To Be Like Water

To Be Like Water

This piece, originally, possessed a much quieter composition. The inspiration behind the original had more to do with experimentation with sound, having never worked with it before. This included things like mic sensitivity, and submerging the recording device underwater (protected within the confines of an air-tight plastic bag). However, art being much like life, it develops and having a second listen with fresh ears on the original I was unsatisfied, primarily with its lack of meaning to me. I, personally, as an artist strive for a piece of myself, regardless of content, to dwell within each piece. Thusly, this one in particular needed a change. I did decide to keep some of the more playfully experimental elements, such as the devise submerged in water. The idea behind this piece bounced off of that experimentation as well. With recent events in my life, I have found motivation, flexibility, and general happiness have alluded me. Upon reflection I have found much of this likely stems from my inadaptability to negative situations. This is why the title is "To Be Like Water". I strive to find my own happiness once again by becoming more like water, by becoming more adaptable. Water has the ability to be both delicate and strong, to shape itself according to its surroundings, and to come in different forms all without loosing the essence of what it is. I find this idea applicable and helpful for all people as well, and this becomes evident by the fact that the subject matter of this piece makes up most of our biological bodies. Despite not all of the sounds being directly water themselves, they do all have an association with it. The two sounds I speak if in particular are the clinking of sea shells against one another and the music box. The shells have a direct correlation to water because they are shells I have obtained myself from the few beaches I've visited. These shells have been birthed directly from the largest body of water, the ocean. The music box, however, is less obvious of a connection and much more personal in nature. Music boxes, to me, have always been a reminder of the small tinging noises of individual raindrops. Along with this, music boxes have been a personal symbol for happiness since my young childhood, bringing the idea of this piece back to becoming much like water in order to obtain my own happiness.