Meghan Tonjes

Meghan Tonjes Instagram – ‘dumb silence of apathy, the sober silence of solemnity, the fertile silence of awareness, the active silence of perception, the baffled silence of confusion, the uneasy silence of impasse, the muzzled silence of outrage, the expectant silence of wait-ing, the reproachful silence of censure, the tacit silence of approval, the vituperative silence of accusation, the eloquent silence of awe, the unnerving silence of menace, the peaceful silence of communion, and the irrevocable silence of death illustrated by their unspoken response to speech that experiences exist for which we lack the word.’
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This awareness of silence is peculiarly human; many animals live in a more or less silent world, without themselves making much sound, and most tend to run away from noise. We can learn a lot from watching animals, especially cats, leading their mostly silent lives. As the philosopher John Gray wrote, “Humans seek silence because they seek redemption from themselves; other animals live in silence because they do not need redeeming.”
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Howard tells his pupils that the silence is as important as the notes, and the discipline of this often surprises them. But while the left hand is playing the silence between the notes, the right hand can be on top of this silence. The tiny silences are the key to articulation, the parameter that determines how a note is sounded.
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But maybe, as my friend Richard Philp wrote, “You need silence to think deeply and meaningfully. … The state of silence becomes a springboard for creativity… It is not ster-ile, it’s not a vacuum, it’s not black outer space-it’s a position of clearing out the unnecessary, of wiping the slate clean so that you are then able and free to respond to sounds that have personal meaning for you.” | Posted on 13/May/2024 19:46:21