Friday, November 11, 2016

How WMD can save the world


WMD:  Weapons of Peace



WMD is not "Weapons of Mass Destruction" as used here!

Tango uses WMD. Words. Music. Dance. These powerfully combine can effectively change your world, challenge depression and to help us rediscover our psychological center. Dance combined with music and lyrics, in my opinion, contain the markers of what it means to be human. In the fourteen lines of a sonnet, the meaning of life may become clear. By the fourth movement of Beethoven's 9th symphony some men may understand what women want when they cry from being happy.* Dance explains the meaning of the universe in an excellent tanda. If honey bees can dance to find the exact coordinates of pollinating flowers, then perhaps words, music and dance can help humanity find the coordinates away from our apparent path of self-destruction. Words. Music. Dance: The weapons of peace.


Make love (and poetry, music, and dance) not war
If you go into the school of arts at any fine arts university, you will find an unfortunate division among WMD--an internal fight between the departments of the school of fine arts. Creative writing (words) might be thinking how much more power the pen has than the power of music, and then also be jealous of the amount of money that is given to music or art departments. The school of dance often sulks about receiving just a fraction of funding that the other departments get. Without seeming to know it, WMD are the holy trinity of tango. The Trinity of WMD should not be like the infighting of the gods of the Greek Pantheon. The WTD Trinity is supposed to get along with each other! WMD--get your act together! You are a mighty weapon for peace when united!

Unity causes strength for Words / Music / Dance
The supposed most important marker of our humanity is language; yet, words are not capable of effectively describing music. Martin Mull, said . . .

Writing about music is like dancing about architecture.**

Nonsense!  Words can describe music, music defines dance and dance brings wings to both music and words. For that matter, why not dance about architecture? Maybe buildings would not crumble or fall if choreographers or improvisational dancers gave architects some insights about buildings, if poets made lyrics that sang of suspension bridges!

If words have wings when put to music, and it these two make us dance, then the Trinity of WMD give us clear hint about the meaning of life. All three of them are clear markers for humanity. Did you ever catch baboons talking about the presidential nominee debates? (Don't answer that.) Did you ever see any animal truly composing music? Ever behold baby mammals spontaneously dancing to music? WMD work together to help the thinking animal (the homo sapien) process the endless parade of tragedies that go through our lives.

The original Cumparsita by Gerardo Matos Rodriguez is the final song of the night in most milongas throughout the world.. Rodriguez's original words lament about this human condition. Words. Music. Dance take on the world of the "endless miseries" that parade through our lives.

 La cumparsa
de miserias sin fin
desfila
en torno de aquel ser enfermo
que pronto ha de morir
de pena.

Por eso
es que en su lecho
solloza acongojado
recordando el pasado
que lo hace padecer.
The little masquerade
of endless miseries
parades
around that sickly being
that soon will have died
of shame.

That’s why
on his (death) bed
he sobs, grieving
remembering the past
that causes him this suffering.

If you want to go to war on tragedies in your life, don't forget to find the hidden WMD's. Hint: They are not buried in Iraq; they are within you.


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*Regarding why men might understanding why women cry when happy:  After men are inspired by the 4th Movement of Bethoveen's 9th Symphony they might understand.  Don't just read:  Play the fourth movement and dance (for joy) too.

From Schiller's "Ode to Joy" Beethoven added words to create his most powerful symphonic movements ever.  His own words are italicized at the introduction to Schiller's poem.




O Freunde, nicht diese Töne!
Sondern laßt uns angenehmere anstimmen,
und freudenvollere.
Oh friends, not these sounds!
Let us instead strike up more pleasing
and more joyful ones!
Freude!
Freude!
Joy!
Joy!
Freude, schöner Götterfunken
Tochter aus Elysium,
Wir betreten feuertrunken,
Himmlische, dein Heiligtum!
Deine Zauber binden wieder
Was die Mode streng geteilt;
Alle Menschen werden Brüder,
Wo dein sanfter Flügel weilt.
Joy, beautiful spark of divinity,
Daughter from Elysium,
We enter, burning with fervour,
heavenly being, your sanctuary!
Your magic brings together
what custom has sternly divided.
All men shall become brothers,
wherever your gentle wings hover.
Wem der große Wurf gelungen,
Eines Freundes Freund zu sein;
Wer ein holdes Weib errungen,
Mische seinen Jubel ein!
Ja, wer auch nur eine Seele
Sein nennt auf dem Erdenrund!
Und wer's nie gekonnt, der stehle
Weinend sich aus diesem Bund!
Whoever has been lucky enough
to become a friend to a friend,
Whoever has found a beloved wife,
let him join our songs of praise!
Yes, and anyone who can call one soul
his own on this earth!
Any who cannot, let them slink away
from this gathering in tears!
Freude trinken alle Wesen
An den Brüsten der Natur;
Alle Guten, alle Bösen
Folgen ihrer Rosenspur.
Küsse gab sie uns und Reben,
Einen Freund, geprüft im Tod;
Wollust ward dem Wurm gegeben,
Und der Cherub steht vor Gott.
Every creature drinks in joy
at nature's breast;
Good and Bad alike
follow her trail of roses.
She gives us kisses and wine,
a true friend, even in death;
Even the worm was given desire,
and the cherub stands before God.
Froh, wie seine Sonnen fliegen
Durch des Himmels prächt'gen Plan,
Laufet, Brüder, eure Bahn,
Freudig, wie ein Held zum Siegen.
Gladly, just as His suns hurtle
through the glorious universe,
So you, brothers, should run your course,
joyfully, like a conquering hero.
Seid umschlungen, Millionen!
Diesen Kuß der ganzen Welt!
Brüder, über'm Sternenzelt
Muß ein lieber Vater wohnen.

Ihr stürzt nieder, Millionen?
Ahnest du den Schöpfer, Welt?
Such' ihn über'm Sternenzelt!
Über Sternen muß er wohnen.
Be embraced, you millions!
This kiss is for the whole world!
Brothers, above the canopy of stars
must dwell a loving father.

Do you bow down before Him, you millions?
Do you sense your Creator, o world?
Seek Him above the canopy of stars!
He must dwell beyond the stars.




**Writing about music is like dancing about architecture.  

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