Springtime is like childhood, It takes an empty winter canvas and adds color bit by bit until we are ready for summer. It is a time of discovery and wonder. Everything around us can seem fresh and new, but seems to pass too quickly. We are reluctant to see the gently refreshing spring showers end and a little fearful of the summer storms that will follow.
Springtime is the ultimate elixir for our creative souls. Everything gets a fresh start. We have had a long winter to mull things over, and now the longer days will help us get things done. It is also that moment when we have only balmy weather in front of us. Spring is like a jazz set about to take off and soar. It is a chance to be a child again, if only we can remember how that felt. This is probably why we should check up on what our children and jazz artist have to say, and savor the season
Children are our true angels and can teach us a lot about how we can better our life.
Every day is a fresh start”. – Pablo Picasso
Being Childish
Not all children get a chance to have a carefree childhood. Unfortunately some children are asked to grow up too fast, and some never get a chance to be a child. We need someone to be there to allow a child to explore the world around them. When things go as they are supposed to childhood should be cherished, remembered and when possible replicated.
.A lot of the gifts of childhood are neglected and lost as we grow up. It is never too late to include some springtime in your Autumn years.
Start each day as if it were the first day of spring.
Children seldom carry yesterday’s baggage into a new day. When you are young, every day feels like an eternity and a new day means new opportunities to make new friends, explore new adventures, learn new things.
“Isn’t it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?” – L.M. Montgomery.
Live your day with some courage/ Open up to things
Children don’t know enough worry. They see possibilities not dangers. They play, sing, shout and take chances because they are not confined by fears of failure or humiliation.
Children are filled with hope and determination. They haven’t been beaten down, As adults, we sometimes fear the unknown. We stay safely ensconced in our comfort zone and rarely venture out. Adventure can exhilarate and awakens our spirit.
Include laughter and joy.
“A day without laughter is a day wasted.” – Charlie Chaplin
Children have the wonderful ability to find joy all around them. They see silliness everywhere.
Stay active
Kids keep moving when they aren’t sleeping, and they sleep well because they keep moving. I can get tired just watching kids. We all know we should join in, if only we could get up from our chairs.
Be open to friendships
Children like the company of other kids. They share a language. Kids haven’t developed filters and disappointments that get in the way of making new friends.
Be proud to be you.
“Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim.” – Nora Ephron
Sometimes we wallow in our perceived mediocrity. Children accomplish something every day and feel pretty good about it. Left alone they can be a hero in the space they happen to occupy.
Remember that everything around you is worth a look.
“Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.” – Robert Brault
When I walked with my wife in spring she would point out to me the different flowers growing up through the cracks in the sidewalks, My kids were closer to the cracks and would spend time with all the little things all around them. We unfortunately neglect these joyful discoveries. We need to include these tiny miracles in our days.
Keep creating.
The creative process should remain part of all one’s life. When do we stop seeing creative activities as worthwhile? When did play and fun become a luxury? I think that adults should take more time for some finger painting. Or take a moment for deep thoughts.
Childlike jazz artists
No one has to tell a jazz musician any of the stuff above. Their seldom forget the fun that childhood and jazz can be.
Jazz is extremely complex, yet when people can’t figure out how jazz works they often use the word “childlike” to describe it. “Blossom Dearie had a unique childlike voice” or when Sting tried to sing jazz he was said to “have adapted to a childlike voice”. Theolonius Monk was said to use childlike pauses. This is more about editing out the unnecessary, sort of the way children do.
Last week Dave Bennett had his usual lineup of brilliant musicians with him. No one had sheet music in front of them. They were free wheeling, inventive and flawless. After the gig I asked bassist Jeff Pedras my standard question, “If reading music is important and if not, how do they do it?” He explained by pointing at his head and adding, “It is just the way jazz musicians think”.
Austin Hill Shaw of Creativity Matters wrote:
“According to science, humans are born with a brain that isn’t fully formed until well into so-called early adulthood. That means during childhood, especially early childhood, there are parts of our adult brains that aren’t even there yet, specifically the executive functioning parts of the brain. And, through the work of researchers such as Charles Limb, there is a particular part of the executive function, known as the dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), a region responsible for impulse control, that doesn’t form until children are nine or ten years old. In Limb’s research of putting jazz musicians into fMRI machines, he has noted that when the musician begins to improvise, the DLPFC turns off, allowing the musician to enter into a flow state, a state of creative outpouring.”
SUPPORT ALL CHILDREN, YOUNG AND OLD
Children below the age of 9 or 10 don’t edit themselves the way adults do, which, as we all know, can have its pluses and minuses. It can be amazing, funny, and inspiring or it can be messy, annoying, and even dangerous. That is why parents get to join in on the fun.
We spend a lot of time making sure our kids get a chance to be kids. We should do the same for ourselves. Jazz musicians have the secret that allows them to let the child inside take over and finish the tune.
John Osler
COMING TO THE DIRTY DOG THIS WEEK
May 23 – May 24
DUANE PARHAM
Mid week you will have a chance to be up close with the soulful saxophonist Duane Parham. He is recognized as an innovator and top performer in Smooth Jazz, R&B and Gospel Music.
In 2012, Duane was nominated and voted “Best Horn Player of the Year,” by the Detroit Black Music Award. Also, in the same month Duane received a testimonial resolution and the Spirit of Detroit Award for his documentary DVD production, “The Unsung Musicians of the Motown Empire.” It’s all about the legendary horn players that played for Motown and their names were never mentioned
May 25 – May 26
ALEXANDER ZONJIC
Make your reservations early as Alexander has earned a loyal following eager to find out what he is up to. There will be music guaranteed to lift your spirits.
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