Kind of Blue: An Excercise in Interdisciplinary Studies

Going through some old papers from graduate school, I came upon a short essay that I wrote about Miles Davis and the album Kind of Blue. It seems even clearer to me now that Jazz is the perfect example of how an interdisciplinary education works. There are many ideas and lines of information coming together under a broad theme with minimal control from the top. Everyone “knows” what to play and where to come in. The popularity of this album lends support to the idea that “emergent” systems have it right and that top down control and rigid hierarchies would produce lifeless, or mechanized-sounding music.

Here is an excerpt from that paper (edited for this blog):

I think this also proves something else of educational value. Right combinations produce right things. Just like the concept of emergence, if software, a city, circuit board, building or whatever is put together the right way, it will yield great things.

In the case of Kind of Blue, one has the perfect combination of instruments and musicians. Davis came together with Julian "Cannonball" Adderly, John Coltrane, Wynton Kelly, Bill Evans, Paul Chambers and Jimmy Cobb. Here's how you know they were the right musicians; they had no rehearsal and only one take. Maybe this setting, being around equally talented musicians inspired each to do well. One great artist inspiring others - creating synergy.

I'm finishing up listening to the album as I write this, and, already I want to replay it. They say (whoever they are) that anyone can make something complicated - the real genius knows how to make it simple. Kind of Blue is just that - perfectly simple. Great musicians converged at Columbia Records on 30th street in New York City on March 2nd and April 22nd, 1959 and created something truly great.

The inspiring story of Jason McElwain

I turned on the TV today and caught only a glimpse of an inspiring story about a high school student with autism. I've talked a bit on this blog about certain creative powers that are inherent in mental illness, but this event should open up discussion on what is possible with autism. Jason McElwain scored 20 points in the last four minutes of a basketball game to help his team win. Think of the state of focus and concentration one has to be in to make this happen. You can see a video of this event here.

Promoting Innovations in many fields...

Right Brain World is quickly becoming a website which promotes innovation across disciplines. Creative thinkers are always looking for combinations of new things – which is why it is a disservice to put up lines or barriers to new solutions and ideas. An idea in engineering could answer a question that an educator or entrepreneur has, and a mathematician could provide insight to a psychologist or web designer.

By rewarding creativity and innovation across the board, wherever it occurs, the possibilities for new combinations and solutions increases greatly. The hope is that this site will become a launching pad and source of inspiration for all kinds of new and innovative thinking.

If you’d like to have your idea considered for publication, please send a sample of your work to lchazen@gmail.com

The picture above is of Buckminster Fuller and was designed by the people at the link above (click on the title).

"We are on a spaceship; a beautiful one. It took billions of years to develop. We're not going to get another. Now, how do we make this spaceship work?"

R. Buckminster Fuller

Are students ready for "the conceptual age?"

Standardized tests exist in every sector of the educational landscape. From the SAT to the GRE, LSAT and more, there is considerable interest in numbers. It makes it easy to quantify learning. But, if you give someone two separate ideas and ask them to combine them into one usable idea, or ask them to explain a phenomenon or interpret data, some of these great test takers might fall short. Why? Because the emphasis in education is on standardizing knowledge, not on creativity or abstract thinking. Even in 2005, we still expect students, for the most part, to think in a linear fashion. Yet, our world is changing... quickly. Daniel Pink, in A Whole New Mind, reports that we are entering a "conceptual age," when we will need people to think in new ways. Employers, according to Pink, will need students to see a larger picture, one where they can see trends, merge ideas and create new strategies. Richard Florida reports that there are nearly 40 million people now in the U.S. who are part of a "creative class." This group of teachers, musicians, artists, scientists and others makes up approximately 30 percent of the workforce. Also consider the observations of Tom Friedman in The World is Flat,that places like Bangalore and Beijing are becoming rival economic centers to US cities, and we have to ask ourselves, as educators, if we should make changes or additions to the curriculum.

