The Four Virtues of Jazz and What They Teach Us about Working Well With Others

Any jazz aficionado knows the musical virtues of jazz, whether they are a musician, a jazz writer, or simply a committed jazz listener. In classical Western thought (that is, in the musings of cats like Aristotle and Plato) a virtue is a kind of excellence in performance that flows from a settled habit. One who plays the flute as it ought to be played—the proper tone, pitch, and timing—displays a virtue or sharp skill in that musical instrument. One may be virtuous with respect to any endeavor worth doing, since anything worth doing is worth doing well. One who masters a worthwhile skill is a virtuoso. The four virtues of jazz that translate to other areas of life: Tradition Collaboration Improvisation Transcendence For more, see Douglas Groothuis’s articles on jazz at www.AllAboutJazz.com and Ted Gioia, The Imperfect Art.  Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.