“We must never forget that art is not a form of propaganda; it is a form of truth”
MUSIC, IMAGE, AND ARCHETYPE
Connecting with the Musical Myth of Our Time
Published in November 2022 by the C.G. Jung Institute in its quarterly journal Psychological Perspectives (Volume 65, No. 2), this essay allowed me to describe the connections I see between music, imagery, their psychological implications, and how we can derive meaning from it all in today’s crisis filled world.
Abstract: This treatise aims to highlight the connection between music and archetypal behavior, and ask what implications this connection holds when it comes to the modern human condition. With references to work including that of C. G. Jung, Nietzsche, Panksepp, modern studies of acoustics, the music of the author, alchemical concepts, and more, the following questions/topics are addressed: What are some demonstrable connections between music and archetypes, sound, and image, and how do these things relate to humankind’s proclivity toward story telling/mythology? Additionally, how could said topics relate to the necessary search for meaning in today’s crisis-filled world?
A full PDF version of this publication can be accessed by clicking HERE. Or click HERE for a full transcription.
History and Deep Politics
Deep Politics- all political activity that is usually suppressed/repressed and is not acknowledged in mainstream contexts, but which nonetheless underlies and affects our political system and economy
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“For Reasons of National Security - Reframing the Assassinations of the 1960s and the Case Against the CIA”
In this two part essay published by Kennedys and King, Alexander Sill examines the probable reasons why the CIA and National Security State do not want to give up the last of the JFK documents still being withheld. Even though that defiance is in violation of both the spirit and the letter of the law as written into the JFK Records Collection Act of 1992.
LETTERS FROM LYLE
My friendship and correspondence with a late genius
Having lived in Los Angeles my whole life, I’ve had the opportunity to rub shoulders with some pretty interesting people, especially musicians. Over the years of my development as an artist, I’ve been lucky enough to interact with, receive support from, and even work with some of my heroes. Many of these interactions have helped shaped who I am, but few have arguably had more of an impact than the friendship I began in the Summer of 2014 with one of the greatest minds of the past 50 years- Lyle Mays. The following text details the correspondences and interactions I had with Lyle during the years of 2014 and 2015. I’ve edited out the fluff, although small talk wasn’t a huge part of my friendship with Lyle, as you’ll see. Even a clever joke could lead to some neuron building discussion. I’ve yet to share these special stories with many people, but with Lyle’s recent passing, I feel the world could use more of his brilliance. In a time when superlatives like genius have been so overused as to water down their meaning, genius is a description truly apt when it comes to describing Lyle. He was a true renaissance man, and we discussed everything from musical composition, to the theories of psychoanalyst Carl Jung, to physics, to the dangers of fundamentalism, and even Lyle’s experience as a soccer coach. And so, I’ve decided to share the guidance and insight he gave me with whoever cares to read.
Enjoy,
Alex
The Night Watch: Creative Coincidence during Late Night Hours, James Dean, and Jazz in Hollywood
When I was a teenager, I developed an affinity for taking walks late at night, whether it be alone or with night owl friends. Night time holds a special allure, and is a nursery for creativity. Allowing music to provide a soundtrack was always an essential fixture for these late night outings, outings that I ended up referring to as “The Night Watch.” Close friends and I still refer to any late night hangs as such.
A little while back I discovered something coincidentally fascinating hidden within a biography on James Dean. In it was written, “In the cool damp hours of early morning, life in Hollywood, as in any other place, assumes a weird but enticing perspective.” But it was in Hollywood in particular that Jimmy Dean formed a rag tag group of act friends that convened during late night hours, a group that called themselves “The Night Watch.”
I play shows regularly in Hollywood, and in 2019, started a jazz residency at a great, new club there called Gold-Diggers. It seemed only appropriate to dub our series “The Night Watch.” During each iteration of “The Night Watch,” we feature a rotating cast of some of L.A.’s greatest musicians, and special guests from the music world at large. Be sure to check out my calendar page for upcoming shows.
HISTORY AND DEEP POLITICS (Continued)
"52 Years On- A Look At Scientific Evidence and Lies In The JFK Assassination"- Updated May 2017 version
President John Kennedy is a personal hero of mine. My interest in science, history and Kennedy himself led me to write a detailed research essay on the science behind his assassination. Based on years of ardent study and research of various scientists, this essay provides a detailed overview of the many deceitful practices of government investigative committees into the assassination over the decades, and what conclusions proper scientific and investigative analyses leave us with.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1o4qU7XD2oGrv7D_dY_myyYxCyNB_iG2c/view?usp=sharing
"The 2016 Election, Historical Amnesia and Deep Politics"- January 2017
I have written an article which was recently published by Kennedys and King, one of the preeminent sources on the legacies of John Kennedy, Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King. A link to the article is attached below, along with a summary from the editor.
https://kennedysandking.com/articles/the-2016-election-historical-amnesia-and-deep-politics
Summary- "Extralegal assassinations, unwarranted domestic surveillance, interventionist wars at the behest of corporate interests, torture or other activities of that stripe – these all have their roots in the Dulles era in which covert, corporate power developed into a well-oiled and unaccountable machine running roughshod. These dark forces have continued to operate regardless of who is elected president; and the refusal to face them has caused the Democratic Party to lose its way, writes Alex Sill."
“There are social and political consequences of failing to acknowledge and deal with forces of violence at work in America and the ways in which they frequently collaborate with police and intelligence agencies that are mandated to protect the American public. The fact that we repress such discordant details of violence probably contributes to our individual mental health. But this suppression leads to a collective politics that is increasingly unreal and ineffective, as major abuses cease altogether to be addressed.” –Peter Dale Scott
Satragyaha-This translates roughly as "truth force," propagated by Ghandi, and more specifically came to be defined as non-violent political resistance and change through persuasion, rather than top-down coercion of repressive governance