It was a bright cold day in April

“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!