The Art of Is, Stephen Nachmanovitch
The Art of Is, Stephen Nachmanovitch
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The Art of Is
Improvising as a Way of Life

Author: Stephen Nachmanovitch

Narrator: Robertson Dean

Unabridged: 7 hr 3 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 04/09/2019

Synopsis

A critically acclaimed musician and teacher presents a guide to the dynamics of improvisationIt’s easy to assume that Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous and endlessly influential “I Have a Dream” speech was prescripted, vetted by others, written, and rewritten. It was not. Instead it was given on the fly, when from the audience singer Mahalia Jackson urged King off his prepared text. The result has inspired millions.The Art of Is contains breath-of-fresh-air thinking about how to cultivate the kind of game-changing creativity everyone seeks. Stephen Nachmanovitch shows exactly how the passion and immediacy of improvisation can be cultivated and how, in fact, we all improvise all the time—whether we are driving or deep in conversation. He explores ideas about being in the moment and reacting to people as they are, finding gold in unexpected distractions and roadblocks, and not only accepting but also celebrating imperfections in everyday practices. This creative mindfulness also makes innovation the province not of solitary geniuses but the result of engagement and interaction—and makes clear that improvising, creating, innovating are only of value when rooted in an ethical and social foundation. The results, Nachmanovitch shows, foster meaningful change and invention—and may just ignite a dream.

About Stephen Nachmanovitch

Stephen Nachmanovitch, a pioneer in free improvisation on violin, viola, and electric violin, performs internationally and teaches widely on creativity and the spiritual underpinnings of art. He is the author of writings, books, music, multimedia works, and computer software in a variety of fields. He holds a BA from Harvard and a PhD from the University of California–Santa Cruz.

About Robertson Dean

Robertson Dean has played leading roles on and off Broadway and at dozens of regional theaters throughout the country. He has a BA from Tufts University and an MFA from Yale. His audiobook narration has garnered ten AudioFile Earphones Awards. He now lives in Los Angeles, where he works in film and television in addition to narrating.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Agnieszka on August 15, 2021

Each chapter is a jewel. One of the books that call for rereading.......more

Goodreads review by Tom on April 06, 2021

More a Bible or Reference Book than just a Book of Essays I put this book on my shelf for quick inspiration. It’s one of those you can just open to any page and get a moment for reflection. It may be aimed at writers, speakers or actors, but I found it relevant to just about any area of Life. We”re a......more

Goodreads review by Adrian on November 24, 2021

This book was a very pleasant surprise. and intellectual and aesthetic delight It is grounded in much scholarship and resonated with me as an educator and poet. I will definitely be reading it again!......more

Goodreads review by Sunny on February 04, 2021

Super interesting book on the art of improvisation. I read a book not that long ago called improv which was completely about improvisation and it really reminded me of a lot of the skills and tricks and techniques that this book talks about. It's essentially about going with the flow and letting you......more

Goodreads review by Inma on February 23, 2024

The most compelling book I've read this year [together with the mushrooms one] A must read what ever your relationship with creativity is.......more

Quotes

“Narrator Robertson Dean lends his judicious pacing and artful vocal variation to this production, accompanying listeners through musician and teacher Nachmanovitch’s reflections…Dean offers a consummately professional performance with his deep, mellow voice and natural ability to mix up pace and emphasis in ways that keep the audiobook’s more abstract moments engaging to the ear…Dean’s narration connects listeners with the author’s observations on art and humanity.” AudioFile

“A philosophical meditation on living, living fully, living in the present…Drawing from the wisdom of the ages, The Art of Is not only gives the reader an inside view of the states of mind that give rise to improvisation, it is also a celebration of the power of the human spirit that, when exercised with love, immense patience, and discipline, is an antidote to hate.” Yo-Yo Ma, multiaward-winning cellist and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient

“The Art of Is is real art! It is so lucid, grand, kind, easy-going, and deeply helpful, I could not stop reading it…Steve takes us with him on his life-walk of love in music all over the world… This is a lovely guidebook for our own journeys, helping us appreciate ourselves and each other as the precious human beings endowed with liberty and opportunity that we are!” Robert Thurman, Jey Tsong Khapa Professor of Buddhist Studies, Columbia University, and co-founder of Tibet House US

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