“It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.”
Opening line of 1984, by George Orwell
I’m sure we are all responsible adults and that, for the most part, we’re able to separate fact from fiction, but recent events have driven me to put something in print for all to read (if anyone is actually reading this, of course):
I will not use this blog or this medium of electronic communication to misrepresent facts or manipulate perception.
I know at this point you’re all saying, “Whew! That’s a load off my mind,” but for once, I’m not kidding. Even in this literary piffle that I write, I take very seriously the responsibility to not hand you a load of hooey in order to get my point of view across or to falsely influence your perception of an event, idea, or person. Occasionally I may push an agenda in my efforts to advocate or inform (read more books, make more time for the arts, complain about the weather…), but I will always make it clear that I am expressing my opinions or hopes, and any corroborating examples or facts I include have been backed up by fact-checking and research.
Now, at this point, you’re probably asking yourself, “What do I care if Charlie looks up the correct spelling of Captain Yossarian?” But in the big picture, this is something I am concerned about, and you should be, too: the relative nature of truth as represented in the media these days, particularly on the internet, and its impact on our overall perceptions now and into the future. When an individual can, intentionally or unintentionally, present information out of context or create spurious content that is spread to millions in a heartbeat, one has to question where we go for truth nowadays. I am, of course, referring to the deplorable incident in recent weeks surrounding former USDA official Shirley Sherrod. I am not going to climb on my soapbox to opine about shameful political motivation and outcomes that may be associated with it. I do want to shout my opinion regarding the core injustice in this story - that the whole mess was generated by information that was intentionally skewed and disseminated on the internet!
From where I stand, this is among the issues in our society that cause me the most fear for my children and grandchildren’s future: the increasing trend to accept information as truth, without any attempt to check its veracity. It’s not the deficit, it’s not global warming, it’s not the decline of civility (although that may be related) that cause me to question our legacy, it’s history’s lesson that when the people stop demanding truth or are too comfortable, naïve, or biased to question the status quo, bad things follow.
I know that since the beginning of recorded history, truth has always been elusive, and that the winners are always going to report the story with a bias towards their interests. I am aware that history is replete with examples like George Armstrong Custer, who was considered a hero and a martyr for 100 years or more until his life became synonymous with the dark history of European/ Native American relations and conflicts in North America. But throughout history, there have been repositories of fact and truth that conscientious individuals could call upon to try to discern and distribute the real story. What worries me is that in 2010, people are increasingly relying on the internet to be that source, especially young people. I myself often turn to online resources to gather facts (such as the spelling of Yossarian), and when I do, I feel a twinge. For the most part, the open source process that provides reference sites with their info is fairly successful and accurate, but you should never take what they present at face value. The creep of inaccuracy into listings and data in sources such as these can be very slow and unintentional, but it remains that you cannot take the information you read there as gospel. And there are certainly cases, such as the Shirley Sherrod / Andrew Breitbart debacle, where facts seem to have been intentionally edited out of their original context and posted on the web without warning the viewer that this was the case. Once something is posted, many folks accept it as truth, and in this age of digital editing, manipulation, and technological wizardry, that is a very scary thing.
I pledge, for whatever it’s worth, that I will do all I can to not exacerbate this situation. It would be wise for each of us to make that pledge - to not accept information outlets as being wholly accurate unless we can verify them as such, and to not perpetuate the cycle by forwarding unverified information without a disclaimer labeling it as such. In the battle for truth in this very complex world, the onus is upon each of us to hold the line and to exercise a healthy skepticism whenever necessary. Otherwise, we may find ourselves and our descendants in a society of individuals who not only no longer have the ability to do so, but aren’t even aware that they once could.
…and that is my opinion!
I couldn’t send out my message this week without including an excerpt of a note we received from Department of Music and Jazz at The Music Settlement (J@MS) faculty member Ken LeeGrand, who just returned from the Berklee College of Music’s PULSE Training Institute (PTI) and filed a report on some of our current jazz students who he observed participating in Berklee’s five- week Summer Performance Program. I think you will agree from the evidence that the music education currently being provided to these young people by The Music Settlement is second to none!