Return of the Land Yacht

Not all ideas make it off the drawing pages. Some remain on napkins, scraps of paper or lost in computer files. But Howard Doss got this dream off the paper and into actual use. A combination of a lot of interesting people, talent and ambition created America’s first production motor home, the Howard Safari. Built by Howard Industries of Saginaw, Michigan, the Safari rolled off the assembly lines from 1953 to 1956. More interesting than that is how the concept began. In an earlier blog entry, I refered to a study which showed how heterogeneous (mixed) teams produce the most creative things. Well, Doss and his team back in the 50's proved this.

Doss had been building trailers since the 1930's. But it was a well know comedian of the time, Herb Shriner who wanted to be able to drive the trailer and not tow it. Doss and his team discussed it, designed it and made it happen. The original self-propelled motor home was a 22 ft. structure set on top a GMC truck chassis. Doss brought in an up-and-coming designer to give the Safari a new look. His name was Albrecht Goertz. A quick Google search showed that this is the same man who went on to design the 240 Z for Datsun. He would also go on to work for BMW.

Apparently, "product placement" is not such a new idea. The original Howard Safari appeared in the movie Ring of Fear. It was also seen on movie reels of the day, and made an appearance on the Today Show with Dave Garroway and Jack Lescoulie.

This next bit has a little to do with genetics and history repeating itself. It’s now fifty years since the last of the Safari’s rolled off the assembly lines and in comes Marcel Berman, grandson of Howard Doss. If everything goes as planned, Berman hopes to return motor home greatness to the streets by way of the Howard Safari X8 Land Yacht (seen above). In fact, it's a completely new concept and if it's produced, it will be the first Super Sport Recreational Vehicle. You could even call it a "hot rod motor home." Whatever the wording, the potential for this vehicle is unlimited. It could be a promo vehicle for a learning or cyber lab… I used to work for ATT’s Cable in the Classroom program, which offered a CyberLab to students, teachers and general public. The idea was to bring the lab or classroom to the people, unload laptops and equipment and set up shop anywhere there was electricity and a DSL or cable connection. Operating out of the X8 Land Yacht would have been far more attractive – had it been available. I can also see this as a PR tool for a company, a mobile unit for police, fire, sportscasting, etc. Does John Madden need a new bus? Let's not forget any number of celebrities, silicon valley executives and movie studio lots too.

I’m thinkng out loud or on paper here, but what about getting noted car collector Jay Leno in on this as a sort of modern Herb Shriner. I think Jay would love driving a finished product. I’m sure Berman would love to provide him one (at a discount) if he were given some time on the show to promote it. There's other possibilities with TV. To generate enthusaism for the unique design and possibly generate some venture capitol, get the folks over at Discovery’s Monster Garage to add the cool factor, and now you’ve got Jessie James and his mechanics working on the next great Land Yacht. Again, just thinking out of the box here, but what about getting a high tech school or community college involved in the design and development. A percentage could go to them by way of scholarship money and the rest to the rightful heir... Howard Doss' inventive grandson.


You can reach the designer, Marcel Berman, personally at
howard_safari@yahoo.com


If you’d like to have your idea considered for publication, please send a sample of your work to lchazen@mac.com

The Need for Integrated Thinking – Commentary and Thoughts on " The Creative Generalist"

It's not easy to get through a week without coming in contact with a specialist of some sort. If you're an entrepreneur or work for a large company you might need the help of a web designer or will likely call on an IT person to fix a computer or networking problem. At any given high school, you might see a place divided into departments which specialize in one of the areas of education. M.D's specialize as do some dentists and the pattern extends into the arts as some painters, musicians and writers explore and develop one area to make it theirs.

Expert tutors, history teachers who focus on 18th Century Russia, podiatrists and cosmetic dentistry specialists all provide a valuable service. But, is there an opposite? Is there an area dedicated to the the "space between" or a way to connect otherwise unconnected areas? Is it even important to have someone in between the areas to connect the dots? Is there anything of value in “there” and if so, what would we call this? Author Steve Hardy has a name for it, as well as a website, blog and article recently published on the Changethis.com website. It is called The Creative Generalist.

