A rambling essay on John Zorn

John Zorn. It was an incredible experience to have such a hero of contemporary music as John Zorn come to speak to us. I remember back in Australia when we were taught about Zorn's work in contemporary music history classes. It was fascinating to see him in person and to hear him talk. When you hear about someone from afar, you often see their work as the key element about them, the category they fit into, their contribution to history. For me hearing John talk opened up the humanity that is every present in what we do, and is sometimes forgotten when we look at artistic contributions from afar. I think the most important takeaway from John's talk was how to be a human, not how to be a composer of musician. Or maybe more accurately, how to live as a human who is involved in the musical world.

Much of John's work is just stuff he does with his friends that happens to be art. There is no pretention about him in my mind, though some of the things he says may come across as arrogant. Though I must say it was hilarious to hear him blowing of incredible opportunities at a whim, while many people in the room would have killed for such opportunities. I must say though, that I believe his attitude comes from not hold his work in esteem as an artwork, but in holding it as just something he wants to do. Just someway he sees the world, and just some way to get his thoughts out there. I believe this is what drives is output, and this is why he can take his scores off people who aren't playing it the way he wants them to play it, because to him his music is just this thing he wants to do, with his people, and if someone doesn't get it, then he doesn't want to do it with them. Interestingly enough, I believe this attitude has greatly contributed to his success as an artist. He isn't trying to cater for any market, simply expressing himself, and making enough to make a living (well, probably surpassing that amount, but I believe he would be happy simply making enough to live and make is art on). I really admire his outlook.

What I don't understand is how someone could see this life, attitude, and artistic output and ask him if he has some kind of privilege that he must owe it to. I understand the kind of climate we live in these days, but I found that and incredibly insulting this to ask, and really couldnt believe my ears. To his credit, Zorn, who grew up in a time before the concept of privilege even existed, took the question well, and answered in a totally upstanding manner, calmly explaining that he had worked for everything he had, that he had been through rough times, and lived in hard places. But honestly, to say that someone's position and success has anything to do with privilege is insane. There are across the world many many many sons and daughters of millionares who have done nothing with their lives, lived comfortably until they died, so while some people may have a headstart in life, they still have to work incredibly hard to get to where they want to be. And obviously John Zorn is not the child of some millionares. AND ANOTHER THING. Zorn is known for his creativity, his music which is radical and different to everybody else's. What then was he privileged with creativity? How far are you going to take this?