Saturday, October 5, 2013

The Emmaus Dialogues: Act II Scene 4 “Ear Pollution” – draft 4.8


Butterfly and hummingbird

(Another short sound bite extracted  from a scene from a play  that is in the works.)

 (Setting: It is a new day, the sun is peaking over the horizon and almost as fast as the one beat of a heart all the darkness that filled the night has been transformed. The illumination by that great mystical star from heaven allows the pilgrims to experience the sacredness of colors of the trees and flowers. Birds sing in simple melodious delight. The wisp of the winds creates a “swooshing whisper” as if to pass on some great secret. The rippling of the stream is mantra to the dawn. The crickets’ nocturnal chorus fades with the warming daylight and the monarch and hummingbird pass the time in silence.)

.....Pilgrim 1: Music has a purpose you know. I don’t understand it but the creation of a piece of music has a mysterious mystical origin. Where do you think composers and songwriters get their ideas for creating a particular piece of music? A songwriter friend of mine says he has no idea where he gets the musical notes and the lyrics for his songs. It all just seems to pour out when he begins to compose the song. There seems to be some consecrated spark that fuels the flame that burns within the hearts and souls of these artists and finds it’s escape through a channel we call music.

Pilgrim 2: What?

Pilgrim 1: That unknown beatific source is that same source that had given the birds an intuitive desire to sing as well as creating the origins of the science that when orchestrated properly the wind can be heard  brushing the leaves and the waves sing softly and sweetly kissing the sand on a deserted beach..

Pilgrim 2: Oh come on now where are you going with this? All I was doing was walking, talking and listening to some music.

Pilgrim 1: Remember that the word “inspire” has it’s origins from the Latin “inspirare” which in turn means “breathe into” and there is this ineffable force that somehow breathes into everything and everyone nourishing their spark of life residing within them. As you remember your Latin the term vocation comes from “vocare” which is to listen to that voice within .There is that secret voice that calls some to be composers – songwriters and they create sounds and sometimes words that in turn blesses those who in turn open their hearts to hear the music .

Admittedly some music sounds as though it has origins that are not divine but that are a matter for another exchange. But isn’t it uncanny how some songs can lift our spirits, some console us, some reflect exactly what we are feeling, some grab us and suddenly our whole bodies respond by holding onto one we love and sharing the joy with movements called a dance….do you think all of that is an accidental coincidence? Some songs invigorate our weak spirits and nourish us with an energy we never thought we had to fight all injustice. What about the lyrics of some songs that say exactly what is written on your heart or blesses you just at the moment you require redemption or consolive illumination, do you think those lyrics found your soul by chance?

Pilgrim 2: OK, you are losing me completely now.

Pilgrim 1:  I heard this famous singer once describe how music has become a form of “ear pollution.” In some cases music has become a tool to help drown out the noise of the world. I guess there is a value in that at times. In other cases it has become an economic channel with its only purpose is to fill someone’s off shore accounts and have no grace-filled origins. Do the truly great gifted artists stop painting or sculpting if they are poor? Do you really think the masters of creating or performing music, or even those who write poetry or great literature are only motivated by the desire for attaining great wealth by using their gifts?

Music is sacramental and when one’s listening to music the originating gift becomes self-perpetuating …as long as there are ears and hearts to be present to what they hear. 

Pilgrim 2 returned the ear-buds back in his ears, he clicks on his MP3 player, adjusts the volume to loud and responds


Pilgrim 2: OK, we can continue another time? So excuse me “Professor IknowsomuchIwanttotellsomebody” as I get back to my gift and get blessed.

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amdg


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