Born to Groove | Household Percussion and Freedom |
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Hi, I haven't check the site in a while. My family and I are in France for a sabbatical year. Our now almost 6 year old makes the world his drum. We try not to suppress this at all (made easier my not having any neighbors above or below our floors, as we do in NYC). Some weeks ago on the way to school (where unfortunately they do almost no musicking) he was telling me why he loves to drum - that it "creates freedom in the soul." From the mouth of a 5 year old! I recorded him on my cell phone and will post a transcription. Yesterday he thought our new pot would make a nice drum, and voila, it does! Here is a link to 3 short videos of him testing his "kit" and cooking in our kitchen. Enjoy! http://gallery.me.com/jhshannon#100176 Best, Jonathan |
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Jonathan, thanks a million for this report! I can certainly hear the groove improve from the small set to the 3rd bigger kit. Specially like the plastic coffee filter (?) shuffle section of the big "kit" No. 3. My mom told me that I was fanatic for beating on overturned pots and pans as a tot, but I don't have any vivid memories of working out on the kitchen kit. I'm curious about the "creche" system in France, does it encourage the music-dance expression of 2, 3, 4 year olds? Is the Dalcroze tradition going strong? Thanks for keeping us up to date. Charlie |
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Hi, I don't have any direct experience with the crèche here in the village since my boy is in the equivalent first grade here. But if his elementary school is any indication, then musicking is a low priority. His first grade class has almost no music and even less dance (i.e., none). It's a big contrast from his public school in NYC, which has a few hours each week as well as a dedicated dance studio). That said, one unique part of French elementary education is that the kids don't go to school on Wednesdays (try that in NYC; there would be a parent revolt!). Instead, they have "fun" classes; ditto on Saturdays (middle school kids go half a day on Wed but no longer the half day on Sat.). For example, my son has soccer and chorale on Wednesdays, and hip hop on Saturdays. So he's getting a lot of additional music and dance each week but it's outside of the normal curriculum, even though held in his own school. And it's a lot of fun for him. I'm sure the situation is different in the cities, where from what I understand the Dalcroze tradition is still alive to a degree. I'll have to ask about things in the village crèche to know more. On another note I'm thinking of bringing the coffee filter to my Friday gig so our drummer can try it out! (I fell into a jazz septet here, what they used to call a Sept-Tetes - now an Oc-Tetes' with me tooting my sax!). Best, Jonathan |
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Sounds like the Wednesday and Saturday options keep schoolWORK separate from FUN classes "outside the curriculum". That should be of benefit to musicking, keeps it from being taken seriously (i.e. killing it), grading it, rewarding the "talented" and punishing the "untalented" -- a lot of nasty curricularizing is avoided, and that is good for musicking, dancing, hip hopping. What is "hip hop" in France? Helping kids get "le black feeling" by ? ? ? Your jazz group reminds me that the highpoint of my jazz career was in France when I was 19 and our trio (me, Steve Swallow, Chuck Folds) replaced (?) Kenny Clarke, Pierre Michelot and Rene Utreger playing behind Chet Baker for two nights at the Blue Note in Paris. I remember hearing Bud Powell a few times at the Cat Who Fishes. |
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I agree about the necessity of removing the evaluative imperative from musicking. So many of my university students say they are "not musical" (which is like they are saying they are "not human") because some teacher ages ago told them they have no talent; it's a real shame how so many have had that basic music-dance impulse battered by authorities. One possible downside of the French way of doing things (at least in this little village) is that the music and dance courses are supplementary and fee-based, not free. It's not too expensive (about 200 bucks for year of hip-hop, more for instrumental lessons), but I'm sure a lot of families just opt out. At our NYC school all the kids get to move and hit drums and sing 2-3 times a week (and you should have heard the 4th and 5th graders improvising on stage with 2 NYC jazzmen; they were great, and no grades - just fun! But that's NYC and hard to replicate everywhere). Hip-hop here is very popular, like everywhere; the kids are all into it and the teachers are mostly university students. For them and the kids who dance it's "cool." Not sure if they even make a connection to "le black feeling" but it's probably there. How great that you could play behind Chet Baker (and have Steve Swallow along as well - I love his playing. I don't know Chuck Folds)! Our group is scarcely of that caliber, but we have fun. One nice thing about having a sabbatical in France is that not only can I enjoy good food, there is an amazing quantity and quality of music everywhere all the time (a small village of 1200 people a few km away has an annual international jazz festival; there are as many things to do here as in NYC, and while perhaps not as high brow, it's a lot more accessible). Another great thing is that I have time to play and to take lessons with my first teacher, Rick Margitza, who is now in Paris. So life is good. NYC looms on the horizon as a black hole of committee meetings and work! Best, Jonathan |
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I am full of gratitude this Thanksgiving, for my son having put up this website, for some comparisons with what's going on in France, for reports on "Household Percussion and Freedom" , for my last visit to France 50 years ago! And for this spreading awareness that "not musical" is a label that contemporary humans take on all too easily. We really are ALL born to groove. If we aren't moving and grooving a bit each day and getting some major joy out of it a few times a week it is because we have internalized and naturalized a Major Oppression. See Chapters 37 and 38 in tandem for "proliferocity" advice and a quick look at the devastating 5 obstacles! The Easter Bunny doesn't exist but is very real; same for these 5 "things" you're supposed to have for being a "real" musician. Thanks again Jonathan for keeping this forum functioning! Charlie |
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Hi Charlie, Thanks for the note. I'll read or re-read those chapters soon! I am also very thankful for a lot in these days. Just yesterday my son was humming something at the dinner table, and it rang a bell. After a few moment's searching through my mind's playlist I realized that he was humming the opening bars to Mingus's "Moanin'" played on the bari sax (Pepper Adams, I think: check it out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__OSyznVDOY). I was amazed since he had heard it in the car about a week ago, once! It is catchy. Then this morning he was humming something else, and after a little more searching it turned out to be the melody from a Philip Glass/Ravi Shankar piece (from "Passages") he also heard in the car the same day, also only once. In the end, given what we know about children's capacities this should not surprise us. Rather it's a nice reminder of that basic impulse that makes us human, and the incredible losses inflicted on this by a society that seems not to value it (and says "Stop humming at the table!"). Now the only question I have is, "What's the next track?" Could be anything! More later. Off to a gig. Don't want to miss the free meal! Best, Jonathan |