Make the music
In January of 1975, the brilliant jazz pianist Keith Jarrett sold out a show at the Koln Opera House in Cologne, Germany. Over 1,400 people had bought tickets to the first ever jazz concert in this stunning venue. Before he showed up, Jarrett had requested that a Bosendorfer 290 Imperial concert grand piano be delivered to the stage. It made sense to have the very best pianos for one of the world’s best pianists. But the crew assumed that a smaller, somewhat out of tune and subpar Bosendorfer found backstage would be fine. By the time the mistake was discovered it would be impossible to procure a proper piano.
Before the concert Jarrett tried out the piano and initially refused to play the instrument. Not only was it small, but the sound was tinny, and lower bass notes were shallow in sound. The pedals didn’t work well. It was not ideal. But the tickets were sold. Recording equipment had been set up. Reluctantly, Keith Jarrett agreed to play the concert.
But this inadequate instrument provided a challenge from the artist. He had to get creative to coax music out of it. The piano forced him to play differently to avoid the worst keys and bring out the good qualities of the piano. The ECM Record producer Manfred Eicher said of the concert, “Probably Jarrett played it the way he did because it was not a good piano. Because he could not fall in love with sound of it, he found another way to get the most of it.”
Despite the restraints and the obstacles, or maybe because of them, the audience loved the concert. The recording is one of Jarrett’s more beloved. The melodies from that imperfect piano remain adored as a top-selling piano and jazz album. (I’m listening to it as I write, and I can testify to its beauty.)
Not only did this concert produce a beautiful album of music, but it taught us a lesson. When life gives you a bad Bosendorfer, you can choose to walk away, or you can choose to make beautiful music.
Most of the time our days don’t end up like we planned. Too often situations emerge that look nothing like what we’d choose. There is a whole lot of that is out of our control. Our best laid plans unfold in different or maybe even heartbreaking ways. We move to option B, C, or even Q.
Much of the time we can’t change the reality we face, but we can choose how we respond. The piano is there. What will we do with it? Will we pound the keys in anger and frustration? Will we slam down the cover and walk away? Or will we take a breath and decide to live with love, to choose kindness, to act with integrity, and to make music with the life we’re given?
