Table Music Calligraphy

The Lute Player, 1615, Orazio Gentileschi

When I was a sole proprietor I learned very quickly there are many compelling reasons, besides monetary ones, for accepting a project.  Experience/education in a specific field, and desire to work with a certain expert/client were all lures when I reflect on past commissions.  There also was the hope of exposure to a broader audience, and meaningful purpose that peaked my interest. And last but certainly not least, love for the work itself.  These are all important "rewards" that go beyond a simple paycheck.  Of course, the best projects are some combination of all the above.  A sense of doing meaningful work as well as a sense of accomplishment/acknowledgment and growth are essential in any profession no matter how grand or humble by societal standards.

This past month my colleague, who is a composer and our department chair, asked if I would be interested in participating in creating a gift for two administrators that were leaving the school where we teach.  He noted that these two administrator had spent literally years working together across a table from each other. This inspired him to create a work of "table music."  Now, I was a dutiful, albeit less than diligent and inspired music student in my youth and had never, to my knowledge, encountered this term. So, if you are reading this and feeling suddenly ignorant don't...I had to have it explained to me too.

​Table Music or Tafelmusik in German originated during the mid 16th century and became popular through the 17th century at feasts and banquets.  According to my colleague and the composer, these compositions were intended to delight and entertain.  That being said, the sophistication and skill necessary in composing this musical parlor game astounds me!  Here's how it works:  There is one sheet of music between the performers sitting across the table from each other.  I read/perform it as the music is written facing me and you read/perform it as the music reads facing you at the same time. Together we make Tafelmusik.  

My colleague asked if I could calligraphy the final sheet music.  The plan was then for another colleague, with far greater digital technical skills than me, to scan the sheet music and then laser cut it on to stained wooden plaques to be presented as gifts.  How could I say no?  This was new territory for me for I had never created music calligraphy before, it also was a chance to work closely with my two colleagues each in an area of expertise they possessed that I did not so I knew I was going to learn a lot! And lastly, there are few things more meaningful than being part of creating a gift.

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Above you can see the gallery of my progress and hear Rob Redie's original composition "BeaLize." Rob made the composing seem as if it was fun and easy for him. But, isn't that always the way when someone is truly talented? For me, there were a number of challenges. The main one was my coming to understand how the music was structured and the different measures and notes related and aligned with each other vertically.  The visual hierarchy of line based entirely on line weight was deeply considered as well.  This was of special interest to me as it was a different way of using this visual tool than in my previous drafting experience. I also came to a deeper understanding of musical notation in general, which is an entire language of line, exquisitely beautiful lines.  Working this way I had many hours to consider how we express ourselves through a seemingly endless variety of line, a very abstract and symbolic form of communication for our most concrete ideas.  There is a terrific short video from PBS Art Assignment on the subject of abstraction and how it is not as foreign to our sensibilities as we might first think. 

So there it is, one of those rare and wonderful times where I had the opportunity to do something new for my portfolio, learn from experts, work with great people doing something I love to do for a meaningful purpose.  It was a good project!