The Suno platform, whilst still evolving, has rapidly proven wonderful for translating some poems into songs. All poetry was originally performance poetry: it was composed to be voiced in public, delivered as speech, chant, or song rather than silently read. The lyric preserves that origin in its name—poetry sung “to the lyre”. Currently, Suno regenerates the song every time, so the editing process is clumsy; that will change, probably in a matter of weeks. However, here are four songs. One is about the routines of writing, another about Isaac Newton, and a third I made for my granddaughter, Meadow. Tip Tap Rap has just been produced and owes something to Andrew Lloyd Webber, but not much. So, we have an opera about writing and remembering, a country and western song about gravity, a jig, and a musical about dementia. And a song made from Germanic verbs and adverbs. Remarkable.
POEMS AS SONGS
‘Ma’ makes its appearance in the original poem about gravity. In Japanese, "Ma" (間) is an important concept meaning space, gap, pause, or interval, emphasising the meaningful emptiness between things, crucial in art, design, music, and conversation for balance, rhythm, and allowing presence to stand out, like silence in music or negative space in art. It's the stillness that gives shape to sound, the space in a room that defines it, and the pause that adds weight to words.
Key Aspects of Ma (間):
Negative Space: The deliberate absence of objects is as important as their presence, as seen in Japanese gardens, architecture (like tatami rooms), and floral arrangements (ikebana).
Time & Silence: It's the pause in music, the silence in conversation that emphasises meaning, and the quiet moments for reflection.
Balance & Harmony: Ma creates space for things to breathe, allowing for harmony, clarity, and a sense of calm.
Aesthetic Principle: It's the essence of Japanese minimalism, valuing what's not there as much as what is, fostering a sense of completeness.
Noh Theatre: Deliberate pauses and stillness.
Architecture: Minimalist design with uncluttered spaces.
Conversation: Meaningful silences or "hmm" (まあ) to convey thought.
In essence, Ma isn't just empty space; it's an active, meaningful void that defines and gives value to space and surrounding occupation.