The Music of the Spheres.
For someone like me who was preoccupied with the superficial expressiveness and technical skills of music, encountering this phrase was a revelation. Since then, I have constantly dreamed about what kind of music the ancient Greeks pursued as "the music of the spheres." Planets and stars, those enormous celestial bodies, moving through the universe while playing in HARMONY. How romantic is that! Even now, I get excited when I think about it.
At the same time, I have come to admire the ancient Greek philosophers who deepened their understanding of music not only as an art and craft but also as a scholarly discipline, and the Western music history that has inherited their thoughts and studies. Though I am but a tiny and obscure being, I, too, wish to explore music deeply, not only as an art but also as a study, thought, and philosophy, just like the great pioneers. From this desire, I have named this website "Music Exploration Workshop."
Seeking music that represents the harmony
The first time I composed an original piece was when I was about 22 years old. During my student days, I was a member of the university choir, spending my days deeply immersed in music by accompanying as a pianist and arranging pop songs for concerts. It was an incredibly enjoyable and fulfilling time. As an extension of that, I suddenly wanted to try writing my own song, so I wrote the lyrics and music for a mixed choral suite.
A mixed choir piece consists of four voice parts: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass. This is known as a four-part harmony, which forms the basis of "harmony," a fundamental element of Western music. At the time, I was also deeply influenced by the Franco-Flemish school and was captivated by polyphonic music.
The four voice parts play different melodies horizontally, yet the vertical axis of the chords also resonates beautifully. I found four-part harmony fascinating and realized the depth of polyphony and counterpoint. With these thoughts in mind, I completed 11 choral pieces over the course of about ten years. This was my first experience with composing music.
