Mark values the openness and generosity that is found in Music for People’s music improvisation workshops.
Mark Hinkley: I’m at the Music for People workshop in Stony Point. The first time back in probably 8 or 9 years. I joined the organization in 1989-1990, was president [of the board] for a while and watched it evolve and go through highs and lows. I’m very gratified to see that it’s so lively, so inspiring to people still. I’ve always thought that ignorance should be valued. Ignorance is a harsh word, but once you displace it with knowledge, it’s gone forever. So you can’t retrieve the kind of openness that we have here at Music for People by intruding all sorts of classical theory, in my opinion. So the more open the players are, the improvisors are, to how you listen to people, how you treat people, the generosity that goes on in the groups has unending meaning in life with people, partners, businesses — music particularly.
So I do music still. I improvise. That’s all I really know how to do. I teach little kids a little how to improvise, and I join bands in hopes they will let me improvise. So it’s sort of a gorilla approach to music that I hope all of you get to enjoy all your lives. No reason not to.