Soul Music

Soul Music

Copyright 2017 Don Ray

While watching an amazing piano concerto performance by John Nakamatsu.

As I watch the extreme facial and body language and contortions, and marvel at the physical training and skills of these artists, it strikes me how ridiculous the whole thing is.  To train the human body to this extreme level, to concoct such bizarre contraptions of wood and string and metal, all in the effort to communicate from one soul to another…….this scene and countless others like it through the ages give powerful testimony to a profound and fundamental truth.

Musical instruments, and the musicians that master them, demonstrate the desperate drive that takes the human spirit to any lengths to establish, even if only for the duration of a performance, some connection with another human soul.

Digital Migrations

Digital Migrations
Copyright 2017 Don Ray

Today's political polarization seems shocking, a new and unforeseen development, unimaginable and inconceivable, at least to us old goomers.  But if viewed in the context of history and technology development, we can see this societal divergence as quite natural.

Bear with my brief recap of 100,000 years, and we will come to the key question facing our hyper-connected society today. 

Bridges of Sound and Light

Bridges of Sound and Light
Copyright 2017 Don Ray

Sound and light, this stuff that serves as the tenuous connection among souls, this flimsy bridge we struggle to refine and craft and carve and polish, then call it “art”.

Sound and light, fleeting and gone in the very moment we perceive them, but imparting some miniscule fraction of another’s soul into our consciousness, thereby making us conscious of our own soul.  

The composers and musicians and painters and poets are the spiritual corps of engineers, fabricating their structures to bridge the void between our souls.  

Music can shine a light, paintings can stir rhythms, and we are left more human by their touch.

The palette of notes and the chords of colors hover before our consciousness, inviting us to awareness, momentarily filling the void between us, revealing visions and dreams and aspirations shared, their fading echoes and receding glow leaving us a little less alone.

Copyright 2017 Don Ray

Pass it on

Endangered Thinking

Endangered Thinking
Copyright 2017 Don Ray

Since time immemorial tribes, political parties, and religions (three labels for essentially the same entity) coalesce around the tallest or best looking or most persuasive leader, at which point that subset of the human species finds itself running down yet another logically indefensible path of beliefs.

This human characteristic used to be amusingly quaint when technology limited the damage to the non-believers within reach of a club or range of an atlatl.  But with the advent of ballistic missiles, cable television, and digital media (mentioned in  increasing order of potential negative impact) our species’ proclivity to swallow even the most flagrantly false beliefs and opinions begins to pose an existential threat to nations, society, and civilization.  

Gratuitous deceit has become the stock in trade of some powerful media chieftains and their political chattel.  This statement, unlike the rabid rantings of their vituperous talking heads, is easily verifiable.

What becomes of this pandemic of delusional beliefs depends, in some poignant irony, on our beliefs.  Do we believe in critical thinking, in open-mindedness, in restrained judgement pending verifiable facts - whether the facts do or do not suit our preferences?  These are beliefs worthy of proselytizing.  From these beliefs we can construct opinions, as opposed to fabricating opinions.  These beliefs nurture sanity and connection to reality, two commodities in precariously short supply.  

Critical thinking, open-mindedness, and restrained judgement pending verifiable facts were once considered endemic in modern, educated, technologically advanced society.  But even endemic species become endangered.  

Believe in these pillars of a sane society, practice your beliefs, and for the sake of our nation and children, try to spread your beliefs.  

You better believe it, this is critically important.

Copyright 2017 Don Ray