Robert Gale Ongley

Category: Uncategorized

  • KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM HUMAN HISTORY (PART TWO)

    We now resume our examination and review of The Lessons of History by Will and Ariel Durant. Published in 1968, it distilled the 11-volume historical series known as The Story of Civilization. The insight that came from researching and writing that landmark tome was provided succinctly and powerfully. I share the highlights with pleasure.

    Chapter on Race and History

    The first known publication of the theory of Aryan superiority was written around 1853 by Comte Joseph-Arthur de Gobineau in an essay on races of homo sapiens. It doesn’t explain how it is that great non-Aryan civilizations developed while trumpeting Aryan-related accomplishments.

    There are various race theories proclaiming superiority of one race or sub-races (such as Teutons, Nordics and Franks) over another, but closer examination shows civilizations make the people. Racial and ethnic mixtures eventually create a new type of human. This blending has been happening since the beginning of civilization. America is still in its own mixture phase.

    The antipathies between people of races that make up the fabric of humanity are cured by broadened education. Thus the “civilized soul will reveal itself in treating every man or woman, however lowly, as a representative of one of these creative and contributory groups.”

    Chapter on Economics and History

    The Durants acknowledged the interwoven relationship between economics and history. Karl Marx saw history as economics in action. Politics, organized religion, and the creations resulting in culture all have their roots basically in economics. The Industrial Revolution, motivated by the creation of wealth with innovation and efficiency, brought historical realities such as the decline of religion, loosening of morals, liberation of literature from dependence upon aristocratic patronage, even an economic interpretation of history. Certainly, history has been developed by money, such as in funding of the building of Greek, Egyptian and Roman architectural wonders, the Crusades, and the Renaissance.

    The truth is, however, that noneconomic incentives shaped major events in history. For example, Buddha’s search for enlightenment, nationalistic movements, the Bolshevik Revolution. Oppression and the release from such provided plenty of incentive for the masses to change the course of history.

    Concentration of wealth is an occurrence in human activity. The rich get richer, the poor get poorer and increase in number while they’re at it. Eventually, the poor masses or wise progressives try to rectify the inequities peaceably through government regulation or violently by revolution. The Durants concluded “in this view all economic history is the slow heartbeat of the social organism, a vast systole and diastole of concentrating wealth and compulsive recirculation.”

    Government and History

    Monarchy has dominated throughout much of history. It seems almost normal for the human family to have as its head a father or mother possessing the authority to govern the populace.

    Oligarchies have been the most common form of government, where the minority rule over the majority. These include aristocracies that hold power by birth and theocracies through religious organizations or democracies controlled by the wealthy. Aristocracies, though supportive of the arts, has often fallen to the temptations of selfish privilege. This has led to oppression of the common people and their subsequent revolt.

    Revolutions tend to replace one minority rule with another where the same instincts of the oppressor arise in the new, revolutionary government. The authors point out that “the only real revolution is in the enlightenment of the mind and the improvement of character, the only real emancipation is individual, and the only real revolutionists are philosophers and saints.”

    Plato took a dim view of democracy, seeing it as one of four forms of government that repeatedly took turns rising and falling. They are monarchy, aristocracy, democracy and dictatorship. He wrote that democracy leads to dictatorship. Later evolution of democracy has led to more promising results, but the jury is probably still out. The
    Durants judge democracy to be sounder than ever before, but they warn that factors such as war, divisions between races or classes, or wealth concentration could lead to dictatorship under anyone “who can persuasively promise security to all; and a martial government, under whatever charming phrases, will engulf the democratic world.”

    More to Come

    I see now I need a Part III to bring this article to a proper close. I hope you’ll come back to see how the authors wrapped up their Lessons of History.

  • KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM HUMAN HISTORY (PART ONE)

    Quite a while ago now, a friend gave me a prized possession. It’s a set of books known as The Story of Civilization, authored by Will and Ariel Durant. Made up of 11 volumes, ranging from approximately 600 to 1000 pages each, the set is an accomplished and detailed chronicle of human history from its prehistorical beginning through the age of Napoleon.

    Recently, a couple who are friends of ours came to our house for dinner and noticed the set on our bookshelves and was impressed we had it. They were kind enough to give us a follow-up book on the comprehensive Story of Civilization. This one is titled The Lessons of History. The jacket describes it better than I can. “In this illuminating and thoughtful book, Will and Ariel Durant have succeeded in distilling for the reader the accumulated store of knowledge and experience from their four decades of work on the eleven monumental volumes of The Story of Civilization. The result is a survey of human history, full of dazzling insights into the nature of human experience, the evolution of civilization, the culture of humanity.”

    In this post, I wish to share with you some of the insights and wisdom the Durant’s share with us all in this brilliant little book.

    Purpose of the Book

    The authors wanted to correct errors in the Story, and in the process found themselves making note of events and comments that “might illuminate present affairs, future probabilities, the nature of man, and the conduct of states.” By states, they mean nations. They consider they are offering the reader “a survey of human experience, not a personal revelation.” I admire their humble, unbiased skill of logical observation. For this, I trust their findings. I’m excited by the relevance of these conclusions to today’s global situation.

