Personhood in All Things

Sheet music maps the unique personhood of a musical piece.

Witnessing this imaged display of sounded uniqueness, the written work becomes its own person — a sibling, a parent, an offspring, a shadow, an echo, a foreshadow.

This music is not heard, but the eyes listen eagerly. In this seeing, our imposed limits on music are transcended.

Music, in taking on sighted form, gains sovereignty in a new sense kingdom. We become benefactors through our own expansion.

This visual music is just as joyous and varied as its sonic twin. A bar might look stolid and plain or notes might reach across staves, grabbing one another for a wild ride.

The variation is endless, and each new piece exalts!

In this way, every piece is its own person. So too is every motif, phrase, rhythm, interval, and harmony.

The expression of each piece exposes genre as futile tool, just as all categories made by man strain under scrutiny.

A person’s race or creed dissolves instantly when we encounter their individuality.

A composition becomes a living being in our bearing witness.

This knowing brings me peace — knowing music will accompany me until death.

Like each passing year, music shows the glory of realms. As I thumb across each new page, I await in silent readiness its next reveal.