miniature on listening to the
forest for one day
miniature on listening to the
Interview Summary
This person created a composition piece by listening to the forest for a day. The composition is only for one instrument and is a minute long. They used a technique with friends to create different thematic titles, trying to represent each instrument. This was the first artwork they have done they felt comfortable enough to share It with other people. They had a vivid dream while creating it.
This person wanted to try new things and did not want to limit themselves as a creator. They were reading a book about creative horn playing and got the idea to express themselves in a way that wasn’t performing other people’s music. This artwork happened in Clarkson High School in Clarkson, Michigan. They were alone when they created this.
Throughout the process of creating the artwork, this person imagined themselves walking in the forest and hearing all the different sounds. They let themselves be inspired by other types of media. Most of the process was exciting because they were not trying to restrict themselves, they were not letting themselves overthink. This artwork let them not take art too seriously, and to be able to share and trust other people with it.
The artwork pushed this person to keep exploring, it led them to take different classes in creativity and creative music. It gave them faith in their own abilities to help guide people to be able to open up to what they are capable of. They’re artwork was received by their friends and family, and they were all supportive. This person did think of having it performed for a recital. Their experience with their artwork, changed their feelings about others, because they wanted to learn how to represent them.
This person learned to trust themselves, they learned to act themselves instead of trying to be someone else. This person did not resonate with ultimate meaning during the process. In the song, there is a character, who the participant believes is an energy around the world that we interact with, that is between nature, humanity, and animals. Having this connection, they feel may have helped them get into a flow state.
This person was 30 years old when they created this piece.This person believes it to be medium quality, as music is subjective.
With this artwork, they wanted to express themselves through written music. At the time of the artwork, this person was taking care of their grandmother who was living with them at the time.
Interview Transcript
Interviewer: We'd like you to think about artwork that you created that's especially meaningful to you. Your artwork could be from any of the following domains: painting, drawing, sculptures, stained glass installation, music, songs, dance, performance, art, film, literature, theater, fashion, mixed media, architecture, or any other art form not mentioned. It can be an artwork that you created at any age. Please choose your artwork and tell me what it is.
Participant: Okay. I thought about it for a bit, kind of one of my first, so I’m a musician, and I've been trying to get into composition the last like several years, and it was either right at the start of the pandemic or right before. I've been a substitute teacher for a while before I came back to school, and I was staring out looking at this forest outside of our classroom. Kind of like, it was like a perfect little sunrise, and there's a little bit of hazy fog on the ground. And so, I kind of, I wrote a miniature piece about listening to the forest for one day.
Interviewer: Oh, it sounds lovely. What are the important details?
Participant: Let's see. So, it's for just a solo instrument. I play the horn so there's one instrument, and I've got 4. I mean it's like maybe like a minute long. I'd seen this technique on a couple of composer friends trying out miniatures of just like 20 to 30 seconds of music, and like seeing what they could happen. So, I've got 4 movements of things like with the different thematic titles, and some extended techniques and things to try to represent them.
Interviewer: And why did you choose this piece? (Specialness)
Participant: I think it's like it's probably more, I don't know. It's meaningful because it was kind of the first thing I really, well not the first thing. I like just took a stab and like went and tried to do something, and I like felt comfortable enough with it to share with a couple of friends. And I don't know something about that, like I feel like a good connection to nature in the forest, so it's kind of nice to have like, kind of vividly dream about it while I was doing it.
Interviewer: Now please tell me about the experience and process of creating this artwork by answering the following series of questions. But what led up to its creation, and what motivated you to create it?
Participant: Okay, motivation was definitely just like trying to create new things for the instrument and music, and not like, try not to limit myself as a creator. And what led up to it. I guess I read, I was reading a book about creative horn playing from a kind of a mentor like figure. And some of it, he's a big into improvisation and composition, and expressing ourselves in other ways than just performing other people's music.
So, it was a mix of that, and just like having a moment to think while I was watching a class.
Interviewer: When and where did the work happen? And was anybody involved besides you?
Participant: No one was involved besides me. I was at Clarkson High School in Clarkson, Michigan, on the second floor in the 300-hallway facing west, maybe.
Interviewer: What were you thinking and feeling at different times throughout the process of creating the artwork? For example, the beginning, the middle, and the end.
