The new album of jazz clarinetist Harry Skoler continues to excite listeners, immersing them in an ocean of sincere love for Charlie Mingus. “History of Music” had the good fortune to talk to artist and professor of Berklee College of Music. Harry shared with us his thoughts on the important choices in every musician’s life.
History of Music: Robert F. Kennedy once said: “Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.”
This raises so many questions for a musician who is in the process of choosing their path. Have you experienced this principal for yourself? In music, if a person has doubts in themselves, is it better for them to leave their work? How to overcome doubts or failure? Is it worth overcoming them? How does one decide their fate in music? What helps you overcome doubts?
HARRY SKOLER: Thank you for asking me my opinion! To give my perspective fully, it would take much more space than I have here, because of all the many nuances and variabilities that could be applied to each question. But I will give a generalized overview/thought here. Please keep in mind that I have not mastered, by any stretch of the imagination, anything that I am referring to, but I do have goals as a basic underpinning of my philosophy in moving ahead, and enjoying the language of music.
To start with, when I read Robert F. Kennedy‘s quote, I look at some of the words and ponder their weight. Sometimes when I read quotes, I don’t fully grasp how to actualize these words into my life unless I look at each individual word, along with the entire sentence or sentences.
I think for a quote to have weight, sometimes it is the case, in my opinion, that it needs to exaggerate a bit. If it doesn’t seem “heavy” enough, perhaps people will not take it seriously? So when I see the word “only”, in “Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.” I don’t necessarily agree with “only”. I think there is an element of truth in the quote, but I don’t see it as the one path to achievement that is great.
The word “dare” does strike me, in that it is not a pleasant experience of course to fail, let alone to “fail greatly.” A failure that is small or large, let alone a “great failure” could be enough to keep one from trying. Certainly if this is experienced, it could derail someone’s pursuit, partially or fully!
So, understanding that failure is a general term for anything from a minor mistake to a complete disintegration of one’s efforts is something to keep in mind. The only way any of us learn is through mistakes. In my opinion, mistakes are one of the greatest gifts. Mistakes/failures help us imagine solutions to problems, give us guidance for the various attempts that did not yield the results that we want, and also help us at times to find new creativity when we are initially thinking that something is a “mistake” or “unacceptable.” It may very well be, by surprise, that a “mistake” that holds its own(!), as far as a creative path!
- Self-compassion is paramount. Life is difficult of course, with many ups and downs, positives and negatives, attempts at organizing various responsibilities etc.! We all need to have self-compassion and give ourselves time to rest, ponder, plan, look to others for advice, and so much more!!
- View our music as an emotional story, that has as much worth as one that we love unconditionally! We would accept our loved ones, faults and all, and never give up, at least in many circumstances. I think this holds true for much of the world when love is at the core. If our music is our emotional story, then we need, in my opinion, to not give up easily, and afford it all the unconditional graces and support that we would to a loved one. This is also part of self-compassion!
- Take the time to plan when a path is not clear! Colleges/universities that are great institutions of learning plan meticulously. They give all of the courses in a time-frame to afford a good foundation. This foundation is not perfect, and of course it can have many variables and nuances that can be changed as needed. But, the “plan” is at the core. Sometimes, when people look at a music career, either from an artistic perspective, or from a career perspective, it could seem overwhelming to understand how to plan over a period of time, or times, and to proceed ahead. To do so requires (sometimes) years of research, and trial and error. Again, mistakes are paramount! One method would be to put together a plan after much research and thought, and live with it for a certain period of time. As mistakes are encountered, this plan can be adjusted. But it does give a beginning plan to be able to envision outcome or outcomes, and proceed ahead.
- The word “greatness” is certainly subject to individual perspective! What one person considers “greatness” another considers not great at all. So, we have to search our minds and hearts for our dreams to make us feel the most intrigued and inspired. We have to believe in ourselves and try to be as objective as possible. I don’t think that we should be afraid to ask other’s opinions, but in the end, we have to sit with what we ourselves believe. That can change, and that’s completely fine, in my opinion. But we need to find some core values at any moment in time that we feel are worthy of “greatness”, and proceed ahead.
Now to address each question, specifically, that were not addressed above:
Have you experienced this principal for yourself?
Referring to Robert F. Kennedy‘s quote, I have experienced this myself over the past 50 years. Sometimes I have literally given up, because of mistakes, and it was a long period of time before I took up the pursuit of artistry again. This is because I did not question the mistakes as being potentially positive, or on the other hand, that these mistakes could potentially have solutions! I also thought that my dreams were disposable, not seeing them as I would have a loved one, and something that should not be easily discarded. I didn’t question, therefore I didn’t look for solutions, or for understanding. Over time, the mistake of rashly making decisions that were ultimately not in my best interests have been replaced by much more patience and introspection, along with the study of problems towards the goal of finding solutions.
In music, if a person has doubts in themselves, is it better for them to leave their work?
I cannot speak for anyone else. But I believe we all must take this question very seriously. For instance, if I was in the medical profession and I simply did not have the understanding or ability to perform a surgical procedure, then perhaps it would be best for me to change careers, or at least pick a certain discipline within the medical career that was more successful. Perhaps yes, and perhaps no, depending on the circumstances. But in our art, it may be very different. I think that we should never abandon our pursuits artistically due to a doubt, rashly. Give it time! We may see mistakes/failures/doubts as being exaggerated, and not give ourselves enough of a positive perspective to understand if our doubts are reasonable, or unreasonable. And if it is a reasonable doubt, whether it is small or large, can this intrigue us to find a solution that is actually possible? Can it offer clues as to how to reach those solutions? I think that it is good to refer to a thought my father had. He said that “questions” were the great motivator. I believe this. If we have questions, that means that we seek answers. Sometimes, when we seek the answers, we encounter more questions. That is another gift, in my opinion. It allows us to dream new dreams, find new heights, and enjoy the process of the adventure of “learning and discovery!”
Is it worth overcoming them? How does one decide their fate in music?
It is our own personal decision in regards to deciding whether doubts and failures are worth overcoming. As I wrote above, these decisions should be taken as seriously as that of caring for a loved one. At stake is our emotional story and our art form. I believe that it is better to take decisions over a period of time, and to be absolutely certain that the direction that we choose is the best one that we can decide on! And always leave room for reconsideration!
As far as deciding fate and music, at times we think of fate as being something out of our control. Other times it is possible, I believe, to think of fate as something that has an element of our control in it. I personally believe it is a combination of those two. We can only make the best decisions we can at the time, and in most instances, we are not responsible for always making the correct decision(s). But if we make the best decision we can at the time, taking into account the present, short-term goals, and long-term goals, then I believe we can come up with enough reasonable actions to move ahead towards our dreams!
One last thought that might or might not help, is this:
Over the past 50 years, I found that coming up with planning for short-term and long-term goals, as meticulously as possible, at least for myself, and this may be different for others of course, has been the deciding factor. As I move towards my goals, I put together a plan that is quite meticulous, and is based upon my love for the music, as if it was a loved one. When I follow these paths, I start to find patterns that are more successful, or less successful. Over time, this has given me confidence towards moving towards familiar goals, or different goals, and feeling that it is possible to plan for them, and in most circumstances, finding success that has elements of greatness within! (Again, what works for me may not work for others, so I suggest that each one of us find the right path or paths that reflects their artistry!)
Get the Harry Skoler's album "Living In Sound: The Music of Charles Mingus" here: https://sunnysiderecords.bandcamp.com/album/living-in-sound-the-music-of-charles-mingus
