So, it's been a while since I last posted. I am currently taking a studio class in furniture design. This studio's theme centers on objects of nostalgia. Our first assignment was to choose an object that we have a particular emotional attachment to, something that represents a memory or feeling that we wouldn't want to lose. I chose my jazz mouthpiece for my trombone from high school. I still miss jamming in the mornings with the band (Elements) before class.
The mouthpiece is the most personal part of a brass instrument, the one that the player connects to the most. This piece represents a musical and social experience that has shaped my attitudes about not only music, but life and friendship as well. I would not trade those memories for anything; this mouthpiece represents that relationship to me.
As a designer, I find all sorts of interesting things in its form and utility that I missed back then: the subtle curves that hint at its function, the way it responds to my body temperature by stealing and then releasing the heat of my breath, the way it shines from a distance (but shows the marks and wearing of time up close), its hard surface and soft shape. One of its most bizarre characteristics is the way its concave surface reflects a distorted view of reality. You cannot see this image, though, unless you put your face very near its surface. The act of placing your face close enough to see places your face into the mirror's primary field of view, forcing you to undergo a bizarre sort of self-reflection and examination. You may try to see the world around you from this unusual perspective, but you really just end up seeing yourself. It is an intriguing concept, one that I may or may not be able to work into a piece of furniture.
