From Rap to The Rose, Support of the Arts...

750,000 words …Encyclopedia Americana estimates there are more than 750,000 words being commonly used today in the English language! We have more words than any other language in the world. Why so many words? Over the centuries, our language evolved from its original Germanic descent, to the French and romance languages, to Latin, the language of the church and of the educated class. Today, as the world gets smaller, our language grows larger, shaped by our multicultural society.

Still, with a quarter million words out there… have you ever found yourself lacking for “just the right“word?

My friend Simone is from Brazil. In talking with her, I have discovered there are words that exist in her native language of Portuguese that simply do not have an equivalent English translation. For example, the word, “saudade” ( pr. Sow-dah-gee), describes a feeling of longing and love for something that is lost. Although it is similar to our word “nostalgia”, “saudade” is filled with yearning. It is “the love that remains” after someone or something is gone. “Saudade” is a beautiful concept, but I can find no word in the English language that comes close to capturing its essence.

Just as Americans have difficulty understanding the concept of ”saudade”, at some time or another, everyone faces things in life which are difficult to understand .To facilitate communication with the incomprehensible, these events must be translated into a new language, a language that speaks directly to our souls. For example, in Greek mythology, the muses gave birth to this type of dialogue of understanding, by inspiring the creation of classic literature and the arts. Today, this dialogue continues to evolve in all forms of the arts - literature, painting, photography and drawing, as well as the performing arts of music, dance and drama. The arts allow us to attain understanding beyond our limited first-hand life experiences, and to drink from the great river of universal knowledge.

As an artist, the arts speak to me in a number of ways…

1. Literature: I love to read, and one of my favorite books is JD Salinger’s classic 1951 novel, Catcher in the Rye. Who can forget the main character, Holden Caulfield? I have a teenage son whom I love fiercely, but like many parents, I often do not understand his world...Catcher in the Rye captures the angst and drama of the life of a teenage boy... I could understand my son’s world better through the universal voice of Holden Caulfield. Incidentally, it was one my son’s favorite books too, last year. I think after reading it, he did not feel so alone.

2. Music: Crossing all cultural and socio-economic barriers, music is the “universal language”. No matter what part of the world you are from and what instrument is being played, all music is created on one of 7 notes. Music speaks directly to the deepest parts of our hearts and souls. Even when you cannot understand the words to a song, you still understand the music. Music expresses any and every emotion, and transcends the limits of language with its sounds, beats and melodies. Scientific research supports my view of music as “ universal language”, and documents its effect on other life forms , such as animals and plants. Perhaps if we are ever invaded by aliens, we need to play Vivaldi’s “Ode to Joy” and maybe we won't be eradicated!

Personally, I like a wide range of musical styles… I have never been a fan of opera, but to sit at the front of a theatre and to physically feel the vibrations of a great soprano voice is definitely a transformative experience. Most opera is, of course, written and performed in Italian, so to interpret it, one is not so dependent on the words, but absorbs it through the emotion. To experience opera so intimately is to know why this form of music has endured for hundreds of years, relatively unchanged.

Music instantly transports us into another time like no other art form. I hear “Amazing Grace” and I am at my father’s funeral. Barry Manilow’s “Mandy “… I am at the 7th grade dance, overwrought with the inner turmoil known only by a 13 year old girl! . Bette Midler sings “The Rose” and I am graduating from high school.

Just as Simone communicates best in Portuguese, I communicate best in English, although I occasionally expect my husband to read my mind without the benefit of my words!

Communication is often facilitated without the benefit of words or a common language … Many years ago, my family entertained a college friend from El Salvador and her family, including the patriarch of the family, her 80 year old grandfather. He spoke no English, but he was a great storyteller… With only a bit of translation, he told us the grand story and drama of his life, a childhood growing up in a third world country to building a business as an owner of large department stores in San Salvador. Our souls understood each other much more than our brains understood words.

Art helps us process what we cannot otherwise understand. Like the muses of Greek mythology, this dialogue of understanding, is inspired by the past but is constantly transformed by current artists in the creation of contemporary works of literature, the visual and performing arts. Whether you are a fan of rap or The Rose or somewhere in between, I hope you will engage in and continue this dialogue by supporting the arts of your choice.