A creative generalist might be a blog writer, author, teacher, business consultant or, more importantly, someone who is not easily described or categorized. People in such positions should take note because this is now one of several articles and books on the importance of conceptual thinking and the need for people with this skill. One can abstract from Hardy’s writing that a creative generalist has the ability to see a larger picture, one that niche specialists may be missing. And it is in this broad area in between specialties where, according to Hardy, we get some of our best ideas. Such ideas, he says, “are the product of divergent thinking, lateral steps and questions dealing with completely unrelated notions. They “come from a kaleidoscopic grab bag of other ideas – whether ancient, recent, calculated or silly.”

Broad and specialized thinking are both important and should exist and inhabit the same organizations. What I think articles like this promote, though, is a meeting place between the two camps – a place where ideas, people and projects can take new shape and direction. In other words, thoughts, ideas, departments and specialties are great in and of themselves, but are greater and offer more potential if someone were there, maybe as a conduit to join things together. If this movement continues, it may not be unusual to see more conduit-like positions opening up in companies and organizations.

The need for interconnectedness stretches across many professions. Hardy mentions urban design, marketing campaigns, environmental policy and disaster response as areas where integrated thinking is needed. The 911 Commission Report and commentary on the U.S. Government’s response (at all levels) to Hurricane Katrina all seem to say something about a general lack of integration in our thinking.

At the micro level, one might consider the architecture of a school – how some teachers and departments feel alienated. A creative generalist might think to put the theater, music, media or library at the center of a building as these are important centers of creative energy – necessary to sustaining an optimistic mood for learning. People having to pass by books, magazines, multi-media displays or vibrant music will help carry the curious or creative energy outward, easily creating a theme or fabric for the school. By not paying attention to subtle matters as teacher placement or building design, an otherwise great, energetic teacher could end up on the outskirts of a structure where they struggle to be heard. If you’re interested in the importance of building design in thinking, read Sylvia Nassar’s account of the Rand Corporate building and its importance to creative thinking and problem solving – in the book A Beautiful Mind. I also recommend reading about “connectors” in Malcolm Gladwell’s book The Tipping Point.

As a test, let’s apply these concepts to something outside the typical business or organization – to the production of a musical. I recently played in the pit orchestra for Beauty and the Beast and had the opportunity to make some observations. Like a technician in a company, the musician executes their part according to the specific instruction of the composer and under the guidance of the conductor. He or she follows an unwritten code of conduct - communicating sometimes with the section leader but rarely (especially if one is not the section leader) interacting directly with the conductor, and almost never with the composer. The composer runs a dialogue in his or her head, but rarely communicates his or her ideas with the technician. I guess that would depend on the creative preference of the composer. Sometimes, self-absorption and inner-dialogue work best for the creative person, so you can’t really blame the composer.

Most would agree that the hierarchy of musical performance is important to delivering the intent of the composer …. but what if we were to open this up a bit? Author and consultant Peter Drucker observed the dangers of the assembly line worker more than 50 years ago, noting that it was important to keep control of the organization by following objectives, but to allow creative latitude by the employees (see the November 19th issue of the Economist). Reduce someone to the role of assembly line worker, without the opportunity to add their thoughts or creativity, and one has a recipe for fatigue and burn out.

In the case of the musical, to play the notes without interaction with the actors, composer, or writer is frustrating to a conceptual thinker. It would seem strange to set up meetings so that all these folks could communicate at some level, but think of all the possibilities! Players communicating with their section leaders, section leaders meeting with other section leaders, conductors meeting with producers and the occasional actor conversing with the orchestra might just lead to a great, energetic merger of all things creative and lead to a dynamic, finely tuned production! This is probably happening in many places but I have to wonder about of all these minds and talent operating in isolation and what comes to mind is the problem of autocratic rule. The trains run on time, but what do you really have?

A debate about this concept, according to Hardy, is now going on in the business community – between a general and specialized approach. The answer calls for conceptual thinkers who can see the value in both sides and ways they can integrate.