    Layout

    The Durant’s titled most chapters with the use of the term history against the backdrop of certain aspects of human existence. For instance, Chapter II is History and the Earth, Chapter VI is Morals and History, Chapter VIII is Economics and History, and Chapter XI is History and War. The final two move in the direction of summary, with Chapter XII being Growth and Decay and Chapter XIII Is Progress Real. I point these out as the framework of my commentary.

    The Role of Biology

    Biology is a basic element of civilization, in that humans are subject to processes of evolution. Since we’re caught up in the “law” of survival of the fittest, our minds and bodies are constantly working out how to pass the tests of survival. The authors state “the first biological lesson of history is that life is competition.” We compete against one another for advantages leading to food, shelter, money and security in general. Humanity has realized that cooperation is pro-survival, so we cooperate within groups to enhance individual and team survival. The tool of cooperation makes one person, their local groups and their nation stronger.

    Natural selection is another of life’s biological lessons. When competing for the resources we need to improve our chances of survival, we discover our strengths and weaknesses. These are derived from physical and psychological heredity as well as the modes of operation and traditions of our group. We are not born equal. We may be born weaker physically, but equipped with superior brain power to overcome this handicap. These abilities and disabilities, relatively speaking, affect our choices in this competitive world and thus have a hand in creating history. The strong survive in love, war and business. Nations are built this way.

    The Durant’s tell us the third biological lesson of history is “that life must breed.” Nature needs large numbers of offspring to do its natural selection work. Organisms, families and species need to reproduce well. Civilizations that have become culturally high have historically arrived at a low birth rate. Those cultures that have not so evolved tend to have high birth rates. History demonstrates how that worked out for empires such as Rome, China and the Gupta of India.

    In today’s global landscape, the chances of technologically advanced nations being overrun by hordes of barbarians are obviously quite low. One takeaway in this book, however, is the cultural and political influence of groups with higher birth rates are likely to increase over time as they enjoy a higher representation in the population. Sheer numbers mean greater opportunity for improved natural selection and a competitive edge.

    So Much More…

    For such a small book, The Lessons of History is remarkably packed with historical perspective and wisdom. In the Part II, we’ll explore history through lenses of race, morals, economics, socialism, and government. We’re just getting started, so drop on by for the next installment.

  • OPENINGS!

    Oh, it’s Opening Day for major league baseball. For me, a dwindling minority, it’s one of the happiest days of the year. Hope springs eternal, the saying goes. Could it be a fun, exciting season ending with a World Series victory? The truth is most days in the next six months will be agonized over to some degree. There will be ups and downs, joy and frustration, most likely ending in disappointment. UNLESS, I take it all as fun to be engaged in, no matter the outcome. If I appreciate the great plays and great performances without regard for which team makes them, I can savor it all. Even the bitter defeat. I’m alive and part of the game.

    This isn’t just about baseball. Scanning the landscape of life, I see so many first days and nights we immerse ourselves in with anticipation and excitement. Just to name a few, Week One for the National Football League, Opening Night for a play, opening day for hunting season, the Grand Opening for a new business venture, Opening Ceremonies for the Olympics. What is it that makes these kick-offs so enjoyable?

    Starting is Fun

    My unofficial tabulation is most people like starting more than continuing or finishing. When starting a project or a game or a holiday, we’re fresh and optimistic. Usually, we can’t wait to get started. Nothing has gone wrong yet and hopefully everyone is pulling in the same direction. If you’re working alone, the hope is your mind, body and spirit are all pulling in the same direction without fears or pains or intentions creating internal conflict.

    Many people find it difficult to follow a plan. A routine can become boring and they want to do something else or something new. If the activity isn’t getting good results early on, there is a tendency to get discouraged or a compulsion to go off plan and change for no good reason. I saw a funny example last night in a TV series called 1670. That’s the year in which it is set. The main character thinks he has the plague. When a physician insists he doesn’t and tells him he does need to exercise to get his weight down, the man declares he’s going to run for two hours every day. He starts running, but after about 50 feet, he is winded and miserable. That’s it. He’s done.

    Finishing a season or project successfully obviously gives us tremendous satisfaction. However, there are quite a few who find it especially hard to bring their work to a proper conclusion. In the case of watching your favorite sports team struggle for months can make it tough to keep rooting through their futility. In a creative endeavor, there’s the problem of bringing it to a fulfilling finish that’s all we hoped it would be. Persevering through poor sales with a crafts booth at a festival is deeply disappointing and makes an early departure tempting.

    Back to the Point

    Whether you’re living your own dream or rooting for someone else’s, in the beginning the future is full of promise. In addition, there’s no limit on the number of beginnings we can have. I’m reminded of the partnership I’ve had over the years with one of my closest friends. We wrote at least 10 comedy scripts, a book of humor and a few other bits here and there. We occasionally came up with another idea to make money and each time we started a new venture, we calculated how much we could make if we just achieved some basic sales targets that seemed completely doable. We would laugh at my tendency to take out the calculator with sparkling optimism and demonstrate how we were going to get rich. We adopted a line used by Joe and Gus from the movie Gone Fishin’: “We’re millionaires! Millionaires!” We were self-aware enough to know how ridiculous we were being, but it didn’t matter. The thrill of launching another undertaking carried us away.