Participant: Let's see. I mean, I guess, thinking wise, I was just imagining like taking a walk in the forest out there and just letting my mind run with it, and kind of hearing all the different sounds, and being inspired by like other types of media to like, imagine characters or what might happen while you're just, if you were to just to sit on a log and listen to nature.
Interviewer: Can you describe any high points, low points, or challenges, or turning points along a little way?
Participant: I guess it was all pretty exciting because it was like it was just kind of happening. It was like there- I was trying not to restrict myself, and it was just a very creative like outpouring of stuff, of feelings, and it was just kind of writing itself. I wasn't like overthinking it, which I tend to do, and then challenges, I don't know.
No, I don't, I kind of just like let myself be okay with like this exists as it is, I think, the miniature title of it, let me like not take it too seriously. And then like just to share, and trust that it’s okay to share with people.
Interviewer: Now, let's talk about the impact of the artwork on yourself and others. What did you learn from the process of creating this artwork? And did you learn anything about yourself?
Participant: I guess I learned that I could do it.
It's possible. I don't know, I guess it has pushed me to kind of keep exploring. I've like led classes and creativity and creative music, making sense then, so like giving me faith in my own abilities to help guide people through a similar process and open up to what they are capable of and access their own voices.
Interviewer: Yeah. How did others receive the work? What was their reaction?
Participant: I mean, generally supportive. I can't, I think I shared it with my parents, and like a couple horn playing friends.
And those like supportive kind of, cool in some ways. I haven't got any, I haven't made anyone else play it yet to like, see how they would feel playing it. But it was all supportive feedback.
Interviewer: Did you intend for the work to affect others or the world in any particular ways?
Participant: I guess I kind of did think about like having, like if I were to perform on a recital like, to have a kind of a meditative moment to just like think about the challenge and struggle, but then also, like peace that we can experience.
Interviewer: Did your experience affect your understanding of others or the world?
Participant: I don't know. I guess I had to like to think about like one of those, the movements is like called song of you, “Song of the Youth.” So, I like had to think about like other people, and like what, how to represent them. But I don't know if it changed my feelings about others.
Interviewer: When people think about themselves, they see part of themselves as deeply true, real, or authentic. If this idea resonates with you, did you learn anything about your true nature during the process of creating the artwork? Did you have any insights about your own authentic (or inauthentic) self?
Participant: Just like trusting like myself, and like just going on that journey and being okay with like whatever comes out of it. And then, like it's probably acting more towards my authentic self than trying to be what someone else, trying to guess what someone else thinks they should be.
Interviewer: Yeah. Some people believe in ultimate meaning. This is defined as deep, underlying meaning that transcends subjective personal meaning. It is about the nature of existence and identity, and it may include ideas about the significance of suffering as well as spirituality.
If this idea resonates with you, did you learn anything about ultimate meaning during the process of creating the artwork?
Participant: I don't. I don't know that I did anything with ultimate meaning during the process.
Interviewer: Completely fair. Some people believe or perceive a reality beyond the physical or material world. This may include religious beliefs/experiences (such as perceived interactions with God) but also may include mystical or transcendent experiences, or interaction with spirits.
Did you have any kind of these experiences during the creation of the artwork?
Participant: I mean, maybe kind of. One of my characters is like the mother Forrest, and just like kind of feeling like there's life in the forest. Could be spirits there, I don't know, and that we like kind of, there's like an energy around the world that we kind of interact with like between nature and humanity and animals.
Interviewer: Okay. So, can you talk about what that experience was like, how it affected the artwork, you as a person, or any spiritual belief you have, if at all?
Participant: I don't know. I guess, for the artwork, it probably might have got, help me get into that flow state of just like feeling connected to the like, the world in a different way than your everyday life of just like continuing like moving on without thinking.
Interviewer: Okay, now some follow up questions, pretty quick. How old were you when you created the piece?
Participant: I don't know, probably 30.
Interviewer: How do you perceive the quality of the work?
Participant: Okay. It's like, it kind of depends on who the stakeholders are that you're like measuring the quality, whose lens you're measuring it from.
I don't know. A medium quality.
Interviewer: What goals did you have for creating the artwork?
Participant: I guess we kind of talked about them already. But just like expressing myself like through written music, telling the story.
Interviewer: Okay. And one final one, was there anything in particular going on in your life around the time that you created the piece?
Participant: Nothing. I mean, I don't think anything that really impacted it too much. My grandmother might have been living with me, but I don't like, and I was helping care for her, but I don't know. I'm trying to think, mindset wise, because I was just like staring at a window.
