“Music is, for me, proof of the existence of God,” Kurt Vonnegut Jnr.
In the seminal documentary 1 Giant Leap, a beautiful and moving portrayal of world music and its importance, the above-named American author of Slaughterhouse Five voiced this opinion. But it wasn’t a statement of faith nor an invitation to debate evidences of God.
It was a simple and powerful testament to a higher order of human consciousness, with the power to evoke emotion and even trigger life-shaping decisions. And just as important, a communal glue binding tolerance and respect as the noblest of human traits.
What gives this quote further heft, is Kurt Vonnegut Jnr. himself. Having survived the firestorm of Dresden as a prisoner of war in 1945, he wrote Slaughterhouse Five, which has since been acclaimed as ‘the most enduring anti-war novel of all time’ and a work of ‘unmatched moral clarity’.
As fellows in the marketing sector, do we think of such things when shackled to our laptops or when weighed down by the burdens of KPI’s, economic uncertainty or even, dare it be written, our own continued relevance?
Of course we don’t.
There’s no time to immerse ourselves into the real world anymore. There’s no mercy if we allow our emotions to make a decision, so we let data dictate process, let AI do the heavy lifting and all there’s left for us is to worry about how to avoid blame.
What happened to inspiration? Why has brave become stupid? And how do we return to asking why not, instead of why?
There’s no apology forthcoming for having no supporting data to bolster where this article is headed. Just a plea to let something we love be as much of a guide as data analytics or the theatre of social media, where there is only a packed stage and no audience.
And that something, if it isn’t obvious by now, is music. And how it’s such an ignition point for original thinking that dares to challenge, not beg for attention. For the strategists who’ve forgotten that insights are the wisdom they conjure from data and the creatives who are bullied by clients frightened by ridiculous KPI’s designed to protect the next management tier.
When South Africa was at its nadir of pariah status due to apartheid, big brands were leaving the country in droves because their global reputation was on the line. IBM was the highest profile of these. But they left enough infrastructure behind to ensure that the business community of that country could have some sort of tech continuity.
A business community that was almost militant in its defiance of the apartheid regime. What did they do? They created a television commercial featuring an adult elephant helping, guiding and protecting a calf. Nice. But what turned this commercial into an icon that liberal South Africans could not speak about without tears, was the soundtrack: “He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother”.
When the United States was in terrible conflict with itself concerning the Vietnam War in 1971, Coca-Cola stepped up to the plate and created a commercial featuring a diverse profile of young people on a hillside, singing a song “I’d like to buy the world a coke, and keep it company”. Forgive the upper case here, BUT YOU WILL NOT BELIEVE the effect this music had on the youth of America.
The higher state of both individual and communal consciousness which Kurt Vonnegut Jnr. alluded to, was never more manifest than in these two examples. These TV commercials may seem naïve in today’s world, but the fundamental truth remains.
What’s between the ears is far more trustworthy that what is in front of the eyes.
By John Smeddle, Creative Head, WithFeeling.
