Fabian Schmid

“fly me to the moon…”

“Fly me to the moon and let me play amongst the stars…!” writes Bart Howard in the popular Jazz tune. “Fly me to the moon” — what’s the big issue? Am I not free to do as I please — book budget air tickets to go wherever I want, get on Skype to talk to anybody in the world for free, learn to sky dive, dance Tango Argentino, or get my PhD through an Open University? Let’s go and fly to the moon! It is one click away and you can do it if you really want to. Just jump on the net, Google “space tourism” and away you go!

Don’t you consider that freedom? I do, but then, what is “all that jazz”? I assume that’s where the consequences come into play. Space tourism? Can’t do the space thing because of my account — it is empty.

“Fly me to the moon and let me play amongst the stars”. Fly, moon, play, and stars — it sounds like vision, longing, desperation, and desire. Actually, it sounds very human. Why do we always aim for the moon? Perhaps Les Brown, motivational speaker, entrepreneur and author, can shed some light: “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss it, you will land among the stars”.

I have been playing Jazz since I was sixteen, and once played with a Dixieland formation called “The Mixed Pickles”. Now, decades later, I still play my trumpet and am still hooked on to all that jazz. It has become a part of my life, my feeling and my thinking. Although I am neither exceptional as a musician, or play even close to being “among the stars”, I have finally figured something out – freedom has always been a part of me. It was an inner sense, a knowledge that had been hiding deep inside of me, showing up as a glimpse here and there in various guises. I could feel it, but I wasn’t able to understand it. Yet.

Jazz is like life. You can be authentic or you can pretend — even Jazz often sounds risk-free these days. You can show off your skills or you can feel and express what’s inside, to share and communicate. When you’re given a gift, it’s up to you to be thankful and to express your gratitude, or you can take it for granted. Jazz has the potential to be a final product or a platform from which we can elevate ourselves. Jazz is no different from life and they both follow rules. Do we let our peers shine and get inspired by them by allowing them to take our hands and guide us on a journey into the unexpected or unknown? Or do we decide to crawl back into the safety of our comfort zone by controlling and showing them the ropes?

We may be free to explore, but are we open to explore? Who is responsible for guiding us there and enabling us to live our dreams? What stops me from flying to the moon? “I would if I could, but I can’t because I know it is not possible for me”. Who knows? “I do, I don’t have the money. No money, no travel.” True. But does that mean it is impossible for me to fulfil my dream?

Why do certain people take off like rockets and some never move? You reckon the former have a magic potion that we don’t possess? I doubt it. But instead of singing “fly me to the moon”, they took charge of life and their situation, to finally look back and say, “I did it my way”.

In life, we tend to think that certain things are feasible and others are not. How so? Upon entering this world, we’re instantly fed values and doctrines — good and bad — by our family and society: “Don’t be selfish”, “It’s a sin to tell a lie”, “Let sleeping dogs lie”, “Nothing comes from nothing”, “What goes up, must come down”… sure, no questions asked, proven facts. But is that so? Back then, we were able to accept and not question these dogmas. I am sure that even today, undoubted and unquestioned, they still form the basis of our judgments, the screen from which we reflect each of our decisions. This forms the foundation of that structure made up of stories and experiences we have accumulated over the years. We are always checking back with it and putting everything in line with what has been carved in stone. It gives us reassurance and makes us feel safe.

But whose values are we really dealing with?

Someone once said, “There are no mistakes in jazz,” and I believe it to be true. If you feel it, you express it. Just make sure that it is a clear and honest statement. Sir Ken Robinson, British author and creative expert, said, “If you’re not prepared to be wrong, you’ll never come up with anything original”. In Switzerland, mistakes are unacceptable, and yet, many inventions and much gained knowledge were a result of mistakes. Still, as a community we fear failing. So, what better way to avoid failure then not to attempt at all? We cling to what we know, we remain within traditions and safe rules. As long as we pass the test, we stay accepted and liked.

But, wherein lies freedom in all that jazz?

If you ask me what freedom means to me, I’d answer: freedom means the ability to distinguish between what’s real and what’s not. Can I take the moment for what it is and not try to categorize or interpret it? Is it possible for me not to judge or benchmark, reflect or, as I said before, check back with what my experience tells me is right or wrong? Freedom means to accept what is and not to measure and quantify it, but to love it. Everything else is either imagination and interpretation or an illusion created by our minds. And “all that jazz” comes in, once you live the moment by being authentic and fearless.

To speak of jazz is to speak of communication. I consider Jazz to be a somewhat universal language that enables humans to express themselves, to listen, and to share. Gut feelings are common to all of us, so we do understand it on that level. This extends to understanding each other as well, if we are open to it. But as soon as we expect something, we are not in the moment and we face two outcomes: good or bad, yes or no, right or wrong, happy or sad. There is nothing in between. We hide within the known, our comfort zones, and we understand what we want to understand, not always what has been said. Should we misinterpret and overreact, we might end the conversation right there and then. All this is true in life as in jazz.

What’s the point? Turn and toss it however you want, we are always thrown back to ourselves. Where do we find freedom and all that jazz? On Jupiter or Mars? In my case, my freedom sits right here behind this keyboard, currently typing words in English about freedom and all that jazz! Wherever I go, I take it with me. I decide. When I blow my trumpet, I feel it inside of me. It enables me to express the moment. All is right, as long as I am there. Fly me to the moon and let me play among the stars, it does not make any difference.

Freedom and all that jazz? I’d say feel free and join in: forget all you know and look anew. Don’t worry, you’ll still be authentic, but fully open! And maybe some day, whatever you thought was carved in stone, you’ll find out, as George and Ira Gershwin did, “It ain’t necessarily so”!

Fabian Schmid

After successfully dropping out of Med-school, Fabian studied Communication Design. As a corporate identity and communication consultant he advised international corporations in North America and Europe, started his own businesses as a visionary, and ran them profitably as an entrepreneur. Today, residing back in his homeland, he is inspiring and coaching people (and businesses) in their quest to be(come) authentic and to fulfil their honest dreams. His life’s philosophy became his vocation: trust your smile.com.