Striking The Chord - 82223
“Genius is when you strike a chord accidentally, and the ensuing music is beyond your control.” — Bangambiki Habyarimana
Nothing like some music to get you going on a Tuesday. Let’s jump in!
The Daily Rabbit Hole: Bach wrote his “Inventions” so that others could better learn to … invent music.
This is worth a deeper dive on your own if you’re musically inclined in any way. Essentially, Bach took us from rote learning to endless experimentation … and we call it “classical.”
One of the major points of this newsletter is to not bring you current events, as we’re more interested in what the Internet has to offer in a timeless capacity. Though every now and then (especially when I’m behind on banking a few of these like I am at the moment1), it’s important to call out something timeless as it is happening … if you haven’t yet heard of Oliver Anthony and his sudden hit song Rich Men North of Richmond, then don’t hit play just yet. Grab some more coffee or reheat that cup and sit down to experience it in full.
Then … hit play.
(language warning)
The ‘Wait, What?’ Vortex: Trent Reznor, of Nine Inch Nails fame, accidentally wrote Old Town Road.
This made me say “wait, what” but also “I’m unsurprised.” Can we trace all modern music back to Trent Reznor in some capacity? Probably.
The chord, struck …
Oliver Anthony just smashed through a sea more divided than the one in front of Moses. It’s hard to pick apart anything the song conveys from any political side because the only side it’s on is of the people. Others will do a much better job of cutting to the intricacies that make this particular piece work, and frankly I’m not here to wade through all of that. Yet it got me asking …
What causes something to “strike a chord” ?
Searching for the answer here led me to discover that the first use of the phrase idiomatically was in the early 1800s, but that its connection to something akin to “tugging at the heart strings” was much later. It also led me down similar paths I’ve followed about how music is an essential component of memory, and just as I was about to get even deeper into my search it hit me.
It just does.
I didn’t need the Internet to tell me that.
Don’t worry, by the time this publishes it has been fixed.