At one point in my early musical life, I became a fan of modern classical music. So much so that I remember not listening to anything that wasn’t written before 1952. I thought I knew something none of my high school friends were hip enough to know about. It was my little secret. When ever I gave the name of a composer to one of my teachers, they would in turn give me the name of another composer I should listen to. I played this game for years with my library. Some how I worked my way backwards to early music using this process.
Lately, when ever I play modern music I joke around with my colleagues that some modern music is essentially sound set to math. Recently I played a concert with an orchestra which is devoted to performing modern music. During one of the rehearsals I came the realization that math is beautiful….the figures and equations surrounding this music are beautiful. In the same way that architecture is beautiful. Working from pure concept, then putting it on paper, to finally producing a product for the public.
I suspect composers marvel in the space where math and music become art.
Ed Castro's Blog 