MUSIC MOSAIC

When a roommate first introduced me to the song “Glassworks” by Philip Glass, I was instantly taken into a fast-paced world with specific focus. A world with an eye single to the sometimes hasty progression one makes through life. For this assignment, I had originally thought of songs to which I could easily relate. These songs ranged from classy Miles Davis jazz music to the more futuristic-sounding pieces by Two Steps from Hell. Ultimately, I decided on “Glassworks” because I was entranced by the way the six movements in the song varied drastically from each other yet still seemed to flow and make sense. It was unlike the other songs I had in mind in that it was more confusing and diverse. The complete song is a little over 39 minutes long and it begins by playing a complex melody with piano as the only instrument. The chords are pretty fast and bring the listener quickly through time in an upbeat array of rhythms.

Listening to the song the first time, I visualized the narrative way people move through life, through their day, sometimes without really focusing on things around them. Typically, they move with a goal in mind and rush to get things done. That is why I chose to take pictures the way I did with the background out of focus and the foreground in focus. The form and composition of these pictures emphasizes the objects in the front and gives them a special kind of spotlight. These pictures are also lighted and colored with a more daylight tinge making one feel a little more somber--somber about the almost loneliness of the pictures and the way they represent the objects. When I listened to the song the first time, the only way I could really describe the colors I imagined would be through the color choice in these pictures. The way they seem to flow together by their coloration also helps give a sense of narrative within the pictures as well. By linking these photos together in this way, it also shows that in the rush to get things done, we sometimes don’t take the time to notice the small details.

“Glassworks” is a song that radiates emotion and gives a sense of moving through something. Because of its various movements, We get a sense of a story being told, one that could be related to life. Life in a continuous almost dreary way with a focus solely on the things to get done, ignoring other, perhaps just as important, details surrounding one’s journey.

Philip Glass "Glassworks"