Music, Children, and Humanity

I’m often performing for family friendly occasions. Besides a weekly Sunday brunch I sometimes play at outdoor civic events. I’m pretty much convinced that after years of doing this, locals have come to kind of like hearing some jazz while they have their lunch or shop for vegetables, flowers, knick knacks, and what have you. It’s not quite the same as playing at night, where the restaurants take on a more club kind of atmosphere, spirits are being served, and the music goes through more of a freedom and darker sort of a transition. That’s okay - I like both daytime and night time playing. But I digress.

Amongst the listeners at these daytime events, there are always those who are unfamiliar with jazz and not quite sure what they’re listening to, and among them there are the curious. Our music is usually pretty friendly sounding, and there’s nothing intimidating (I don’t think) about me or my musician friends. There’s no barrier to separate us from anyone who cares to walk up and strike up a conversation, and folks often do.

Most can tell right off that I’m playing a guitar, even though it may not be one they’re really familiar with, they get the idea. The drums are never mistaken for something else. But the bass...that upright bass...it can really throw people for a loop. You might be surprised at the number of people who ask “what IS that?”. The fellow that frequently plays bass with me is soft spoken and good natured and always answers them patiently. Does kinda’ make me wonder though...really? You really have never seen a bass? The other day someone asked if it was a sell-o.

Nothing, however, beats the wonder and amazement of children. Toddlers especially always get this glazed look over their eyes and just stare totally enthralled. Their parents, eager to introduce them the wonders the world, often bring them right up to watch us, usually encouraging them to dance. Sometimes the child does manage some kind of hop/dance. This seems kind of cruel to me, I’d like to see what would happen if one of those parents were made to dance to the music I play. Lots of parents just let their children experience the live music. Then they start naming off the instruments, “and that’s a cello...” um, no, that’s really a bass I want to say but I let it go.

That children are so taken with music speaks volumes to us. Clearly, seeing actual real live performers making music is something a little unusual and it also indicates a uniqueness of mankind. It’s part of being human and it’s attractive on many levels, and not just to children. The taking time to learn a degree of mastery of instruments, coordinating the event, the presentation, all tell us that there are worlds out there that are not our own. Foreign territory for the uninitiated. Big worlds full of complexity. Music and the arts are part of being human. Without them, we’d be a less so. Life without the arts I think wouldn’t be worth living. It’s important. It makes us human.