At a recent campus event, renowned musician Wynton Marsalis emphasized the parallels between jazz and civil discourse, arguing that without a shared understanding and common rhythm, both musical and democratic harmony falter. Speaking at the launch of the Culture and Civil Society Initiative, he warned against forces attempting to undermine democracy, stressing the importance of the Constitution as a foundational agreement necessary for agency and equality. Marsalis, an advocate for arts education, underscored the vital role of jazz in reflecting American culture and history.
If we cannot agree that the Constitution is a document that is designed to create agency for others and that it is a leveling document, we can't have a democracy.
Not only are we not going to agree, we're not going to sound good. And if we don't have the same understanding of what we're trying to do on the bandstand, we're going to have a hard time.
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