Carta aberta de Wayne Shorter

8/18/2019 Carta aberta de Wayne Shorter

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WAYNE SHORTER & HERBIE HANCOCK PEN AN

OPEN LETTER TO THE NEXT GENERATION OF

ARTISTS

Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock have been friends for over forty

years. In the pursuit of their art, they’ve shattered boundaries

previously believed unbreakable, they’ve revolutionized the concept

of innovation, and have chosen to make the endeavor of living

compassionately and courageously the center of their lives.

From their early days composing and playing together ith !iles

"avis in "avis’ Second #reat $uintet, to branching out and %ourishing

in their individual endeavors, Wayne and Herbie’s contributions to the

orld of music have been nothing short of e&traordinary. 'ogether,

they’ve on a combined total of tenty()ve #rammys. "espite their

countless accolades, they’ll both insist that their greatest

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achievements lie in their roles as husbands, fathers, and humans of

this earth.

*fter the recent rash of tragedies around the globe in the past year

from +aris to San ernardino, e had the opportunity to ask Wayne

and Herbie ho the ne&t generation of artists can respond. elo is

an open letter ith their thoughts.

--

'o the e&t #eneration of *rtists,

We )nd ourselves in turbulent and unpredictable times.

From the horror at the ataclan, to the upheaval in Syria and the

senseless bloodshed in San ernardino, e live in a time of great

confusion and pain. *s an artist, creator and dreamer of this orld, e

ask you not to be discouraged by hat you see but to use your onlives, and by e&tension your art, as vehicles for the construction of

peace.

While it’s true that the issues facing the orld are comple&, the

anser to peace is simple/ it begins ith you. 0ou don’t have to be

living in a third orld country or orking for an #1 to make a

di2erence. 3ach of us has a uni4ue mission. We are all pieces in a

giant, %uid puzzle, here the smallest of actions by one puzzle piece

profoundly a2ects each of the others. 0ou matter, your actions

matter, your art matters.

We’d like to be clear that hile this letter is ritten ith an artistic

audience in mind, these thoughts transcend professional boundaries

and apply to all people, regardless of profession.


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FIRST, AWAKEN TO YOUR HUMANITY

We are not alone. We do not e&ist alone and e cannot create alone.

What this orld needs is a humanistic aakening of the desire to

raise one’s life condition to a place here our actions are rooted in

altruism and compassion. 0ou cannot hide behind a profession or

instrument/ you have to be human. Focus your energy on becoming

the best human you can be. Focus on developing empathy and

compassion. 'hrough the process you’ll tap into a ealth of

inspiration rooted in the comple&ity and curiosity of hat it means to

simply e&ist on this planet. !usic is but a drop in the ocean of life.

EMBRACE AND CONQUER THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED

'he orld needs ne pathays. "on’t allo yourself to be hi5acked by

common rhetoric, or false beliefs and illusions about ho life should

be lived. It’s up to you to be the pioneers. Whether through the

e&ploration of ne sounds, rhythms, and harmonies or une&pected

collaborations, processes and e&periences, e encourage you to

dispel repetition in all of its negative forms and conse4uences. Strive

to create ne actions both musically and ith the pathay of your

life. ever conform.

WELCOME THE UNKNOWN

'he unknon necessitates a moment(to(moment improvisation or

creative process that is unparalleled in potential and ful)llment. 'here

is no dress rehearsal for life because life, itself, is the real rehearsal.

3very relationship, obstacle, interaction, etc. is a rehearsal for the

ne&t adventure in life. 3verything is connected. 3verything builds.

othing is ever asted. 'his type of thinking re4uires courage. e


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*rt in any form is a medium for dialogue, hich is a poerful tool. It is

time for the music orld to produce sound stories that ignite dialogue

about the mystery of us. When e say the mystery of us, e’re

talking about re%ecting and challenging the fears, hich prevent us

from discovering our unlimited access to the courage inherent in us

all. 0es, you are enough. 0es, you matter. 0es, you should keep going.

BE WARY OF EGO

*rrogance can develop ithin artists, either from artists ho believe

that their status makes them more important, or those hose

association ith a creative )eld entitles them to some sort of

superiority. eare of ego/ creativity cannot %o hen only the ego is

served.

WORK TOWARDS A BUSINESS WITHOUT BORDERS

'he medical )eld has an organization called Doctors Wt!o"t Bor#$rs.

'his lofty e2ort can serve as a model for transcending the limitations

and strategies of old business formulas hich are designed to

perpetuate old systems in the guise of ne ones. We’re speaking

directly to a system that’s in place, a system that conditions

consumers to purchase only the products that are dictated to be

deemed marketable, a system here money is only the means to anend. 'he music business is a fraction of the business of life. 8iving

ith creative integrity can bring forth bene)ts never imagined.

A%%RECIATE THE GENERATION THAT WALKED BEFORE YOU

0our elders can help you. 'hey are a source of ealth in the form of

isdom. 'hey have eathered storms and endured the same

heartbreaks/ let their struggles be the light that shines the ay in the


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darkness. "on’t aste time repeating their mistakes. Instead, take

hat they’ve done and catapult you toards building a progressively

better orld for the progeny to come.

LASTLY, WE HO%E THAT YOU LIVE IN A STATE OF CONSTANT WONDER

*s e accumulate years, parts of our imagination tend to dull.

Whether from sadness, prolonged struggle, or social conditioning,

somehere along the ay people forget ho to tap into the inherent

magic that e&ists ithin our minds. "on’t let that part of your

imagination fade aay. 8ook up at the stars and imagine hat it

ould be like to be an astronaut or a pilot. Imagine e&ploring the

pyramids or !achu +icchu. Imagine %ying like a bird or crashing

through a all like Superman. Imagine running ith dinosaurs or

simming like mer(creatures. *ll that e&ists is a product of someone’s

imagination/ treasure and nurture yours and you’ll alays )nd

yourself on the precipice of discovery.

Ho does any of this lend to the creation of a peaceful society you

ask9 It begins ith a cause. 0our causes create the e2ects that shape

your future and the future of all those around you. e the leaders in

the movie of your life. 0ou are the director, producer, and actor. e

bold and tirelessly compassionate as you dance through the voyage

that is this lifetime.

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Carta aberta de Wayne Shorter