[March 2005 journal entry]
A few months ago, I began to study music theory through personal research/reading and through tutorial discussions with a musician friend. In my youth, I learned to play several instruments (e.g., the piano, the trombone, the baritone, the trumpet, the guitar). I have continued to play the piano. However, I gained little understanding of music composition/theory. The impetus for beginning this study of music composition/theory has been my desire to see/hear Dietrich the musician (specifically, the pianist) in his actions/thoughts (particularly in the prison letters). I have long been aware of the places in the prison letters where he draws explicitly from music composition/theory. As photography has become increasingly grounding/centering/defining for me as a ‘non-religious’ exercise over the past several years, my desire to see/hear more clearly/insightfully Dietrich the musician has grown.
