Music

Blackhawk

After teaching myself music production and basic composition skills, I spent the summer of 2024 crafting my first original soundtrack, and the result was almost eight minutes of exploration into the themes of flight, battle, reunuion, and redemption. My inspiration for the opening moments of the track came from a beautifully expressive piano VST that I discovered, and I knew after playing it for a bit that I wanted to showcase that piano sound in the track. So, in the opening moments, you can hear the slow rise and fall of a hawk circling far above in the sky. As the theme opens for the first time, there is the idea that these routine patterns of life are somehow transformed into a mission - and the slow circling patterns change into a driving chord progression symbolizing action and intent. Even so, this first iteration of verse and theme is simply the exposition of these ideas, and in the second iteration the idea is that the mission becomes real. There is a new sense of urgency and the verse expands to tell of a lost battle where the hawk hits rock bottom before rising to fly again. Then a completely new theme is introduced with a sentimental note. The saga zooms out to communicate the idea that years of training in the ordinary moments now lead to success and accomplishment, a unity of the beautiful space in between the teaching of the past and the teachers who lead the way into the future. This moment of unity carries into the final battle, where the rhythm changes and an ultimate quest for victory ensues.

How music gets its meaning

You may be wondering how it is possible to communicate much through music. And, at the same time, you may be lost in my slightly vague and abstract portrayal of the themes in these songs. In my mind, the message of music is the harmony between intent and reflection. What I mean by that is that there were thoughts and ideas I infused into the notes, but what I heard as I composed were not my thoughts and my ideas as they were once in my mind. Composing is about listening through music just as much as it is about speaking through music, and so naturally when I share the message of my music, I want to share not just what I breathed into it, but also what was breathed into me during the process. This is a holistic picture of what I consider the authentic meaning of my music, and I think understanding the context behind my work is necessary for another person to reach this authentic meaning. 

But the amazing thing about music is that it is like a language where the same words mean slightly different things to each person who hears them. That is because the listener becomes part of the musical experience. Just as the composer hears the reflection of what he writes in the same process of composition, so the listener speaks into the song a reflected version of what he hears. All of that is to say this: while I hope that I can share my own experience of the music as a composer, I think it's also important for the listener to interact with the music on his own personal level. Maybe the description of these songs will make sense to you, and maybe you will discover something entirely new! Whatever the case may be, I hope you do connect with the music in a way that brings joy to the moment - and that you share it with others!