I wish everyone [from The Music Settlement] could see the fine job our students are doing at Berklee College of Music!!!! ....They are representing us in excellence!!
So far I have seen 4 of the 5 students we have attending. First I saw Jack Laskey (J@MS) in a Fusion Jazz Quartet rehearsal (keys, bass, drums and guitar). It was his first time rehearsing with this group and he wasted no time not only fitting in but writing the bridge to the original piece they were working on! He displayed his excellent solo "chops" and drew very complimentary comments from the director Robert Schlink. Even though the amp Jack was playing through was problematic, Jack did not get rattled and continued to display all of the fine musical and personal qualities we teach and talk about in J@MS!!!!!
Next I went to an R & B ensemble under the direction of Winston Maccow. Winston explained that he hadn't written the charts for Aretha Franklin's “Rock Steady,” so he sang the part and told a young trombonist from Memphis to teach it to the rest of the horns (2 trmpts, 2 alto and 2 tenor saxes). He was close but Brian Plautz (J@MS) nailed it and showed it to the section. In the meantime, Brian Benton (J@MS) was drawing great reviews on electric bass. After the rehearsal many PULSE viewers complimented him on his skills.
I've now been in 4 hours of rehearsal but I wasn't going to miss Jevaughn Bogard in his Mainstream Jazz rehearsal.... The person directing this ensemble was an older gentleman and explained that he had been at Berklee for many many years. (I'm sorry but his name escapes me.) It was obvious he knew Jevaughn because at the opening of the piece he turned to JB and asked for some of that "Ben Webster sound" for the opening solo, that JB delivered in fine fashion. He was very much like the other directors with his compliments on yet another one of our players! As he knew I was there with JB he gave me the "look and the thumbs up" many times during this rehearsal as signs of his approval with JB. He really likes JB's sound!!!
Every ensemble was filled with very talented young musicians but it was quite obvious that the students from J@MS not only are holding their own but are emerging as humble players with ability that is really being recognized by their directors. As a representative of TMS, I'm very proud of these students and the humble way they present themselves. The J@MS' Saturday school has been a great thing for these and all of the students involved!!!
Regards,
Ken LeeGrand
Have a great week!
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Thursday, July 22, 2010
All Good Books are Alike
All good books are alike in that they are truer than if they had really happened…
Ernest Hemingway
I’ve noticed lately that there is a lot of media time being given to a personal entertainment option that not only provides information and in-depth factoids, but also immerses the user in vivid imagery that engages the senses in flights of fancy, guaranteed to make the hours whiz by. This device allows users to digest its output at their own pace, and can be set aside and left for long periods of time without losing any fidelity or reverting to a default setting. What’s more, you can avail yourself of this product in several formats, and you never have to worry about a power source, adaptors, or attachments. It works just fine at either the beach or the living room and comes in very sturdy packaging. Best of all, it’s reasonably priced, and is sold at just about any retail outlet you can imagine, even at the airport.
Naturally, your first question is, “What has Steve Jobs come up with now, and how can I get it?” But you would be wrong - this device has been around for at least 550 years, and probably a whole lot longer. I am referring, of course, to a book. Not a Kindle, or an iBook, or even an Etch-a-Sketch; I mean the printed word, bound in hard or soft cover and maybe illustrated, but definitely filled with fantastic things.
Now before you start on me about being an old fogey or a Luddite or some other form of over-the-hill crank with a keyboard, here’s my point: books are hot again! As we amble through this summer, which is shaping up as the toastiest overall on record, I catch repeated stories in the media about how spending the summer reading a great book is more popular now than ever. Some librarians may disagree, but the fact is that certain authors of fiction have really lit up minds across this country. I think there was concern that the fever that gripped the younger generations (as well as us old fogeys) through the run of the Harry Potter series would abate with the conclusion of the seventh and final book, but there is ample reason to believe this is not the case. Whether its young folks devouring Diary of a Wimpy Kid, or it’s their older siblings reading any one of the vampire/ werewolf/ supernatural-themed series that abound today, good old books appear to be in demand with the “Kindle generation”. And for those of you who may question the quality of the literature, I can say personally that I don’t care what the subject matter is, as long as it’s well written, and most of my generation cut our reading teeth on fantasy anyway. C’mon, how many 50-somethings out there first got caught up in a love of books through the imaginary worlds of Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia and Dune? If it gets young folks to dig reading, I’m all for it!
