Livin' with a Swing

In the grand scheme of things, music is a form of expression. And when you think about expression in music, there is no good/bad or right/wrong when musically expressing yourself. The music we create is an extension of our hearts and the emotions that lie within, and demoting the essence of someone’s spirit to being good, bad, right, or wrong just isn’t right.

I hopped on this train of thought after hearing Kaleigh Wilder host an insightful session on improvisation with Key of She Jazz. Hearing Kaleigh share her passion for using improvisation to express herself brought me back to the core of what music is. I was brave and improvised during the session—with a dancer!! It was such a life-bringing experience. And I felt so much musical freedom when I played without worrying about how I was going to sound.

All of these ideas and more are why I have decided to venture deeper into the world of jazz. It’s the archetype of musical expression. You’re supposed to find your own unique voice and sound. You’re never supposed to play the same thing twice. You actively create in the moment. What you play is directly informed by what’s happening around you—the setting, the people you’re playing with, what you’re feeling.

I had the privilege of hearing Helen Sung play when I was home in Cincinnati over spring break, and WOW was I inspired! Watching her perform was the missing piece of my jazz puzzle that helped everything click into place. She went into college as a classical pianist but ended up completely changing trajectories to pursue a career in jazz. And she is killing the game!!

Seeing her allowed me to watch a reflection of myself thriving in a world that I’ve had a hard time fitting into. And she was having so much fun—I loved seeing the the smile on her face whenever she looked up at her bandmates. She left me feeling ready to have some serious fun at my jazz combo concert. And I had fun alright! Hearing her effortlessly weave Bach into a Chick Corea tune gave me the courage I needed to play a Debussy-Rautavaara-Monk infused solo.

I’m finally finding my own musical voice, which is exhilarating yet overwhelming. There’s so much to do, but I’m feeling so much pressure from time constantly ticking by. Although, I was recently reminded that I’ll never stop learning and growing, and there is so much time left in my life for that to happen. In that way, life is long. Instead of focusing on and getting overwhelmed by the big picture, I want to focus on the here and now.

I was told by someone with years of experience on me that everything I’m working on will synthesize eventually, it just takes time and patience. And ultimately, nothing I do is about me. Jazz paints a beautiful picture of being a collective experience—it’s about everyone working together. It’s never really about yourself if you’re doing it right.

I’m also learning that it’s okay if my path through life isn’t linear. I’d rather stop planning out my life and instead enjoy each moment as it comes. That’s exactly what you do when you improvise! And I think life is more enjoyable, exciting, and memorable when lived that way. Livin’ with a swing, I’ll dub it.

Always create creatively,

Maggie