Quite often, older artists are ignored because they are thought of as out of date and no longer being ‘relevant’ to the contemporary world. However, there are a select few artists who truly are timeless and have a message for every generation. One such artist is Lou Donaldson – the great Jazz saxophonist. Donaldson has travelled the world and experienced a great deal and seen a great deal more. This is reflected in his music and carried into the ears and minds of every listener.
Donaldson’s version of Jazz has a very strong infusion of Blues which keeps the music on slightly mellower tone – it is the music of the perfect, sophisticated evening. In spite of the complex rhythms and melodies, which Donaldson inherited from Jazz, the music follows a clear thread of thought which gives it a continuity and simplicity which makes it a perfect mood setter. Since there are no vocals involved, there is nothing to stop the mind of the listener from absorbing the music and the rhythm and turning it into their own. This jazzy blues creates atmosphere like no other kind of music could. It almost casts a blanket over the entire audience – people who come in as disparate individuals leave as a community pulsing with the single beat of Lou Donaldson’s music!
But perhaps the biggest effect this music has on listeners is that it is never draining, but it is always acts as an energiser. A tiring day can be washed away in a few minutes of listening to a piece by this incredible saxophonist. A word of warning to listeners, though – Lou Donaldson has a tremendous range of emotional expressions – you will need to create your own playlist for your mood!
Reflection on Book III of Plato’s Republic
Plato has been accused of being many things, but in his treatment of music, he is accused something quite terrible – utilitarianism. At first glance, Plato, through the voice of Socrates, essentially rejects music in most of its most common facets. According to him, music must be in the form of songs with lyrics which dominate the entire form. Moreover, he also provides a lengthy description of all the modes and rhythms which must not be used in the creation of music. This, at first, seems debilitating because it seems to reject a huge amount of the essence of music itself. However, a sharper analysis of what Socrates is actually saying reveals what he really meant.
Plato’s Republic deals with the construction of the ideal state. As such, everything written here is directed towards creating a theory of state and human personalities which will serve the people best. In other words, we should not think of Plato’s criteria foe music as hard and fast rules but as mutable concepts which should change and adapt with changing circumstances. Three clear categories for musical analysis can be deciphered from Socrates’s discussion of music – its social function, its effect on a listener while it is being performed and its effects on the listener after the performance is done. Everything else that Socrates says about music is easily understood as just Socrates applying these three categories to his time and culture. For example, Socrates claims that the only modes (something like major and minor keys used in modern music) fit for musical composition are the Dorian and Phrygian modes. These are rarely used modes in modern times and our ears are not accustomed to them the way Socrates’s was.
Moreover, these modes were commonly used in Gregorian chants and, to a modern ear, they sound quite mournful which is the exact opposite effect which Socrates wanted to create in listeners. Therefore, Socrates intended music not simply to be entertaining but to perform a certain social function. In his times, wars were a huge issue and he had to keep his people ready for action at any moment. This is not true any more. The ‘guardians’ of our states no longer have to focus so much on wars, in fact, if they were to focus so strongly on it, it would lead to a negative outcome. So, music must cause people to feel something different but just as socially useful. Today there is an excess of almost everything and life often becomes very complex just from the choices which need to be made on an average day. Music should then help people adapt to these circumstances and evoke a kind of sophistication and calmness which will help people navigate everyday life.
Another thing which music must do is evoke the right kinds of emotions in a person. Socrates’s music would have energised people and readied them for war. This is exactly the wrong kind of music for the twenty first century. Instead, it should calm the mind and lead people to be more thoughtful and reflective. Even when Lou Donaldson’s music has a fast tempo, complex rhythms and ‘forbidden’ modes, it serves exactly this function. Unlike music which lives on pure beat like certain kinds of rock and pop, Donaldson’s music causes people to stop and concentrate on what is going on.
Finally, Socrates said that musical training was needed for a proper education in his republic because it ‘harmonised’ the mind. Listening to and carefully absorbing all of Lou Donaldson’s music amounts to exactly the same effect. It creates a sense of unity and makes people feel at home with their community.
Work Cited
Plato. Plato's Republic. George Kimball Plochmann trans. Indianapolis: Hackett
Publishing Company, 1974. Print.
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