    When it comes to baseball or other sports, there’s always a chance your team may go all the way against all odds. I’ve been rooting for my favorite team, the San Francisco Giants, for most of my life. For so long, every season ended in disappointment. They were good many years and quite a few were lousy. Their few trips to the World Series met with defeat, dashing high hopes. Finally, in 2010 they broke through with a roster largely made up of what has been referred to as cast-offs and misfits. The long drought for Giants fans was over. Then, in 2012 they won the Series again and in 2014 they were again world champions. So, every spring is injected with at least a ray of hope that a team will make dreams come true.

    Dreams Can Come True

    Many people in history have ridden their dreams to spectacular success after many new beginnings led to failures. They kept coming back, determined to make it. Some had to change gears and do something different, but in the end they did what was needed to reach their goals. I have to think that, as a rule, they started each new working plan with optimism and a determination to win the game. Walt Disney was once fired from a newspaper for not being creative enough. Bill Gates started a business that went nowhere, then used his passion for computers and his vision to create Microsoft. Oprah Winfrey overcame a very rough start in life, suffered through multiple firings, but was resilient enough to begin again and again until she created a brand that made her a household name.

    May we embrace whatever openings brighten our days and be open to the experiences they bring us.

  • WHO ARE YOU?

    One of the most difficult undertakings of your life is to consistently be yourself. It is at once the simplest and the most complicated task. I expect that when we are being ourselves completely, it will be the most natural thing we could do. When we aren’t, being ourselves isn’t only challenging. It can be obscured by a complex network of falsehoods built on illusion and lies. In this post, I want to explore how this can be and maybe provide a clue to sorting it all out.

    A Gaggle of Theories

    Let’s start with a few sayings you’ve probably heard which attempt to sum up who we are. For instance, “You are what you eat.” I hope not. Then there’s, “You are your memories.” Where’s the logic in that? “You are a sum of your experiences.” This would suggest you are an effect point of stuff that happens and you are forever changing.

    Here are some thought provoking quotes from some pretty smart people:

    “Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else’s opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation.”
    ― Oscar Wilde, De Profundis

    “We experience ourselves, our thoughts and feelings, as something separate from the rest. A kind of optical delusion of consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us.”
    ― Albert Einstein

    “I am my own experiment. I am my own work of art.”
    ― Madonna

    “Feelings are something you have; not something you are.”
    ― Shannon L. Alder

    “I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will.”
    ― Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre

    Oh, the food for thought. Some very interesting stuff there, so I’m going to weigh in with my own views briefly. While Oscar Wilde always has an interesting take, I think he goes too far with this one. Most people may be using other people to make up their own identity, but it isn’t their true identity. I maintain there is a true self at the bottom of it all. Einstein seems to be saying our sense of separateness from anyone beyond ourselves and our loved ones is a delusion that keeps us from a complete sense of self. It’s an astute observation. I like Madonna’s slant because she understands she is a work in progress and takes her life as an art form. The only part of it that troubles me is her approach seems to be about creating her persona, but not necessarily reaching her true self, the spiritual being. Shannon L. Alder’s statement amplifies Einstein’s and addresses the spirit Madonna’s doesn’t. Charlotte Bronte is brilliantly direct in declaring identification as a free human being with an independent will, not ensnared by any trap that comes along. That, I believe, is a good start toward realizing who we are.

    What the Great Masters Tell Us

    At the risk of oversimplifying, I understand Buddha said there is no individual self, but an “I” that is an “inquiring spirit.” This spirit is within everything and we exist on that plane of consciousness as one non-physical entity. It’s very Zen. To successfully grasp it, one has to find Buddha’s middle way where there is neither a self nor no-self doctrine.

    Jesus taught that every individual is a child of God, made in God’s image, with an indwelling heaven. Christians preach that what’s really important is your identity in Christ, which implies you must accept his sacrifice on the cross to be able to be born again as the true person God intended you to be.

    The writer of the Psalms in the tradition of Judaism comments on the self, saying “For you created my inmost being, you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works!” Another Psalm has the passage, “Be still and know that I am God.” Some interpreters of this verse view this as an instruction to be silent and still, and you will realize God is within you whenever you’re ready to open your heart to him. I’ve also read that you will realize you yourself are God. I have doubts the author was taking it to that point. Essentially, I see the Hebrew concept of self as a creation of God and a servant of God and all.

    Mohamed taught that the self is made up of heart, spirit, and psyche. Spirit is God’s breath in a person. The psyche seems to correspond to the psychological ego. He emphasized the being’s innate disposition to believe in and worship God. It is said that faith is an integral part of one’s character or personality.

    Lao Tzu viewed the self as an extension of the cosmos, one of the countless manifestations of the Tao (the Way). The ideal self is selfless.

    In Hinduism, the self is considered to be a unit of consciousness that is or has the potential to be in union with God. All of the personality flaws, the ignorance of reality, and the diminished state in which people find themselves to be are a result of identification with the body. We are not bodies, not our brains or minds or emotions. By rising up through levels of consciousness, self eventually can be realized as Self (united with God).

    Who You Are

    I know we can get caught up in the craziness of life on Planet Earth. It’s easy to get confused by society’s misconceptions, bias, and manifestations of insanity large and small, but there’s a space within where we can return to be our true selves. The more we can simplify our lives, the easier it will be to live in peace. If we can find that native state of quiet and calm, the more we will be able to get in touch with our natural state. I’ll close with an excerpt from The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran.

    “The hidden well-spring of your soul must needs rise and run murmuring to the sea; And the treasure of your infinite depths would be revealed to your eyes. But let there be no scales to weigh your unknown treasure; And seek not the depths of your knowledge with staff or sounding line. For self is a sea boundless and measureless. Say not, ‘I have found the truth,’ but rather, ‘I have found a truth.’ Say not, ‘I have found the path of the soul.’ Say rather, ‘I have met the soul walking upon my path.’ For the soul walks upon all paths. The soul walks not upon a line, neither does it grow like a reed. The soul unfolds itself, like a lotus of countless petals.”

  • THE MASTERS OF IMPROVISATION

    One of the talents I admire most is the ability to improvise. When someone knows their craft or whatever they’re doing so well they can change with any given situation, I would put that person in the category of master of their domain. Pardon the Seinfeld reference. It popped into my mind and I couldn’t say no to it.

    Those who do master an activity to the point that no unexpected situations can throw them off track are rare and deserve a lot of respect. I will try now to name some greats in various fields who have risen to the title of this post.

    Improv Comedians

    The art of improv in performances that are purely skits made up on the spot are, in my opinion, the epitome and zenith of improvisation. As much as I feel capable of writing comedy, I cannot imagine myself going on a stage and doing what improv comics do. Riding a wave consisting of an idea seems like a great recipe for a sudden wipe-out that may just pull my swim trunks down to my ankles and leave me horribly embarrassed. Kudos to the brave souls who can pull off this form of entertainment.

    I thought I might be able to name one or two comedians who have mastered pure improv performance, but I definitely underestimated the number of stellar comedians that rank among the elite. Records as far back as 391 BC detail the existence of improvisational theater. For centuries in Europe and probably around the world, this challenging and spontaneous brand of comedy has been entertaining appreciative audiences.

    Second City spawned many brilliant comics via the creativity of improv. There have been numerous other venues that teach and show this unique art. Amy Poehler co-founded the Upright Citizens Brigade, an improv troupe. The first improv comedy I remember seeing was when Jonathan Winters would be given a mundane object and would create a whole hilarious monologue on the spot just off that object. Later, he and Robin Williams would improvise together with their brilliant minds on full display. In recent years, improv has been given and has taken the opportunity to shine on a wide platform with the TV show Whose Line is it Anyway. It features perhaps the three best improvisational comedians today. Ryan Stiles, Wayne Brady and Colin Mochrie are the core of the comedians on the show, along with host Aisha Tylor. It gives viewers more uproarious laughs per minute than arguably any other TV show. What these entertainers can do spontaneously is simply brilliant.

    Improvisation in Music

    While there have been many incredible masters of music and their instruments, many stay true to the written music or when performing solos, use a few previously created riffs or patterns to reel off impressive interludes. Those who could truly improvise as they gave us solo pieces were the real masters of their instruments. For instance, Jimi Hendrix knew his guitar extremely well and he had a remarkably creative mind. He used rhythms and melodic phrasing in a way no one had ever done before. Django Reinhardt was a Romani-Belgian jazz guitarist whose improvisation in the world of swing is legendary. By the mere fact alone that he had only three fingers with which to play the guitar fingerboard, he was improvising from the start. Still, he played groundbreaking music that holds up almost 100 years later. The jazz world is where improvisation is likely at its finest. The best musicians in this category include John Coltrane, Charlie Parker and Thelonius Monk. They took jazz music to places unknown with technique that’s copied widely in the 21st century.

    Improvisational Actors

    There are few actors who can go off script in a big way and get away with it. Here are a few. They include Robin Williams, Jim Carrey, Bill Murray and Fred Willard. They showed they could carry scenes and in some cases whole films with their creative, spontaneous wit.

    Williams had a reputation for his improv skills when he was given the Mork & Mindy show. He could hardly contain himself from improvising in shooting episodes. He seemed to just live improvisationally. A deal was worked out with the producers and director that at specific points in each script, he was allowed to improvise as he wished. He also was known to improvise here and there in films in which he starred.

    Jim Carrey came up with some improv in his films as well. One of the best known was in The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, where he was supposed to pull a tablecloth off a table and the dishes would fall to the floor. Remarkably, he managed to pull the tablecloth completely off without anything else being pulled with it. Not missing a beat, he reached over and swiped everything off the table. It was a highly memorable moment.

    Bill Murray was said to have improvised his way through most of Ghostbusters. To be able to do that and to be allowed to do that meant he was operating on a level most of us never realize. To have the confidence in one’s own ability and the certainty that just making it up on the spot would be high quality humor is living in rarefied air.

