think more yang composing and playing when involved in creative process, although sparked from your mind being receptive (yin) to find inspiration. So I don't think inherently imbalanced, but imbalance would be a musician's block vs. frantically turning out stuff that's not very good.

[Harmonious Emptiness]

Interesting question.

A mix of both almost to extremes which may need to both be balanced by yin and yang practices.

Writing can be very yin if you sit alone in a workspace and write. It can also be very yang if you follow classical theory and work out every movement and harmony according to it's standards, or generally think intensely while writing music.

Some physical activity (yang) would help for all the time being stationary, and some time away from writing, free and unstructured, could help to balance the mental intensity (comparatively yang) of writing.

This also gets balanced out with performance though, as it is usually quite exciting and then you have fun and drink (hopefully not [too] excessively) and socialize which is very unstructured.

Learning some qi gong and baguazhang basics would be one way to ensure that you can always add a bit more yin or yang without even leaving your work space if needed.

[mYTHmAKER]

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Edited by mYTHmAKER, 10 July 2012 - 07:01 PM.

[dhiggs]

Interesting question.

A mix of both almost to extremes which may need to both be balanced by yin and yang practices.

Writing can be very yin if you sit alone in a workspace and write. It can also be very yang if you follow classical theory and work out every movement and harmony according to it's standards, or generally think intensely while writing music.

Some physical activity (yang) would help for all the time being stationary, and some time away from writing, free and unstructured, could help to balance the mental intensity (comparatively yang) of writing.

This also gets balanced out with performance though, as it is usually quite exciting and then you have fun and drink (hopefully not [too] excessively) and socialize which is very unstructured.

Learning some qi gong and baguazhang basics would be one way to ensure that you can always add a bit more yin or yang without even leaving your work space if needed.

What a great response! Thanks so much, this is exactly the sort of info I was looking for. I do find that sometimes music can be over-stimulating; this can sap creative energies if it is not monitored carefully. It's a delicate balance because one obviously has to have feeling to write music, yet it is easy to get carried away and lose any objective interpretation of the piece or composition itself. I'll be looking into the practice you mentioned for sure.

I definitely do agree about the energy of live performances, whether one is performing or just attending. Since they tend to be very intense I think it is a good idea to precede this with more yin activity, which will be balanced out. A musician might optimize their performance by rehearsing for weeks prior but not playing at all the day before the performance - I've tried this and I was always able to return refreshed.

[Taomeow]

The integral of Yin-Yang is always One. The musics can go either way. For example, if the music sounds sad then, it will remind someone's sorrow which is in the Yin attribute. On other hand, if the music makes people happy and lively, then it is in the Yang attribute.

So, when your mother sang a lullaby to you, you felt sorrow?

and when you heard a military march, it made you happy?

[ChiDragon]

So, when your mother sang a lullaby to you, you felt sorrow?

and when you heard a military march, it made you happy?

Are you pulling some reverse logic on me..............???

Edited by ChiDragon, 11 July 2012 - 10:09 AM.

[Taomeow]

Are you pulling some reverse logic on me..............???

Nope, I'm pushing you to learn the attributes of yin and yang from a good source. In particular, sorrow and joy are not a yin-yang dichotomy. The yang of a military march compared to the yin of a lullaby is not joy vs. sorrow. It's false joy (false yang, in Liu I-ming's terminology) vs. true joy (true yin). Music can be yin-sorrowful or yin-joyful, yang-sorrowful or yang-joyful, but it can't be yin=sorrow and yang=joy. Just like the rest of all phenomena in existence.

[ChiDragon]

Music can be yin-sorrowful or yin-joyful, yang-sorrowful or yang-joyful, but it can't be yin=sorrow and yang=joy. Just like the rest of all phenomena in existence.

Yes, I do agree it can be but it needs to be more specifically stated for clarity. I can only deal with what was giving to me at the time. I do not make erroneous assumptions to the subject of interest nor to the messenger.

[thetaoiseasy]

Depends on the composer. Their energy is imprinted in music. Think twice about listening to kate perry, or justin bieber.

Yang is the creative force that comes up with those mind blowing melodies. Yin is the expression and execution of those melodies.