Music and Democracy
I am no musician. I don’t play an instrument beyond a one-fingered version of “Yankee Doodle Dandy” on the piano and the first few bars of “When the Saints Come Marching In” on my harmonica. I sing enthusiastically but rarely on key.
But I do listen.
I remember quite vividly hearing Wynton Marsalis compare democracy and jazz. I have never listened to music or thought about politics quite the same.
Marsalis says that democracy, like jazz, “works best when participation is shaped by intelligent communication.” Each musician—each citizen—adds her own tone, her own voice, her own interpretation to the song. When the song sings, it is often a testimony to responsiveness, to a musician’s capacity to listen, to take in the voices of other players and to consider how her own voice will be heard.
Do I like some voices more than others? Do I find some music challenging? Of course. But when I think generously about the capacity of each person to contribute to the songs being played, to the potential for intelligent communication, I find I can be a more patient listener and more responsive member of the band. Especially when people sing like I do, enthusiastically but off key.
About David Gutterman
David Gutterman is Assistant Professor of Politics at Willamette University in Salem. He is also a board member of Oregon Humanities and is featured in the organization’s short film, “The Power of a New Idea.”
24 September 2009 | Posted by David Gutterman in Inside O. Hm. New Ideas
Permalink | Comments? (2 so far)
Commentary
Thank you! Excellent post!
mp3real | 01 Oct at 12:53 PM
We all like to fancy ourselves artists when we get caught up in the excitement of improvisation. But when did it become so out of fashion to be trained or to find beauty in the order? Music will always elicit emotions and kindle thoughts. But what about that a-ha (or o.hm.) moment in which you recognize, identify, or note something underlying. Does it take away from the passion? Not at all. Does it add a new layer of appreciation? Absolutely.
I, as many, can get wrapped up in long-winded, passionate debates of politics. Demanding progress, pushing my opponents to see my political standpoint’s ‘correctness,’ or ‘fighting the good fight.’ I try to remember to slow down and remember that words are only words—no matter how right they are! A musician needs to craft the chordal structure upon which to lay that jazz improv; in government, someone needs to create the policy upon which we can have our debates and suggest our changes.
Alina | 06 Oct at 03:09 PM
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