Here’s how that might work. Some individuals specialize in their departments to refine or explore something. They deliver their information to a “hub” where it is mixed and molded with what other specialists have discovered. Proximity, architecture and flow of information are all important here. The generalists work in the hub to mix, create new ideas and move the company or organization forward.

Writers and comedians have been successfully using this methodology for centuries, merging ideas to form larger concepts. Who hasn’t heard a joke starting out something like “a Priest, Rabbi and farmer walk into a bar.” The listener is already smiling because he or she can’t wait to see the result of this weird combination. Politics (avoiding polarization), system design, attitudes and architecture all play key parts in keeping ideas headed towards the hub. And, if allowed to take root, this movement could have major implications. By being aware of the phenomenon and respecting people with a “creative generalist” talent to see the method through, real change can happen.

More on depression and creativity

Here is my response to the posted comment below:

Thank you for your comments, and sorry for the delay in my reply. The "fun" part is that I get to sometimes experience the matters that I write about. Hence, the lag time. I liked and agree with what you said - that depression (as well as other "disorders") can be a continual source of creativity and deeper thought. Speaking of which, if you get a chance, I recommend an article I saw recently in Atlantic Monthly concerning a new examination of President Lincoln's battle with depression. Had he not suffered from depression, the outcome of the war may have been different. Thanks for the book idea. I hope you'll return to the blog in the future.

Best wishes,

Lee

p.s. How did you come upon the site?

On Sunday, October 16, 2005, at 09:56AM,

A.B.

Dear Mr Chazen,

I enjoyed your though-provoking post. I think that in our pharmacuetically obsessed society, there is denial of natural human sadness --- and that perhaps depression need not bea "disease" but may be indeed about growth. I am now reading "Where The Roots Reach for Water"(North Point Press) by Jeffery Smith and I highly recommend it. And keep up the good work!

--Posted by A.B. to Right Brain World at 10/16/2005 09:56:01 AM

Put Something on the Marquee

When I was in the student council in high school, one of my jobs was to publicize school events by putting announcements on the marquee (is that the right spelling?) out in front of the school. On one occasion, with the help of a friend, we put "something on the marquee," on the marquee. I think a total of three people got the joke.

Speaking of things from the past, I just found a bunch of old files from my high school teaching filing cabinet. I used to keep records of the hilarious or ridiculous things students would write or say. Here's a few samples:

"After the bomb was dropped, Japan understood that we were very mad."

Yes, using atomic weapons is a very good way to demonstrate anger. People really know how you feel when you do that.

"Adolph Hitler killed himself by committing suicide."

Personally, I've always found committing suicide to be one of the best methods of killing yourself.

One student was able to morph Ike Eisenhower with Albert Einstein in a clever way by saying "Albert Eisenhower was one of the smartest presidents we ever had," ... or words very similar to this. Man, I miss teaching.

Wanted: Right Brain Thinkers for Top Government Positions

On Friday night I wrote a blog entry, posted it, then took a break. I turned on the news and was reminded of the devastation and suffering. Being strongly affected by this, I went back to my computer and removed the blog entry. It just didn't seem appropriate.

It’s now a few days later, and I’ve decided that work needs to continue. If that work can get people to start being more critical and imaginative in their thinking, then all the better.

The 911 Commission Report(see section 11.1) attributed the failures of 911, at least in part, to lack of imagination. That's right. At the heart of our problem in the protecting of our homeland, is a lack of creativity. Yet, ask, anyone in the field of education how high creativity ranks in terms of federal and state priorities, and you will get some confused looks. It's right there in the report if anyone want to take a closer look. And now, in the wake of the disaster that swept through the Gulf Coast, we see a clear lack of imaginative and creative problem solving. The idea that a levee could break and flood New Orleans seemed to our government to be out of the realm of possibilities.

Abstracting this further, one could say that the standardization of education, the use of multiple choice testing and a lack of a push for creative and critical thinking in the classroom, has lead this country down a dangerous path.

I applaud the creative artists, teachers and thinking people who come to this site to read and share ideas, and I wish more people like this would rise to levels of importance in the country. It's clearly time that we open up the doors of bureaucracies and large, traditional institutions to more non-linear thinkers. More differently intelligent people need to be allowed in to the decision-making centers of this country.