It’s also interesting to note the apparent boom in book reading amongst the fogeys. I know that the best-seller lists remain full of self-help books and screeds of political diatribe, but there is also plenty of more traditional summertime fiction to be found, led by Stieg Larsson’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo trilogy. I’m sure, too, that there are plenty of folks using various electronic devices to read their selections, but everyone I know is doing it the old fashioned way -putting aside an hour or two, finding a comfortable spot, and cracking open a book. This to me is the real hook of great (and not so great ) literature - the chance to slow down the pace a bit, maybe get your mind off the day’s drudgery, and climb a tree with Captain Yossarian, get lost with Ralph and Piggy, or have a cup of tea with Emma. Reading is a solitary enterprise, of course, but a good book will deliver you into a world of complexity and fill your time with witty conversation, life-long friends, intrigue, and quite possibly danger. And guess what? If you’ve finished your book and moved on to other things, you can revisit it, and nothing will have changed, unlike almost anything else in life. Atticus Finch will still hold true to his beliefs, Gus McCrae will still ride off into the sunset, and Holden Caulfield will be waiting for you out in the rye.
What really seals the deal for me is that you can also share these worlds with others and ponder their interpretation, even if it’s different from yours. Books as gifts come with the promise of more than momentary impact, and often can provide the basis for conversation well into the future. Give one to a young person and think of it as a way to keep the cycle going; open another person’s mind to the power of the written word and give them something to do on a sultry summer afternoon. Sometimes we all need an escape from the daily grind.
Have a great week!
Ernest Hemingway
I’ve noticed lately that there is a lot of media time being given to a personal entertainment option that not only provides information and in-depth factoids, but also immerses the user in vivid imagery that engages the senses in flights of fancy, guaranteed to make the hours whiz by. This device allows users to digest its output at their own pace, and can be set aside and left for long periods of time without losing any fidelity or reverting to a default setting. What’s more, you can avail yourself of this product in several formats, and you never have to worry about a power source, adaptors, or attachments. It works just fine at either the beach or the living room and comes in very sturdy packaging. Best of all, it’s reasonably priced, and is sold at just about any retail outlet you can imagine, even at the airport.
Naturally, your first question is, “What has Steve Jobs come up with now, and how can I get it?” But you would be wrong - this device has been around for at least 550 years, and probably a whole lot longer. I am referring, of course, to a book. Not a Kindle, or an iBook, or even an Etch-a-Sketch; I mean the printed word, bound in hard or soft cover and maybe illustrated, but definitely filled with fantastic things.
Now before you start on me about being an old fogey or a Luddite or some other form of over-the-hill crank with a keyboard, here’s my point: books are hot again! As we amble through this summer, which is shaping up as the toastiest overall on record, I catch repeated stories in the media about how spending the summer reading a great book is more popular now than ever. Some librarians may disagree, but the fact is that certain authors of fiction have really lit up minds across this country. I think there was concern that the fever that gripped the younger generations (as well as us old fogeys) through the run of the Harry Potter series would abate with the conclusion of the seventh and final book, but there is ample reason to believe this is not the case. Whether its young folks devouring Diary of a Wimpy Kid, or it’s their older siblings reading any one of the vampire/ werewolf/ supernatural-themed series that abound today, good old books appear to be in demand with the “Kindle generation”. And for those of you who may question the quality of the literature, I can say personally that I don’t care what the subject matter is, as long as it’s well written, and most of my generation cut our reading teeth on fantasy anyway. C’mon, how many 50-somethings out there first got caught up in a love of books through the imaginary worlds of Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia and Dune? If it gets young folks to dig reading, I’m all for it!
