Michael Robinson

Inspiration Point

Cover art if hand silkscreened paper from Japan

 

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1. Inspiration Point (1991) 60.13

meruvina: strings

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Composed, Programmed, Mixed and Designed by Michael Robinson

Recorded and Mastered by Catharine Wood at Planetwood Studios

Inspiration Point is one of the extended pieces written before I began studying India's raga form.

The inspiration to write long, meditative compositions began after hearing a performance of Morton Feldman's String Quartet, performed by the Kronos String Quartet in 1980 at CalArts.

However, I was unable to find a way to realize my idea until hearing a concert of North Indian vocal music at Washington Square Church in Manhattan in 1987.

That performance conveyed to me the unique mixture of rasa and timelessness that are essential elements of the opening alap - touch a color - section of the raga form. Hearing this music in person actually taught me how I could begin writing long, meditative compositions. Someday, I hope to do some research and find out who the performers were who had this great influence on my musical life.

The first composition that utilized my new insights was Cave Pond, from 1987. Some of the extended pieces that followed reached extraordinary lengths, Tropical Sun being three hours, Distant Times at six hours and Mer lasting twelve hours.

Sea of France and Dark Yellow are perhaps most closely related to Inspiration Point.

Almost two years after moving to Los Angeles, in October 1990, I visited Will Rogers State Park in Pacific Palisades one summer afternoon.

There is a winding trail you can follow up to the top of a mountain with exceptional panoramic views of the ocean, mountains and city.

It was in this setting, with a perfect combination of warming sun, cool breezes and a fine ether-like mist rising from the ocean, that I heard and felt the continuous harmonic resonance, and embracing melodic voice that became Inspiration Point.

The music is scored entirely for strings.

In this, and the other pieces I have mentioned above, my deep attraction to the alap section of the raga form was anticipated.

Nagamani and Astral Palace are two recordings released after my raga studies began that are pure alap, without any percussion instruments.

At the premiere of Inspiration Point in the Beverly Hills Library performance auditorium was Dr. Donald Rose, a software engineer and AI consultant for Rockwell Space Systems and NASA, who later put me in touch with Herbie Hancock who took my call and we talked for hours about jazz, Indian classical music and music technology.

I invited Herbie to meet for coffee, but he said if he had any extra time he would use it to sleep, finding himself falling asleep at the computer every night.

My idea to Herbie was to record duets with Lee Konitz, who he said was one of his favorite jazz musicians, and Lee was into it, too.

Of course, what Herbie ended up doing is recording duets with Wayne Shorter instead, a shame because I find Lee's playing infinitely more riveting and engaging, but I suppose Herbie felt more comfortable with a longtime colleague, and perhaps the record company balked at Konitz for being the most abstract jazz artist in history together with his teacher Lennie Tristano.

After the performance of Inspiration Point, the entire second half of my concert, Don, who I was meeting for the first time, approached me and enthused, "That's one of the greatest compositions I've ever heard!

- Michael Robinson, May 2000, Los Angeles

© 2000 Michael Robinson All rights reserved