Our friend, John, sent this artfully composed email in response to my “Ole” post below.
While trying to find the vid of youse guys as jazzfest aficionados, I read your Soccer as Art piece.
I can see the comparison when expressed through your artist’s eye. But not having done painting myself, I never experienced it like that. This probably applies to a majority of the readers.
A painting leaves you with a static product the can be visually enjoyed over and over. But the game, like the jazz piece, is a snowflake never to be repeated.
But something I have done many times, and this could apply to most all readers, is that the game can be experienced as a piece of music. And jazz seems to fit particularly well.
The participants are many, like the players in a jazz ensemble, with many watchers / listeners … not just the others players seeing the opposing team’s play unfold, but the fans watching. Notice, both the soccer and the music participants are called ” players “!
When there is a break in the action, there are set pieces / plays, like a melody, to restart the play. But within a few bars / passes , the play is off in it’s own direction.
Then there is the triangulation formation, with three players passing the ball / notes around. Sometimes, just two players are making the play with all the other participants providing the background music / movements.
Of course , there is the ever popular “solo ” with one person making a run towards the goal. Everybody loves a good solo now and again.
Then we have the vocalizations of the players keeping each other informed as to what might be unfolding out of eyesight. This ” scat singing ” is especially musical when done in a foreign language giving the illusion of the nonsensical vocal notes that is scatting heard in jazz.
The wild psychedelic colors of the uniforms swirling on the field provide the “light show”!
Finally, a particularly festive run to the end of a song, the goal, gets the audience on their feet applauding and hooting’ and hollerin’.
What a great piece/game that was.
One last observation.
Seems fitting that jazz is more popular in Europe, as is Soccer/futbol! Combine this with the fact that hyper speed data transmission is a given to Europeans . The multi-level, continuously evolving, higher intellect of the ethernet mirrors the same qualities attributed to soccer and jazz.
I’m still rooting for the good old USA team, but for now, the Europeans are beating us. And we love to root for the underdogs.
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