It’s also interesting to note the apparent boom in book reading amongst the fogeys. I know that the best-seller lists remain full of self-help books and screeds of political diatribe, but there is also plenty of more traditional summertime fiction to be found, led by Stieg Larsson’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo trilogy. I’m sure, too, that there are plenty of folks using various electronic devices to read their selections, but everyone I know is doing it the old fashioned way -putting aside an hour or two, finding a comfortable spot, and cracking open a book. This to me is the real hook of great (and not so great ) literature - the chance to slow down the pace a bit, maybe get your mind off the day’s drudgery, and climb a tree with Captain Yossarian, get lost with Ralph and Piggy, or have a cup of tea with Emma. Reading is a solitary enterprise, of course, but a good book will deliver you into a world of complexity and fill your time with witty conversation, life-long friends, intrigue, and quite possibly danger. And guess what? If you’ve finished your book and moved on to other things, you can revisit it, and nothing will have changed, unlike almost anything else in life. Atticus Finch will still hold true to his beliefs, Gus McCrae will still ride off into the sunset, and Holden Caulfield will be waiting for you out in the rye.
What really seals the deal for me is that you can also share these worlds with others and ponder their interpretation, even if it’s different from yours. Books as gifts come with the promise of more than momentary impact, and often can provide the basis for conversation well into the future. Give one to a young person and think of it as a way to keep the cycle going; open another person’s mind to the power of the written word and give them something to do on a sultry summer afternoon. Sometimes we all need an escape from the daily grind.
Have a great week!
Thursday, July 8, 2010
The other day I met a bear in the woods...
The other day (the other day), I met a bear (I met a bear), out in the woods (out in the woods) a way out there (a way out there)….
Anonymous
Does the concept of vacation seem different to you nowadays? Do you return from a week or two away from the office feeling less relaxed and refreshed than when you left? Do you feel like you need a vacation from your vacation? Apparently, you’re not alone.
It seems that we are becoming a society that doesn’t know how to relax. Personally, I have great difficulty just kicking back and watching the clouds roll by. I’m much more prone to try to kick, hit, shoot, and toss as many balls, Frisbees, beanbags, and horseshoes as possible while simultaneously watching, attending, visiting, and experiencing as many things as I can. Trying to relax is exhausting! You get up too early because that’s when the fish are biting, and then you stay up too late playing one more hand of Tripoley or singing one more camp song. And what is it with songs around the campfire, anyway? Is there any other time in your life that you willingly engage in singing in the round? Or, for that matter, would you ever in your right mind substitute silly hand gestures for words and phrases in mixed company without being under the influence of too many s’mores?
But I digress. Because campfire songs and food that sticks to your face for the next three days are actually verifiable signs of a summer vacation well spent, in my book. It may lead to embarrassing Facebook postings and major dental work, but it was well spent. No, what gets to me are two common trends I see (and of which I am guilty) that seem guaranteed to turn vacation time into anything but a rejuvenating experience.
The first trend is this strange need for the “power vacation”. You know the symptoms - trying to fill every minute of every day with activities and experiences. We’ve all heard the neighbor or coworker talking about how they just got back from visitingYellowstone-shootingtherapids-climbingthatmountain-seeingMountRushmore-takingcampfirecookinglessons-joiningacattledrive-etc. over the recent three-day weekend! Maybe it’s our greatly increased mobility, or our more informed world, or our early 21st century madness, but many of us have this overwhelming urge to visit every giant ball of string or two-headed calf within a tri-state area, otherwise we don’t feel as if we have really done anything on vacation. If we’re not exhausted, if we haven’t had a full sensory immersion in every waking second of our time away from the daily grind, well then we just haven’t had fun, by golly!
The other trend is the really scary one - the dreaded “working vacation.” Now this one is the result of some very real modern day curses: cell phones (or even worse, smart phones), laptop computers and wi-fi, Facebook, Twitter and all the social networks, and this weird sensation that so many of us seem to suffer from these days - namely, the fear of being disconnected. Guess what folks? If you’re sitting in the sun on the deck of a boat lazily drifting down some foreign body of water and you take just a quick glance at your iPhone to check your e-mail, YOU ARE AT WORK! If you’re gauging the wind before your tee shot on hole #3 at a golf course in some other time zone, and you hear the “ping!” of an alert from a pocket in your golf bag notifying you that there’s an update from Wall Street, YOU ARE NOT RELAXING! Finally, and most depressingly, if you’re sitting cross-legged before the grandeur of some breathtaking natural wonder, and your immediate reaction is to fire up your Blackberry and update your status on a social media site so “all my friends can share this with me,” YOU ARE NOT EVEN IN THE MOMENT!
