“Musical Vibrations”

“And above all other delights, be they discussion or artwork, floated the music that filled this room. Skylar and his guests orchestrated the music, like Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons,” to match the atmospheric conditions of the moment: it might be dreamy, romantic, playful, exotic, transcendental, assertive, or childlike depending on their mood at the time it played. They took pains to assure that selections fit the time of day and year, the personalities gathered in the room, and the emotional tenor of the party. Not only the music but the lyrics had importance: they acted as the voice of the collective feelings of the communers. If a record that found its way onto the turntable rendered audible the innermost thoughts of the friends assembled in the room, it proved that its choice had been skillfully made. But within the general atmosphere of a space, innumerable fluctuations of heat and chill, sunshine, cloudiness, moisture, aridity, and electrical charge occur over time. On the May afternoon under discussion, human and meteorological conditions converged. Spring reigned outside Skylar’s room and the young people inside it pulsed with life force. Sunlight streamed through the window and balcony door; smiles of mutual acceptance and camaraderie shone on six faces. The May day seemed relaxed and at ease, as did the guests in the tower. Even the fragrance of the in-borne hyacinth was complemented by a faint jasmine perfume emanating from Hebie’s neck.”