Writing as Jazz, Jazz as Writing: Part 10
Words of writing wisdom gleaned from some jazz greats.
Words of writing wisdom gleaned from some jazz greats.
Because I have a musical background, I often think about writing through a variety of musical lenses.
Writing as classical music with its sonata form and three act structure.
Writing as rock music with its raw power of emotion.
Writing as country music with its love of character-driven stories.
Writing as hip hop with its embrace of the poetry of storytelling.
But if I had to choose one musical genre which best fits what we do as writers, it would be jazz.
Why? Because every time we sit down to write, we have to do two fundamental things:
- Write in the moment
- Improvise
Every scene exists in our present tense. We have to be right there with our characters to experience the story unfolding in ‘The Now’.
Every time a jazz musician performs live, they exist in the moment. They find the spark of creativity by playing off each other and giving themselves over to every second of the songs they perform.
Likewise whenever we sit down to write, no matter how much of the story we’ve figured out, we have to give room for spontaneity and to improvise when our characters veer over here or there.
So, too, jazz musicians whose lifeblood is improvisation, making it up as they go along, pushing the envelope, and testing each song in nightly performance.
That inspired me to do a series this week featuring quotes from some of the all-time great jazz players.
Today: John Coltrane.
I have to feel that I’m after something. If I make money, fine. But I’d rather be striving. It’s the striving, man, it’s that I want.
“If I make money, fine… It’s the striving… it’s that I want.”
Years ago when I made my living as a musician in Aspen, Colorado, I ran across an interview with Levon Helm, drummer and vocalist for The Band. In it, he said something both simple and profound:
“Music don’t owe anybody a living.”
I always remembered that. Indeed, I tweaked it a bit to write a blog post some time ago: Movies don’t owe anybody a living.
That’s the attitude anybody working in the arts has to think. That not only acknowledges how difficult it is to derive income from creative activities, it’s also a way to keep the artist focused on the art itself.
As I wrote in another post: Do it because you love it.
Coltrane’s quote provides a new angle on the subject by introducing the concept of “striving”. It can’t just be about becoming a success, especially as demonstrated by income. It can’t just be about producing the art, the end product of our creativity. It has to also be about the pursuit of creativity…
The push to get better at our craft.
The drive to deepen our connection to our Self.
The courage to express our Voice in different ways.
The persistence of the daily ritual of engaging in new possibilities.
The creative arts don’t owe anybody a living, so do it because you love it. And while doing it, embrace the very act of striving.
It’s THAT you should want.
For inspiration, check out this video featuring Coltrane with the amazing McCoy Tyner on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums performing “Impressions”:
Previous posts in this series:
That’s it. Hope you enjoyed the series!