Jacob Collier: Music's 'Wiggle' and Life's Curves

This collective experience offers both connective and vibrational effects. Jacob Collier describes the emotional movement inherent in music as "the wiggle."

In contrast, wiggles embody flexibility, resilience, and fluid motion, aligning with natural forms. Collier references Alan Watts' observation that nature itself contains no straight lines.

All fundamental aspects of music are learned through an iterative process of play and exploration.

Melody functions by drawing a line from one point to another, narrating a story as it unfolds. Collier demonstrated this principle using Louis Armstrong's classic song, 'What a Wonderful World.' A well-crafted melody arc intentionally shapes the listener's journey, guiding them through its narrative.

Rhythm is deeply concerned with time and physical engagement, prompting the body to move. This motion and playful interaction provide a dynamic foundation for the melody to converse with. Effective rhythm generates space, structure, and contributes to compelling storytelling within music.

Harmony, described as the 'wiggles between the wiggles,' tells an emotional narrative by combining various notes to create tension, release, dissonance, and consonance. Different chords can dramatically alter the emotional weight and 'color' of a single melody note. Techniques such as building tension, providing release, utilizing dissonance, and resolving into consonance are fundamental drivers of emotional storytelling in music.

Being in harmony does not imply singing the identical note as everyone else, nor does being in time mean strictly adhering to a rigid line. Life, much like music, rarely unfolds in predictable straight lines, instead presenting numerous curveballs, ups, and downs. Collier emphasized that individuals must choose to yield, bend, and soften in response to these challenges, rather than stiffening up and breaking.