Jacob Collier is a brilliant young up and coming artist recently nominated for a grammy. He completely changed the landscape of music and music production in my view and one of the unique things he does is to use his live audience as a choir, unrehearsed. He will ask a segment of the audience to sing a specific note and another section to sing another note and then by gesturing (like a conductor), move them up or down in essence playing them like an instrument. When I listen to him playing the piano or conducting an audience choir I am just transported to soulful places and find so much hope and joy in the human ability to make music and to move together without practicing or rehearsing beforehand. It makes me optimistic about human potential and the innate ability to relate with music and to create.
In a recent interview with Simon Sinek on his podcast “a bit of optimism” Jacob shares two stories from when he was 2 years old. I don’t know how one remembers anything from early years, but he obviously has a brilliant mind and this impacted his purpose and being in a profound way. He remembers his mother conducting a choir and how he connects with her by conducting his audience as a choir. Witnessing her hand gestures left an imprint on him. Secondly, he remembers sitting on his mother’s lap while she was playing the violin.
“Looking up it felt like I am the violin, I am the music, I am the source of the sound”: he
described this early life experience.
In true Sinek fashion Simon captured this moment as Jacob’s original why, the source of his purpose. This early life experience influenced Jacob Collier to be an instrument, a vessel to make musicians out of others. What a wonderful analogy for me and you – to capture our true purpose and calling and be a
vessel and an instrument in daily life. I’ve learned through Jacob Collier’s audience choirs that the ability and potential are always there in each and every one to make music and to create together. We all have it – the God-given ability to be an instrument, the innate potential to be creative and create together. Simon Sinek said that creativity is about breaking and building something at exactly the same time.
So, take a moment to reflect on your own ability to be an instrument. Where you rediscover your child-like wonder in music, in art, in nature and in beauty. This is such an important part of soulfulness to never lose our ability to play, to follow our creative energy. The audience choir is a testament to this. Unrehearsed, not perfect, but following the collaborative creative energy making music together and finding your inner instrument!
Until next month
Go well
Do share your creative stories or soulful ideas to [email protected].
Look at the podcast between Simon and Jacob here or listen to an example of an audience choir here.
My favourite is his song Fix You with Coldplay’s Chris Martin.
