During my morning drive I was listening to the second Michael Meade CD, The Light Inside Dark Times. Meade talks about how in dark times we need to move closer to the soul at the center of our being; that as the culture comes apart around us it becomes necessary for each of us to become more centered. He points out that most arts and spiritual practices are designed to do just that. He uses the spinning of a pot as an example. The potter, he says, has to be centered in himself in order for the pot to stay centered on the wheel. Otherwise the pot comes out uneven. What's more, he adds, is this is the actual purpose of spiritual and artistic practice, and it's true of dance, music, painting, poetry, etc. The purpose of these activities is not to achieve status, riches, or acclaim. It is, simply, to center ourselves.
Suddenly the necessity of making music became very clear: The meaning of the activity is not "out there" -- as in getting across to an audience (although that may be a side benefit). The meaning is "in here," and not in the tired old Romantic notion of "self expression." It's "in here" as in moving closer to the center. Making music is a form of meditation and that is the only real and genuine reason for doing it. It centers us, and when we move closer to the healing soul we become a healing agent in the world. If we happen to do that in the presence of others, they cannot help but respond. And if we do it alone, we still carry that healing into world, whether or not we are consciously aware of it. The fact is that it's so simple to do, to connect with the center, all that is necessary is to breathe.
