Blog Post #4 A Cultural Symbiosis

A Cultural Symbiosis

Relationships can often define one’s life, not merely titles, such as “mother” or “friend”, but any interaction with the world outside of one’s mind.  The best of these relationships are symbiotic, an equal give and take between oneself and something else.  Yet perfect equality is elusive.  Relationships will change over time, as will their balance waiver between parties.  It is this fluctuation of give and take that defines a relationship.   Thelonious Monk’s relationship with San Juan Hill is best described as an unequal symbiosis, but a symbiosis nonetheless.

When the Monk’s arrived, San Juan Hill was a diverse community marked by violence.  “About a year and a half after they arrived, San Juan Hill earned the…distinction of being ‘one of the busiest crime areas in New York City’” (Kelley, 19).  Much of this violence was caused by racial tension.  “We had to fight to make it so we could walk down the streets”, recalls Thelonious on the matter, saying each new block was like walking into “another country” (Kelley, 19).  Amid the violence, however, was a unique musical culture.  “Every household had an instrument”, remembers Mary Ovington (Kelley, 20). Furthermore, there was a strong sense of community in San Juan Hill.  “It was like a little village.  Everybody knew everybody” (Kelley, 20).  This amalgamation of issues and blessings created an incredibly influential environment, the effects of which were felt by a young Monk, just as his environment would soon feel his influence. 

Monk’s music illustrates the diversity from which he came.  Harmonically, his music is daring, oscillating unpredictably between consonance and dissonance.  This austere texture, similar to the classical music being composed at the time, is a musical equivalent of the attitude Monk developed from living through the violence and racial prejudice present in San Juan Hill.  However, explicit Caribbean rhythms are also present in compositions such as “Bye-ya” and “Bemsha Swing”, showing the positive influence of the many cultures surrounding him.  

On a different level, San Juan Hill shaped Monk in creating a community that could hear his music.  People used to have rent parties, hiring Monk to play at them.  In these, Monk found a sanctuary to hone in on his skills, as well as a comforting community to be a part of.  It is this sense of community that causes one to say, “Jazz in New York, man!”  The interactions between Monk, representing the artist, and his community create a dialogue.  It is this dialogue that births creation and change, both in art and community.

What occurred in Leimert Park is further evidence for this claim.  As in San Juan Hill, violence plagued Leimert Park at a time.  Through the creation of music and art, however, the community was able to clean up the streets and provide places for the community to gather, share and grow.  Fifth Street Coffee provided all of these things for the community.  The community was able to speak their mind at the coffee shop, creating a constant force to shape the community that had been created.

It is this symbiosis, the give and take between an artist and all elements of his community that allows art and community to flourish as one inseparable entity.  Communities create art; art creates community.