American Music– Jan 1995
No matter how corrupt, greedy, and heartless our government, our corporations, our media, and our religious & charitable institutions may become, the music will still be wonderful.
― Kurt Vonnegut, A Man Without a Country (2005)
This passage from Vonnegut sticks in my mind in recent times, especially as the World Cup moves into its final rounds. There are things that seem to be beyond the reach of greedy, corrupt, grubby fingers of politicians and others who seek to manipulate everything for their own benefit.
Some of you might say that the World Cup is not a good example since FIFA, the governing body of soccer, has a hoard of greedy, corrupt, and greedy fingers in its pie. That is indisputable. But I think it is a good example in that the games themself and the joy and excitement of the fans transcend the taint of its corporate bosses and that of our grubby fingered president’s intrusive efforts.
That joy and excitement is not for them to control.
And that has always been the case with cultural forces. The greedy, grubby-fingered ones never seem to quite get that though they might control everything, they can never fully rule over the power and influence of music, art, and literature. It is beyond nationalism and political ideologies.
It is the voice and language of our collective humanity.
Take for example the reach and influence of American music and cinema over the last 125 years. The grubby-fingered ones are convinced that our military and corporate power were responsible for our extended reach and influence around the world. But I contend that without the influence of our music and films, that power would not been able to take hold abroad in the same way. Our Big Band, jazz, blues, pop, and rock and roll music became the soundtrack for people around the world not because it represented a cold and corrupt corporate-driven government.
No, it was because our music spoke to everyone as an equal. Nobody was excluded in the rhythms and tempos of our music. That became the symbol and lure of America.
That’s all I have the time or willpower to say this morning on that subject. We are in an ugly time and place right now but, as Vonnegut stated, the music will still be wonderful.
That is, so long as it continues to embrace all people everywhere. So far, so good.
When I think of this subject, my mind always goes back to this early 1995 painting that was a bit of an anomaly. It was an experimental piece at a time when I was still firing in many directions, trying to find whatever path might lead me forward in my journey as an artist. And a human.
I don’t think the path forward would have taken me where I needed to go, but then again, how would I know that? Just intuition, I guess, and the satisfaction I feel in where I am right now. But I like this painting very much. Maybe not completely for its qualities as a painting, though I think there are some interesting aspects in it.
It is more the way it speaks to me immediately about how music and art reach out in all directions without qualifiers as to who can understand or appreciate it.
That is real power.
I’ve shared this painting here a couple of times over the years and I always include a song from 1981, American Music, from The Blasters, fronted by Phil Alvin. The song reiterates the message that it is our music and art that represent us. I am pretty sure I had this song and message in mind back in January of 1995.