What's Your Jazz Melody Today?
Whenever I listen to Jazz music, I always feel a Zen type of flow in my body and a powerful desire to write. I am not sure why but that's how I feel. I have no idea what I would like to write about because it seems like that most of my writing always ends up being about people and life. Maybe it's because only these two things have been truly fascinating to me since I was five. I can still remember the name of my first grade teacher and describe her personality in details. However, I would never remember what she taught me in that boring math class. Except that when you add two numbers, you get a bigger number; and when you subtract two numbers, you get a smaller number. Although, even that language would not be a good example to describe the math lesson I learned because I was educated in Soviet Russian school. However, whenever I think of Valentina Il'inichna, that is her first name and patronimics, I always get a sense of that warmth and kindness that a true teacher should posses in order to deal with wild children that luckily in those days were not given or prescribed any medicine except "standing facing the corner of the room" for not listening or for distracting other pupils. Yes, the corner was often my best medicine to calm down and face the consequences of my never ending desire to talk to someone about life. And Jazz makes me feel like I am back into that small classroom that miraculously fit 36 to 40 children who were the future of soon to be non-existent World Power called USSR. Who knew at that time that Universe had a very special jazz song prepared for a little curly boy that would take him to the World Power called USA. The funny thing is that while sitting comfortably in front of the computer and typing this little post about Jazz, I realize that no matter the size or comfort of the material surroundings, the only true thing that makes it valuable is the people that you share it with. That's why, I believe Jazz is a perfect source of energy that is being expressed through human ability to play musical instruments with an ultimate goal to remind us that it's all about love for people who make your surroundings into an ultimate place of happiness even if tomorrow you wake up in the country that does not exist anymore. I am thirty one and have been living in the United States for almost ten years now. Looking back and looking forward I see nothing but Jazz played by the Universe.
(The picture is taken by Patricia B.)
