And then you think, "What if poetry can bring you back to wonder, to kindness, to care, to sensitivity, to tenderness?" And even in that small moment, isn't that a radical act? Isn't that saving yourself so that you can become stronger? So that you can become braver? And that's where I am right now. I'm writing toward bravery. I'm writing toward courage. And I think that there's a lot of us that are doing that right now. And I think it's the way we are preparing ourselves for what's next, in many ways, not only what is coming, but what we will bring to the future.
Hey Aaron. This might sound obvious and a bit too simple, but I will try to express: Where will we end up if we forget how important and meaningful art is for people? Not just in good times, but especially in in times like now. How it can provide hope, connection, exploration and be something like a home. It seems logical to me to talk about the subtleties in one's field, to dive in deep into nuances and reasons —and not always depict everything else that's going on in the world at the same time. If we stop creating (in all the depth that it takes) the horror wins. Simultaneity makes it very hard. But engagement and empathy in the way you’re thinking and writing about whats going on in the world gets clear all the time. Take care, A
Aaron - Thank you for sharing your inner struggle in such intimate terms. I am not a musician or a poet and wouldn’t refer to myself as a creative, but I am a listener and reader. I search for beauty and sense in the natural world and I find solace and inspiration in artistic works. At times I need and desire bold social or political statements, more often what I really need is an artist to simply remind me of what matters most- love and beauty and love of beauty- and to transport me the listener/reader to the essence of being human. To resuscitate my soul. To guide me through their works back to the light.
No pressure : )
Follow your heart and gut. And know that whatever you decide is the thing to do/create on any given day will be exactly what someone out there needed. 🙏
Authentic and deeply reflective as usual, Aaron. Maybe top-down politics, when fully saturated can put the idea of the common Good over the necessary Good. Perhaps there is a tension between them that implicates our self-interest and desire for well-being. My fledgling record label (Earcake Sounds)tries to balance these forces by trying to work out a concept of ‘musical nutrition’. But I share your sentiment: is the music and art-making futile to changing the world when it is urgently needed? Maybe it’s just enough to make a sound and for others to be able to listen.
Aaron, when Trump came back into office, I was feeling despair like many people. It's all anyone was focused on. But then a question appeared: "What is the difference I can make right now?" I didn't have an immediate answer. But by asking it over and over again, answers came *in the moment*. I can call this person, write this newsletter, be kind to my wife. No matter what is happening in the world, we can ask that question and questions like it. Questions that empower, rather than leading to confusion and further despair. The only moment is now. How shall we use it? I hope you use it to produce your next wonderful album with Little Big! And please keep writing!
I believe that a possible response to this sense of bewilderment could be to immerse yourself in the aesthetic state of when you discovered, listened to, saw, read something strongly resonant and detonating. perhaps art serves this "simple" purpose to ignite possibilities, to activate worlds that intertwine with the global plot of reality shared and co-created together. probably this is what we can do, simply leave something bright for others. For once, put ourselves aside and create visions, thoughts, sounds and possibilities for others. Dear Aaron, this is what you do with your music, so imbued with altruism and generosity.
I think two things (and yeah, I think about this stuff all the time too): The world can be overwhelming. But none of us live in the world. We live where we live. So if someone needs help where we live (and I guarantee that someone does), we should help them. And everyone, every human being, no matter what else is going on, needs art. So I don't talk about the ongoing tragedies of the world in my own writing. Instead I say, "Here is something beautiful."
I feel like I saw a discussion by Terri Lyne Carrington where you were sitting next to her, and she was discussing the importance of music being directly engaged. It sounds like your take on this stuff is not unaligned with hers, but it's still quite distinct. Does that create a conflict for you? Or just give you a few options to try out? Or what?
Hey Sanjay—yeah, I think you’re naming the crux of the thing I’m wrestling with. I deeply agree with Terri Lyne that it’s important—maybe even essential—that some art and music directly reckon with the times we’re living through. But I also find myself wondering: does all art need to do that explicitly? Or is it possible that just by being made in this moment, art is already in relation to the world, even if it doesn’t announce that directly?
I came across something recently from Brian Eno, asking whether music needs to deal with “reality,” or whether reality itself is reality enough—and that perhaps part of our job is to imagine other worlds. That question really stuck with me.
I wouldn’t say I disagree with Terri Lyne at all. I think what she said was that her music will always be engaged in that way—and that feels right and powerful for her. The open question for me is whether that has to be true for everyone, and whether other forms of presence or imagination might also be meaningful responses in this moment.
As I said in the piece, I don’t have a clean answer. I’m living with the question rather than trying to resolve it too quickly.
Thanks. According to some ways of viewing the world this is the exact opposite from music (and to others it's the same: I'm agnostic here), but the great mathematician Andrew Gleason once entertained me for an hour by discussing his lifelong fascination with the Platonic idea that all math related to real, concrete stuff in the world, whereas other people would say, no, some of it can be purely abstraction without a "real" thing to which it can be applied. Apologies if it isn't the same problem (math isn't the same as music, and all of reality isn't the same as the human social/poltiical milieu) but it feels like you are grappling with it at that level.
