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Underlying Philosophy: The Tao of Black Samba |
Healing As has been recently popularized in the media, Classical music such as Mozart has been used to stimulate intellectual growth in children. Jazz and other musics also have the potential to heal, deepen spiritual understanding and create connections between individuals and societies. The best of jazz always reveals the spirit of not only the individual performer, but the collective spirit of the group, the whole of which is greater than the sum of the parts. Exploring the spiritual aspect of jazz is the direction John Coltrane was taking before he died. Although everybody 'feels it' on some level, the players who impact us most heavily are those who dig deep into their own psyches with tremendous honesty and courage. Music Therapy is a growing field which uses the power of music to facilitate healing in a range of scenarios. In the Tao of Black Samba, music is made with this purpose and intention in mind. Creativity and expression through art forms offers immense power for individuals and societies to change and grow. It is in a sense what many so-called primitive cultures have used music for since the dawn of civilization. For example, the Pygmies of West Africa use a medicine man with a drum to diagnose illness. He beats his drum until the 'devil' that causes the malady starts to dance. Once this is determined, the entire village joins in to drum on that rhythm until the person is healed. This can take hours or days and is a collective, powerful healing experience for the tribe. Connectivity In our larger society, as well as our microcosmic version in the music community, we need a response to the fiercely competetive, dog-eat-dog culture of competetiveness, self-centeredness and fear. In this world with all the technological innovations, we are in a sense more connected than ever. And in another sense, we are more disconnected than ever. A focus of Black Samba jazz music is to establish connections. We share from our innermost selves - and as players and listeners hear our truth, we all feel a sense of inter-relatedness that is uncommon in everyday life. It is said in Buddhist thought that, "Sentient beings are numberless. I vow to save them all". It begins with the individual and affects the world. In Japanese Karate, we meet force with force. In Chinese gung-fu, we flow with opposing energy. In Zen, we sit at the center of it, in compassionate service to all beings... one breath at a time. Read, The Jazz of Living , a talk by Larry Christensen, Ph.d., founder of the Zen Center of Portland. Feng Shui. Feng Shui is about positioning. Getting out of the way. Noticing others and the reality in which we dwell. It's about growing in effectiveness and spiritual understanding. Beyond common application of where furniture is placed to direct the flow of energy, our view goes much deeper - to the position one takes as a being. As individuals and groups we can position ourselves to be in the flow of life though our actions and mental attitude and the values and principles which we choose to live by. The principles of nature exist whether we choose to work with or against them. For example the Law of Gravity works consistently, no matter what we think about it. We can ignore it, use it, or work against it. Either way, it's working. In this way we think of a spiritual principle, as a law of nature. In applying spiritual principles, to our music and our lives, we put ourselves with the flow of life. When we're in the flow, a lot of 'synchronicity' occurs (events that seem to have no possible causal relationship to one another occur simultaneusly and without explanation, like heavy duty coincidences). One way to think of these events are as signposts along the path, letting us know we're heading the right direction. The music that we make from this position is for growth, connection, healing and learning as well as for entertainment. It's really for the betterment of humankind when seen like this. The music business in general and the Jazz world specifically can be a place where egotistical, prima donna and elitist mentalities can stand in the way of the powerful capacity of the music. If we learn, teach and perform
music from the spiritual perspective we stand a better chance not
only of keeping the music alive but of helping each other as a community. Darren Littlejohn - May, 2005 |