RockOm

By Trevor Harden, trevor@RockOm.net

A caesura is "a break or interruption in music, notated by two diagonal lines often referred to as railroad tracks. The break can be of any length at the discretion of the conductor." (Source)

There's power in the pause. Cessation often makes that which follows the silence punch with more pizazz.

A musical caesura is just that - a moment when the music stops, when the conductor holds his arms in the air and all the players wait with anticipation for the baton to drop. The silence is charged with expectancy. Furthermore, the quiet of the pause stands in stark contrast to the dynamic, forte blast of the music's reentrance.

Herein lies two more good reasons to participate in meditation, prayer or other such "stilling" practices.

First, in shutting down our senses for a time and then reemerging from the silence, the world then seems brighter and more dynamic. When we never step "outside" of the world and its activity, it is quite easy to take it all for granted. In choosing to deny the physical world for a spell - if even for a morning quiet time - we return to see it again in all its glory and wonder.

Secondly, in the retreated quiet, our senses long for stimulation. You and I experience it as restlessness and a desire for the session to be over. Many meditation practices seek to eliminate that craving and agitation through the practice. That's fine and good. But occasionally it may make sense to meditate on your "wanting" and then just consciously enjoy the feeling of satisfying those antsy urges upon the end of your session. Anticipation, by definition, waits for a resolution. Instead of just wishing the anticipation would go away, take some time and enjoy seeing your desire come to fruition!

Either way - to more fully experience life by momentarily retreating from it, or by consciously playing with anticipation and resolution - writing in regular caesuras on your life's sheet music is a profound and enjoyable practice. Will you find power in the pause?

As the US celebrates its Independence Day this weekend, we share with you these old church hymn lyrics as a sort of meditation. What a beautiful and balanced hymn - celebrating one's country of origin as well as recognizing the larger picture and world community. Words by Lloyd Stone.

"This is my song, O God of all the nations,
a song of peace for lands afar and mine.
This is my home, the country where my heart is;
here are my hopes, my dreams, my sacred shrine.
But other hearts in other lands are beating,
with hopes and dreams as true and high as mine.

"My country's skies are bluer than the ocean,
and sunlight beams on cloverleaf and pine.
But other lands have sunlight, too, and clover,
and skies are everywhere as blue as mine.
Oh, hear my song, thou God of all the nations,
a song of peace for their land and for mine.

"May truth and freedom come to every nation;
may peace abound where strife has raged so long,
That each may seek to love and build together
a world united, righting every wrong --
A world united in its love for freedom,
proclaiming peace together in one song."

"The water tastes funny when you're far from your home, but it's only the thirsty, that hunger to roam" [John Prine]

Once upon a time I had the unique and awesome opportunity of swapping songs on guitar while in Negril, Jamaica with Alan Jackson. No, not THE Alan Jackson but a humble Jamaican who also shared the same name and who was so shocked that we would ask him to pull up a chair and share a beer with us. Negril’s own Alan Jackson would play a Bob Marley tune and sing his heart out for us and then I would answer him back with a song by James Taylor or The Eagles. I couldn’t say who was more enthralled - our little group listening to this shy man playing his music on a worn and badly tuned guitar or our new friend, with the sheer astonishment that we would be interested enough in him and his music to ask him over to our table. I’ll have this memory with me forever of our group singing songs on the cliffs of Negril, the light of the full moon shining above, and two cultures coming together through music and song.

If you could choose to escape all that’s familiar and comfortable to explore the music, culture and diversity of a favorite exotic locale- where would that be? Where is that place far from home you’ve always dreamed of visiting, specifically to take in the music? Is it India or Tibet? Or perhaps the Four Corners region of the States to experience Native American music first-hand? What about Jamaica, Ireland, Austria, China or South Africa? The possibilities and places are endless!

We become so accustomed and familiar, complacent with our surroundings that we sometimes forget there’s a whole world of music waiting for us to directly experience. Sure, we can download most any song available on the internet but if you could choose one country or region to take in the music in person, immerse yourself in the tastes and tunes or perhaps even take part in the festivities, where would that be?

Tell Us:

1. Where in the world have you traveled in your journeys and what have you discovered about the amazing ability of music to bridge languages and cultural divides?
2. Where would you like to travel and experience the music and diversity?

By Tom Crenshaw, Vice-President of RockOm.net

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