Post 3: April 8th, 2020

Art and Politics

I used to think there were two types of art. There was the art that was explicitly political, like the protest songs of the Vietnam war, Yoko Ono’s “Cut Piece,” or the street art during government rebellions. And then there was the rest of art, art that was self-expressive, exploratory, often cathartic.

I believe that art is an escape. Art - music, writing, dance, poetry, design - all art, offers another realm where people can go and leave reality behind. Art creates a space where we can get lost, for however briefly, and forget about the stresses of our daily lives, a space where we stop regretting the past and fretting the future and are completely immersed in the present. Art has no limitations. Art asks questions and forces people to listen and reflect. Art creates a space where people can come together, a space where everyone is equal, art can make people feel safe. Is this not the exact opposite of the messy, corrupt and greedy world of politics?

As a jazz major I have spent a lot of time looking into the past. I was learning the history of the music, listening to the great players and their infamous records, (which is incredibly important, and lineage is a whole other topic we won’t get into right now) but there came a point when it didn’t feel like quite enough. As someone who is motivated by the idea of helping others and leaving a positive impact, I started asking myself how I planned to make a difference for the future, if I’m spending my entire present in the past?

I decided to reassess. I got away, I stopped doing my regular practice routine and dedicated a lot of my time to catching up and staying as relevant as I could on what was going on in the world. Everything from global politics to new albums, I was trying my best to stay current. Part of me was excited, but a big part of me felt guilty, was I giving up? Astonishingly, after about a month of this and the initial anxiety settled, something inside of me knew that after playing the least amount I had in years, I was somehow a better musician than I was before.

So I wondered, what if art and politics aren’t as far away as I thought?  

Policies tell people how to live and interact with each other, for better or for worse. Policies dictate how people can and cannot live their lives, how we function together and interact with our environment. Art is a reflection of these societies. It is someone’s perception, observation, and expression of their experience living in this world, an experience that is undoubtedly affected by the current policies. We are affected by our environment. From this perspective, they kind of seem inseparable.

Art is liberating, it is unifying, and inherently egalitarian. Art creates a space to contemplate the intangibles - gratitude, empathy, appreciation, forgiveness, as well as anger, hurt and suffering. These are political terms, these are spiritual terms; art is the in between.

Looking back at some of my favourite artists I realize they were all political. The best artists are the ones who impact people. To impact people you need to connect and empathize with them. To connect and empathize you need to have some sort of understanding of what they are going through. Artists are activists.

Now I know a lot of artists who may hesitate with this idea - bear with me for a minute. To those creators who think politics have no business in art, what motivates you? Why do you create your art? Does it have something to do with other people? Are you seeking connection, telling a story, processing, or simply trying to create something beautiful? Have you connected the dots differently and want to share? Are you exposing the beauty in things otherwise unnoticed? This is your experience with the world around you. These are your connections, your observations and whether you are aware of them or not, you and the ones around you are affected by the policies that have been put in place. Your art is a perception of someone living in today’s society, a reflection of the world around you. You are creating and participating in a culture that will one day be studied in history classes. You are political.

I ask the same to those who seek art; why?

When I use the world “politics,” I don’t mean knowing the names of every politician, our annual GDP or the title of the piece of legislation being proposed. Knowing our political system is one thing, (and good on you if that’s your thing!) but politics goes beyond that. I’m talking about being a human being, capable of feeling, in a society with others, I’m talking about refusing ignorance, listening, and seeking understanding. These are artistic terms; these are human terms. We need art to function as societies; we need art to function as individuals. 

So I wonder, what if artists had a seat at the table? We welcome scientists and lawyers and businessmen / (sometimes) women, to offer their area of expertise because politicians need all perspectives. Artists already have the ability to motivate and inspire large groups of people, and they dedicate their lives to reflecting on the world and looking for new ways to connect the dots - are these not all qualities necessary for positive social change? What if there was an opportunity for artists to have a direct voice in policies? I feel like that would lead to some good…

Jerry Granelli once said to me, “artists are warriors.” And, although flattered by the idea, I didn’t really get it. But I think I am now finally starting to. Artists are warriors because every day we get up and reject the consumeristic society that we live in and choose to pursue something else, something complete in and of itself, for its own sake entirely. Governments have absolutely no control in your art, and ironically enough, that is a big reason why it is so very necessary to keep creating.

Art is inherently human. Where there are people there will be art, there always has been and there always will be. And to those who don’t call themselves an “artist,” you don’t have to be paid for your creativity to call yourself an artist. Let me be the one to tell you: you are an artist, and your art matters.

Before this global pandemic I had written that, "in this specialized, polarizing, disconnected world we need art more now than we ever have,” but I realize I was mistaken, NOW we need art more than we ever have. And people are realizing it for themselves. The value of art is being rediscovered, and, as weird as it is to say right now, I couldn’t be more excited. 

But then again… what do I know?

Stay safe, stay healthy, and don’t forget to check in on your pals.

- Jill

Post 2: October 27th, 2017

Defining Harmony

What does the word harmony really mean?

The oldest use of the word harmony, that I am aware of, existed over 2000 years ago by the Greek philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras of Samos. He defined Harmonia as “the divine principle that brings order to chaos.”3

Move forward another 200 years and about 7,000 km east to the first-ever medical textbook, the “Huangdi Neijing,” often translated as “The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine.” This book was written by Emperor Huang Di circa 300BC, and is still the foundation of traditional Chinese medicine used today. According to this book, the definition of disease is translated as “loss of the natural harmony within and between the organs.”2 (emphasis added).

