America Unfinished: Questions with Delbert Anderson
America Unfinished Jazz Penn Live Arts Commission World Premieres
Delbert Anderson is a featured artist in our 25/26 season, America Unfinished, marking our country’s 250th anniversary. On April 26, Anderson and his quartet will perform the world premiere commissioned work Beyond Belief, a multi-part meditation on Navajo history and the tribe’s broken relationship with America. We invited Anderson to reflect and share his thoughts on his work and this pivotal moment in our country’s legacy:
When you hear the phrase "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness," what comes to mind in the context of today's America?
I lean toward my cultural upbringing of Indigenous knowledge and wisdom. Having life and liberty were always part of our culture. Being Diné teaches us that life is beautiful even with its struggles and that when we live in beauty, balance and harmony — Hózhó — we are free. Happiness comes with the idea of family, K'é, our kinship and the traits that keep our family and tribe together. When I think of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, I think of beauty, balance, harmony and keeping my family together.
What part of the American experience are you hoping to illuminate, question or celebrate through your work?
I hope to illuminate America's wrongdoings — not to oppose America, but to foster the willingness to heal and begin to make things right. Trying to celebrate America is very difficult for me. I try to make sense of our history without being offended by it. Writing a prayer for America seemed like the most appropriate response. The act of not being offended when things don't go your way is a basic teaching of the Diné. The idea of embracing chaos and surviving comes from Hózhó: beauty, balance, harmony.
What conversations or emotions do you hope the audience walks away with after your performance?
I hope the audience sees the humility in each of us and in this composition. I hope everyone walks away carrying something of the Diné values — especially when it comes to being harmed or cheated. I hope we can look at one another as if everyone is at their highest potential, and I hope everyone can find a way to be in service to one another. This is the way of Hózhó, and I hope everyone will try to be the best person they can be.
Who or what would you add to the Declaration of Independence if it were written today?
I would place Indigenous knowledge and wisdom at the forefront of anything related to the land. I would also remove the words "merciless Indian savages."
If America is a work in progress, what role do artists play in shaping what comes next?
Artists carry the expressions of the people and bring unique solutions to conflicts. Artists also come from distinct places and mindsets. Having artists involved in government decisions would be interesting to see — they would work in the service of people's lives rather than the American Dream.
