Africa (Coltrane)
Though many students seemed to have difficulties creating a visual space of Coltrane’s “
The first part of the assignment, choosing a physical lay out for the project, ended up being the toughest. Initially, I figured I would paste words and pictures on a single sheet of paper, but that seemed hackneyed, especially once I got to class and found that that was what most people had done. I realized my original set-up was too small and lacked color. So, I used a large sheet of green paper because green was the color that came to mind when visualizing the song as a whole, which was probably because it brought to mind images of forests and plains. As I began brainstorming for images to paste on the paper, I decided that my focus for the song, the two and a half minute drum solo approximately from
Once the design was in place, the pictures and words came naturally. Though many members of the class did otherwise, I left my visual space more free and open than cluttered, representing the nature of the piece. Most of the song is devoid of many instruments playing simultaneously or a quick tempo – Coltrane, much like Monk, makes use of space, silence, and a slow tempo. The piece as a whole brought forth peaceful images to mind. Even the faster tempo portions did not seem vicious – I pictured a resting tiger rather than a roaring lion. I could almost see the vast savannah and luscious forests of
The one glaring exception was the almost three minute drum solo. At first, it seemed odd because it felt as if it had been needlessly put there. However, after a couple listens, I realized that it served a purpose while I slowly became enamored with it. The deep sound of the drum conveyed strength and quickness, symbolized by the lightning and roaring lion. Most of all, the pulsing beat reminded me primarily of the African tribes and tribal rituals. It conjured up vivid visualizations of the native people’s lifestyle, as Coltrane probably intended. Much as drums did for the tribes, the drum in the song carries the beat and sets a rhythm that creates a mood for the entire piece.
Overall, the interesting juxtaposition of the drums and the rest of the song are, in my mind, the essence of Coltrane’s work. Thus, I put the representations for both parts back-to-back, as they are starkly different and yet inevitably tied together. Though the thought process behind my visual space seems intricate, the ideas flowed very freely, especially after I had a layout in mind. I really enjoyed the experience because it caused me to open my eyes and see a song, as well as myself, in a different light. In the end, I think my surprisingly creative interpretation of the song helped ease the task of creating the visual space.
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