light and dark diffused and direct foreground and background staccato and legato
high and low soft and hard melody and accompaniment smooth and rough warm and cold
Light is the absolute basis of photography, just like sound is the absolute basis of music. In fact, we can use some of the same adjectives to describe both light and sound and the meaning remains similar (hard, direct, soft, diffused, etc.) The art in both disciplines is how to skillfully handle such an intangible medium. A catching image often has something special in its light, with a specific balance in light and shadow. In certain situations, it's really more about photographing the light than the apparent subject itself.
For us musicians, we have a variety of tools to help us sculpt our sound such as articulation, dynamics, and vibrato. Singers and wind players can also influence their sound by shifting the placement of sound production, such as whether coming from the chest or the forehead. There are many other instrument-specific techniques which greatly influence sound.
Decisions in sound production should be a conscious one. It is beyond just being able to play with contrast. Finding the right combination of articulation, dynamic, and sound color for the desired expression is a process and technique to be studied and internalized. Certainly, it also involves the understanding of aesthetics and the training of one's ears in various musical languages. When everything is in place, sound releases the vitality in music.
For us musicians, we have a variety of tools to help us sculpt our sound such as articulation, dynamics, and vibrato. Singers and wind players can also influence their sound by shifting the placement of sound production, such as whether coming from the chest or the forehead. There are many other instrument-specific techniques which greatly influence sound.
Decisions in sound production should be a conscious one. It is beyond just being able to play with contrast. Finding the right combination of articulation, dynamic, and sound color for the desired expression is a process and technique to be studied and internalized. Certainly, it also involves the understanding of aesthetics and the training of one's ears in various musical languages. When everything is in place, sound releases the vitality in music.
