“To me, the greatest thing in jazz music is for all of us to be kind of spontaneously composing together, to take something somewhere and take the audience with us. That’s like the pinnacle.” — Fred Hersch
Right said, Fred.
(from “In Conversation with Fred Hersch” by Ted Panken)
I’ve had a revelation.
I want us singing.
By singing, I mean camp songs, children’s songs, ditties and doowop, and classics — from Bach to The Beatles. Work songs, play songs and pretend songs. Theme songs, heart songs, and soul songs.
By us, I mean families and friends, companies and coworkers, schoolkids and grad students. Elders and ingenues. Amateurs and pros.
It doesn’t matter if you think you can’t sing. Or if you can read music, or if you know the names of the notes. Or what those Italian words printed in italics (hmm) in the music mean.
To me, singing isn’t about that stuff. It’s about other stuff — good stuff, fun stuff, enaging and feeling connected to others stuff. Self-expression and taking chances stuff.
I want us to experience the joy of letting loose, connecting with each other, and swimming in a pool of resonance. I want us to engage, move and delight each other. To reach accord — to live harmoniously. (Remember, I’m out to change the world.)
First things first. Let’s bringing singing back.
“Let your soul do the singing.” — Ma Rainey (to Billie Holiday)
…
So, out of curiosity, I decided to pay attention to the songs I found myself singing this week. Not the songs I was practicing or learning. Not the songs I decided to sing.
No, the other ones. You know, the ones you’re humming (not so) quietly when someone says to you “Are you singing?” (Hmmm … Maybe this only happens to me? *smile*)
Here’s the list. (Let’s not read too much into it, okay?)
Happy Friday!
(I apologize if you are unable to stop humming these ditties today. *smile*)
