Category Archives: Creativity

Where Good Ideas Come From

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by Rebecca Cochran

I read a neat story about Franz Schubert (1797–1828), the Viennese composer who wrote more than 600 songs, plus much chamber and orchestral music during his way-too-short lifespan. Schubert is one of my personal favorites.

An old-fashioned manual burr-mill coffee grinder.

An old-fashioned manual burr-mill coffee grinder. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

He was reportedly very disciplined in composing, working diligently every morning, nearly without fail. When a student once asked what his secret was, Schubert replied simply, “When one piece is finished, I begin another.”

One day, however, when his friend the German composer and conductor, Franz Lachner came calling unexpectedly, Schubert was not in the mood for work. He suggested to Lachner, “Let’s have some coffee.” Schubert then hauled out his most prized possession, an old coffee mill. He carefully measured the coffee beans, then took off his glasses and started grinding.

Within moments, Schubert exclaimed, “I’ve got it! I’ve got it! You rusty little machine!” He threw the coffee mill into the corner, sending the beans flying. “What have you got?” asked Lachner.

“This coffee mill is a wonderful thing,” explained Schubert excitedly. “Melodies and themes come flying in. You see, it’s the ra-ra-ra, that’s what! You search for days for an idea, and the little machine finds it in a second!” And, he began singing the themes of what would become the String Quartet in D minor, Death and the Maiden, which Lachner faithfully wrote down.

Apparently, even Schubert benefitted from the occasional change in his morning routine. This little story is an excellent example of how some of our best ideas can come from the most unlikely places.

Coffee anyone?

Reference: The Book of Musical Anecdotes, by Norman Lebrecht, published by The Free Press, 1985

Is Gray a Color?

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Color

Having just read Meghan Flaherty’s eloquent piece, Ode to Gray in the Paris Review, I’ve been thinking about color again. Flaherty makes numerous points in favor of gray. She refers to gray as “the color, rather than the sound, of silence.”

Flaherty cites numerous others’ disparate thoughts on gray. She refers to a color psychology article, stating that “grey is emotionless.” She quotes the French painter, Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres who said, “Better gray than garishness.” And, she shares, “Paul Klee called it the richest color, “the one that makes all the others speak.”

She also writes that, “according to Eva Heller, in her Die wahre Geschichte von allen Farben, only 1 percent of people surveyed named gray as their favorite color.” Contrast that with blue. Supposedly, half the people on earth list blue as their favorite color.

In one of my earlier posts entitled, The Lure of Blue, I wrote about what draws my eye towards blue. Truth be told, nearly every article of clothing I own is blue. My office walls are blue. My automobile is blue.

Hmm…maybe I’ve been taking the easy way out all this time…

After reading Flaherty’s excellent article, I vow to seriously think through the possibility of gray being an actual color. I may even introduce a few bits of gray into my wardrobe because, after all, gray pairs so well with blue…

by Rebecca Cochran

Day 121

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by Rebecca Cochran

Bach logo

At the beginning of 2016, I began a personal experiment. I call it My Year of Bach. As a flutist, for as long as I can remember, Johann Sebastian Bach has been my favorite composer. I’ve written about Bach several times here in this space.

I decided to challenge myself by writing a short daily post on some aspect of Bach and his music. Otherwise, I didn’t set too many more rules. Like I said, this is an experiment, and I think we all need to experiment more.

My original goals were these:

  • Post daily
  • Learn as I go
  • Share what I learn
  • Enjoy myself

Now, 4 months in, I can report that I’ve achieved my original goals and more! I have posted daily, mostly “living in the moment,” rather than writing and scheduling posts ahead of time. This approach challenges me to be more observant, remaining on “high alert” for anything even remotely related to Bach that crosses my path each day. I’m conducting quick research, online and off. I’m asking more questions. I’m starting conversations with strangers. I’m listening more intently and attending more concerts and recitals. What I discover today will probably end up in tomorrow’s post. Bach is everywhere.

I’m learning to write more quickly. And, more importantly, I’m learning to trust what I write, rather than second-guessing myself. (There’s no time for that!)

I’m maintaining focus. Rather than going down rabbit holes in search of photos to accompany my posts, I’m staying focused on my writing.

I’m learning a great deal about my favorite composer. Every day, I seem to have yet another “aha moment” about some aspect of JSB. The more I learn about Bach, the more I want to learn.

In sharing my daily posts via Twitter, I am making new friends all over the world. I’m receiving wonderful comments (“Thank you, your latest post has helped me finish my term paper!”), great questions (“How do you recommend I start building a Bach listening library?”) and words of encouragement (“Wow! Keep up the good work; I know you can make it to Day 366!”).

Most importantly of all, I’m having fun!