The Joys of Blasphemy

Here I am again, about to praise in wonderment the relentless delight of teaching Orff courses. Will I ever get tired of writing about this? Will you ever get tired (perhaps 100 posts ago?) of reading about this? Can I say the same old thing in new and refreshing ways? Well, we’ll see.

 

At the poolside after a marvelous morning, I handwrote in my journal—yes, still trying to keep that alive— the following:

 

“ In former times, I might have been burned at the stake for blasphemy for what I’m about to say. But the truth is that my seven days (well, ten) of Creation feel far superior to God’s messy work. He created mosquitoes, poison oak and deeply flawed human beings who would go on to become Republicans, invent Disco and sell their souls to machines. But every day in my World, there is love and laughter, kindness and caring, joy and jubilation, alongside exuberant and euphoric music and dance. I love teaching ALL of my various courses— an intro. to Orff, Jazz, World Music, Pedagogy, Poetry and more. But Level III holds a special place in my heart, that finishing school that really marks the true beginning of the authentic Orff teacher. These people know things so that the magic and mystery of Level I is revealed as the detailed work deeply understood in the mind, heart and body. Without diminishing an ounce of that initial magic. 

Every day we gather and jump straight into the refreshing waters of fabulous music, dance, songs, games expertly taught and delivered with humor, fun and affection. The students feel it in their bones, it dances in their muscles, it sings in their heart, it lights up the circuits in their brain. Each piece, each activity, each song, each concept springs forth from the one just before it and births the one about to come after it. Everything intimately connected so that every thing in this universe makes sense. Each class is punctuated by laughter, tears, deep quiet, vivacious “Yee-hahs!”, fireworks “A-hahs!”, sincere praise and healing blessings. 

 

To top it off, the days are painted in an enormous palette of emotional colors, released in powerful Bulgarian voices, vibrant Brazilian dances, “exotic” Balinese gamelan pieces. New instruments abound— shaking Thai anklung, buzzing Ghana gyil xylophone, the pure notes of the Finnish overtone flute, the fierce Bulgarian bagpipe, alongside the sweet tones of the Orff instruments. The rhythms live inside the different houses of 2/4, 3/4, 4/4/, 5/4, 6/8, 7/8, 15/16 meters, the melodies sing in some 12 different modes and scales, the harmonies and textures create whole worlds unto themselves. If indeed, every piece of music rightly heard, sung, played, unlocks another faculty of soul, then all these sounds and timbres and rhythms and melodies serve to make us all so much larger than we were before we began, so much more nuanced in our abilities to feel and welcome that large palette of emotion the music can release. All in company with each other, joined together in these life-affirming and love-connecting vibrations.”

 

So before you light the fire at my feet for daring to compare my Universe to God’s, consider the above. And of course, I think God is pleased, having endowed us with the possibility of participating joyfully in Her creation and to use the full measure of our faculties to co-create alongside Her. 

 

On to Day 5.