top of page
  • Writer's pictureBernard Beitman, MD

Music and Synchronicity

Updated: Jul 25, 2023

Jazz improvisation relies on coincidences.


John D'earth (Source: John D'earth)

“How about making songs out of some of the stories in your book Connecting with Coincidences?

Hmmm. Interesting idea. How was I going to do that?

At the University of Virginia the director of the Jazz Ensemble is charismatic, musical genius, John D'earth. During his impromptu monologues between sets of a show, I heard him say “synchronicity” several times. Here was a clue in my hunt for musical help! A jazz musician who knows synchronicity.


So I emailed him. No answer. Then again. No reply. The third time, YES! We met and established an instant bond. As we got to know each other, he warmed up to the idea of doing the music for the lyrics I wrote from one of the stories. We sat at his piano and found the beginning of a tune. A Broadway musical was in the making! But no. Not with John. He had to organize his unique Jazz Opera. Too much to do. A series of other events around the Jazz Opera introduced singer-song writer Francesco Roncetti to me. The result is 7 radio-ready coincidence songs.

John loves to put people who need each other together. He helped me find a person who could help make the stories into songs. Thank you, John. In the improvisational way he lives his life, John moves in a constant flow of coincidences within performances and outside of them. He invented the word coincidentiality, meaning conditions favoring the appearance of coincidences. His life favors coincidences.

Listen to how John improvises to the tune of coincidences here.

 

Photo by Chris Bair on Unsplash

10 views0 comments

Comments


bottom of page