This person created a composition piece by listening to the forest for a day. The composition is only for one instrument and is a minute long. They used a technique with friends to create different thematic titles, trying to represent each instrument. This was the first artwork they have done they felt comfortable enough to share It with other people. They had a vivid dream while creating it.
This person wanted to try new things and did not want to limit themselves as a creator. They were reading a book about creative horn playing and got the idea to express themselves in a way that wasn’t performing other people’s music. This artwork happened in Clarkson High School in Clarkson, Michigan. They were alone when they created this.
Throughout the process of creating the artwork, this person imagined themselves walking in the forest and hearing all the different sounds. They let themselves be inspired by other types of media. Most of the process was exciting because they were not trying to restrict themselves, they were not letting themselves overthink. This artwork let them not take art too seriously, and to be able to share and trust other people with it.
The artwork pushed this person to keep exploring, it led them to take different classes in creativity and creative music. It gave them faith in their own abilities to help guide people to be able to open up to what they are capable of. They’re artwork was received by their friends and family, and they were all supportive. This person did think of having it performed for a recital. Their experience with their artwork, changed their feelings about others, because they wanted to learn how to represent them.
This person learned to trust themselves, they learned to act themselves instead of trying to be someone else. This person did not resonate with ultimate meaning during the process. In the song, there is a character, who the participant believes is an energy around the world that we interact with, that is between nature, humanity, and animals. Having this connection, they feel may have helped them get into a flow state.
This person was 30 years old when they created this piece.This person believes it to be medium quality, as music is subjective.
With this artwork, they wanted to express themselves through written music. At the time of the artwork, this person was taking care of their grandmother who was living with them at the time.
Interview Transcript
Interviewer: We'd like you to think about artwork that you created that's especially meaningful to you. Your artwork could be from any of the following domains: painting, drawing, sculptures, stained glass installation, music, songs, dance, performance, art, film, literature, theater, fashion, mixed media, architecture, or any other art form not mentioned. It can be an artwork that you created at any age. Please choose your artwork and tell me what it is.
Participant: Okay. I thought about it for a bit, kind of one of my first, so I’m a musician, and I've been trying to get into composition the last like several years, and it was either right at the start of the pandemic or right before. I've been a substitute teacher for a while before I came back to school, and I was staring out looking at this forest outside of our classroom. Kind of like, it was like a perfect little sunrise, and there's a little bit of hazy fog on the ground. And so, I kind of, I wrote a miniature piece about listening to the forest for one day.
Interviewer: Oh, it sounds lovely. What are the important details?
Participant: Let's see. So, it's for just a solo instrument. I play the horn so there's one instrument, and I've got 4. I mean it's like maybe like a minute long. I'd seen this technique on a couple of composer friends trying out miniatures of just like 20 to 30 seconds of music, and like seeing what they could happen. So, I've got 4 movements of things like with the different thematic titles, and some extended techniques and things to try to represent them.
Interviewer: And why did you choose this piece? (Specialness)
Participant: I think it's like it's probably more, I don't know. It's meaningful because it was kind of the first thing I really, well not the first thing. I like just took a stab and like went and tried to do something, and I like felt comfortable enough with it to share with a couple of friends. And I don't know something about that, like I feel like a good connection to nature in the forest, so it's kind of nice to have like, kind of vividly dream about it while I was doing it.
Interviewer: Now please tell me about the experience and process of creating this artwork by answering the following series of questions. But what led up to its creation, and what motivated you to create it?
Participant: Okay, motivation was definitely just like trying to create new things for the instrument and music, and not like, try not to limit myself as a creator. And what led up to it. I guess I read, I was reading a book about creative horn playing from a kind of a mentor like figure. And some of it, he's a big into improvisation and composition, and expressing ourselves in other ways than just performing other people's music.
So, it was a mix of that, and just like having a moment to think while I was watching a class.
Interviewer: When and where did the work happen? And was anybody involved besides you?
Participant: No one was involved besides me. I was at Clarkson High School in Clarkson, Michigan, on the second floor in the 300-hallway facing west, maybe.
Interviewer: What were you thinking and feeling at different times throughout the process of creating the artwork? For example, the beginning, the middle, and the end.
Participant: Let's see. I mean, I guess, thinking wise, I was just imagining like taking a walk in the forest out there and just letting my mind run with it, and kind of hearing all the different sounds, and being inspired by like other types of media to like, imagine characters or what might happen while you're just, if you were to just to sit on a log and listen to nature.
