Clarity is also my big theme in music. The right note must sound at the right time. So that it is compelling – and yet unexpected. So that the melody is understandable – and yet new. I think about the structure. But whether it is right or not, I do not decide by thinking; this happens through the holistic perception of music. The form has an immediate effect, speaks through itself.
If I am to name another important element of my music, then it is Development. Development takes place in various forms. Sometimes only through minimal changes in a repetition. Then again through a large-scale process. For me, it is above all the melodies that develop, which do not simply throw down an arc that then repeats, but which twist, screw upwards, fall away, continue to grow – and mostly culminate in a great climax. This dramaturgical dynamic in my compositions is also reflected in my life.
But then again – despite all the drama – where is the calm? Through meditation, I have learned to be present without expectation. There may well be movement, there may well be development – but without demand, without pressure. And so I now strive in my compositions (and in my life) to maintain an attentive calm and presence as the basis of all movement.
Is all this too top-heavy? Music is supposed to touch, all these abstract thoughts only disturb. For me, these belong together. I no longer separate thoughts and feelings – they are both movements of my spirit – and this is not in my body, for spirit and body are also one. It's easy to say, but we are so deeply conditioned that this separation is quite natural for us. Only in deep meditation have I consciously experienced. But in music, when composing, it was already with me before.
For detailed information, visit my musician website: www.laoluo-music.com
And here are a few small audio samples: