Multiple Choice

For those have been faithfully reading this Blog, I imagine you can predict a lot of what I’m going to say. And that’s not a bad thing. Though occasionally I surprise myself with a new thought, 99% of my writing and thinking is finding a new way to say the same old thing— or things. 

So here at the Memphis Airport, waiting to board one flight to L.A., another to SF, an Uber back home (too late for my usual BART— I arrive after midnight), I’m thinking about what I could say to close off this marvelous 5-day Jazz Class I just finished teaching in Memphis. So to try to make it interesting, I’m going to give you a multiple-choice test. Put an x next to the statements that you think are true. 

 

___. I loved every minute of each of the five 6-hour days. 

 

___ I loved watching every single one of the 30 teachers showing us

       their childlike-self that loves to play, their musician self that loves to play, 

       sing and dance, their adult self listening with intense seriousness to the 

       hard stories that birthed this music and thinking about what needs to 

       happen to bring some healing and health.

 

____ I loved how each participant found the way to do the above that revealed

       their particular character and offered their particular gift— energy, 

        imagination, humor, virtuosity, soulful feeling, etc— to the group. 

 

____ I loved the way they had informal jam sessions during the breaks and 

       loved the small group Blues Pieces they created. 

 

_____. I loved the final choreography of the group creating a movement piece to

          a sultry blues and was proud of them for their accomplishment and me 

          for taking the risk of doing something new with a familiar piece. 

 

____ I loved the casual way we put together two killer pieces for the sharing

        with the greater Orff gathering, how it incorporated their particular

        strengths and included some of their inspired ideas and how relaxed they

        were while taking it seriously that they wanted to do it well.

 

____ I loved yet another renewal of vows between the perfect marriage of

        Orff Schulwerk and Jazz. The love fest between them goes on.

 

____ I love that I still get to do this work and there are still people in the 

        world who are hungry for it and value it. 

 

___. All of the above. 

 

I will reveal the correct answers tomorrow.  

 

PS  _____ I love that I looked at my watch and realized I better buy a little dinner before having to board the plane in ten minutes!