    Fred Willard had a long career in film and TV. A significant part of it was involved in Christopher Guest’s “mockumentary” stories such as This is Spinal Tap, Best in Show, Waiting for Guffman, A Mighty Wind, and For Your Consideration. He is said to have improvised virtually all of his dialogue in those films, and with a perfect blend of satirical humor and slightly off-center normalcy.

    Off the Cuff

    Articles like this can’t do justice to the topic. One reason is there’s not enough detail about the specific work done by each person honored. I mean, deep examples of their bits or songs or films. Another problem is there isn’t room enough in the format to cover more people who should be included as masters. So, I apologize for not mentioning those who I know should be on the list and for those who I don’t even know about. Hopefully, I’ll come across them and you do the same in the years ahead. Meanwhile, I recommend checking out the comedy, the music and the films of those I have been able to write about today. You’ll be amazed.

  • SELF-IMPROVEMENT

    As I project my focus forward into 2024, I’m reminded of a song I wrote on December 31st, 2021. Following are the first two verses and the chorus.

    It’s a time when we take a look back. Time when we look forward too. Time when we tend to take stock of ourselves, decide what it is we should do. The ledger shows some loss and some gain as we keep score on this old game. It may not be easy forgiving ourselves, hiding our light in the rain. But there’s no time to give up tryin’ To be the best we can be. No time we should give up flyin’ As we learn how to be free.

    Learning how to be free entails making changes. We hope to and should always be striving to improve ourselves, for our sake and the sake of others. It’s hard work, though, and we’re not always up to sticking to the task.

    Hurdles

    Our path is fraught with obstructions to our progress. Distractions, counter-intentions, new and ongoing problems all serve to make the way difficult. We can lose momentum even when active on a valid plan. When I was an adolescent, which I have to admit was a condition that extended into my young adulthood, I had attention on several areas that needed improvement. I needed to raise my math and science grades to fulfill my dreams of going to college. I wanted to overcome fear of the pitched baseball to regain my ability to hit well. I wanted to overcome my angst about talking to girls in whom I had dating interest. I wanted to be a better Christian. The truth is that I didn’t do anything about any of those issues. My ignorance about how to improve myself in important matters had me virtually paralyzed.

    Fear alone can cripple our dreams. This quote by Simon Marshall shines a light on the importance of dealing with our fears. “Breaking through the fear barrier is a big deal. The dopamine hit that comes with completing a previously insurmountable goal or getting through a shit-scary challenge is indescribable. Aside from the neurological benefits, you walk a little taller immediately. Confidence grows, and you redraw the boundary of what you think you can do in the future.”

    For the majority of us in the United States, there is a lot of opportunity for self-improvement with little in the way of insurmountable barriers. Even though my family didn’t have money to help with my education, there were paths to occupational and even financial success. Those lower on the social strata or in third world countries have truly difficult obstructions to overcome. Still, some find a way to transcend their circumstances to elevate their lives.

    Success Stories

    Alimata Korogo

    Sometimes there is assistance for people in poverty-stricken countries. Foreign aid from the USA has helped many. An example of one is a woman in Burkina Faso. She is a farmer in that country and a mother of six. The farmers there are vulnerable to repeated crises of various kinds and they find it hard to consistently make or keep a profit from year to year. With American assistance, Alimata Korogo was able to take courses and training on farming, home gardening, health, nutrition and literacy. She was then put in charge of 14 women with whom she shared the knowledge and skills she gained. The results were notable. “We were able to enrich our soil and get higher yields. I was even able to store tens of bags of cowpeas (a black-eyed pea variant) and sell them later at the market when prices were better,” she said in 2019.

    I have a friend who is one of the most inspirational persons I’ve ever known. When she was still a young woman, she loved hiking and other outdoor activities. Unfortunately, she contracted a flesh-eating bacteria that almost killed her. It ravaged her legs and they had to be amputated completely. She fought back to reclaim her life at a level of quality many never achieve. Not only is she active, but she is a full-time school teacher. She is a soprano in the church choir of which I am a member. She swims in her family pool and drives her own van. She is so adept at using the van and her scooter that she takes a vacation every year in it with her dog. She camps and enjoys nature, much as she did before she was afflicted.

    A Lifestyle

    Working on ourselves shouldn’t be something we do only in crisis or in times of need. We should strive every day to become better–better at our work, better at relationships, better in all aspects, especially at being the best version of ourselves. Making it a lifestyle will enrich our lives endlessly as long as we make a sincere effort.

  • THE TRANSFORMATIONAL QUALITY OF MUSIC (PART TWO)

    In my most recent post, I related how I was pointed in the direction of this topic and I gave a bit of personal history which illustrated why music’s transformational quality rings true for me. Now I’d like to broaden support for the concept by showing what others have said and experienced.

    Historical Perspectives

    The Moody Blues set the table for this discussion in their album Every Good Boy Deserves Favour and their lead-off song Procession. They hearken back to the origin of the universe itself and the eventual arrival of the human race with musical sounds meant to convey these events. A singer first proclaims “Desolation!” Then “Creation!” We then hear a drumbeat on skins, followed by “Communication” in a more melodic voice. We hear voices of primitive humans and that morphs into sitars, then a tune with flutes, then a harpsichord in perhaps the Renaissance. Ominously, a churchy organ comes in, then more pleasant strings. Suddenly, we hear modern electric guitar and the full Moody Blues band. They move into the song The Story in Your Eyes. One line there says, “And the sound we make together is the music to the story in your eyes.”