Let’s jump forward 1500 years to today’s society and turn to one of the most researched areas in modern physics to what is called quantum field theory. Quantum field theory is defined as, “The unification between special relativity and quantum mechanics,” and it states, “…all matter and its interactions are composed of harmonious vibrations of fields.”1 (emphasis added).

Throughout all of this time, from Pythagoras to our modern physicist, harmony has also persisted in another medium: music. Now, go ask a musician to talk about harmony and I’m sure they will have a lot to say, but I bet their response will have little to nothing to do with anything written above… Or does it? Is it possible that all of these people, from all of these different fields, from different parts of the world are all referencing the same thing? In my mind, the simple answer is yes. The more I think about it the more it makes sense and the more adamant I become in refusing to accept these as mere coincidence.

From philosophy to science, health and music, what each interpretation of this word represents is a relationship - harmony exists between things. In music, as soon as you play more than one note simultaneously you create harmony. It is this connection, this relationship, this interaction that is harmony. Harmony is created in an abstract space where things come together. It is the result of different forms of energy interacting to create something stronger, or at least different, than either on its own. Harmony is essential in life; what is life without connection?

Harmony is something you feel but are often unable to define. When everything seems to be working out, life is happening, you feel almost weightless, euphoric, enveloped in a feeling of total acceptance – that is the feeling of being in harmony. To be harmonious with something is the ultimate form of unity; you belong. But the opposite is just as true. It is easy to become out of sync, whether within yourself or with the outside world, and it leaves lingering feelings of illness, loneliness and confusion. The only way back is to listen and reharmonize.

It is my opinion that music plays a very special role regarding harmony and human beings. Music is an innately human form of art and there is a reason why it has existed in every nook and cranny of this earth since the beginning of civilization. Accepting the significance harmony has in life, see that music provides us an almost tangible medium through which we can create, explore and manipulate this harmony. Musicians often say music is a microcosm of life, and here I think it couldn’t be more appropriate. Musicians and composer are able to create and manipulate a new world of connection and energy for all to experience, to create a space where the power of harmony, the power of precisely coming together in a very particular and beautiful way, to be a part of something larger than ourselves, can be experienced in a very physical sense. Through harmony we are able to create unity.

Like the art of listening, I believe harmony extends much farther beyond the realm of music, but I also believe it exists in music for a purpose – or rather, perhaps music exists to underscore the value of these elements of life.

I have so many ideas thoughts, and questions (mostly questions) about this subject, questions of natural resonance, overtones, frequencies and waves, ideas from Tesla and Royal Rife to Bach and Kenny Wheeler, but I will return to these at a later date. So if you are still reading, thank you, and I will leave with one last thought: The full power of music has yet to be discovered. Harmony is only 1 of 4 of the founding pillars of music, just imagine what would happen if all four of these pillars align in just the right fashion at just the right time, when you are ready to listen.

- Jill

Resources:

1 Alexander, Stephon. “The Jazz of Physics” Basic Books. 2016

2 Ni, Maoshing. “The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Medicine” Shambala. 1995.

3 Strohmeier & Westbrook. “Divine Harmony” Berkeley Hills Books. 1999.

Post 1: August 14th, 2017 

The Art of Listening

Listening is an art in and of itself.

Simply put, music does not exist without a listener. Sound is waves of pressure oscillating through the air. It comes from a source and goes out in every direction, interacting with other waves, bouncing off walls, filling rooms or echoing off mountains, but it is not until it reaches the listener that it can become music - something understandable, recognizable and relatable. Sound exists, but alone, music cannot. The listener brings it to life. It is an essential part of music. But listening extends much, much farther into our lives.

Now I don’t mean simply listening to someone lecture or explain something – although that is certainly one way to learn – but I mean listen to everything. Listen to yourself, your body, your breath, your heart beat – listen to what it really needs, what you may falsely desire, and what makes you truly happy. Listen to the world around you, there is a constant, overwhelming hum of sound, the wind, the trees, the birds, the people, the cars - there is so much energy that surrounds us all the time, hear it. Feel it.

Listening enables connection. As soon as you decide to listen you create a space of direct connection between you and something external that didn’t previously exist. You see, unlike the passive role of hearing, listening requires active and present participation. By choosing to listen you complete this unique milieu between yourself, sound and source. It is a space you are both contributing to and shaping, a space that is alive and malleable, a space in which through its creation alone you become uniquely and directly bonded to something else. This space is where one can learn, change, and grow. It is in this space where we can find connection, acceptance and purpose. This is the space where we defeat ignorance, and this space can only be created by you.

Listening is the predecessor of appreciation. The listener is the role of the observer, one who surrenders to experience and objectively absorbs. The only way to appreciate the beauty in life is to listen to it – allow yourself to connect with that beauty, let it have an effect on you.

The art of listening is a lifelong pursuit. Listening requires patience, presence, and selflessness; listening leads to growth, connection and appreciation. When you choose to listen, the world begins to reveal its beauty to you. If we all just spent a little more time listening, the world would be a much more peaceful place.

- Jill