Wynton Marsalis Loves Glow In The Dark Stars

Another post about getting back on the horse.

Wynton Marsalis was interviewed on NPR recently to promote his new album. Having always borne a grudge against him for his strident criticism of hip-hop, I was surprised to hear him sounding cheerful and friendly, as opposed to the stentorian and imperious presence I have always imagined.

During the interview, he leads the reporter into the former childhood bedroom of his sons; the reporter notes that the walls and ceiling - painted a "celestial blue" - are covered with several thousand glow-in-the-dark stars, and wonders aloud of the time and labor involved.

Marsalis relates the story of the stars: he told his sons that they would together cover the wall with stars, and they replied, "No way." But Marsalis insisted. Each evening, they applied a handful of stars together, the father and his sons. Time passes, and one evening, the last star is affixed.

From the beginning, Marsalis intended this activity to pose a lesson - about doing something again and again, one step at a time - until it is complete. He's didactic and moralistic like that. But as lessons go, it's not a bad one.

There's a big difference between covering a ceiling in thousands of stars, and just putting up a few stars every night. And there is also no difference.

Remembering that has made all the difference in my life and work.