Interviewer: Can you describe any high points, low points, or challenges, or turning points along a little way?
Participant: I guess it was all pretty exciting because it was like it was just kind of happening. It was like there- I was trying not to restrict myself, and it was just a very creative like outpouring of stuff, of feelings, and it was just kind of writing itself. I wasn't like overthinking it, which I tend to do, and then challenges, I don't know.
No, I don't, I kind of just like let myself be okay with like this exists as it is, I think, the miniature title of it, let me like not take it too seriously. And then like just to share, and trust that it’s okay to share with people.
Interviewer: Now, let's talk about the impact of the artwork on yourself and others. What did you learn from the process of creating this artwork? And did you learn anything about yourself?
Participant: I guess I learned that I could do it.
It's possible. I don't know, I guess it has pushed me to kind of keep exploring. I've like led classes and creativity and creative music, making sense then, so like giving me faith in my own abilities to help guide people through a similar process and open up to what they are capable of and access their own voices.
Interviewer: Yeah. How did others receive the work? What was their reaction?
Participant: I mean, generally supportive. I can't, I think I shared it with my parents, and like a couple horn playing friends.
And those like supportive kind of, cool in some ways. I haven't got any, I haven't made anyone else play it yet to like, see how they would feel playing it. But it was all supportive feedback.
Interviewer: Did you intend for the work to affect others or the world in any particular ways?
Participant: I guess I kind of did think about like having, like if I were to perform on a recital like, to have a kind of a meditative moment to just like think about the challenge and struggle, but then also, like peace that we can experience.
Interviewer: Did your experience affect your understanding of others or the world?
Participant: I don't know. I guess I had to like to think about like one of those, the movements is like called song of you, “Song of the Youth.” So, I like had to think about like other people, and like what, how to represent them. But I don't know if it changed my feelings about others.
Interviewer: When people think about themselves, they see part of themselves as deeply true, real, or authentic. If this idea resonates with you, did you learn anything about your true nature during the process of creating the artwork? Did you have any insights about your own authentic (or inauthentic) self?
Participant: Just like trusting like myself, and like just going on that journey and being okay with like whatever comes out of it. And then, like it's probably acting more towards my authentic self than trying to be what someone else, trying to guess what someone else thinks they should be.
Interviewer: Yeah. Some people believe in ultimate meaning. This is defined as deep, underlying meaning that transcends subjective personal meaning. It is about the nature of existence and identity, and it may include ideas about the significance of suffering as well as spirituality.
If this idea resonates with you, did you learn anything about ultimate meaning during the process of creating the artwork?
Participant: I don't. I don't know that I did anything with ultimate meaning during the process.
Interviewer: Completely fair. Some people believe or perceive a reality beyond the physical or material world. This may include religious beliefs/experiences (such as perceived interactions with God) but also may include mystical or transcendent experiences, or interaction with spirits.
Did you have any kind of these experiences during the creation of the artwork?
Participant: I mean, maybe kind of. One of my characters is like the mother Forrest, and just like kind of feeling like there's life in the forest. Could be spirits there, I don't know, and that we like kind of, there's like an energy around the world that we kind of interact with like between nature and humanity and animals.
Interviewer: Okay. So, can you talk about what that experience was like, how it affected the artwork, you as a person, or any spiritual belief you have, if at all?
Participant: I don't know. I guess, for the artwork, it probably might have got, help me get into that flow state of just like feeling connected to the like, the world in a different way than your everyday life of just like continuing like moving on without thinking.
Interviewer: Okay, now some follow up questions, pretty quick. How old were you when you created the piece?
Participant: I don't know, probably 30.
Interviewer: How do you perceive the quality of the work?
Participant: Okay. It's like, it kind of depends on who the stakeholders are that you're like measuring the quality, whose lens you're measuring it from.
I don't know. A medium quality.
Interviewer: What goals did you have for creating the artwork?
Participant: I guess we kind of talked about them already. But just like expressing myself like through written music, telling the story.
Interviewer: Okay. And one final one, was there anything in particular going on in your life around the time that you created the piece?
Participant: Nothing. I mean, I don't think anything that really impacted it too much. My grandmother might have been living with me, but I don't like, and I was helping care for her, but I don't know. I'm trying to think, mindset wise, because I was just like staring at a window.
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