Details and Connections to Surrealism/Kafka
One quote that stood out in Barlett's Familiar Quotations is the opening quote from Kafka's The Metamorphosis. See quote below.
As someone who read The Metamorphosis in a philosophy class, I not only feel it connected to surrealism but also the message of a musician's high.
In The Metamorphosis, while Gregor (the main character) does not die until the end, not only does his body transform from a human to an insect, but so does his personal identity shift over the course of the novella in regards to his behavior within his newly acquired body as he adjusts to living within it. His transformation indeed does not instantly occur with his bodily shift but is rather a drawn-out transition propelled. Here, I see a connection with a musician: performing often leads to an out-of-body experience like Gregor in The Metamorphosis. The process leading to said experience is unknown and difficult to replicate, especially given that much happens in the unconscious state of mind. Much like Gregor who tries to comprehend his new body as an insect, I try to understand the process of a musician's high.
In pondering and making this project, I think I answered my own question: music is a musician's most familiar quote - from unconsciously humming pieces to having perfect pitch.
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