A NEW MUSICAL CONCEPT
by Matthias Grob Da Veiga, April 1988
with great help of Gui Couillard, Montreal
 

Considering the economical and ecological situation of the world, and on the other hand the big chance to become one world through information and traffic, we think that we need to put all our energies into cooperation, understanding, freedom and spiritual development, thus changing the economical habits that work against us, even against the rich.

Music is probably the only international language and certainly the most direct form of communication, either soul-to-soul or collective unconscious-to-individual unconscious. We need an easy to speak, easy to understand but precise musical language, flexible enough to transmit all kinds of feelings. Rock has undoubtedly become the most international, straightforward language. Enriched by other styles, it can serve for a wide spectrum of musical expression, calming down or energising other centers of the body, The highly intelligent and widely distributed electric instruments are built for rational planned music of our cool and quick time. They can however be easily adapted, allowing for the creation of new ways to create music with extremely different effects on the listeners.

The access of the musician to the sound of his instrument should be as direct as possible, the inspiration flowing easily between inspiration, musician and listener. The flexibility does not help, if the musician cannot use it quickly or intuitively. One way to achieve this aim is through precise amplification of the string, wind or percussion instruments, allowing the reproduction of subtle playing techniques. Another way is through the use of pedals, mouth pieces, velocity sensitive keys, etc..

The sound should be as natural as possible, which does not mean acoustically amplified like through a guitar body or brass horn. It should rather be a simple oscillating sound source,  directly controlled by the musician and perfectly amplified.

We should learn to flow again: in our imaginations, in our lives, following our intuitions and destiny. The programming of sounds and sequences is abrupt and difficult to combine with this principle. Programmers should have open, instantaneously controlled parameters.

Repetition was always the fundament of music. The mantras and the African dances are just the clearest examples of the mind-opening effect that repetition has. The delay, used as an analog sequencer, can liberate the musician from the hard repetitive work and give him the opportunity to feel immediately the effect of his creation, waiting for inspiration. There is no fear or missing or losing some music, so the musician is relaxed and this is giving the music its beauty.

We need to feel the tremendous space of which we are part, to become humble modest and confident, not overestimating our daily sorrows. On the other hand, it can be interesting to enter strange small places with imagination. The terrific electronic reverberations thus should be used in a strong a flexible way, making part of the musicians creation, and not just as an effect, to be added afterward.

A new instrument should be light and compact and easy to connect anywhere. A small number of musicians became able to produce a clear and beautiful speaking sound with small equipment. Drumsets and guitar amps would not combine.