The collective brainpower of Americans IS imaginable, and probably greater than any computer network in the world. That in mind, shouldn't someone be asking us, even challenging us to not only work harder, but to think more creatively and contribute collectively. If the government’s leaders would call upon scientists, academics, artists and other thinkers to rise up with solutions, they might just have responded with answers to a deteriorating levee system. A strong national leader would compliment and honor the talent of its citizens by asking such questions.

The President, just like a teacher, can and should be a facilitator of such action. In a classroom project that I administered over a seven-year period, I witnessed the benefits of bottom-up or “emergent” behavior. As I veered away from top-down control of my classes, students rose up to create rules, form groups and prepare for different scenarios. Feeling as though I had witnessed an exciting phenomenon, I dedicated my thesis research to the study of chaos and complexity theories as they relate to education. Conclusion: people, when given the opportunity and challenged from the top, can rise up from below, use their minds and achieve unimaginable results. A feedback loop is created. The teacher facilitates and the students respond with new information and directions. The teacher makes adjustments and responds back with new plans or instructions. The classroom becomes a living organism and both teacher and student benefit. This same kind of relationship can be formed between Dr. and patient, and yes, President and citizens!

The blogosphere, itself, is such an emergent tool. The other night, I watched Denzel Washington in The Hurricane. One thing struck me… when he went to write, he felt as though he was connected to all the other imprisoned writers in the world, i.e. Nelson Mandela, Huey Newton, etc; that they were rising up together, transcending their cells to become one voice, sending a strong message. The blogosphere can send that message, and can affect change.

Below, is the original post from last Friday. Some of the ideas therein can be used to get students (adults too) to think more creatively and critically.

Podcasting and "Wiki" Cities

The idea of someone still reading from a textbook to their classes has never seemed more distant, especially with all the exciting options now before us. I'm wondering if any student has actually said how much they prefer answering the questions at the end of a chapter -- to working on a project (embedded with content) that involves some form of technology. I recently came upon Dr. Bob Houghton's (of Western Carolina University) site. There, you can find all kinds of information about the educational possibilities of podcasting and "wiki" sites.

During Global Challenge (tm), I discovered that if information is "embedded" in the larger context of something fun or interesting, it will likely be more deeply absorbed. This does not mean that we shouldn't try to make content interesting in and of itself. Educators should. The idea of surrounding content in a larger framework suggests that one cannot always download or spoon feed tons of information down a student's throat. There tends to be a natural gag reflex. Podcasting, blogging, websites and wiki sites would add an interesting dimension to this game. A couple of ideas come to mind: Students possessing the nation of Djibouti could deliver a weekly radio address on the state of their nation. For a final project, students could summarize what they learned on a blog, and on that blog could be an interview or debriefing with fellow teammates or between opossing teams.

For more information on this "emergent" style of learning, please visit The Space Between Classes, workshops and tutoring are available to interested parties.

Right Brain Thinking is the Key

Writer Dominic Basulto says: "Investors in the U.S. tech sector, take note: in a global knowledge-based economy, the company with the better talent wins." With hope, corporate CEO's will realize that better talent also means more "right brain" thinkers. In this article, Basulto refers to Daniel Pink's new book "A Whole New Mind."

The Connection Between Creativity and Mental Illness

This is excerpted from a paper I wrote while attending graduate school in Chico, CA. I thought it might be helpful to the artist out there who wants to know more about the connection between depression (and other mental illnesses) and creativity. If the findings are correct, and the "mentally ill" have so much to offer, then what does this say about the treatment of this segment of society?

Consciousness, introspection, self-awareness, and abstract thinking have no basis in scientific measurement (Swerdlow, 1995). Science, however, seems to be heading in this direction. Humans have this need for explanation, and as such, we have discovered that the planum temporale in the left hemisphere, a part of the brain associated with auditory processing, is larger in musicians than in non-musicians, and is larger still in musicians with perfect pitch. Other research indicates that van Gogh may have suffered from temporal lobe epilepsy, which triggered electrical hyperactivity of the brain (Swerdlow, 1995).