    Throughout our history we’ve been feeling the effects of rhythms and vibrating instruments. Their sounds enter our ear drums, sending signals to our brains that make us feel pleasure or a wide array of other emotions. We are lifted to our feet and we communicate our feelings in dance or vocal response.

    Plato expressed in the third or fourth century B.C.E. how music can move us.

    Long before, Indian classical music was being chanted for the purpose of inspiring merger of the individual with the Creator and Sustainer of all life. The website indianclassicalmusic.com states in its article History of Indian Classical Music, “The origin of Indian classical music dates back to the Vedic times and reference of the concept of Nadabrahma is found during this time. Chants and a system of musical notes along with rhythmic cycles are found in vedic scriptures dated 6,000 years ago. Ancient text Samveda, containing organized music, was structured to melodic themes. Samaveda is called the veda of music and is considered to have provided the foundation for Indian music.” The ancient form developed through the 11th century C.E. It continued to evolve and still does.

    European classical music began in the 17th century with the Baroque era. The impact on listeners in the
    West was profound, as is shown in these ecstatic comments:

    Moving on to the 20th century, we see how music transformed people in ways quite different from earlier forms. The PBS program History Detectives produced a piece on 20th century music. One statement stands out to me the most in our context.

    “The most important influence on 20th century music? African Americans and the musical culture they brought to this country – developed within the bonds of slavery.

    ‘Even before the 20th century began, blues music was evolving across the country out of the traditional African slave spirituals, work calls and chants. Of all the developing genres, the blues would be the most far-reaching, with its influence felt in everything from jazz to rock, country music to rhythm and blues, and classical music.

    ‘That said, jazz’s influence on the world music scene would be nothing short of transformational. Jazz saw its early development in the African American communities all throughout the South – with rhythms reflecting the diversity of cultural influences from West Africa to the West Indies, from ragtime to the blues.”

    I marvel at the change blues brings to the player and the listener. I won’t say the effect is the same for everyone on any given song, but what amazes me is that most often the blues are rooted in pain and yet their expression uplifts us in spirit.

    Music and the Brain

    For reasons I don’t fully understand, music and the brain partner beautifully for our well-being. In an article by Ted Gioia on honest-broker.com, he shows us how the right hemisphere of the brain relates to music. The following excerpt sums it up for me.

    “For our purposes here, it’s more important to focus on the two very different ways our competing hemispheres have of changing the world. For the left hemisphere, we change the world by manipulating and controlling it. For the right hemisphere, we go out into the larger environment and transform both ourselves and our world in a way that feels more like merging or transcending. That is precisely the hero’s journey described in this book, and songs are better tools for that transformation than a hammer or a gun.

    ‘In other words, musicians really do have a higher potential, perhaps even a heroic one. A song can be much more than a song. Maybe it ought to be.”

    Science can shine a light on how seemingly magical phenomena works in our lives. And so it is.

  • THE TRANSFORMATIONAL QUALITY OF MUSIC

    I was sitting with my fellow singers in our church choir, listening to our director rehearse his TEDx talk he would be delivering soon at the University of Arizona. He is a professor of music there. He and another person do a podcast called Lifetimes of Listening. He’s a musician. Music is a huge part of his life. The subject of his talk is how music makes you a better person.

    Hearing him discuss his premise was interesting, but when he reached the part about music having a transformative effect on people, my ears perked up. I hadn’t really looked at music from that perspective. It struck me as an exciting possibility. I couldn’t help but examine my own experience for clues as to the truth of this view.

    A Personal Search

    I recall being in the family kitchen when I was about five, and the radio was blaring out Yellow Rose of Texas. It was a huge hit in 1955. The song didn’t make much of an impression on me, but it may be the first song that lodged in my memory banks permanently. There were other songs of that time getting airplay on our local radio station in farming country of Pennsylvania or on TV’s Hit Parade. Nothing grabbed me, though.

    The first one which did came in 1958. I would have been in third grade, I think. It was Donna, sung by Ritchie Valens. It so happened I had a crush on a girl named Donna and the song hit the charts at the same time. I was injected with an early dose of puppy love and teen angst well ahead of puberty.

    The next song to really touch me was Old Shep by Elvis Presley. It was about a boy and his faithful dog that eventually grew old and died. I seem to remember crying when I heard that tune.

    In the early ’60s, the Four Seasons came out with Sherry. The Frankie Valli falsetto and the group’s harmonies with the strong back beat captured my imagination and any girl I met named Sherry after that was in a special, idyllic category.

    These three songs stand out in my memory. They resonated with me deeply, or so it seemed in my early youth. Were they transformative for me? I have to believe they just struck a chord with me that was already waiting to be plucked. It wasn’t until the Beatles hit the scene with I Want to Hold Your Hand that any music transformed me in some way.

