“Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.”
Albert Einstein
I’m reading the biography of Albert Einstein written by Walter Isaacson. One of the interesting facts I’ve learned is that Einstein’s theory of special relativity was inspired in large part by the work of the Scottish philosopher David Hume.
Hume was skeptical of knowledge that was not delivered by direct experience of the senses, and also argued that time had no absolute value or meaning. The idea that time was not absolute provided the critical final breakthrough Einstein needed to conceive his revolutionary theory.
Einstein’s greatest theories didn’t rely on laboratory experimentation nor was he building on similar work by his contemporaries in physics. Instead, he created “thought experiments” that envisioned a grand new perspective on the cosmos that extended from photons to the end of the universe and shattered the foundation of Newtonian physics.
Music students often become obsessed with practicing their craft to the exclusion of other aspects of their intellectual and personal growth. Relying on their “laboratory work” of hours and hours of practice, they seek super technique and command of vast repertoire as the crucial components of success. Important as these things may be, of more significance is the depth of ideas that musicians bring to their art.
McNally Smith College is in the process of developing a fresh approach to liberal arts education that will both reflect and extend our focus on music while deepening the appreciation of ideas that enrich musical thinking. We believe that the quality of ideas expressed in the musical language of composition, performance, or production is the distinguishing factor between timeless art and momentary success.
In the 60’s, for a short while, the Dave Clark Five was just as popular as the Beatles. But their catchy, danceable tunes were no match for the musical and lyrical sophistication that made the Beatles a true cultural force for over forty years and counting.
“A new idea comes suddenly and in a rather intuitive way,” Einstein once said. “But,” he quickly added, “intuition is nothing but the outcome of earlier intellectual experience.”
Intuition and inspiration provide wonderful sparks for the flame of creativity. Broad intellectual experience provides a rich air for this flame to burn brightly, with intensity. The well prepared musician is balanced, having developed solid technique, a broad and diverse repertoire, and a supple, energized mind fed by great ideas of many disciplines.
