Improvising Communities: An Interview With Niels Lan Doky
“The most perfect example of democracy in action” – what is that? One answer is: Jazz. Why? And if it is right, what can we transfer from jazz to the process of creating great places?
By The Empty Square
“The most perfect example of democracy in action” – what is that?’
One answer is: Jazz. Why?
Because you HAVE to listen to your fellow-players. All the time. Not only when you accompany them, but when you are the soloist. Everyone has to contribute, and everyone has to constantly listen and make use of the others’ contributions. Otherwise: No music.
Niels Lan Doky. Photo: The Empty Square
That, according to world-famous jazz pianist, Niels Lan Doky, is one of the essential learnings.
Another one lies in the potential of improvisation that is the foundation of jazz. Lan Doky estimates that 98 percent of what happens on the stage is unplanned.
Inspired by his TEDx Talk on improvisation, we met Lan Doky in his home to do a video conversation, examining whether we can transfer anything from jazz to the process of building cities and communities.
It was a fine conversation but coming back to the office, we found out we had made a mistake.
A technical error made the sound unfit for video production.
Niels Lan Doky. Photo: The Empty Square
“Do not fear mistakes. There are none”, said Miles Davis. As Lan Doky had just explained, ‘wrong’ notes don’t exist in jazz. They are but steps towards the music. ‘Wrong’ notes are turned not only into ‘right’ ones but into essential notes. The transformation lies in the way the wrong note is caught by the other musicians. Instead of trying to hide it, they put spotlight on it, investigate it, repeat it, let it enter the story on its own premises.
Instead of asking Lan Doky for another interview, we invited the technical error to be a step towards another, maybe even more precise, format.
If jazz is the most perfect example of democracy in action, there must be something we can transfer to community building.
Is it the listening capacity? The ability to leave behind big egos, internal power struggles, and the need for individual recognition?
“If you take that with you on stage,” Lan Doky underlines, “the music will collapse immediately and everybody will lose the battle”.
Is that what we can learn?
Is it the combination of structure, discipline, precise techniques, tools, and principles on one side – and freedom, spontaneity, and letting go on the other side?
“Everybody has to master what they do and everybody has to contribute with something unique. A jazz band of drummers only won’t work.”
Are the right people invited to the process of planning great places – or do we only have the drummers? What tools and principles are we lacking when another standardized housing or shopping area arise? Is it time to change the structures (economic, ecological, cultural etc.) and widen the disciplines?
And what about freedom, spontaneity, and letting go, is that what we need the most?
“The best jazz improvisations happen when people let completely go of their self-control. It acquires that they trust themselves AND their fellow musicians. You must be sure they’ll catch you if you fall”.
How many of us (artists excluded) dare to truly let go when we are at work or at school? How many of us know for sure that we will be caught when falling?
“The constellation of musicians is also key to a good jazz improvisation. It’s really a question about chemistry. We always choose our fellow-musicians with great care.”
The rest of us would probably love to have that possibility, too. Reality is, however, that we are often put randomly together with people we don’t know. Uncertain chemical combinations and explosion risks occur.
“And then there is courage”, Lan Doky says. “Courage may be the most important factor of them all.”
Good point. We can transfer that. When dealing with cities, communities, and building, we certainly need courage – courage to listen incessantly, leave egos behind, turn ‘wrong’ notes into essential ones etc.
It all sounds inciting. Let’s jazz things up.
Niels Lan Doky. Photo: The Empty Square
But when jazz is the most perfect example of democracy in action, could it be because jazz is really the ideal biotope for democracy? In society, it’s still the worst form of government, except from all the others (as Churchill supposedly said).
In any case, we could start practicing great improvisations more consciously.
Maybe our challenges originate from our undeveloped talents within improvisations. “Yeah, I just improvised…” Well, knowing what the good improvisation depends upon, nobody can ‘just’ improvise. But we can practice and be inspired.
And the result might be fewer buildings, urban spaces, and neighborhoods that talk too loudly. Or that don’t talk at all, standing muted, just as bad. More jazz in the process could lead to places that listen, converse, knowing when to be silent (not muted), when to sing, when to play.
Niels Lan Doky. Photo: The Empty Square
You can listen to Lan Doky on your favourite platform here