Stephen Nachmanovitch is the author of both Free Play and more recently The Art of Is. Yo Yo Ma wrote that “Stephen Nachmanovitch’sThe Art of Is is a philosophical meditation on living, living fully, living in the present. To the author, an improvisation is a co-creation that arises out of listening and mutual attentiveness, out of a universal bond of sharing that connects all humanity. It is a product of the nervous system, bigger than the brain and bigger than the body; it is a once-in-a-lifetime encounter, unprecedented and unrepeatable. Drawing from the wisdom of the ages,The Art of Is not only gives the reader an inside view of the states of mind that give rise to improvisation, it is also a celebration of the power of the human spirit, which — when exercised with love, immense patience, and discipline — is an antidote to hate.”

This was an amazingly inspiring conversation, extremely wide-ranging, including some musical improvisation. I’ve included timestamps to help listeners navigate the many topics we touched on including many important artists, which include: Yehudi Menuhin, John Cage, William Blake, Herbert Zipper, Keith Johnstone, Ali Akbar Khan

The video is here, and the transcript will also soon be linked on my podcast website: https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/stephen-nachmanovitch-author-of-free-play-and-the-art-of-is

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Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro to episode with Yo-Yo Ma quote and books “The Art of Is” and “Free Play”

(01:46) World Music Menu

(05:03) Violectra by David Bruce Johnson

(09:43) sarangi, viola d’amore, sympathetic strings

(13:10) work as a software programmer, sacred desk and secular desk

(15:58) synesthesia, Visual Music Tone Painter, William Blake

(18:19) Keith Johnstone and the intersections of art forms in improv: theatre, dance, music,

(22:49) cooking

(24:07) Yehudi Menuhin

(26:47) Stephen re-learning the violin in a different way after injury

(28:13) Indian music studies with Shashi Nayak and Ali Akbar Khan

(29:49) “The Art of Is” and “Free Play”

(30:52) Buddhism, Gregory Bateson, San Franciso Zen Center, Dorland Mountain Colony

(37:53) William Blake

(41:19) writing “The Art of Is” with Jack Nachmanovitch as editor

(43:09) Herbert Zipper, documentary “Never Give Up”

(49:38) parameters in improvisation

(55:30) improvisation Leah Roseman on acoustic violin, Stephen Nachmanovitch on Violectra, waterphone and voice

(01:03:23) body awareness, working with dancers

(01:10:15) The judging specter

(01:12:17) visual cortex interaction when listening

(01:14:41) inspiration from nature, Stephen’s health problems and isolation, album “Hermitage of Thrushes” with David Rothenberg, collaborations with Ellen Burr, Anders Hagberg

(01:21:13) “Finger Kissing” and the judging specter

(01:27:15) John Cage

(01:36:47) Stephen’s wife

(01:39:29) Stephen’s advice

photo credit: Dirk Dobíey