Axioms

I loved studying Euclidian Geometry in high school. I loved the formality of geometric proofs, the creativity and sense of discovery they provided.

And I loved that the entire geometric world could be built by manipulating Euclid’s five simple Axioms. He basically said, “If we can agree that these five things are true, we can derive everything else we need to know from them.”

(We’re not going to talk more about Euclidian Axioms, don’t worry.)

I think it’s possible to boil down your musical worldview into a few simple axioms, too, and derive the decisions you make and the weight you give to various musical experiences from them. But it’s better to say them out loud. One of the things I will do over the next few weeks is create my own set of axioms for my musical worldview; I’ll share them in August, but would welcome you to do the same.

What must you assume as inarguably true to derive everything you believe about music? Can you state it in just five statements, like Euclid?

If you have thoughts, please contact me and let’s talk about it. We can talk Euclidian Geometry, too! Or not, you pick.