    That song and many of their later hits sounded strange to me. They didn’t appeal to some nostalgic notion or even generate excitement on a form with which I was already familiar to capture my interest. Well, they did use rock n’ roll basics and themes I knew and enjoyed. However, they made it sound different, disagreeable really. I think it was a combination of more sophisticated chords and unique melodies that did it for me. Whatever it was, it caught my offended ear. With each listening, their songs took me along an unfamiliar path into a clearing where the sun filtered down with a fresh new light and sound took on a Bohemian effect I could come to understand only by opening myself.

    I stood at a crossroad, where I could reject what I was hearing or embrace it. To reject it meant maintaining the status quo of a world where Elvis and Budweiser were kings and my hair froze in a crewcut. To embrace it would lead me to freedom of expression and an influx of new ideas with new ways of seeing the world. I took the latter fork and was transformed.

    Next

    So, that was me. One example. To thoroughly explore this theory, we need to see what others have experienced. We need to consult the analyses of those who are more expert than me. Thus, we’ll carry this on in my next installment, soon to come.

  • CRUISIN’ THE HIGH SEAS

    My wife and I went on a short cruise many years ago. We thought then we would do another one soon, but for a few reasons it didn’t happen. This year, we made the choice to combine our resources for a vacation on the ocean. It turned out to be like doing it for the first time and I want to share my observations. There’s a lot to take away from such a trip, one that focuses keenly on fun but which on closer inspection is much more than that.

    Getting There

    We wanted to spend conservatively to keep our good deal on the cruise affordable. We had travel credit vouchers from Amtrak we could use to get to Union Station in Los Angeles. From there, we took a tram to Long Beach, where we would get on the Carnival Panorama for a cruise to Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas. So, we rode the rails from Tucson and made our way to the ship.

    Boarding

    It’s something of a marvel to see how cruise employees move over 4,000 people and their baggage through security and onto a ship in four hours. From staging the baggage outside the terminal, scheduling boarding groups every half-hour, arranging assistance for those with special needs, to inspection for contraband (cannabis, etc.) with talented canine sniffers, the system is well-organized and efficient. Excitement builds from the time of arrival at the terminal through the long walk up the gangway and peaks with finding your way to the stateroom you’ll call home for the duration of the cruise.

    Orientation

    There isn’t a lot to be said about this. That’s because there isn’t much to it. They insist groups muster at assigned stations within the first hour of being aboard. The orientation consisted of learning how to put on a life vest. Done. If you don’t remember it, there are life vests and instructions provided in the cabin.

    The room’s TV has some information about the cruise that answers some questions, but mainly it’s up to the passenger to figure out how to get around to places of interest on the massive ship. We discovered there are 15 decks from bottom to top. The length of Carnival Panorama is almost 1060 feet, roughly the size of an aircraft carrier. That’s more than three football fields. It would take about 14 average-sized whales stretched end to end to equal the length of the ship. For us, it took a few days just to get our bearings and learn how to use their fancy elevators, our door key, the network of free restaurants and QR coded menus.

    On With the Show

    Enough about the ship. It’s about the activities, right? It’s about being on the ocean, no land in sight! There is so much to do, boredom isn’t an option. They do have a deck they call Serenity, where I went to just sit and be for a while, but it’s crowded at times with people in hot tubs and it even has a bar. It does have a peaceful vibe up there on Deck 15, though.

    We loved the entertainment, including a stand-up comedy show with two prominent comedians (Lisa Alvarado and Will Marfori), a dance/music stage show called Rock Revolution, and a three-piece classical group that played independently as well as in a stage production we missed. There’s also a piano bar with a very talented pianist/singer with a wide range in his catalogue.

    We took part in some karaoke a few times. Sandy did a few of her favorites like Moondance, Fever, and Walkin’ After Midnight. I covered a few different styles, doing the likes of Bob Dylan, Ray Charles, and Loggins and Messina. The karaoke fans were enthusiastic and appreciative, which makes the singers feel really good. And there were some absolutely remarkable singers putting themselves on the line there.

    The Highlight of Highlights

    There is so much to love on a cruise ship. It’s sort of like listing out the good parts of Disneyland or Disney World. The food is great and most of it is included in the basic cost, served most anytime you want it. There are games and sports and swimming for the active, a casino for the monetarily adventurous, deck lounging for the quiet and contemplative, and quality movies on an outdoor screen about the size of an old drive-in theater screen. The staff is extremely helpful and attentive, so we usually felt well attended.

    There was one part of the experience which stood out in my mind above everything else. It was the attitude of the cruisers. It was in evidence from the very start. We met two people from Bakersfield who were much younger than us and established a friendly connection quickly while we were waiting to be called for boarding. We went days without running across them again, lost in the multitudes, but when we did it was like a reunion with old friends. Cruisers are as diverse a group as I’ve seen anywhere. All colors, sexual orientations, ages, varying ethnicity, the full spectrum of religions and social strata are on display. Nobody seems to pay any mind to these differences. I perceived not just tolerance of the other, but genuine appreciation of all kinds.

