Jazz As a Tool for Creativity and Problem Solving with A Tribe For Jazz

Spirit of EQ

The Hidden Power of Jazz: "Jazz music, I think it's important to say, (Jazz) has a significant number of benefits, neurologically, physiologically, even passive listening."

A Tribe For Jazz is a nonprofit organization founded with a mission to preserve and advance jazz through visual storytelling, performances, education, and community engagement. Founded three years ago, with an anniversary approaching in April 2025, the organization has already left a notable mark in the jazz community.

Stephanie Matthews' Journey and Role

Stephanie Matthews, the executive director of A Tribe For Jazz, shares her personal journey and the roots of her passion for jazz. Growing up surrounded by jazz music, influenced by her family, and learning the trumpet out of admiration for Louis Armstrong, Stephanie's connection to jazz runs deep. She joined the organization bringing her expertise in visual storytelling, which has become a crucial part of their mission.

Visual Storytelling and Achievements

One of the standout achievements of A Tribe For Jazz is the creation of "Legacy Jon Irabagon, A Solo Tenor Odyssey" a cinematic performance film showcased at film festivals worldwide. This project exemplifies the organization's innovative approach to preserving jazz in a visual and immersive way.

Additionally, the organization hosts the Combs International Jazz Series, featuring top-tier national and international jazz musicians, in partnership with CCAD and Columbus Dance Theatre.

Educational and Community Initiatives

Stephanie emphasizes the organization's commitment to education and community engagement. They use jazz as a tool in educational contexts such as STEM and social-emotional learning. By forming dynamic partnerships, A Tribe For Jazz provides young children, especially from marginalized communities, with opportunities to think differently and develop essential skills like collaboration, adaptability, resilience, and improvisation.

Jazz as a Way of Thinking

Stephanie Matthews elaborates on how jazz is more than just music for her organization; it's a way of thinking and collaborating, similar to interactions in a jazz ensemble. She shares insights on how jazz fosters inclusivity, access, dialogue, and listening, making it applicable beyond the realm of art. However, she has faced skepticism from those who see jazz only as an art form and not as a broader concept with scientific connections.

Neuroscience and Music’s Influence

Stephanie articulates jazz's influence on the brain. She mentions how music, especially jazz, can evoke geometric patterns, mathematical equations, and colors, signifying its complexity and relation to science. Eric recommends a talk by Pat Metheny at a neuroscience conference, illustrating how music can be detected in nonmusical sounds, further emphasizing music's pervasive presence in our lives.

The Challenge of Thinking Over Judging

Eric discusses the notion that judgment is easy and thinking is hard, particularly in businesses and educational institutions. He encourages analytical individuals like engineers or accountants to explore and utilize different parts of their brain to enhance their existing processes.

JazzLab and Creative Processes

Stephanie sheds light on the JazzLab approach, where a catalyst idea is built upon with inputs from others, allowing room for evolution and feedback.

Adapting to Change and Embracing Possibilities

Eric and Stephanie discuss the inevitability of change and how jazz can be used as a metaphor to navigate it. Stephanie introduces "jazz thinking," a method in development focusing on relinquishing control and being open to possibilities rather than predetermined outcomes.

Music and Problem-Solving

Eric and Stephanie explore the idea of using creative approaches, like music, to solve societal and organizational issues, such as affordable housing. They suggest incorporating music into corporate retreats to inspire new solutions and improve problem-solving.

Key Moments

00:00 Discussing reasons for choosing jazz music.

05:16 Jazz captivates beyond famous names and personalities.

08:12 Stephanie loves the organization's focus on music.

11:40 Jazz enhances wellness, creativity, memory, and emotion.

14:12 Miles Davis influenced song's crucial early change.

18:50 Judgment is easy, thinking requires effortful understanding.

22:12 Jazz is music and a collaborative lifestyle.

23:22 You're talented at communicating in STEM education.

27:35 Creativity liberates non-artists; society emphasizes analytics.

30:58 Bring your organization for Columbus growth issues.

36:12 Promote collaboration, adaptability, interconnectedness through music.

37:48 Indictment looming, societal issues and reluctance.

43:52 People resist change, prefer control for happiness.

46:57 Digable Planets were ahead of their time.

48:38 Adjust to changes to minimize discomfort.

51:37 Nondualistic thinking can be valuable during crises.

In each episode, Jeff and Eric will talk about what emotional intelligence, or understanding your emotions, can do for you in your daily and work life. For more information, contact Eric or Jeff at [e-mail], or go to their website, Spirit of EQ.

You can follow The Spirit of EQ Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Android, or on your favorite podcast player.

New episodes are available on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays every month!

Please review our podcast on iTunes. Click on the link for an easy, step-by-step tutorial.

Music from Uppbeat

https://uppbeat.io/t/roo-walker/deeper

License code: PEYKDJHQNGSZXDUE

Spirit of EQ

We hope you enjoy the podcast. Hopefully, you're tuning in on a regular basis. We'd love it if you would give us a great review on whatever platform you're listening to the podcast. It's so appreciative and helps us as we try to get more exposure for the work we do and the episodes that we publish. We're grateful to you as a listener. Secondly, our content is for educational purposes only. It's not intended by any stretch to diagnose or treat anything that may be occurring in your life or anyone else's life that you may be connected to through the podcast. And as always, we look forward to the next time that we're together. Take care.

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/

Mentioned in this episode:

SEQ Development Report

The SEQ Development Report is an innovative tool that combines emotional intelligence with one's spiritual life, distinct from religious contexts. The report helps individuals understand their connections with themselves, others, and their surroundings. It aims to identify areas in their lives that may need improvement and highlight their strengths, ultimately facilitating better navigation through life. To obtain the report, individuals need to contact Spirit of EQ via email at [e-mail] and complete an online assessment that takes about 15 to 20 minutes. After the assessment, a debrief session is required to review the comprehensive information provided in the report. Spirit of EQ also offers further coaching to support individuals in their personal development journey.

Thanks for listening to Spirit of EQ

This podcast was created to be a tool to primarily help you to discover and grow your EQ. Science and our own lived experiences confirm that the better we are at managing our emotions, the better we're going to be at making decisions. Which leads to a better life. And that's something we all want. We're glad that you've taken the time today to listen. We hope that something you hear will lead to a breakthrough. We'd really appreciate a review on your podcast platform. Please leave some comments about what you heard today, as well as follow and subscribe to the podcast. That way, you won't miss a single episode as we continue this journey.