Jump to content

What would you like to do?

Free For All
 Share

Recommended Posts

Free For All Newbie

Free For All

Posted
Posted

OK, I've been in my own head too much lately, and I'm not sure what my answer is to this. I guess one answer (for the musician, at least) is to hopefully leave behind some material of interest, either music performed, documented and/or composed. I also think one's legacy is represented by how we deal with our everyday interactions (you know, that karma stuff).

Responses don't have to be to be music-related. I think we all would like to leave something of significance behind when we depart. I'm not sure what this will be for me; as a musician I have much more work ahead. For some folks, their legacy might be primarily about raising/supporting a family.

As far as the big picture, IMHO the answer lies not in the battle itself, but also how you choose to fight the battle.

This thread is wide open. What are your short- and long-term goals/hopes?

JSngry Grand Master

JSngry

Posted
Posted

I just want some people to be able to say that they learned something useful from me. Doesn't have to be (hell, most likely won't be) anything profound, just that I gave them something to think about, and that thinking about it had a good outcome for them. If I can leave that behind, then all that was taught me will ultimately have been a "loan", which is as it should be, I think.

I'd also like to sing well and dance even better. But those things....ah, those things....

papsrus Newbie

papsrus

Posted
Posted

Someone whom I consider to be wise once told me that to have a truly original thought is a fairly rare thing in life. We do seem to spend an awful lot of time passing around information that is already known in one form or another. We learn things, commit them to memory and try to put them to some use. Not much beyond that for most people, I'd guess.

Musicians, and artists in general, probably have a better shot at achieving this "original thought" than people who are not quite as creative. I guess that kind of goes without saying, "creativity" being what it is and all.

So, as silly as it sounds on its face, I'd like to have a truly original thought sometime. It's probably beyond me at this point, but you never know. I'll head straight to the patent office if something occurs to me, and that's where you'll find it when I'm gone. :cool:

Jim Alfredson Enthusiast

Jim Alfredson

Posted
Posted

Musically, I'd like to play more places in the world. I'd also like to do a few solo releases at some point, both in the jazz world and outside of it. And of course more stuff with organissimo; I feel like we've only touched the very tip of what we're capable of.

With my family, I worry every day whether I'm setting a good example for my children, whether they are growing up happy. I have a lot of fond memories from my childhood. I also have some pretty bad ones. And I'm only now (now that both my parents are gone) finding out about some things behind the scenes. Then again, I have always been up inside my own head... I miss a lot of things because I'm constantly thinking of wacky shit, not paying attention to the world outside. It's actually something I've worked hard on since I've been married. So it's no surprise I didn't see a lot of the undercurrents that were going on in the family when I was a kid.

Anyway, despite all that, I look to both my parents with extreme reverence and love and I hope that my children will think of me the same way. I hope that I can instill in them the kind of positive values that my parents did in me: Freedom of thought, individuality, honesty, and personal integrity.

Zora is so damn smart, I'm a bit worried for her. It's not easy being bright and creative in the public school system.

And finally, I am really enjoying the work of a piano technician and I would like to be able to take my skills up to, and perhaps even past, that of my father. That's going to be a tough one. :)

jazzbo Grand Master

jazzbo

Posted
Posted (edited)

Right now, after a long unhappy time with anxiety for my late wife, and then grief for her loss, I'm happy, in love with an amazing woman who gives so much to me, and for the first time in life, truly with time on my hands. In the short term and for the long haul I very much want to set up a household with this wonderful person and enjoy each day as it comes. That couldn't happen sooner if you ask me. I've never wanted any situation more.

The main thing I am doing with the time on my hands is to get healthier by eating better and less and walking, I've been racking up four to five miles a day walking and drinking two to three litres of water a day and really feel a benefit.

For many many years I've been told I write very well and that I should write. For many years I've thought I really wanted to write, a work of fiction that is funny and yet has depth. Still, I've never brought any project to anywhere near completion and I honesty HAVE tried. This has seemed to be a goal of mine, and I fear I'll never get close to achieving it. So I may need to conceive and set another goal.

Edited by jazzbo
Christiern Newbie

Christiern

Posted
Posted

In my last few years—having enjoyed an eventful, spiritually (in a non-religious sense) rewarding life—I am constantly reminded of how fortunate I have been to have had so many dear friends. That is the greatest gift (besides health, of course) and one that I continue to enjoy even as I mourn the passing of all too many of them. I have for many years been dedicated to perpetuating the legacy of others and if, in the process, I leave a legacy of my own, so much the better. I am still working on that.

Mainly, I hope to leave the kind of appreciation for the past that I developed when I stumbled upon jazz and fell in love with it sixty years ago. I also hope that I have contributed positively to the more recent past.

ejp626 Community Regular

ejp626

Posted
Posted

This kind of reminds me of the "Are you a fraud?" thread on the Washington Post, though this could be read as a more positive question, i.e. "Will you leave a legacy?"

I had the fortune (and misfortunate) of working on a few interesting and very innovative projects early in my career. They tangentially are used to support transportation planning in NYC (esp. getting federal funding), so indirectly, I have affected millions of people. But it has all been downhill from there, in terms of impact and innovation. And I've never been willing to settle, so have been progressively more unhappy with work with each passing year. I generally have an article or two per year appear in professional journals. I think for a lot of people, that would be plenty, but I just feel I could contribute more.

I've been working on making the move into academics, and simultaneously working on a book. I can't really envision finding the time I need to work on the book while working as a full-time consultant. And as work has gotten more and more rote, I have been drawn (like a moth) back to the university.

Where I get into trouble is having a lot of unfinished creative projects on the side. As Art Shay wrote about Nelson Algren - he was a first rate starter of projects and a very mediocre finisher of them. I have been able to finish a number of poems and have sent them around. I also have a couple of chapters of a novel done, and a couple of scenes from a play. All things considered, I will probably try to finish the play first, while I am still in Chicago (if I get this academic job, I will be moving). In fact, I think I'll go off and work on that a bit this afternoon. Ciao.

The Magnificent Goldberg Newbie

The Magnificent Goldberg

Posted
Posted

I retired five years ago and am now dedicated to enjoying myself. Work was work; yes, it was interesting and reasonably well paid, but it was work. Now I've started drawing my State Pension, instead of just my occupational pension, I've been thinking a bit about whether I made a difference. And I guess it wasn't too bad. I played games with the Welsh economy for many years and was pretty influential at that. But most of that has died away now I think. The thing that hasn't gone away is that I changed the orientation of official (from the EU down to local councils) thinking about Wales from north/south to east/west. And I think that may have helped a bit. It wasn't very original though - just a question of looking at the facts from the far side - and anyone might have done that.

As far as music is concerned, well maybe a few people here have a slightly different appreciation of Soul Jazz now. I know I have :)

MG

JSngry Grand Master

JSngry

Posted
Posted (edited)

As far as music is concerned, well maybe a few people here have a slightly different appreciation of Soul Jazz now. I know I have :)

MG

Dude, prodded by your words, I finally got around to hearing Bar Wars, and WHOA!!!!

Edited by JSngry
Larry Kart Proficient

Larry Kart

Posted
Posted

Be (or continue to be, if I have been so far) a good father to my son. I think a good part of my "legacy" (and my late wife's) will be through him and what he goes on to do. Otherwise, I have at least one writing project in mind, and I'd better get started on it soon.

BillF Mentor

BillF

Posted
Posted

I changed the orientation of official (from the EU down to local councils) thinking about Wales from north/south to east/west.

Wow! What were you - Chief Druid? :)

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...