Greater Boston Center for Contemplative Mind in Music
Welcome to Contemplating Music: the Greater Boston Center for Contemplative Mind in Music.
The site is bound to evolve over time, as the organization takes shape. It is intended at the outset to gather people who are interested in the role of contemplation in music to come together, explore the variety of roles that contemplation has in music, find common ground as well as differences, and encourage each other to go forward in the quest to deepen awareness and comprehension of the role of contemplative practice in music.
A central part of my vision for the center is that it be as broadly inclusive of musical types as possible. People involved in all sorts of music derive inspiration from contemplative practices coming from a wide range of traditions, whether overtly spiritual or not. The musical impulse seems to be universally human, and it is at that source that I wish for the center to begin, long before thoughts of higher or lower, better or lesser, and other judgmental ratings enter the picture. So if you have reached this page, are interested in music and how meditation, prayer, or other forms of contemplation contribute to each other or have interacted historically, then please join us in the venture, no matter what kind of music you practice or prefer.
At the moment, I will lay out a bit of a vision of what the center might be, list some areas of interest and potential activities that might be included in a shared mission that will evolve over time, and issue a call for participation in the early development of the center.
A couple of other items of potential interest:
1) I started a blog to carry my musings on Contemplating Music a year or so ago, and post thoughts there rather irregularly so far. You many be interested in the blog, as it gives a sense of my thinking on the subject. Here’s the link.
2) One of my central interests is what I think of as a contemplative method of musical analysis. I’ve got an evolving website devoted to spreading the word about it, found here.
If this venture is of interest to you, please join us in our exploration!
