Viewing: Youth - View all posts
A BRUTAL TEACHER
"Experience is a brutal teacher.
But you learn -- my God, do you learn."
—C.S. Lewis
"In youth we learn; in age we understand."
—Marie Von Ebner-Eschenbach
"A learning experience is one that tells you,
You know that thing you just did? Don't do that."
—Douglas Adams
THE CLASS CLOWN
The Class Clown is an iconoclast who gets noticed. Unlike the cool kids who focus on fitting in, he asserts his personality through humor and thrives on being different, unafraid of failure. Counterintuitively, he may win the very popularity contests that he mocks.
THE ZEALOT
The Zealot can explain neither the intensity of his enthusiasm nor the extreme degree of his uncritical devotion. Is he merely an inspired mortal, or is he possessed of a supernatural afflatus? What is the source of his fanatical belief/behavior?
THE DEPRESSED
The Depressed person will sometimes remain in an unpleasant situation even when he is able to escape. His depression in adulthood may be related to the instability of his relationships, during infancy, with adult caregivers.
THE CHILD WITHIN
The Child sees mystery everywhere. Maturity is a narrowing of the imagination. Within each of us is the child we once were; this child within is the foundation upon which we build who we are and what we will become.
CATS
"It may sound far away, but it's closer than you think!
One thing is for sure though. Trouble is trouble,
no matter where you are."
—Felix the Cat
"I think it's a fine thing that a man on the doorstep of death
can still look at a woman like me with what I call
deserved appreciation."
—Maggie the Cat
"We shall overcome!"
—Fritz the Cat
DISAMBIGUATION
PUT ON YOUR BASIE BOOTS
"Some men are searching for the Holy Grail,
but there ain't nothing sweeter than riding the rail."
—Tom Waits
"Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again;
we had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life."
—Jack Kerouac
"Galloping around the cosmos is a game for the young."
—James T. Kirk
THERE'S NO PLACE
"I don't have any great love for Chicago.
What the hell, a childhood around Douglas Park isn't very memorable.
I left Chicago a long time ago."
—Benny Goodman
"The desert is so pretty, especially at sunset.
And the Mexican food over there is outstanding, you know.
But we wanted to play jazz, so...."
—Art Farmer
"Man, they gave me a key to the city!
Can you imagine, going back to Indiana and getting the key to the city?
That made me feel pretty good."
—Freddie Hubbard
SAMUEL RAMEY ON SESAME STREET ~ "L Toreador"
SAD CHILDHOOD
PARABLE OF THE TWO BILLIES
“Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place,
but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid
the wrong thing at the tempting moment.”
~Benjamin Franklin
ALL IN THE GAME, YO
PROGRESS
THIS LITTLE LIGHT OF MINE
On this day in 1885, the Statue of Liberty arrived in the New York Harbor, a gift from the people of France, designed by Frederic Auguste Bartholdi.
The statue became a symbol of hope, welcoming immigrants to the USA.
On her pedestal is inscribed "The New Colossus" by American poet Emma Lazarus:
Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me.
I lift my lamp beside the golden door.
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me.
I lift my lamp beside the golden door.
It's interesting to contemplate this sonnet today.
Here in Anglozona, where I make my home, immigration remains a divisive and hotly debated issue as we approach the centennial of our statehood.
The word "immigrant" carries a strong negative connotation around these parts. Apparently, we palefaces forget that we are the aliens. Our claim to this territory is quite recent, and dubious at best.
I don't know the Tohono O'odham or Apache name for the white man's arrival, but I don't believe we were "greeted as liberators."
I do know that the shameless land-grabs of northern Mexico, which our history books disguise with convenient euphemisms (treaty, purchase, Manifest Destiny), are referred to in Mexican texts as The North American Invasion.
Nevertheless, it's 2011, and here we are.
And there stands Lady Liberty, lifting her lamp, welcoming immigrants.
I'm celebrating her anniversary by seeing the movie Green Lantern, which opens today.
It seems fitting.
My favorite comic book from childhood, Green Lantern is an inspirational superhero space opera.
It tells the story of myriad aliens, coming together in teamwork and harmony, heroically using their creative imaginations, strength of will and light to overcome the evil, destructive power of fear.
JOSEPH CAMPBELL ~ On Becoming an Adult
MAHNA MAHNA ~ The Muppets
ARE YOU EXPERIENCED?
"It is a pity that, as one gradually gains experience,
one loses one's youth."
~Vincent Van Gogh
"What one has not experienced, one will never understand."
~Isadora Duncan
"You live and learn. At any rate, you live."
~Douglas Adams
THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE
When I was at Berklee in the 80s, the Boston jazz community was teeming with talented trumpet players.
There was the brilliant INGRID JENSEN, who had the freshest sound in town, the legendary HERB POMEROY, a lyrical master of bebop, and the ultramodern TIM HAGANS, a harmonically adventurous improviser of the Woody Shaw school. DAVE BALLOU was known for his pitch-perfect intonation and musicality, JEFF STOUT for his uncanny way with a standard, and KEN CERVENKA for his inventive spontaneity. GREG HOPKINS could break your heart with a ballad, while the always soulful KENNY RAMPTON made the trumpet sing like no other. There was also the spirited ROY HARGROVE, a musical chameleon steeped in Blue Note tradition, the explosive ANDY GRAVISH, who channelled Freddie Hubbard at will, and TONY THEWET, a playful prankster with a gift for infectious island rhythm.