There are more recent cases which point to physiology as it effects the creative process. By the 1950’s, Howard Hughes had established himself as a filmmaker, inventor, designer, engineer, industrialist and businessman. By the 1970’s, he was said to be one of the most eccentric people in America, living in isolation, giving out strict orders to his staff on how to maintain cleanliness, once test landing a plane some five thousand times when only twenty or so was necessary, and generally living out a life of extraordinarily bizarre behaviors. Yet, no one questioned this, intervened or even insisted that he get help!! Why? Perhaps, they thought this was common for a creative genius, man of his caliber, or normal for the rich and famous to act peculiar. What we know now is that Howard Hughes was suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder (Osborne, 1998). PET scans reveal that the brain of someone suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder is overactive, particularly the section known as the caudate nucleus. The entire frontal cortex of a person with this condition literally lights up when compared to a person without the condition. The mental activity that made Hughes a great genius, was also slowly killing him.

What I have learned in my study of this disorder is that what makes some people crazy, can also make them creative, or great if they choose. Winston Churchill and Martin Luther, both great leaders in their time, suffered the effects of mental illness. Churchill had terrible depression and Martin Luther, though it wasn’t called this at the time, had obsessive compulsive disorder. Martin Luther was said to be scrupulous, literally asking for forgiveness more than twenty times a day for acts committed that day (Jamision, 1995). There is an endless list of people that I have read or heard about that suffered from mental illness and were also creative. Is there a connection?

It would be hard to imagine that there is not. The brain is acting in such a way as to stimulate thought, insight, imagination, excitement and emotion. What we do not manifest into some creative outlet is likely to take its toll in another equally profound way. A few years ago, I had a conversation with a doctor concerning his son and his son’s outrageous, counter productive behavior in my classroom. When we discussed the possible reasons, his answer was that his son acted this way, not because he meant any harm or disrespect, but because “his brain required it.” Acting out, creating, being weird, whatever we wish to call it is really the brain’s way of achieving the balance it needs.

Edward O. Wilson, in Consilience, discusses this very notion on the section involving dreaming. He reports that in a dream state, the person is really insane. What he means is that these images, thoughts, impulses, if occurring during a cognizant, awake state would classify any of us as insane. What is going on during one of these states is interesting. The amines that the brain normally produces – such as norepinephrine and serotonin run low. Wilson suggests that the brain, in a dream state, is compensating for low levels of these chemicals by producing fantastic images. Take this a step further and one can see why artists and creative people tend to be so depressed. They too are compensating. They want so badly to get out of this state and the only option is a creation of their own doing, something so amazing that it literally alters their brain chemistry! It would naturally follow that the deeper one feels depression the more creative they are apt to be. The "normal" nine-to-five crowd, to some, is uninspiring and unimaginative. Well, they don’t need to be. Their brains do not require it.

Julia Cameron (1992), in the Artist’s way, confirms this, though in a less scientific way. She says, that our brightest ideas are often “proceeded by a gestation period that is inferior, murky, and completely necessary.” People seeking to reach that perfect state of creativity toy with these brain levels, trying to find the perfect amount of sadness or joy or whatever emotion will propel their project to great heights of pure creativity. When such levels are insufficient, they turn to exercise, thrill seeking, or worse, coffee, tobacco, alcohol and worse yet, drugs. It is really a never ending battle for the perfect state of being, and the perfect state of creative contribution.

Spalding Gray (1985) writes about this in his cult classic, Swimming to Cambodia. As an actor in the movie The Killing Fields, he swore not to leave Thailand until he had achieved what he called the “perfect moment.” To paraphrase, the perfect moment was to him, that moment when everything came together, producing an amazing experience (Gray, 1985). This was the experience that one would remember most, the experience that would define the journey, the one to tell family and friends about. For Michael Jordan, it was important to leave basketball at the peak of his game, probably in a moment not too different from what Gray was writing about. Jordan, was in effect, the writer of the play on his life. As director, why not make it dramatic, thrilling, emotional, or even perfect?

