Dear One I Know Not Yet: As I write this letter, elusive strangers hidden in shadows are making threats that might alter the world forever as we know it. As the world grows and shrinks at a rapid pace, our tendencies lead to accepting a society void of humanity. So many contributing factors skew our vision of oneness as a whole: nationalism, racism, sexism, mechanization, globalization run amok. What divides is emphasized; what unites seems elusive… So far... a piece (*), with no peace… Though you and I are strangers at present, I’d like to think that we could be friends. I imagine having a relaxed conversation with you, complete with a healthy dose of give and take, along with food to share and an umbrella offered freely in the rain. Certainly music would be a topic of mutual interest, particularly the healing aspects. And hopefully, any discussion about technology would go deeper than exploring the price lists of the latest gadgets we think we need right this second. As I write this, it occurs to me that the most satisfying conversations involve some kind of exploration. But in the world today, so many questions not only remain unanswered, but, in fact, unasked. I wonder: When did it become unusual to ask, “Why?” Every three-year-old has the capacity for inquiry hardwired inside, making his/her intuitive engagement with the world alive and intact. How did you and I, with all our years of living, come to lose this powerful tool of discernment? “Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former.” -- Albert Einstein The capacity for reflection. What a concept. Take a look in the mirror, in other words. When I look in the mirror, what do I see that disturbs me? Am I part of the solution, or part of the problem? And when I look out the window, do I ask: Who are you, and why don’t I know you? Do I ever wonder about the many dreams we share? As it stands, I would like to think that there are as many possibilities opening up in the world as there are roads being closed. But lately it is hard to see how all these careening parts could combine into a positive oneness – something bigger than the whole – something, perhaps, we’ve yet to imagine…. To cultivate a kind heart… To ask genuine questions of ourselves and one another… Life on this planet as a chance to learn; an opportunity to grow… Isn’t this the level of consciousness that we all seek? And isn’t music, particularly improvised music, ready and willing to aide this desire to bond and connect with one another? It’s an idea that’s as old as the stars, yet a reality that is underexplored. We know that music elevates. We know that music heal, and we know that music is here for us. This language in particular expressed when improvised provides an avenue to heart and a direct line to our humanity: To feel! To think! To connect! I hope in the days ahead that you will stay positive and continue to reach out to others. Somewhere in all this hatred and confusion is a chance to meet a friend as yet unknown. Somewhere, there is the You that every I is waiting for and the knowledge of the truth--namely: that what we have in common is still more powerful than what divides us. (*) “Hiddenness, then, is a sheltering enclosure--one we stand sometimes outside of, other times within.” Poet Jane Hirshfield describing the Ryoan-ji rock garden in Kyoto, Japan, where, “the garden’s positioned stones remind us there is always something unknowable and invisible beyond what can be perceived or comprehended…” From Jane Hirshfield’s book, Ten Windows.