    No matter how many are packed into a crowded elevator, there’s seemingly always a willingness for one more. If you need a table to dine, people who don’t look alike welcome each other to sit with them. Striking up conversation with strangers is effortless regardless of barriers that may be erected back home. These conversations aren’t just shallow or trivial either. When someone needs assistance with a problem such as mobility, there’s no shortage of hands lending themselves in gestures of love and compassion. I witnessed only one or two exceptions out of the thousands of people with whom I interacted over the seven days. I swear, the cruise social atmosphere is practically Utopia.

    Over the Top

    To summarize, I’m going to take this even further at risk of appearing hyperbolic. I’m paraphrasing Martin Luther King now in saying I’ve been to the High Seas…I’ve seen the Promised Endless Sea. I may not get there with you, but humanity will get there one day.

  • HARMONY…THE LANGUAGE OF LOVE

    The primary focus of this post is going to be musical harmony, which I must admit is a specific aspect of a larger whole. Harmony in relationships large and small, complex and simple, covers a lot of ground. That is not being ignored or forgotten, but this is an ode to the harmony in music and what it means in my life.

    Harmony Enriches

    Music is almost other worldly with its refinement of sound, its mathematical wonders and seemingly infinite combinations. Its effect on the psyche is multi-dimensional, capable of taking us from the pits of despair up to joy and impetus to action. Or it can make us anxious or even somber. It can underscore agony as well as ecstasy. Yet, the most exquisite effect comes from harmony, in my opinion.

    When I hear certain elements of harmony, I find it so pleasing it passes into the category of thrilling. That’s how it is when I’m singing with others and we achieve harmonic tones I don’t really even understand. I know how it works, usually in thirds up the scale from the melody. Some combinations are better than others, something I can’t explain. All I know is, hearing that and especially creating it enriches my life.

    Hearing It

    Looking back to my early life, I recall no awareness of harmony in music until I joined the chorus of my elementary school in 6th grade. I had to learn my part and realized how it fit in with the overall piece we were singing. I wish I remembered the name of the song we were doing. I’d love to sing that part again. I gained a greater appreciation for music at that point.

    As an aside, I have a “Certificate of Musical Ability” from Brundo Music in Niagara Falls, New York in 1959. I was nine years old at the time. I had taken some lessons from them on the accordion, but I was just a beginner. I have no sense of grasping harmony then. It took that immersion in a singing chorus to awaken me.

    I don’t remember noticing it in the music I listened to (rock ‘n roll and country mainly) during that part of my life. I know I really wanted to play guitar, but my parents wouldn’t support that idea. After having the accordion forced on me for a while, I just dropped out. On to 7th grade, I was just listening to music and not participating in it.

    The first popular music I recall furthering the awakening to harmony came from The Four Seasons. They recharged my love of music through their magnificent harmonies. Then along came the Beatles and I was driven to sing some of the harmony parts they created. My auditory horizons were then broadened to truly hear the rich harmonies found in soul music, doo-wop, more British Invasion groups and eventually the Beach Boys. Ever since, I’m on the alert for the harmonic elements of the music entering my ear.

    Singing It

    I did learn to play the guitar in my late teens and I’ve written quite a few songs. One of the greatest pleasures I can know is to have others I’ve played with take up harmony parts complementing melodies I’ve composed. However, it doesn’t really matter whether a song is mine or anyone else’s. If I can join with my friends in a great harmony, I feel a tickle in one or more of my sacred chakras. I can’t help but equate it with a high vibrational love.

    I was talking several years ago with a guy who is part of successful duo here in Arizona. The subject was their music. He said when he first sang with his partner, he actually experienced an erection. It was that good and apparently exciting.

    I haven’t had that reaction to singing with anyone, but I did have one remarkable event involving the woman who would become my wife. We had been seeing each other for only a couple of weeks or so when one of us ( I think it was me) launched into a doo-wop song called What’s Your Name, a hit song by the duo Don and Juan. My recollection is my lover joining in immediately with all the lyrics and a perfect harmony to my lead melody. We were delighted and stunned. As we like to say, it was a strong indicator we had found the person with whom we wanted to spend the rest of our lives. Maybe that’s a bit embellished, but the harmony in the song enhanced the greater harmony between us, spirit to spirit, and bonded our relationship. We’re still together, 46 years later.

    Wisdom on the Subject

    “Music from my fourth year began to be the first of my youthful occupations. Thus early acquainted with the gracious muse who tuned my soul to pure harmonies, I became fond of her, and, as it often seemed to me, she of me.” Ludwig van Beethoven

    “Living here on Earth, we breathe the rhythms of a universe that extends infinitely above us. When resonant harmonies arise between this vast outer cosmos and the inner human cosmos, poetry is born.” Daisaku Ikeda

    “When I had my first experiences of choral singing, the dissonance of those close harmonies was so exquisite that I would giggle or I would tear up, and I felt it in a physical way.” Eric Whitacre

    “I like to be surrounded by harmonies and fullness and richness and vitality.” Al Jardine

    From the Heart

    Joining a song in harmony requires hearing the melody another being is communicating in whatever form of love they know. Lending harmony is an acknowledgment of their communication and adding to it, like when an improv artist says, “Yes, and…”

    If we can hear what those around us are saying and bring acknowledgment along with a response that adds to what is being said instead of detracting from it, we will bring more and more harmony to the world.