On the Meaning of Life

Commissioned for the Yamashiro Junior High School Band in Kizugawa City, Kyoto Prefecture. The theme is drawn from the book "On the Meaning of Life" by Mieko Kamiya, a doctor who worked closely with people suffering from leprosy. The director said, "Now that our daily lives are changing due to the effects of the new coronavirus, I want children to think about what it means to live and what the purpose of life is. I want this piece to be a catalyst for that."

The music expresses impressions of the words and poems quoted in the book. If I had to give each scene a title, it would be "The Language of Life," "What Deprives Us of Our Motivation, in Search of a New Motivation for Life," and "Transformation of the World of the Heart".

The entire composition has a simple form of slow, fast, and slow, with many "fast" parts using sedimentary chords of "perfect 5th + major 3rd". For example, chords such as "do, so, si, fa#" fall into this category, and by creating the sound of the major seventh degree in "do, si" and "so, fa#", you can express a more edgy and rugged sound.

A smaller group can perform this piece. (If there is only one Tuba player, play lower notes) It doesn't require advanced technique, but it does require a lot of time and attention given to philosophical (emotional) themes.

(Takafumi Hikage)