On Music and Politics (and Love and Fear)
Let's protect our hearts and minds
Blessings to All Y’all People of Conscience,
Recent weeks have been overflowing with meaning and excitement for Lapidus & Myles. Micah spent a week in Jerusalem attending a seminar at the Shalom Hartman Institute (you can read a brief reflection here) and Melvin officially announced that he will begin singing at the National Cathedral in Washington D.C. and also has been invited to perform as a soloist at none other than Carnegie Hall! Good stuff indeed, and we hope updates from y’all are similarly meaningful and exciting.
As we all know, the United States general election is just a little more than 3 months away. We’re guessing that you’re experiencing something that we’re experiencing-- an uptick in the presence and volume of political discourse. The idea of politics dominating the headlines and crowding the public square isn’t anything new. Politics is always trying to grab the microphone, control the airwaves, and capture our hearts and minds. And it’s incredibly effective at doing so!
While there can be a rush that comes with engaging in the political debates and diatribes of the day, as well as a strong desire/ pull to consume political content (podcasts, headlines etc), this is a good time to remind ourselves that politics isn’t the only “discourse” that’s available for us to consume. For example, Micah’s been reading 19th century British novels. Maybe that’s your cup of tea as well? If so, let him know.
In an ideal world, politics would be motivated only by love. Love of humanity, love of the earth, love of country, love of service, love of people (which we think is different from love of humanity). But we know that’s not the case. Politics is mostly driven by fear. It feeds on fear. Ironically, it seems like the only thing that politics loves is fear. This isn’t to say that politicians are incapable of love, only that politics seems to be incapable of love.
What this all amounts to is the following: if we allow ourselves to be consumed by politics in the coming months then we run the risk of marginalizing the part of us that reflects our truest selves-- the part of us that loves. Enter music.
As tempting as it is to fill our commutes with political content, we want to invite us all to temper that temptation by listening to music. Micah’s been guilty of getting caught up in the wave of political content and he finds his blood pressure rising and a nagging sense of anxiety taking root when he gives political content too much air time (or soul time). Interestingly, when he puts on a Grateful Dead concert, he feels peaceful and at ease, full of love.
Here’s an equation for us all to consider. Politics> fear> anxiety> contraction. Music (art)> love> the energy we need to honor the voice of conscience inside each of us.
Melvin recently heard that a young person he knows has started working for one of the many political campaigns that are in full swing. He was surprised as he previously knew this person as a full time emerging visual artist. He was relieved to hear that this young person is still pursuing art in a very serious and dedicated way. He would’ve felt a sense of sadness if this young person had abandoned art for politics. Then again, maybe we just need more artists to enter and reshape politics!
Melvin’s story about this young person is a reminder that binaries are ultimately untenable because they don’t capture the complexity of our lived experience. It’s possible to be an artist and political activist. It’s possible to be a politician whose politics are rooted in love. It’s possible to listen to great music and keep abreast of the political conversation that is buzzing all around us.
So in the end, what we’re really reminding ourselves of here-- is to invite art and music, and with art and music, love and humanity (and people!), to remain active in the public square by refusing to cede this sacred ground to the all consuming fire of political discourse, especially in the coming months.
Action Items
Join us at the Sandy Springs Farmers Market on August 10th from 8am-12pm!
Join us in Chicago at Congregation Etz Chaim on Friday evening, 9/27 and Congregation Solel on Saturday evening, 9/28.
FB-- @WeAreLapidusAndMyles and IG: Lapidus&Myles. YouTube @lapidusmyles
Till We Meet Again,
Lapidus & Myles