I will never forget being introduced to the Magic 8 Ball, the oracle of the playground, when I was in the 5th grade. Just in case you have never seen the Magic 8 Ball, or the array of Magic 8 Ball smart phone apps, the Magic 8 Ball provides an answer to a question that you pose—you just simply ask a question, shake the Magic 8 Ball, and then an answer appears. Just for fun, I downloaded the Magic 8 Ball app and asked if I should practice scales to get better at music. The Magic 8 Ball said no. Do you believe it?!
The Magic 8 Ball is fun for kids (specifically for everyone “ages 6 and up”) but should we be worried if our view of the world, or specifically our ideas about music making, are just magical thinking?
Magical Thinking
Magical thinking is a psychological phenomenon defined by Britannica to be, “the belief that one’s ideas, thoughts, actions, words, or use of symbols can influence the course of events in the material world.” It does in fact seem illogical that we can use our minds and our own emotions and desires to alter or change the course of events in the material world. Music is a very unique phenomenon, though, so maybe just as suggested in Joshua Yamamoto’s article about magical thinking that our imagined world does in fact pave the way for tangible creative discovery and artistic innovation. While acknowledging the positive aspects of magical thinking Yamamoto warns the reader that magical thinking could cause ourselves or others harm.
Becoming the Instrument
Kenny Werner’s new book Becoming the Instrument is the companion to his book from 1996 entitled Effortless Mastery. His new book encourages musicians to find “the space,” which is a mindful place that is beyond the conscious mind. He asserts that musicians should find “the space” to “effortlessly embody whatever we are doing” to maximize our own potential.
Kenny Werner is a well known pianist and educator and is of the well celebrated cohort of musicians that converged on the Berklee School of Music in the early to mid 1970s. His classmates at that time included Joe Lovano, John Scofield, George Garzone, and others. He continues today to have a successful performance and teaching career.
One thing that we can glean from the book is that Werner is brimming with talent and confidence. There are many mentions of his upbringing as a prodigy and his own immense talent for music. One thing I wonder is whether the reader is either supposed to relate to being “special” — a prodigy who has music come easy to them — OR is the reader supposed to idolize Werner for his tremendous skills? Regardless, Werner asserts himself as “a conduit from a divine source for other seekers who were embodying their own joy and sending light into the world.”
Who is the Audience for this Text?
I had my graduate Jazz Pedagogy class at WVU read this text because I knew that it would provide a great spring board for discussions about music. The students enjoyed several discussions about “the space” and its pertinence to music making and jazz improvisation. This material is simply more relevant to musicians with an intermediate or advanced level of experience making music. A great example of this is Werner’s anecdote about Art Tatum listening to the World Series in his headphones while recording a solo album. Most of our students simply are not on this level of playing.
What I Like About the Book
On multiple occasions throughout the book Werner encourages musicians to make mistakes and to embrace mistakes. Generally he is empowering musicians to avoid being overly concerned with a notion of perfection, and the assumption is that our desire for perfection is an impediment to authentic and expressive music making.
I strongly agree that students can practice better and play better by giving themselves permission to make mistakes. This alleviates the stress of performance—it could be stated that modern recording technology—with its overdubs, cut and paste, autotune, and other edit features—has wrongly set our students’ expectations that perfection is normal and obtainable. The greatest performers in all genres are editing recorded performances because perfection is the status quo.
Acknowledging Privilege
On more than one occasion, I have stated that I worry that music is a rich kid’s hobby. Do students from humble means have the same musical opportunities as students from affluent families? Also, since there are so many professional musicians who come from a privileged environment, do they recognize their advantages?
Werner tells his own story in the book, which includes a detailed account of a time when he was making good money playing weddings and other events. In fact, he was so busy performing these events that he did not have enough time to create his own original music. His father came to the rescue by giving him cash that allowed for him to play fewer weddings and have more time for his own original music. What if Werner’s father did not have the means to provide this generous funding? Would he still be toiling as a wedding band pianist? Do we or our students have this privilege? If we do have this privilege do we recognize it?
Magical Thinking
Werner celebrates a book that he read over and over called Illusions, which is a circuitous work that ends the way it starts. In many ways, Becoming the Instrument is extremely circuitous, winding, mildly confusing, and seemingly contradicting.
Here is a list of quotes from the book that could be responses for a new Magic 8 Ball game for jazz musicians:
“You take an action, right or wrong, brilliant stroke or colossal mistake, and it’s a success.”
“One can play all of the wrong notes and still be the perfect instrument.”
“Authenticity is what happens when you’re not trying to do anything. Mistakes are only relevant to the conscious mind.”
“A body that is empty of desire enjoys a relaxed sort of freedom.”
“Part of the unfolding mystery of perfection is celebrating one’s mistakes.”
“Musician blocked by having expectation of what he wants to sound like…. Honoring one’s ideas before doubting them produces better ideas…writers block—write the wrong things for a while, the unthinkable, or worse, the predicable ideas, and feel the glow commence.”
“Gloriously trotting down the wrong path is a success in itself.”
“Let go completely, play my instrument, fill the room with sound, then trust that it will work out.”
“Perfection doesn’t mean you have to be perfect. Perfection is celebrating one’s mistakes. Quickly they find, there are no mistakes.”
“Groove is the absence of trying.”
“Put your hands on the piano keys, let the fingers roam, receive the sound and let it fill you, you can have the highest experience without even being a pianist.”
The last two quotes are especially intriguing to me. For instance, if a musician were to show up to a Latin jazz gig with the philosophy that groove comes without effort, how might that end up in the performance? Similarly, does this mean that James Brown and his band did not put any effort into trying to groove?
The last quote reveals the book for what it is—it is written by a pianist and is arguably best read by other solo piano players. Solo piano players can sit down and meditate and have an experience that is outlined in this book. What about trumpet players? Even the greatest professional virtuosic trumpet players have to think about tone production, warming up, the nuances of sound, and controlling their instrument. There is a huge difference between a musician sitting down to a piano and improvising freely and improvising on other instruments whether they be brass, or woodwinds.
Students Beware
Academia is attacked several times in this book. This is a curious choice given that the author is employed by an academic institution, which means he is “biting the hand that is feeding him.” It is problematic to me that he makes wide accusations about jazz professors and jazz schools given the wide range of programs, communities, expectations, and faculty that exist in jazz education.
The confidence that Werner imparts on students is very commendable. We do need our students to be confident and they need to have the capability to find happiness standing up in front of others and performing. What is dangerous for students, though, is the possibility that this book could be read as an empowerment to not take criticism (positive and valuable criticism) and to try to seek a path that is completely coming from within.
So much of this book is about the individual and jazz is really about collaboration. The joy of the music is finding a groove with other players, creating phrases that work in context with other players, supporting other players with comping and dynamics, and communicating with other musicians on and off the bandstand.
One of the best pieces of advice I ever got was from one of my best friends, a drummer and a classmate of mine. He told me “hey, stop playing so many eighth and sixteenth notes and leave the rhythm section some space. If you just play continuously, then it gives the rhythm section nothing interesting to do but keep time.” From that time forward, I have thought about the collaborative effort that goes into music making.
My most sincere worry is that students will read this book and lose track of the holistic nature of the art form—that jazz is not just something that happens as a solo exercise in a practice room. It is instead about collaboration and communication with other musicians.
Music making and improvisation cannot be a solely self indulgent exercise. We are not just playing our own solos, but we are playing the whole ensemble—as our solo expressions elicit responses from other other players in real time reflecting the energy, dynamics, mood, and emotion of what is happening.
With all respect, I appreciate the effort that Werner put into his book, but please, students, seek additional reference materials for your practice and playing.