Creativity, Hope for the Future

Recently in the United States there has been a flurry of articles in periodicals about Evolution vs. Creationism. Ramifications of this debate have translated into whether God actually exists or not. This is rather insulting taking into account the history of North America. Did Americans suddenly just forget their past? God in my eyes represents hope. God created man, therefore any hope humanity fosters rests in God’s hands. That means that we as a race can and should never really stop being human. No matter how appealing the lure of cyberdome is, we should not stop putting stock in the potential of the human being. The arts are a product of the human soul coupled with creativity. Is a computer creative? No one can argue the strengths of the Macintosh computer. The Apple computer has been an invaluable tool in the realm of creativity. It boasts graphics programs; it boasts Website design programs; it boasts music production programs and more. One can’t really say the Macintosh is smart enough to do it by itself. Human by nature means being accommodating and flexible. This is the way mankind has survived over the years. There is no formula, no master plan, that allows anyone to program how things are going to transpire. “(s)hit happens,” as Forrest Gump said in the movie. Things change, and as human beings we should and do have the capabilities for mass change. The government of the United States merits change, “A bridge to the 21st Century,” as ex-president Bill Clinton campaigned under. The U.S. wants to evolve, and that means change. The beautiful thing about change is, it can provide hope in desperate situations. If nothing is going very well, then change is the only thing that can improve your situation. The majority of that responsibility rests in one’s own hands but with the help of God, the acknowledgment of God’s presence in our lives. (I am beginning to sound like a preacher) My point is this. Humanity could be defined as the potential for new. Change. If we need new things in our lives, humanity could be the thing that provides it. This is the fundamental challenge of life, because we exist here on earth with millions of other human trying to accomplish the same things. It stands to reasons politics in humanity, the ability to negotiate the human psyche, is the crux of our existence. As a result we as a culture should never let a computer be out master. A computer does not have the capability for improvisation. It can not respond second by second to situations that change. It must be programmed by an engineer, and that programming will be based upon someone’s perception of reality, only a few people. Do we as a nation want to trust that? Maybe the uncertainty of the future is frightening enough to merit surrender of one’s soul and therefore future to “conservation,” doing things as they have only been done. I think is is wiser and more humane to keep our future open and alive by embracing the future with sound and open minds, brandishing our creativity and humanity, with a firm philosophy of what we want to accomplish as a race. That is the only way things will improve. This rather lengthy missive of preaching is meant as a prospectus to the art of live music. Nothing can better represent this process than the language of music. The notational system of music has long been heralded as one of the most sophisticated languages in existence. Components are in place for the express representation of the most human situations. That is why television and motion picture production has used music as its most viable tool to convey drama. No other “system” of creativity is sophisticated enough to be able to document human interaction like the craft of music. A script may be preplanned, but the acting that occurs as a result of the artistry of the performers is not. That is the craft and therefore the “art” of acting. There is an unknown, an undiscovered and possible realization of humanity within this vocation. Nothing better can represent this process than music, because in certain ways music itself could be defined as such. When I compose piano music this is exactly the process of which I am thinking. When I sit at the piano and “create,” this is when my soul and mind become truly free with the potential of new humanity. Yes, it is interesting those things can occur in what could appear to be a vacuum, a little room with only a piano and an artist. The definition of an artist is what allows this process to occur. All of the thoughts, experiences, and dreams of an artist can be realized from hope. Hope. I have always liked to believe, “Art leads.” Whereas the definition of art may possess two tenants, reflection and/or projection, I like to believe it is this remarkable capability that has the power to save. By projecting an idea of how things should be is often in God’s eyes how people achieve. Successful Republicans say, “Plan your work and work you plan.” If things at the moment are not how you see fit, then see them as they should be and live accordingly. This is how trends become, how pop culture is formed, and how humanity evolves.