Anton Fellow: Aesthetics, and all that jazz
Interview with Zachary Galen
When a high school injury prevented Zachary Galen '05 from continuing his involvement in athletics, he turned to music as an outlet for expression. At Clark he decided to major in philosophy and minor in jazz studies, and an Anton Fellowship* allowed him to spend two summer months immersed in the Berlin, Germany music scene, exploring the link between the philosophy of aesthetics and jazz improvisation. In a recent conversation, summarized below, Zach discussed his trip to Berlin and Anton project.
What prompted you to apply for an Anton Fellowship?
During my first few years at Clark I felt like I was pursuing two very disconnected tracks--philosophy and jazz. I was going to the library and trying to meditate with texts, and then going and rehearsing with a band, and trying to improvise, but those two activities weren't speaking the same language. In many ways my approach to academics has been a romantic one, in that I think the divisions between departments are arbitrary. People from different departments should be able to talk to each other.
I think the first inkling I had of a potential connection between philosophy and jazz was when I read the lectures of German philosopher G.W.F Hegel. In the 1820s Hegel was writing about subjects seemingly far removed from improvisational music, and yet he was using the language that American musician Herbie Hancock uses when he talks about how he improvises on piano. I found similar connections in the writings of Friedrich Nietzsche and Hans-Georg Gadamer. Also, around the turn of the 20th century, there was an intellectual shift in the way artists viewed their craft, the Expressionist movement being an example. No longer was the artist's job to mirror nature; rather, it was to take the internal and make it external.
So that's pretty much the path that brought me to the Anton proposal. What struck me at the Anton Fellowship information meeting was the opportunity the Fellowships presented for carrying out creative projects, and taking a break from the cycle of learning in a traditional classroom setting. I've yet to meet the Antons personally, but I want to thank them for presenting an opportunity to engage in a different approach.
So how did you play your project over the summer in Germany?
It didn't happened quite as I'd planned. I had expected to split my time between talking with academics and playing with other jazz-oriented musicians in Berlin. But I couldn't find a single German academic willing to talk to me, even though I was fortunate to be able to stay with the family of one of Hans-Georg Gadamer's protégées. He and his wife are two of the leading philosophers and academics in Germany. I made numerous phone calls and emails, but jazz doesn't seem to get treated very seriously in German academic circles.
I'm surprised. My impression is that Europeans take jazz much more seriously than Americans do.
That's not a misperception. A number of jazz legends, when not able to find work in the U.S., were well received in Paris and Berlin. In fact, before 1933 and the Nazi rise to power, Berlin had a wonderful jazz scene, and that's now the case again. But jazz seems like a scary topic for academics. And it's not been treated with care by American academics, either. That surprises me, because jazz is one of the few musical traditions that is predominantly American.
But there's a whole tradition of studying the aesthetics of art in philosophy.
Exactly! Philosophers like Kierkegaard and Nietzsche said that the focus of philosophical contemplation should not just be man as a rational thinker, but should include the emotional life. And then there were people like William James who said that rationality is simply another emotion.
The German philosopher of aesthetics Theodore Adorno critiqued jazz early on, but he primarily focused on dance music--swing music. He didn't consider the incredibly technical and expressive work of the bebop improvisers even though he was discrediting jazz well through the 1960s.
In fact, jazz is an incredibly technical discipline. Jazz improvisers are some of the smartest people you'll meet, both in terms of the physical manipulation of an instrument, and in their sensitivity to any technique that can be used in the service of expression.
So, in the absence of academic contacts, you spent all your time immersed in the music scene.
Yes, I spent most of my time in music clubs and I don't regret it! Philosophy is often conducted "in the clouds," but I want to do it "on the ground." It needs to have some contact and commerce with what we all deal with on a daily basis, otherwise I don't see any point in it.
I don't think there was a single night that I wasn't seeing or playing music. For the first two weeks I was predominantly just listening, composing, and trying to talk to people, although even the musicians I talked to weren't generally interested in the philosophical issues. But that was fine. I could just talk to them about the dynamics that were happening on stage. They were receptive to that.
I played open stages and open jazz sessions. At one I was offered the opportunity to do a gig every Sunday. That enabled me to meet lots of local musicians, and within a few weeks I had formed a trio and I was doing solos and trios all over the city.
On a typical day I'd wake up, have breakfast with the people I was staying with, look in the cultural listings for things to go to that day, write music in my room for about an hour, and then go meet up with other musicians and play on the street. We'd play on these huge steps in front of one of the museums. People would crowd around the steps and we'd play an hour set. Then we'd take a break, people would leave, and another group would form. Then we'd go out to see music, or play again.
What kind of reception did you get from audiences in Berlin?
Musicians and audiences were really talking to each other and people were remarkably receptive. It was an incomparable experience.
I get that feeling that in the U.S. people just look at art as entertainment.** But Berlin audiences wanted to see performers do new things--original material, or at least really creative interpretations. Something that would make them feel prompted to change at the end of the night. Like when I've engaged with a painting or piece of music and felt something came out of me for which I had no other outlet. That's the experience I felt Berlin audiences wanted. A lot of artists characterized Berlin as the really "fiery" city, even talking about lava underneath the streets. It was really bustling and there was the sense that people were going to be "care full"--full of concern and drive.
Are you involved in the Worcester music scene?
Yes. My jazz group plays at art galleries, openings, etc. We'll be playing at the stART artist festival downtown. But I don't need to leave campus to find opportunities to play music, and we try to bring into the Grind other local, and even regionally or nationally known musicians.
It sounds like your Anton experience pulled you out of what you described as your "anal" learning mode!
I'll continue to try! It's easy as a student to be compulsive about studying. I think all classes, not just those in philosophy, need to be "of the ground." They should be giving out Gs for grades.
This year I'm going to be working more with Professor Overvold, reading these philosophers in greater depth and more in German, and writing an honors thesis. Also, I'm hoping to perform the music I composed in Berlin.
The good thing is that what I'm doing is so personal to me. I'm very lucky in the sense that my academic interests are in so many ways not at all separate from my life. Of course, some may say that speaks poorly of my life! But this is definitely something that's near and dear to me. Berlin, and the blessing of being able to go there, gave me the chance to wear my concerns and passions on my sleeve.
*Zach's faculty sponsors for the Anton Fellowship were philosophy professor Gary Overvold, and James Fidlon, described by Zach as "the local jazz guru on campus."
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