Does this have implications for education? Without a doubt it does. Here we are, teachers directing students, literally taking away their control, their ability to form personal meaning and imposing, almost forcing content down their throats. Yet, we somehow expect them to learn from this?! Eric Jensen’s (1998) research in Teaching with the Brain in Mind would probably caution against this, noting that “emotion helps reason to focus the mind and set priorities. Many researchers now believe that emotion and reason are not opposites. For example, our logical side says, ‘set a goal.’ But only our emotions get us passionate enough even to care enough to act on that goal.” (Daniel Goleman, 1995) argues that emotions are equally important to basic logic when making a decision. Perhaps the answer to this is to allow the students more control in decision making, in personal choice making, not just at home but at school.

Disco Dave, the Freight Train and the Church

The week starts with anger over what was to be a beautiful concert. Imagine a full choir and orchestra playing beautiful music by Brahms and Beethoven in a cathedral. Everyone – a professional in attitude and appearance, ready to inspire and be inspired. Minds open, focused and ready to perform. Because of the sensitive acoustics of the church, every sound is amplified, so we will have to be careful and thoughtful with our volume. Then, the sound begins. Not the sound of the choir – not the sound of the delicate oboe, nor that of the violins, brass or soloists. The sound is that of a man in the pews whispering into his wife’s ear. He’s sitting there, one row removed from the French Horns (where I’m sitting) with his arm wrapped around his wife, not unlike a teenager in the back seat of a Plymouth Fury. His shirt, I noticed, was unbuttoned at least one button too many. Maybe they were going to a disco contest after leaving the church. “Get a room,” crossed my mind.

I thought, well, that’s nice, I can hear this guy, but I’m sure he’ll stop. I should also note that he’s within my peripheral vision, so in between the whispers, I can see him looking at his watch! Is he commenting on everything he hears? If he is, how can he listen in order to have things to comment on if he’s always talking? Well, then it must be about personal matters. “Honey, did you pay the Capitol One bill?” If it was consistent, like at the beginning and end of the piece, I could work that into the program mentally. But, it’s sporadic and the unique sound he’s producing is cutting through the music. The sound is unlike any of the instruments and voices and is starting to sound like a freight train to me. There’s a freight train running through this beautiful church! My concentration is off and I’m starting to get angry. I’m going to walk over to him any minute now. I’m going to tell the conductor to stop the concert. I’m going to walk over to this man and give him my horn, and ask him to help out, because I can’t concentrate! To paraphrase the commedian’s response to a heckler, “Sir, this is what we do. It’s what we enjoy. I don’t go over to State Farm or wherever you work, with a wooden ladle and a bowl of marbles, and mix them around while you’re working, do I!?” Imagine me going over to your desk at State Farm with my fictitious wife, Bunny. I’m dressed in, I don’t know, a spandex body suit, and with Bunny next to me, I stir the bucket of marbles every thirty seconds while you’re trying to conclude a transaction on hail damage. Psychologically, that might inflict the same kind of damage.

The second half starts, disco Dave, is back with his wife, the music begins, and ladies and gentleman, please open the church door and let the freight train back in again. It starts, and it cuts, sporadically, through every piece of music, all the way to the end.
There’s been a slight change in tonight’s program. In addition to the beautiful requiems, we would now like to add Marble Mixing in B flat major for wooden ladle, bowl of marbles and pan flute followed by Freight Train in G Minor, performed by Union Pacific railway and chamber orchestra. There’s a reason I don’t carry a sledge hammer. I relayed the story to my brother, who told me about Isaac Stern who performed in Sacramento a number of years back. In the middle of his concert, the popcorn eating and conversation got a little too loud for his taste - only he did not continue. He stopped and walked out, never to return again. What my band director in college used to say now makes perfect sense. The director told our wind ensemble to be quiet, because we begin in silence. After all, the painter would not begin painting his masterpiece on a smudged canvas, would he? A few years back, I would not have understood what Mr. Stern did that night in Sacramento, but it is now clear as dead silence is to me.