The scene was inspiring, to say the least, but it could also be quite intimidating. I was playing trumpet more than flugel in those days, and trumpet players tend to be a bit competitive by nature. Nevertheless, I tried to learn something from everyone and carve out a niche for myself.
Inevitably, whenever I grew confident about my place in the pecking order, I'd hear someone new who blew my mind.
In those moments, I felt like someone who had stumbled into the world of Highlander holding nothing but a pocket knife.
Like the time I worked on Brandt #6, a challenging etude for trumpet.
I had to sweat the thing for weeks before I could make its awkward intervals sound even remotely musical.
After I don't know how many hours in the practice room, I was finally ready to play the piece for my teacher. Sure enough, the hard work had paid off.
I was feeling pretty good about myself until the trumpet player in the adjacent studio began to mimic what I'd just played, only effortlessly, by ear, at a brighter tempo, and doodle tonguing it like Clark Terry.
But what really took the wind out of my sails was when he started cycling the melody through the keys.
I decided I'd better go over there, find out who it is, and pay my respects. Apparently no one had ever told this guy that playing the trumpet is difficult.
And that's how I met GREG GISBERT.
~DM
WHAT MUSIC IS FOR ~ Bootsy Collins
When I was coming up, we weren't trying to get a hit or to get paid, we were just trying to do our thing. Truth is, the only thing we really wanted was to get out there and get recognized for our originality.
After that happened, we said 'OK, all right, so now what? What's it really all about?' Well, at the end of the day, what it all boils down to is this: we're all riding on the same boat. And we have to learn how to deal with each other, to get along.
So that's what music is for — to bring us together.
CORN PONE
Whooo, I've been craving CORN PONE all day!
For my yankee friends, corn pone is one of the most beloved comfort foods in all of southern cuisine: a thick cornbread that's been cooked over a fire in a cast iron skillet.
There are many ways to enjoy corn pone. Some folks like to bake it in the oven and serve it with a bowl of beans or hearty stew. Others like to mash up warm chunks of the stuff into a cold glass of buttermilk, then devour the entire mixture, dessert-style, with a long spoon.
As for me, I like corn pone best when it's been fried in butter until the edges are as brown and crunchy as hushpuppies.
Readers of Mark Twain (not to mention friends of my Dad) are no doubt already familiar with "corn pone humor," the southern gentleman's ready penchant for pulling your leg, making silly, off-color jokes and telling the tallest and most ridiculous of tales.
As you might have guessed, people can be corn pones, too. Southerners affectionately tease unsophisticated country folks for acting "like a corn pone."
More often than not, the designation is intended not as an insult, but as a term of endearment for the best kind of friends — the ones back home who never put on airs, like you for who you are, and get along easily with just about anybody.
TO QUOTE OSCAR WILDE
WHAT I LEARNED FROM SUPERHEROES
Like many who grew up before the era of personal computers and video games, I spent countless hours in my youth reading the adventures of superheroes in comic books.
Here are 12 of my favorites and what I learned from each:
1. SUPERMAN — Rise to the occasion. Be courageous, respectful, honorable and selfless. Your strength comes more from your character than your talent. Remember that even the greatest of us has an achilles heel, and sometimes needs solitude. Usually, however, it's possible to hide in plain sight!
2. SPIDER-MAN — With great power comes great responsibility.
3. GREEN LANTERN — Your imagination and willpower are the only real limits to what you can create.
4. BATMAN — Childhood trauma can be a source of strength. Facing your fears can be transformative. And having the right equipment is half the battle.
5. X-MEN — Evolve! Celebrate diversity.
6. WONDER WOMAN — Strong women are sexy.
7. IRONMAN — Dress for success. Clothes make the man. There will be setbacks, but don't let your flaws define you. And innovate! A better version is always possible.
8. FANTASTIC FOUR — There is power in teamwork.
9. THE FLASH — Be the best at what you do.
10. THE HULK — Never judge a book by it's cover. You can't know what a man is capable of simply by looking at his appearance...especially what he might be capable of if he gets angry.
11. CAPTAIN AMERICA — Know your mission. Be willing to take a stand, even if it's unpopular.
12. THOR — Remember your birthright, but don't seek glory. If you do the job right, you'll get it anyway.
~DM
BEYOND CATEGORY
In his book Jazz Modernism, Alfred Appel recounts the colorful, true story of a moment shared between Charlie Parker and Igor Stravinsky at New York's Birdland jazz club.
It's a Saturday night in the winter of 1951. The house is full, Charlie Parker's band is cookin' on the stage, and unbeknownst to the leader, Stravinsky is in the audience, listening attentively.
The author vividly describes how Bird, immediately upon recognizing the celebrity composer at one of the front tables, begins to pepper his solo with brilliant interpolations of "The Firebird Suite," causing Stravinsky to smile broadly, pound his cocktail glass on the table and "roar with delight."
I love this story!
As someone who appreciates music across many genres, I'm delighted but not surprised to learn that Stravinsky and Parker, both icons within their respective musical traditions, not only admired but actively listened to each other's work.
Such an attitude of openness and mutual respect is typical among master musicians. Explorers by nature, great artists rarely concern themselves with labels or limits. Instead they change history by transcending the very disciplines they master, becoming what Duke Ellington called "beyond category."
How wonderful, too, that both Stravinsky and Parker, though towering geniuses of modern music, shared a playful sense of humor! The lesson: creative maturity means a childlike enthusiasm for whatever comes next.
~DM