For all musicians of {{One Trick Pony}}: the inside of the music makes the outside sound good. Monk once reflected on that matter, and so will we.
{{One Trick Pony}} considers everything an experiment. Music is a holy good, but the ‘creation experience’ can be lighter than you might imagine it.
A {{One Trick Pony}} believes in the importance of rules.
He believes that the smaller the creation street of your workspace, the larger the creativity.
A {{One Trick Pony}} composer works like a painter. He or she uses only one subject to create the piece with. A {{Pony}} digs deep: narrative along its horizontal line is less important than through its vertical line.
A {{One Trick Pony}} always breaks rules.
{{One Trick Ponies}} make each other sound good. They use their imagination for every note they play. Every note is equal, always.
A {{One Trick Pony}} always questions his mentors. He remembers he is always free to turn his back on them — but only does so after long consideration, when the time is right. A {{Pony}} won’t make a personal fuss, and will go in peace.
A {{One Trick Pony}} listens to all sorts of music and all sorts of sounds. Sometimes he should even try to imitate them. He doesn’t like to judge too fast. He doesn’t try to judge at all. He absorbs.
Strings are of the most beautiful instruments ever made.
A {{One Trick Pony}} says: “In the detail lies the exceptionality!”, because here he finds comfort and hope.
A list of might-have-been mentors of {{One Trick Pony}}:
Morton Feldman, Kairos, Bella Tar, Sergei Loznitsa, Alexander Cozens, Johannes Ockeghem, John Cage, David Attenborough, August Sander, Alexander von Humboldt, Aleksandar Hemon, Eugène Boudin, David Eagleman, J.D. Salinger, Monteverdi, Ray and Charles Eames, Georges Perec, Abbas Kiarostami and Daniel Johnston.
{{One Trick Pony}} uses real-life locations in nature as an inspiration for his compositions.
Musicians of {{One Trick Pony}} should be interested and open-minded towards the creator’s artistic ideas.
Music is visual. Music is an image. Embrace the image.
Don’t try to create and analyze at the same time. They’re different processes. This is a rule {{One Trick Pony}} borrows from Sister Corrita Kent.
There are a few practical rules for musicians of {{One Trick Pony}} (this list will get larger or smaller in the future):
A {{One Trick Pony}} never ignores history. Better yet: he reflects on it. He looks at history as a flying brown owl upon his territory, seeking and reflecting.
Musically, {{One Trick Pony}} favors baroque and renaissance music, 20th-century contemporary classical music, pop and electronic music. A {{Pony}} thinks favorites should always change.
A {{One Trick Pony}} finds inspiration and comfort in science and nature elements. Both elements are larger than a human being. It is always good to point at the mountain to see where you stand.
{{One Trick Pony}} musicians should stop playing the score, they should play the music.
A {{One Trick Pony}} composer writes from the land of utopia. The utopian dream is the most important stimulator. Realism needs to be reinvented on stage, location, concerts, film or graphic design.
A {{One Trick Pony}} wants to hop over fences and stride through tunnels to escape from the city via the land to the sea.
Music is the motor of {{One Trick Pony}}.
Musicians of {{One Trick Pony}} should play on mountain tops, swim in lakes, play chess or basketball.
Music is a language without grammar.
Excerpts from the One Trick Pony guidebook.