Please excuse the preachy capitals. As I have mentioned, I am as guilty as others in both of these trends (well, maybe not the Facebook part…), but I am passing this on to you as a public service. Do as I say and not as I do. The summer is still young and there are beaches and campsites and wilderness trails and sticky s’mores galore awaiting you, so make the most of them. Dare to disconnect, strive towards solitude, and reach for rest and relaxation. Try something new - do nothing for a while. Haven’t we earned it?
Have a great week!
Anonymous
Does the concept of vacation seem different to you nowadays? Do you return from a week or two away from the office feeling less relaxed and refreshed than when you left? Do you feel like you need a vacation from your vacation? Apparently, you’re not alone.
It seems that we are becoming a society that doesn’t know how to relax. Personally, I have great difficulty just kicking back and watching the clouds roll by. I’m much more prone to try to kick, hit, shoot, and toss as many balls, Frisbees, beanbags, and horseshoes as possible while simultaneously watching, attending, visiting, and experiencing as many things as I can. Trying to relax is exhausting! You get up too early because that’s when the fish are biting, and then you stay up too late playing one more hand of Tripoley or singing one more camp song. And what is it with songs around the campfire, anyway? Is there any other time in your life that you willingly engage in singing in the round? Or, for that matter, would you ever in your right mind substitute silly hand gestures for words and phrases in mixed company without being under the influence of too many s’mores?
But I digress. Because campfire songs and food that sticks to your face for the next three days are actually verifiable signs of a summer vacation well spent, in my book. It may lead to embarrassing Facebook postings and major dental work, but it was well spent. No, what gets to me are two common trends I see (and of which I am guilty) that seem guaranteed to turn vacation time into anything but a rejuvenating experience.
The first trend is this strange need for the “power vacation”. You know the symptoms - trying to fill every minute of every day with activities and experiences. We’ve all heard the neighbor or coworker talking about how they just got back from visitingYellowstone-shootingtherapids-climbingthatmountain-seeingMountRushmore-takingcampfirecookinglessons-joiningacattledrive-etc. over the recent three-day weekend! Maybe it’s our greatly increased mobility, or our more informed world, or our early 21st century madness, but many of us have this overwhelming urge to visit every giant ball of string or two-headed calf within a tri-state area, otherwise we don’t feel as if we have really done anything on vacation. If we’re not exhausted, if we haven’t had a full sensory immersion in every waking second of our time away from the daily grind, well then we just haven’t had fun, by golly!
The other trend is the really scary one - the dreaded “working vacation.” Now this one is the result of some very real modern day curses: cell phones (or even worse, smart phones), laptop computers and wi-fi, Facebook, Twitter and all the social networks, and this weird sensation that so many of us seem to suffer from these days - namely, the fear of being disconnected. Guess what folks? If you’re sitting in the sun on the deck of a boat lazily drifting down some foreign body of water and you take just a quick glance at your iPhone to check your e-mail, YOU ARE AT WORK! If you’re gauging the wind before your tee shot on hole #3 at a golf course in some other time zone, and you hear the “ping!” of an alert from a pocket in your golf bag notifying you that there’s an update from Wall Street, YOU ARE NOT RELAXING! Finally, and most depressingly, if you’re sitting cross-legged before the grandeur of some breathtaking natural wonder, and your immediate reaction is to fire up your Blackberry and update your status on a social media site so “all my friends can share this with me,” YOU ARE NOT EVEN IN THE MOMENT!
Please excuse the preachy capitals. As I have mentioned, I am as guilty as others in both of these trends (well, maybe not the Facebook part…), but I am passing this on to you as a public service. Do as I say and not as I do. The summer is still young and there are beaches and campsites and wilderness trails and sticky s’mores galore awaiting you, so make the most of them. Dare to disconnect, strive towards solitude, and reach for rest and relaxation. Try something new - do nothing for a while. Haven’t we earned it?
Have a great week!
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