"A painter paints pictures on canvas. But musicians paint their pictures on silence."
— Leopold Stokowski
1882 - 1977
British Orchestral Conductor
Have you ever listened to silence? These days it is hard to find silence, because there is so much white noise. Even in nature there is little silence. We hear the wind, the insects, the birds and the animals. We fill our days with noise from the moment we wake until the moment we sleep. We turn on the television, plug in our I-Pods, and turn on our computers. And some of us are afraid of silence. If silence appears in a conversation, we become nervous. Many of us can't be home by ourselves without turning on the TV or the radio so we have noise. And cell phones allow us to stay connected to human voices so we don't feel alone even if we are deep in the woods. I believe silence is a good thing and that we need to find ways to enjoy it more. As an artist and writer I need silence to hear the voice of my muse. Too much chaotic noise blocks the sweet voice of my muse. Do you run from silence or have you learned to appreciate it?
Here is a video of Leopold Stokowski conducting Tchaikovsky. Watch his hands paint the silence. Fantastic1
