When I can't offer a more concise definition of a word, I usually let Webster's Dictionary do the talking for me.  It defines aesthetics as "the study or theory of beauty and of the psychological responses to it; specifically, the branch of philosophy dealing with art, its creative sources, its forms, and its effects."

While writing my previous article "Simplify," I began thinking not only of how people these days don't take the time to simply breathe, but also how many don't stop to appreciate beauty.  Beauty is definitely in the eyes of the beholder.  One person might regard something to be beautiful, while another might find it to be unattractive.  Sometimes beauty is an obvious and tangible physical quality.  Beauty could also be something esoteric, requiring one to look past superficial characterisitcs to find it.

It doesn't matter what each of us finds to be beautiful.  It is more important that we take the time to enjoy and honor it.  In fact, we need to consciously seek it out from time to time.  We are happier when we surround ourselves with beautiful things, whether they are material objects, the people we love, or the dreams we hold dear.  To sit and contemplate those that stir our souls, without deadlines or the pressures to accomplish tasks by a certain time, can bring us more peace and a greater sense of well-being.  The old saying "Stop and smell the roses" is certainly relevant here.

Music is a much more pleasurable activity for me when beauty is involved in the process.  If my sound or someone else's tone is making me happy, I can find beauty in it.  Inspiring playing environments, either at gigs or in my home studio, are pleasing to me because of their beauty.  A beautiful instrument can bring great satisfaction as well.  An instrument can't just be beautiful on the outside though, in order to hold my attention.  It needs to play and sound in an inspiring way to me.  I don't care if a guitar costs $10,000 and has the most gorgeous flametop in the world.  An ugly guitar that plays easy and sounds fantastic will always be more beautiful to me.

Beauty sometimes does not reveal itself on first glance.  I have encountered people that I didn't think much of upon initial meeting, only to have them become very important to me as time progressed.  I have played guitars that didn't overwhelm me the first time I picked them up and then they later become favorite instruments of mine.  There are instances when beauty arises from decidedly less than beautiful circumstances.  Diamonds, after all, originate from coal.

My aesthetic tastes tend to balance form and function.  I like simplicity married with a sense of style and elegance.  My Gibson ES-335 that I am holding in the pictures to the left of this page is a great example.  The 335 is a classic and simple design that has been around for a long time.  Yet the blue sparkle finish is unique and flashy enough to stand out without being gaudy.  Of course, my Klein guitar, which draws a lot of attention when I use it, is another kind of beauty to me.  It is very avant garde (and some might say ugly) in its styling, but it plays and sounds beautifully.  It took me a long time to get past the looks of it because it does not resemble a conventional guitar, however it has a vibe about it that makes it beautiful to me.  Upon closer examination and experience, we might find something or somebody to be beautiful that we never figured could be.

Our psychological responses to beauty differ from individual to individual.  All of us have different aesthetic tastes.  The most important thing is to appreciate the things that make each of us happy.  In a day when art and music programs are being de-emphasized in many segments of society, including schools, it is crucial to not lose connection with the things in life that reflect beauty in its purest essence.  Music is just one way to stay in touch with this.
 

Jason