Blog Series - "Wisdom and Intuitive Intelligence" - PART ONE: review of New York Times front page opinion article entitled "Art Never Dies" by Jazz Master Saxophone Legend Sonny Rollins
This is Part One of my new Blog post columns on the significance and meaningful connections between learning, understanding and engaging in music through "wisdom and intuitive intelligence. " This beautifully written article exemplifies the sage advice of Jazz legendary saxophone master Sonny Rollins, who at age 89 wrote an essay published by the New York Times in their "Why Does Art Matter?" series
To begin, please click the link below this photo to read the article in its entirety. It is heart-felt, authentic, inspiring, and profound. All my students loved reading it.
And for those online music teachers and/or online music lesson students who are not familiar with the life's work in music of Sonny Rollins, check out his biography here on his official website:
https://sonnyrollins.com/biography/
And you can hear him play a solo on this YouTube video:
Here’s what he has to say about what it means to play Jazz and be a Jazz musician:
And a 10 minutes video on Sonny Rollins meeting Miles Davis
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WfRlyUKv8Y
My mentor, the late, great George Russell - creator of the world renowned pan-stylistic theory to come from Jazz entitled "The Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organization, the art and science of Tonal Gravity" wrote in the fourth and final edition that "intuitive intelligence" was unconditionally paramount to create meaningful artistic statements in music. That term "intuitive intelligence" refers to that which comes from an artist’s “essence” - it is wisdom versus knowledge, the brilliance of the heart and not only the head, the inner vision along with the vision that comes from being influenced by others, and a connection to what most people describe as a higher level of consciousness than ordinary day-in-day-out life. This intention and mindset results in a powerful synergy of what Geoge Russell explains as "intellectual brilliance, intuitive perception, emotional fire and spiritual depth." It is the source of not only inspiration, but innovation.
This article by Sonny Rollins articulates a potent and real perspective on what George Russell is talking about in regards to intuitive intelligence. It is the underlying “one thing necessary” to direct the journey us musicians take towards mastery of this ancient language called music in the right direction. That path leads to being a much better listener and one who is in touch with inner forces that wake up through wisdom.
The reason I will be posting many new Blog articles on this subject is that wisdom and intuitive intelligence is fundamental to the deeper hidden meanings of what music making is all about.
One of the many reasons to choose to study online with a private music teacher for live interactive real-time online music lessons is that a one-on-one relationship between two people - and not simply watching a pre-recorded video or YouTube DIY instruction - provides insights, explanations, connections and direct transmission between teacher and student. This fosters the planting of seeds that mentors of the past set in motion for beauty and truth to move forward. This is what I aim to do for my students as I pass along the wisdom and intuitive intelligence I was given by mentors George Russell and Dwike Mitchell, among many others.
LINKS TO OTHER PAGES ON THIS OFFICIAL ANDY WASSERMAN WEBSITE
https://andywasserman.com/videos
https://andywasserman.com/recordings
https://andywasserman.com/arts-in-ed/holistic-music-healing
https://andywasserman.com/music-theory/george-russell-s-lydian-chromatic-concept
https://andywasserman.com/private-lessons
https://andywasserman.com/private-lessons/realtime-online-lessons
#sonnyrollins, #artisticwisdom, #intuition, #creativity, #lydianchromaticconcept
