What jazz reveals about the necessity of civil dialogue

Jazz imparts a significant lesson regarding the essential nature of civil discourse, as expressed by jazz legend Wynton Marsalis.

“If I’m maintaining a rhythm and you’re following an entirely different one, we will not find common ground,” remarked the distinguished composer and musician during a campus gathering last week. “Not only will we fail to reach an agreement, we also won’t produce pleasing sounds. Without a mutual understanding of our goals on the bandstand, we will face challenges.”

Moreover, he added, the more musicians diverge in their perceptions of what their shared musical legacy consists of, the more they diminish the connection that unites them.

A long-time supporter of arts education and for broader acknowledgment of jazz and its impact on American culture and history, Marsalis engaged in a discussion on Feb. 10 with Anthony Foxx, co-director of the Center for Public Leadership and the Emma Bloomberg Professor of Public Leadership Practice at Harvard Kennedy School, to inaugurate the Culture and Civil Society Initiative.

A similar fundamental agreement, which makes jazz viable, is at the core of this nation, stated Marsalis, who serves as managing and artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center. “If we cannot concur that the Constitution is a document intended to empower others and serve as a leveling framework, we cannot sustain a democracy.”

Some individuals in the country aim to “dismantle democracy through chaos and create a disenfranchised working class — [they envision this] globally,” intending to ensure everything “is handed over to corporations that have not proven themselves trustworthy,” he remarked.

At 63, Marsalis emerged in the early 1980s as a remarkable trumpet talent, earning Grammys in both jazz and classical genres in 1983 and 1984, marking a historic feat. Harvard awarded him an honorary Doctor of Music in 2009. Between 2011 and 2012, he delivered a series of performances and lectures regarding music at Sanders Theatre.

Marsalis visited campus last week to aid in the launch of the new research and education initiative at CPL. The program aims to leverage the power of arts and culture to support democratic frameworks and promote civil dialogue. Foxx noted that the concept for the initiative stemmed from his discussions with Marsalis.

Marsalis expressed that he was not perturbed by the current partisanship potentially irreparably dividing Americans, viewing it as a struggle over power and economics that has persisted in the U.S. for centuries.

“I maintain a sense of optimism because I comprehend our historical context. We are still engaged in the Civil War; currently, the South has the advantage,” he stated.

As a young musician, he reminisced about the invaluable lessons imparted by seasoned professionals such as his father, the late pianist Ellis Marsalis. He strives to provide similar mentorship to students at his alma mater, Juilliard, where he currently heads the jazz studies program.

“I frequently advise: regard yourself seriously; take your thoughts seriously; acknowledge your feelings; value your power; honor your words. These are perpetually significant times, and not simply due to any new leadership,” but because striving for civil rights and equitable living for all is an “ongoing struggle” that never concludes.

Marsalis could have achieved fame in classical music (having recorded 20 classical albums) but expressed little uncertainty about his career direction, having been raised in a family of jazz musicians. For students uncertain of their creative choices, he encourages them to craft a mission statement.

“It consists of three sentences: What I aspire to accomplish, through which means I will achieve it, and the reasons behind my pursuit. I advise them to refine this as though it were a poem to themselves and eliminate unnecessary words. Focus on it,” he elaborated. As musicians, “we constantly study others — be it Charlie Parker or [Thelonious] Monk. While studying others is important, it’s equally critical to introspect and discover what you genuinely wish to pursue.”

Marsalis dismissed the notion that jazz bears some additional historical or cultural weight given that it, like blues, originates from suffering and hardship.

“All things arise from some form of pain. It’s an undeniable aspect of existence. It does not empower you to accomplish anything. Many individuals endure pain. That does not entail they can sing like Billie Holiday.” The essential inquiry in jazz, Marsalis emphasized, is “can you play? If you can play, then do it.”