This is the first post on this new blog. I hope these posts will speak to the experiences of all who share in the reading. This essay was written in 2011 when I participated in a writing class, "Spinning Words into Gold", at the John Campbell Folk School. Maureen Ryan Griffin was my teacher and remains a major influence.
Feeling Where Music Comes From
Several
years ago I attended a concert at Middle Tennessee State University. Their jazz band
was giving a Spring concert and there was a guest soloist - a well known
trombonist whose name I can’t remember, but that’s not important. I love
everything about the trombone; the sensuous, resonating sounds that travel
across a room and seep in to every pore of my body en route to some place deep
within my core; the way the player can sneak up on a note with just a subtle
movement of the slide; the way it can take the lead or just play beneath the
rest of the band adding color, texture and harmony while they take the lead.
Can you see why I would like to be reincarnated as a trombone? (Assuming people
can come back as musical instruments)
Maybe I already have a trombone soul…
Well, back
to the concert. I don’t remember any of the details of that night except for
one incredible piece. The soloist, backed by the stage band, played “Green”,
the song made famous by Kermit the Frog. Even now, I close my eyes and hear the
lush, deep voice of the bass trombone saying “It’s Not Easy Being Green.” It
feels like I’m wrapped in purple velvet. The major 7th and major 9th
chords under the melody bring chills and tears. How can music create such
powerful emotions--not words, just the sounds?
I have
loved the trombone sound for years. The Dixieland of Jack Teagarten, the
amazing jazz duets of Kai Winding and J.J. Johnson, but—that night the song, “Green” was different; It seemed
like all my senses were involved. This
was nearly 30 years ago but the feelings and the memories are as vivid now as
then.
Not then,
but a few years later, part of the magic of that night became clearer. In a
chance meeting with the philosopher, theologian and poet, Kermit the Frog, I
described my experience at Middle Tennessee State University in 1982. I said to
Kermit, “I don’t understand what happened to me. Do you have any explanations?”
"Well,
Russell”, Kermit said, “think about this: the melody and rich chords spoke to
that part of your senses that gets pleasure from the sounds of music. But, I
think that the poem in this song, even though it was not spoken that night, was in your mind--not in a conscious way. The poem was speaking to you. I am going to read
the words to you. Close your eyes—feel where the words come from; you’ll figure
it out.”
It’s not easy being green
spending
each day the color of the leaves
When I think it could be nicer
being
red or yellow or gold or something
more
colorful like that.
It’s
not easy being green
it seems like
you blend in with so many ordinary things
and people pass
you over cause you’re not standing out like
flashy sparkles
on the water or stars in the sky.
But greens the
color of spring
and green can be
cool and friendly like
It can be big
like the ocean; important like a mountain;
or tall like a
tree.
When green is
all there is to be
it can make you
wonder why
but why wonder,
why wonder why?
I am green,
it’ll do fine, it’s beautiful and…
it’s what I want
to be.
