In a concerted effort to spark the imagination in all of us, Mobilized News is honored to begin our series “Imagination in Action” with musician, composer and orchestra leader David Amram. His website is located at www.davidamram.com
You have lived a life at the crossroads of music, poetry, cinema, activism, and cultural renewal. When you hear the phrase “Imagination in Action,” what does it mean to you personally?
We must always remember that there is no dumb question Only that we can always give a dumb answer. So while our spontaneous thoughts may be precious, sometimes we must edit them, in order to be of value to others This action when composing a formal :”classical” piece is known as EDITING!
The wastebasket is a perfect repository for what we don’t need to let our imagination interfere with what we feel should be put into action by others. And we must leave space for the others to use their space to feel creative enough to dare to use their imagination.
Your collaborations with Jack Kerouac helped create a new form of jazz-poetry performance. What did Kerouac understand about rhythm, language, and freedom that still matters today?
He knew that when he performed, he was expressing what he felt at that moment When he wrote on paper for his books, he tried to capture that spontaneity , but he always used his vast knowledge of other literature. music and all the arts as his palette to paint a picture to the reader and tell his story. He was a COMMUNICATOR, rather than anyone whose expertise makes them an authority. .
When you and Kerouac were blending spoken word with live music, did you realize you were helping open a new creative language, or did it simply feel like friends experimenting in the moment?
We were doing what poets have done with musicians accompanying them for thousands of years, just as Homer, (who was blind) rapped out the whole Iliad and Odyssey on a ship and someone who was there wrote it down. When Jack and I performed together, we welcomed everyone aboard to share our good times together. When we did shows together in public, we were performers and like all the fellow artists who loved jazz, we experimented at home.
You also knew and worked with Woody Guthrie, one of America’s great musical truth-tellers. What did Woody teach you about the responsibility of the artist in times of struggle?
Woody taught everybody who crossed his path about thinking clearly, caring for others and writing thousands of songs, as a way of describing how we could all do our share to create a better world. And he made us realize that life on earth is a struggle for everyone and never forget those whose voices can’t be heard.
Kerouac gave voice to restless seekers. Woody Guthrie gave voice to working people and the dispossessed. What connects those two creative spirits in your memory?
Both Jack Kerouac and Woody Guthrie dreamed BIG and hoped for a more compassionate society. They never fell prey to careerism, narcissism, celebrity, or greed. They knew that this was a hopeless way to be. They cared for others and are celebtated years after they left us because they walked the walk they talked. With all their personal struggles, t hey were always fun to be with.
So much of today’s culture is shaped by algorithms, speed, and distraction. What do young artists need to know about listening, patience, and craft?You have always treated music as a bridge between cultures, generations, and traditions. How can music help people recover a sense of shared humanity in a fragmented world?
We all have a sense of humanity somewhere buried in our DNA. Music of all genres, whether you are singing, playing, composing or just showing up and LISTENING, puts you touch with that inexplicable feeling. Like a beautiful sunset or the mystery of the change of seasons, all music built to last shares that spirit in a way we’ll never be able to explain
We have to let young people know that they don’t have to be in a rush about anything because today’s fashion ends up in tomorrow’s landfill.
First Nation indigenous people we call Indians have already figured this out. They us that the wonders of Mother Earth and all the beauty that surrounds us is a GIFT!!
Mobilized News is focused on moving from failed systems toward imagination, collaboration, and solutions. What role should artists play in helping society imagine what comes next?
We must always realize that there is a new generation already here and that we must share what we know with them. hoping that they will be inspired to do it better.
After a lifetime of creating, composing, performing, and collaborating with some of the most original voices of our time, what gives you hope about the next generation of creators?
With the magic of cyberspace, this new generation of creators now has access to music, dance, languages, history, cooking, sports, carpentry and information from cultures much older than ours. The perilous life of any artist makes little time when on the road to absorb more than a fraction of what is happening now around the world, but at quiet moments, we can turn on the computer and get a hint of what we are missing!
What advice would you give to creators no matter where in the world they live, no matter what they are creating?
Always remember that since Academia, arts administration and those in charge are always twenty to thirty years behind. you may be acknowledged, if you live long enough, to be considered AHEAD of your time. But the poet, John Keats said “A hinge of beauty is a joy forever ” so whatever you are doing NOW is RIGHT ON TIME!
So, keep on doing it, respect all whom you cross paths with, all of whom can teach you a lesson, and try each day to do it better!