May 2, 2010

Dear Friends and Supporters of New Land Jazz,

I am writing to let you know about a major shift in my life. Change is difficult sometimes, but by narrowing our focus we can become more effective.

I have decided that I will not present the New Land Jazz Summer Student Spotlight Concert this year, nor the accompanying Student Leadership Award and Superstar of Jazz Education Award. It is painful because I had thought that my life would always include these things, but something great has taken their place and I have re-applied my vision and intensity.

AGING ARTFULLY

Since the summer of 2008, I have been working with a friend of mine, Gary Marschke, to visualize and define an independent living community centered in the Arts and Aging. You could call it an artists' colony. Over the ensuing 22 months, many ideas have been developed and some have flourished, while others have been set aside. At this moment I have gathered together around 40 solid supporters for this project which we call the 'Aging Artfully Initiative' or AAI. The AAI Allies meet monthly.

One thing that has become very clear is that many of us in my generation, and the ones that follow in the population bulge called the Baby Boom, are not contented with the prospects of living within the existing social structures designed to serve aging people. It is obvious to me and many others that something has gone very wrong, when those who reach the age of 60 or 70 are 'put out to pasture', sidelined and neglected. They, or I should say, 'We', are often discounted when the society tries to tackle the issues of the day. In other cultures and even our own a few generations ago, making it to an advanced age meant that you had experience and wisdom needed by all. We need to strengthen the links between the generations. The Arts can do that!

THE AGING ARTFULLY INITIATIVE

The sense of community among the 'Allies' of AAI is very strong, and we are about to manifest our vision in an actual residential community. Many of you will know about 'Co-housing', which encourages self reliance and community bonding as an antidote to the isolation inherent in modern society for seniors. Our version of this intentional community idea is a bit different, in that we believe that many worthy members of society may contribute to a vital community as we age, even if they don't have the money to pay a large down payment for a condo like unit. We intend to have a variety of forms of residency, some rentals, and some condo places.

AGING ITSELF CAN BE CONSIDERED AN ART

The core concepts of our group are that all creative effort constitutes the Arts, and that to continuing to grow creatively is critical to aging well. We share a conviction that aging itself can be considered an art. That's why we call it Aging Artfully. All this comes from a personal commitment I have made to members of my own family and to elders I have honored in my favorite art form, Jazz Music. We will not be put out to pasture.

I have studied in great detail the lives of successful jazz musicians, and have learned a lot about how our heroes age, and what the prospects are for the young players as they enter a crowded field of musicians in a very limited market. I have done my little bit to support the community of jazz lovers and the professionals who keep this art form alive. It is now time for me to apply my energy to provide a little leadership to the housing and cultural sustenance of these gifted people, and those who honor them. I now know that my role is to identify a solution to the isolation and enhance the dignity of life for elders in the Arts. If one of my friends wishes to carry the ball on honoring student jazz leaders, I will be glad to advise them.

I am asking everyone I know who values the gifts of artists of all kinds, who are considering what kind of active community they wish to participate in as they age, to join this growing national movement of 'Creative Aging', and help us create an actual independent living environment for artful aging, here in Portland. Please join us. There are roles for everyone, those who want to live in such a residential community, and those who wish to remain in their own homes, but want to participate in the ongoing programs for the Arts.

BELOVED COMMUNITY

My 'beloved community' as it has been referred to by the Dalai Lama, has been the jazz family. Now I have widened it to include all the arts and the 'creative class', passionate people making social change in medicine, health, elder care, gerontology, literature, as well as all the visual and performing arts. I need to also assert that everyone is aging so this community will be multi-generational, and multi-disciplinary as well as multi-cultural.

Please be in touch with me, if you want to hear more about this vision. I intend to persuade thirty to fifty households to display their commitment to this idea with a letter of intention to rent or buy a unit, so we can go to an investor or property owner, and have an actual building to do this work in within the next nine months to a year.

Yours in Service to Elders and the Arts!

 

Jim Corcoran
 971-563-3694 ♪ jim@newlandjazz.com ♪ jim@agingartfully.org
www.agingartfully.org