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"Steps"
Comments
on the Production of Eight Garden Steps
by Randall E. Dinsdale
Eight Garden Steps is a distillation of similar messages from four sources:
- Eight Stages of Human Development by Danish Educational Psychologist Erik H. Erikson
- Old and New Testament passages of the Bible
- The ancient writings of the I Ching and Tao Te Ching by Lao Tsu (a.k.a. Lao Zi), founder of Taoism
- Plant references provided by Thomas Bare, Educator, Lincoln Public Schools
Those from typical Christian homes and communities are familiar with the lessons of the Bible. Many picture Jesus Christ as a Euro-centric figure who could easily fit into our personal lifestyle. However, the home of Christ was far from having a modern American culture, and the Middle East was and is a crossroads of Asian as well as European and African cultures.
Taoism is believed to be the world's oldest religion and provided the foundation of at least three others: Hinduism, Buddhism, and Shamanism. The reason Taoism has lasted so long is that its crux is to be flexible and bend to the powers of nature without the rigid dogmas found in other religions. George Lucas borrowed this concept with the universal "Force", which was described by the character Obi-wan (Ben) Kenobi as the energy and life of the universe moving around and through you.
Over a period of time, studying Taoism (which means "The Way" or "Path") and how it relates to investing, I've been struck by the many similarities between the writings of Lao Tsu and Christian teachings. When studying Educational Psychology , I was intrigued by how Erik H. Erikson's description of internal conflicts (called "Psychological Crises") is similar to Eastern Religion's "yin" and "yang". I've used the single words Erikson used to identify the balance of opposing forces in "Psychological Crises" for the titles of seven of the eight works of music. In Step Four, "Endeavor" replaces Erikson's "Competence" for poetic reasons.
The disagreement of Biblical scholars regarding the authorship of the Book of Luke is similar to disagreements about the Tao Te Ching. Some insist Luke had a singular author, others say it had many. Likewise, some studying the Tao Te Ching offer evidence that several authors over many years contributed to the book. The Tao Te Ching is supposedly the last 5,000 words of Lao Tsu spoken in one day before he entered the gates of heaven. The name "Lao Tsu" (also spelled "Lao Zi") itself translates to "Old Master" or "Wise Sage" and is thought by many to be an actual person, while others believe there were many "Lao Tsu's" combined over time into one "Wise Sage."
Why include plant references? Many Zen gardens have steps on their pathways that force one to stop and study different vistas and viewpoints. I liked this image for this collection of works, hence the title Eight Garden Steps. Many people better relate to their surroundings through tactile and visual images than through music or abstract philosophical thoughts. The shamanistic approach used in the East, as well as in Native American cultures, connects us to nature and can be traced to the beginnings of Taoism and the Bible.
I'm very grateful to Thomas Bare for his research and contribution of plant references to this work. He didn't merely provide a list of eight plants. He came up with related writings and definitions, too. Tom's work with students at risk in the Lincoln Public School Bridge program, combined with his extensive horticultural work during summers, gave him the wonderful ability to combine plant references and educational psychology .
Nadine McHenry cleverly adapted the eight plant images into "chop marks" for her art, the vocal scores, and presentation of the production. "Chop marks" are those small symbols identifying ownership of the artist's work. Watch for these appearing in various places.
Randall E. Dinsdale, Author of Eight Garden Steps Text
Randy Dinsdale joined Abendmusik: Lincoln in 1994 after serving on boards of The Lincoln Symphony, Lincoln Children's Museum, The Nebraska Brass, and Lincoln Center Kiwanis. He is past president of The Nebraska Brass and Lincoln Center Kiwanis. Randy produced and wrote the text for Pleasant View Sampler in 1999 and Five Carols for Christmas in 2001 for Abendmusik: Lincoln.
Mr. Dinsdale attended Nebraska Wesleyan University and completed his education at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. He was scenic designer and technical director of SMU's opera department and Regie Assistentin for avant-garde director Max Lehner in Austria.
Randy is Vice President, Investment Officer with RBC Dain Rauscher and has been an investment executive since 1978. He has three grown children, Thane, Rachel, and Eric.
Randy would like to thank Matt and Maren Geiger and Thomas Bare for their vital contributions of content and background for the text of Eight Garden Steps. He also thanks his mentor William Kloefkorn for editing and reviewing his work.
From the program notes for the Abendmusik: Lincoln Eight Garden Steps concert, May 19, 2002.
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