And then you think, "What if poetry can bring you back to wonder, to kindness, to care, to sensitivity, to tenderness?" And even in that small moment, isn't that a radical act? Isn't that saving yourself so that you can become stronger? So that you can become braver? And that's where I am right now. I'm writing toward bravery. I'm writing toward courage. And I think that there's a lot of us that are doing that right now. And I think it's the way we are preparing ourselves for what's next, in many ways, not only what is coming, but what we will bring to the future.
-Ada Limón
Wow—this is deeply resonant. Thank you for sharing, Alden.
Hey Aaron. This might sound obvious and a bit too simple, but I will try to express: Where will we end up if we forget how important and meaningful art is for people? Not just in good times, but especially in in times like now. How it can provide hope, connection, exploration and be something like a home. It seems logical to me to talk about the subtleties in one's field, to dive in deep into nuances and reasons —and not always depict everything else that's going on in the world at the same time. If we stop creating (in all the depth that it takes) the horror wins. Simultaneity makes it very hard. But engagement and empathy in the way you’re thinking and writing about whats going on in the world gets clear all the time. Take care, A
Aaron - Thank you for sharing your inner struggle in such intimate terms. I am not a musician or a poet and wouldn’t refer to myself as a creative, but I am a listener and reader. I search for beauty and sense in the natural world and I find solace and inspiration in artistic works. At times I need and desire bold social or political statements, more often what I really need is an artist to simply remind me of what matters most- love and beauty and love of beauty- and to transport me the listener/reader to the essence of being human. To resuscitate my soul. To guide me through their works back to the light.
No pressure : )
Follow your heart and gut. And know that whatever you decide is the thing to do/create on any given day will be exactly what someone out there needed. 🙏
Authentic and deeply reflective as usual, Aaron. Maybe top-down politics, when fully saturated can put the idea of the common Good over the necessary Good. Perhaps there is a tension between them that implicates our self-interest and desire for well-being. My fledgling record label (Earcake Sounds)tries to balance these forces by trying to work out a concept of ‘musical nutrition’. But I share your sentiment: is the music and art-making futile to changing the world when it is urgently needed? Maybe it’s just enough to make a sound and for others to be able to listen.
Aaron, when Trump came back into office, I was feeling despair like many people. It's all anyone was focused on. But then a question appeared: "What is the difference I can make right now?" I didn't have an immediate answer. But by asking it over and over again, answers came *in the moment*. I can call this person, write this newsletter, be kind to my wife. No matter what is happening in the world, we can ask that question and questions like it. Questions that empower, rather than leading to confusion and further despair. The only moment is now. How shall we use it? I hope you use it to produce your next wonderful album with Little Big! And please keep writing!
I believe that a possible response to this sense of bewilderment could be to immerse yourself in the aesthetic state of when you discovered, listened to, saw, read something strongly resonant and detonating. perhaps art serves this "simple" purpose to ignite possibilities, to activate worlds that intertwine with the global plot of reality shared and co-created together. probably this is what we can do, simply leave something bright for others. For once, put ourselves aside and create visions, thoughts, sounds and possibilities for others. Dear Aaron, this is what you do with your music, so imbued with altruism and generosity.
I think two things (and yeah, I think about this stuff all the time too): The world can be overwhelming. But none of us live in the world. We live where we live. So if someone needs help where we live (and I guarantee that someone does), we should help them. And everyone, every human being, no matter what else is going on, needs art. So I don't talk about the ongoing tragedies of the world in my own writing. Instead I say, "Here is something beautiful."
I feel like I saw a discussion by Terri Lyne Carrington where you were sitting next to her, and she was discussing the importance of music being directly engaged. It sounds like your take on this stuff is not unaligned with hers, but it's still quite distinct. Does that create a conflict for you? Or just give you a few options to try out? Or what?
Hey Sanjay—yeah, I think you’re naming the crux of the thing I’m wrestling with. I deeply agree with Terri Lyne that it’s important—maybe even essential—that some art and music directly reckon with the times we’re living through. But I also find myself wondering: does all art need to do that explicitly? Or is it possible that just by being made in this moment, art is already in relation to the world, even if it doesn’t announce that directly?
I came across something recently from Brian Eno, asking whether music needs to deal with “reality,” or whether reality itself is reality enough—and that perhaps part of our job is to imagine other worlds. That question really stuck with me.
I wouldn’t say I disagree with Terri Lyne at all. I think what she said was that her music will always be engaged in that way—and that feels right and powerful for her. The open question for me is whether that has to be true for everyone, and whether other forms of presence or imagination might also be meaningful responses in this moment.
As I said in the piece, I don’t have a clean answer. I’m living with the question rather than trying to resolve it too quickly.
Thanks. According to some ways of viewing the world this is the exact opposite from music (and to others it's the same: I'm agnostic here), but the great mathematician Andrew Gleason once entertained me for an hour by discussing his lifelong fascination with the Platonic idea that all math related to real, concrete stuff in the world, whereas other people would say, no, some of it can be purely abstraction without a "real" thing to which it can be applied. Apologies if it isn't the same problem (math isn't the same as music, and all of reality isn't the same as the human social/poltiical milieu) but it feels like you are grappling with it at that level.