“People make a mistake who think that my art has come easily to me. Nobody has devoted so much time and thought to composition as I. There is not a famous master whose music I have not studied over and over.” Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Welcome to the world of the creative genius!
We feasted on a musical Jeopardy at the Creativity and Genius—The Fire Within Concert. Jacquelyne Silver opened her wealthy storybook of knowledge and performed music that lingers in my mind (and yes, some ring tones on my cell phone as well).
In her own words, “There is an anagram in the word ‘listen’. It has inside of it the word ‘silent’. In order to listen you have to let things come into you in a new way.” Here is the essence of creativity and what the creative process was that burned the fire that gave us music.
Check out a skeleton peek into the lives of just a few of the creative geniuses Jacqui reviewed in story and song. Play their music in your mind and envision them sitting at their desks composing. Appreciate the genius that goes into their works. Remember that composers of music have only seven notes to work with.
1. How did Beethoven write his 9th Symphony with seven notes, or his 5th Symphony where he was shaking his hand at the world because he was a young man soon to lose his hearing? Listen for the silence. It speaks volumes. Beethoven was the man who held our hands as we walked from the classical period to the romantic one. He “lived a lot in the minor key … a little bit smaller contraction of the heart,” as Jacqui sees it. The Sonata Pathetique is his autobiography.
2. Mozart composed music from the tender age of 4. He actually held a grudge for 11 years against a less known composer, Muzio Clementi, and then plagiarized his work in The Marriage of Figaro. He died at the tender age of 35.
3. Chopin spent an entire day looking for a “blue” note. He was a different kind of drummer. Chopin said there were 12 notes in the scale—you are making the other 5 orphans. He was a sickly man his entire 39 years. He tells his life story in the Prelude, Op. 28, #4.
4. Ragtime has two components: the left hand and the right hand. “The left hand is the man who wears the [drab] gray suit.” He is the foundation that gives the right hand all the leeway to play and have personality. The right hand comes in offbeat and does whatever she wants to. “She is the raindrops between the window sills.” Scott Joplin, the king of ragtime, was lucky to be born after the Civil War. He was free, but he was still considered chattel. He picked cotton in the fields for 18 hours a day. Slaves didn’t know what else to do. When you are in the field picking cotton, you sing to each other. “Brother, are you okay? “ Let’s sing it all together, but softly so as not to bother the foreman. Listen to The Entertainer as the slaves ask each other in the fields picking cotton, “Are you there?”
5. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera was written in D major—Chopin’s favorite key to compose in. While Webber may not fit in the genius category as a composer, he mastered the use of the stage. He knows Broadway shows—the lighting, the dynamics of stage production, and how to captivate an audience.
Jacqueline Silver’s passion for music has no boundaries; however, in the last several years she has focused on the younger generation’s lack of our Nation’s history and its music. Are The Battle Hymn of the Republic, Yankee Doodle Dandy, or I’ve Been Working On The Railroad, lost songs (and history) to our children?
Jacqui created Silver Pathways to Music, a nonprofit organization with the devoted Mission Statement:
- To inspire children and the public-at-large to appreciate the depth,
magnificence, and power of music and its endless varieties
- To connect young people to themselves, each other, and their historical roots through music, history and the arts
- To bring the healing powers of music to children, particularly those at-risk, and the public-at-large
- To encourage and nurture the natural creativity that lies in every child through music and the arts.
Towards that end, Jacqui produced a 4-part series DVD using a diverse cast of brilliant child actors who recreate 50 years of American history and its music. This is a rich, emotional experience that transcends time. It feels like you become a part of our beloved American history.
Each time I watch this movie I see new aspects of our history … my Grandmother arriving at Ellis Island … the connection of the transcontinental railroad … Gettysburg … the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Combining music and history cements those events in your mind and heart.
I challenge you to listen to the type of music YOU enjoy with new insight and passion. Share with me how the appreciation and love for music has changed for you!
Yours With Passion,
Dar
March 23rd, 2010 at 10:42 am
Darlene…what a joy to read this. Thank you for sharing Jacquelyne’s insights and heart with us. It is very uplifting to read phrases such as “she is the raindrops between the window sills.” A phrase like this lifts my spirits to imagine music having a personality like this.
I will definitely put my imagination on when listening to the music that is around me…what a great way to engage the heart, spirit and the mind in the present moment.
Blessings to you!
March 23rd, 2010 at 11:42 am
Love this post!
It is a myth that genius does not involve effort or work. The difference is that geniuses fall in love with the activity that work becomes play.
Genius is the combination of talent plus effort.
Thank you for an in depth look at geniuses in one of the 8 types of intelligence.
Eiji
Eiji Morishita´s last blog ..New Personal Challenge – Be Unreasonable
March 24th, 2010 at 7:51 am
Eiji,
Not only does their work become play, they are COMPELLED to do it. The driving force within them is so powerful, it overtakes their entire lives!
March 23rd, 2010 at 2:19 pm
Hi Darlene,
Thank you so much for this post..It was very insighful. I love music, all kinds of music from classical to cheesy 80′s ballads.
I love the emotions and memories that can be triggered ~ reminding us of our own past or a reminder of the history of our world.
I do wish that I had persevered more as a child to be REALLY good at a particular instrument. I dabbled with the flute and like many kids can play the recorder!
But I really wish I had learnt to play the piano and it is definitely on a list of things to do. Possibly after I have done my backpacking round the world in my 80s lol.
Thank you for this wonderful post. I will certainly listen to music with a new found passion and insight.
God bless,
Beth
Beth Hewitt´s last blog ..What does your mind say about you?
March 23rd, 2010 at 4:14 pm
Wonderful work Darlene! I appreciate the look at the musical arena! I could imagine these masters creating wonders of music for us all! I feel as if I’ve learned much just in reading your post. Thank you for passing your passion on to all of us!
~Linda
Linda G. Cox´s last blog ..Power of Thoughts and the Written Word
March 23rd, 2010 at 8:03 pm
Hi Darlene,
Your passion is contagious! This is so interesting. We forget that many genius artists are in a great deal of emotional pain which is why we relate to them. They are somehow able to touch us in a way that allows our feelings to be expressed through them. That, I think, is the genius!
Thank you for bringing us this moving topic!
Mentor Mama
Nancy Burke Barr´s last blog ..SCAMS MLM: Why Cosmetic Consultants Fail, Even in a Top 10 Company!
March 24th, 2010 at 7:48 am
Thanks, Nancy. It is so true that many of the greats suffer from emotional pain. Tchaikovsky (one of my favorites) committed suicide at 53. The first time he heard music he told his nanny that he was turning to glass and was about to shatter.
March 24th, 2010 at 4:02 am
THanks Darlene, I just love coming here to your site. Truly sharing yourself can be found in all your posts which I think are great. I wish I was more musically inclined, but we are only good at the things we do most. Maybe some day!
Bill Cowan´s last blog ..Tired of Feeling Tired All the Time?
April 1st, 2010 at 4:23 pm
Hi Darlene
Fantastic insights into our great composers> i know nothing of them but their music is so familiar. I worked as a theatre technician for 15 yrs and have seen many stage productions and it never ceases to amaze me how often the hairs on the back of my neck stand up as i am uplifted by a perfect piece of music. Thank you for your awesome perception.
Cheers,
Matt
Matt Jones´s last blog ..Do Your Beliefs Serve You Anymore?