I'm writing an essay on rhythm for a new book that my friend Ned Bustard is editing. It's coming along, and I'm encouraged thus far. Here's an excerpt:
"There is a... kind of music that surrounds us at all times and places. This is the music of the natural world, the language of plants and animals, wind and weather, even the chatter of mechanical things that humans use, cars, trucks, traffic, electrical appliances, tools and implements. Humans are beings that seek consistency, pattern, and dislike changes that interfere with that pattern. There are natural cycles that we engage in and respond to and that we observe in the world around us. It almost seems that if we could pull far enough back from our understanding of time, we would be able to hear all of these noises together and discern a larger movement of harmony or dissonance in the whole. Classically, this is akin to the 'music of the spheres'. We might also refer to these phenomena as 'rhythm'."
Of course, sometimes I need inspiration, which is why I was glad when my friend Ed turned me on to this classic clip from the muppets:
