SHE SWIMS LIKE A SYMPHONIC CONDUCTOR.
(Before reading this blog, please see reference for “Definition” of symphony vs. orchestra below or (CNTL+ Click) on the link.)
This month’s blog is about utilizing words and music to describe a young swimmer’s drive and the orchestrating of her extraordinary swimming abilities as if she’s conducting her anatomy as a symphony while working on becoming a successful Olympian.
Words alone cannot express everything in this universe. However, music, on the other hand, is more complicated as it’s also an abstraction extrapolated from an imagined sonic canvas or recognizable sounds of the known universe. Thus, anyone can acquire knowledge and skills. Furthermore, in our existence, especially for music, anywhere there’s life within our known universe, they are creative beings. It’s in the words we speak, the things we do, and the mere fact that our body is in part, an adorable and powerful instrument in the universe of a well-constructed symphony of individual movements working together as one organically created being shaped within the sphere of the cosmos.
We breathe, feel, taste, smell, see, and discern other senses for every known and imaginary vibration of sounds within and beyond our humanity. There are, in my opinion, no differences between the experiences that a swimmer enjoys having similar vicissitudes within the context of a body of water as one would have in the fidelity of a forest or within the universe of nature.
A pool of water framed according to its context is only one of the four elements (earth, wind, fire, and water. See reference link below.) in the universe of life. Water often is extracted from its natural flow for a human-made lake or pool. Furthermore, If the human being was created to be in harmony with each of its parts, so is humanity. Then, it’s fitting to believe that the body, when likened to an orchestra, is made up of individual players connected by a common thread. That means, it runs like a spine inside and out by a hidden soul similar to nature. Thus, a young swimmer provides us with a continuum of ourselves as we watch her develops into an Olympian.
Swimming within a group is similar to individual musicians playing in a band or an orchestra. On the other hand, to be the conductor of a large orchestra or the anatomy of humanity, similar to a symphony, one has to acquire knowledge and skills of each instrument as one would when relating to the framework of a living person. Moreover, her grandfather does view the human corporal structure and spirit within its framework as a symphonic orchestra composed and arranged into movements (head, shoulder, chest, abdomen, hands, and feet).
“Okay! Are you laughing? Aren’t you? Her grandfather can tell that you’re so let’s proceed.”
Granddaughter takes her position and focuses on her innate composition that she’ll be performing from within her inner orchestra. She then turns to the audience, looked around, then focused her gaze on the target. As she listens for the go, her pulsing heart kept beating time while still waiting for the coach to say go. As she eagerly waits to start, her initial downbeat, she adjusted her gargles and her cap as she poised to dive into the Olympic-size pool.
Granddaughter is calm and ready to swim but stood patiently in her position. Herself and the members of her group nervously await with anticipation. They stood on the diving board for the final signal but only listen to more instructions. They just want to get on with their practice.
She looks around once again, shaking her body and kicking her feet with the whisper of her breath hardly saying a word but feeling her position and glancing more at the pool. She measured her competitors with each glance than at her competition for whom she has the deepest of respect. Still waiting on her managing coach to blow the whistle, granddaughter continued to shaking her hands, head, and feet to free up her muscles from tightening. The others were given the go-ahead to dive as she, the only girl in her group and waiting for her signal to proceed. The coach looked over at granddaughter and gave her the warning before diving. You can see the anticipation in her attitude to dive off the diving board and into the pool like a champion.
It’s now time for her to go as suggested by her position on the diving board. Granddaughter got the ready, set and the signal to go. She quickly dove off the diving board with grace and style as she swam towards the far end of the pool and back in record time.
She advanced her well-tuned and thinly framed body progressing up and down, left and right, and in and out of the water like a conductor directing a symphony. Her hands preceded her head as she cautiously but fearlessly swam with maximum energy. The other swimmers were already in the water practicing ahead of her. Some were in the other lanes with other team members. Granddaughter then turned around as soon as she reached the farthest end of the pool and then returned to her coach who waved her on to continue. After several laps, she returned towards the start point once more.
The coach called her and the other swimmers for new instructions. It was time for the swimmers to return to practicing once again. As before, the other kids got their signals one after the other before granddaughter got hers. She was always ready to go back to the pool. The coach gave her the get-ready signal to dive. He blew the whistle on her, and she jumped right in the pool following previous swimmers in her category as the workout in a single lane with a team partner.
She dove stylistically and dynamically in the pool with a moderately loud splash followed by a soft series of kicks. She kicked as she submerged to push herself upward from the dive towards the surface within less than five seconds before emerging to catch air. Her entire body began freely making headway in time and space. She kicks the water like a rudder each calculated stroke of her hands. You could see her head going in and out up and down separating the water. It was as if she was cutting a path for her slim athletic frame to skim through faster without resistance. Her hands were conducting her every move as if taken an initial ictus from a conductor’s intended downbeat.
Notwithstanding, setting the time signature for the symphony of her body and playing organically in a harmonious serenity gave a sense of being in tune and tempo as she flows. Further, having each of her physical limbs working together in unity and dynamic changing motion as realized in her rhythmical stride. Additionally, following each stroke of her hands while keeping her head going directing her entire physical frame as she navigates straight ahead. Each melodic sound she made by the action of movements from her hands, chest, and feet and the beating and pushing against the water, harmonizes with precision and produces a consonance that pleases the ear site and the overall mood of the moment.
Each splash of her hands created a melody that often accompanied by the other members of her tiny bodily frame. The more she swims, the softer her splashes sounded until she gets out and dove back in, then a new composition begins. Each exercise of her repertoire is her symphonic musical accompaniment. The first movement was the dive-in, followed by, the breaststrokes, then the butterfly, the relay, and the backstrokes. Each distinct movement required a defined technique as an instrumentalist would know what instrument to utilize for an intended part to play in an orchestra for the symphonic overture.
Granddaughter was in her elements. She never stopped making music with her 68-pound frame as long as she was in the water. She’s a beauty to watch. Her tiny framed body makes art with every stroke each time she touches the water as she begins her routine. This young lady is developing into a first-class athlete. The way she conducts her body, and the way she flows so rhythmic and making audible sounds with every branch of her framed skeleton body, is musically pleasing. She makes it pleasurable to observe the way in which she’s carving out a path and composing with her 5’3” thinly framed body while pushing forward to the finish line. Whatever she does in the water with her body, from one movement to another, is a musical statement.
As she glides quietly and forcefully from one end of the Olympic-size pool to its opposite, she turned with precision and a burst to the surface head first followed by her tiny framed body. There’s no speculation about who’s to watch. You can see the spectator’s eyes with laser-beam focused on each stroke musically demonstrating her various styles freely each time she has to compete. She’s all about the composition of swimming to the symphony of sounds dynamically vibrating through every heart beat rapidly pulsating as she’s conducting each movement with pride that flows from deep within her competitive soul expressing her abounding joy.
L.G Neddy Smith © 2017
Reference: Definition
A symphony is a large orchestra. An orchestra is a large group of musicians who play together on various instruments, usually including strings, woodwinds, brass instruments, and percussion instruments. So, philharmonic and symphony orchestra are synonymous. Oct 7, 2015. Retrieved May 9th from https://www.google.com/search?q=international+jazz+festival+havana&rlz=1C1CHWA_enUS673US674&oq=international+jazz&aqs=chrome.3.0j69i57j0l4.26430j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#q=symphony+vs+orchestra.
Four elements of Earth
Retrieved June 29, 2017 from, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical_element
Words and Music 