Shinya Lin
Acerca de
MA
(2020-2022)
MA introduces the surroundings of life force, living places connected to the human inner self, and the breath that sustains ordinary life.
I found that in a society that is full of rapid information and resources, full of distractions from tittytainment separate people from feeling the life itself, and social constructs are swirling people into categories. But as an artist, being aware is essential, but how about being involved? My practice has been more on seeing the whole world, outside of the social constructs, not being involved in the swirl but being aware of what is happening and how I could contribute to the humanity.
This project MA, inspired by a trip realizing the breath of life, the interconnection between life and surroundings, the interpenetrations of life experiences, the liveness resonated with the present, thus waking us up to the very life we are being. Where “Giving” is one of the most important parts among my practices, everything in every life is essential, the moment we breath in we immediately feeling the life itself, being open to everything, being compassionate and loving others; dedicating the self with no ego, no takes, just giving and embracing, like Mother Nature.
For the world and people that are suffering and struggling with their affirmation of being, MA curate healing from recognizing the soundscapes in the lifestyle, the living pulses between human connections, and a strong inner heart that hold us believe and live. The inner practice is essential in humanity, especially in a world that history kept repeating itself and society turned into a mass chaos, what human has ability to improve are love and compassion, not only toward each other, but as a whole, interpenetrating with the universe. MA provides spatial breath deeply and slowly, via soundscapes walking through places with lives, and walking through an ordinary life with surroundings that we encounter, thus become more aware to the happenings, embrace what we have with the love and compassion, to see the life itself celebrates.
MA has two meaning, in Japanese describing the space of life, a pause in time, and the space in between two sounds, which I was firstly introduced by Takemitsu’s visions; And Massachusetts, where most of the pieces took place from, and it was where I found my life path and developed my inner sounds.
My vision of this project is to recognize the interconnectedness between human beings and the universe, to feel the energy and life force towards a state of oneness as a whole. By celebrating life in every moment and cultivating love and compassion for all beings, we can elevate human consciousness and promote a better world.
Musical studies and approaches –
The instrumentation included prepared piano, bass, and drum set. One of the essential studies of the prepared piano is the treatment of the sounds, whether it is percussive or timbral. This project is the research of using timbres, applying sounds to the body of the spectrum.
Every piece has their own compositional methods and approaches related to how I explored the places where – its geography, its surrounding livings, villages and communities, and the sounds that were introduced from the ordinary life.
Most pieces have a non-specified time structure, where I was imagining a 20mins-40mins bracket, some could go more than hours, even forever circulating. Although the instructions and notations are very detailed, they are all required highly focused awareness on improvisations, whether it is on time, structures, techniques, forms, material selections, space, preparations, or the choice of sounds, etc.
Compositions
Walden – for Henry David Thoreau:
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Walden was inspired by Thoreau and Walden Pond, where he had lived. I was walking and exploring through the pond, feeling the ground and life, touring through places all by steps and breath. Reading the book ‘Walden’ by Thoreau expanding the life of self-reliance and solitude, living in the woods and breath in natural pulses, without engagements from social constructs, a total inner world with nature.
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Musically-
The structure is based on how I walked through the pond, and how I engaged with the surroundings which reflected from the pond. By walking through the trails and grounds, and breathing with the trees and nature livings, the pulses of life took me further. As I reached to Thoreau’s house and the railroad that was hidden behind the pond, I felt strong emotions, where at that point I was hearing the life forces knocking, and the natural livings engaging.
Patterns v.s. Themes? The main structure consisted of walking patterns, that take us through the Walden Pond from feeling the ground, and ask us to breath along with the pulses that would be triggered by surroundings. By then we realize the reflection of surroundings is celebrating every living moment.
Between Woods – for Toru Takemitsu:
The sketches and concepts of Between Woods were composed in a wooden cabin in the mountain near Concord, I was walking around the villages and forest, engaging with the lives and feeling their pulses, living by myself surrounding with few essential living elements.
Musically-
The form is an unlimited timeless circulation, touching through the surroundings
with path and breath in that moment, celebrating the life reflected by the moment, parts as main characters on inner self, timeless living component (in here camp fire), and the surroundings that interpenetrate.
Between Woods (2020)
Breathing of solitude
Respond by the resonance
of woods’ life density
Energy, Breath, Lives, Cracks
Fire, went in layers
breaking the breath
taking apart but creates pulse
The reflection sound from nature
river flows, burning woods
taken the act of breath.
Rockport
A lively village besides the ocean, light house, layered rocks, sea lives, tiny and delicate local shops, human beings around the ocean, sounds of the wave, winds, and rocks. Silence vibrates with the breathing of pulses; winds touch through lively beings affirming life becoming oneness.
Musically-
Rockport was inspired and using ‘gamut’ method from Cage, structure was written based on how I walked through the scene, the theme was introduced in a setting then carried on to fragments that performer was given materials and they were asked to improvise on the route approaching the fragments as choosing the scenes and objects to observe and connect.
Rock (2020)
Intervallic, in between
wave force; collide
textures, movements, life
erode, cover
interaction, color, sounds,
freedom, living pattern, breath
layers