Hi Brittany, thanks a lot for that great piece of work. I am so grateful for all your literature tips. I liked this one especially. I also worked on the connection of Stoicism and art in the last month due to another impulse of yours. The now turned Stoicon topic “Stoa and beauty”. In that work I stumbled over quite a few interesting works on the relationship between the Stoa and Art. There is for example a great work by Martha Nussbaum on the subject that focuses on poetry and some more focused work on Senecas plays as therapeutic means (in German). So, I completely agree that there is a wide field that the Stoics were immersed in, that we have not even partially appreciated in our modern efforts. So thanks again for your article and you work! My favourite stoic song is “Seasons” by Rhys Lewis. When I heard it for the first time I thought “Wait a moment, there we have a singing Stoic!”. Have fun listening to it and I am very much looking forward to tomorrow’s Stoicon. Best wishes Alexander
Thank you, Alex! As you say, this is an immense topic with lots of potential that we are just beginning to explore (or I should say "re-explore"). I hope to see more and more work on the beautiful side of Stoicism in the near future. Thanks for the Rhys Lewis recommendation--brilliant song and artist. See you at Stoicon!
Oct 25, 2023·edited Oct 25, 2023Liked by Brittany Polat
Another interesting article and book recommendation Brittany, thank you. In regard to recommending Stoic inspired music, if we think about the cardinal virtue of justice, there are many musicians and music groups across the world that advocate for causes such as respecting indigenous cultures and the environment. One such Australian band is Midnight Oil. I have been a fan of their music for many years not just because of the sound of their music, but also the fact that they advocate for causes that align with my values. Interestingly, the lead singer became the federal minister for the environment in the Australian government to try and make a difference which I believe is a very Stoic thing to do. Cheers Gary
Thank you, Gary! Very interesting band with great songs, and I agree it's very Stoic for an artist to try to make a political difference. I looked up Peter Garrett on Wikipedia and apparently he's had quite a remarkable life overall: severe asthma as a child, the death of both of his parents at a young age, a house fire that killed his mother. I wonder how these experiences informed his music and life. Anyway, thank you for bringing this to our attention!
What a fantastic article! As a composer and poet I’m fascinated by the connections here and definitely need to read this book. I hadn’t thought of composing songs based on The Meditations but you’ve planted that seed in my mind now. Thank you!
Thanks! I will absolutely let you know if/when I write a Meditations song. I really do need to put up a SoundCloud so all my music is in one place, but here are a few selections:
I’m writing music very slowly these days since I became disabled in 2015 and can only sit at the piano for 10-15 minutes at a time, but I do still compose.
I'm not sure I would listen to it in the same way as other music, but I thought this "Stoic Rap," was enjoyable and an accurate summation of Stoic ideas: https://youtu.be/XWuLvsB7UmE?si=Jv__pB6ylPY5QW9Y
Absolutely, thanks for linking to Nathan's rap! We had him at the Stoicon Women conference last year and he was a lot of fun. Good point that we might have different expectations for different genres of music. This piece is a bit tongue-in-cheek, so not something I would turn to for inspiration if I were locked in a prison cell or something. But as a teaching tool or an introduction to Stoicism, it's amazing.
Really disappointed that I can’t make it to Stoicon tomorrow, but will be sure to check out the recording when it’s up.
This is where I recommend Akira the Don’s musical version of Meditations, which is surely not to everyone’s taste musically, but is great fun and a very catchy way to get some of Marcus’ words stuck in your head. “Grateful to the Gods” especially.
More in the vein of what you’re talking about here would be Ciara O’Neill’s songs La Lune and Le Soleil. I’m not sure if she’s a practicing Stoic, but the lyrics for these are very much in line with what one would write if they were.
Wow, I had no idea about Akira the Don, but it looks like he's quite popular. This is really interesting. And Ciara O'Neill's work is so beautiful...La Lune and Le Soleil are a really lovely pair of songs.
I agree, in their different ways both of these artists have created pieces that it make it easier for us to relate to and remember some difficult philosophical themes. Thank you for bringing them to my attention!
Dec 16, 2023·edited Dec 16, 2023Liked by Brittany Polat
Yeah, I love Dr. Sadler's work. I've watched his "Heavy Metal" series on YouTube. I corresponded with him very recently about submitting an article to Stoicism Today.
Hi Brittany, thanks a lot for that great piece of work. I am so grateful for all your literature tips. I liked this one especially. I also worked on the connection of Stoicism and art in the last month due to another impulse of yours. The now turned Stoicon topic “Stoa and beauty”. In that work I stumbled over quite a few interesting works on the relationship between the Stoa and Art. There is for example a great work by Martha Nussbaum on the subject that focuses on poetry and some more focused work on Senecas plays as therapeutic means (in German). So, I completely agree that there is a wide field that the Stoics were immersed in, that we have not even partially appreciated in our modern efforts. So thanks again for your article and you work! My favourite stoic song is “Seasons” by Rhys Lewis. When I heard it for the first time I thought “Wait a moment, there we have a singing Stoic!”. Have fun listening to it and I am very much looking forward to tomorrow’s Stoicon. Best wishes Alexander
Thank you, Alex! As you say, this is an immense topic with lots of potential that we are just beginning to explore (or I should say "re-explore"). I hope to see more and more work on the beautiful side of Stoicism in the near future. Thanks for the Rhys Lewis recommendation--brilliant song and artist. See you at Stoicon!
Another interesting article and book recommendation Brittany, thank you. In regard to recommending Stoic inspired music, if we think about the cardinal virtue of justice, there are many musicians and music groups across the world that advocate for causes such as respecting indigenous cultures and the environment. One such Australian band is Midnight Oil. I have been a fan of their music for many years not just because of the sound of their music, but also the fact that they advocate for causes that align with my values. Interestingly, the lead singer became the federal minister for the environment in the Australian government to try and make a difference which I believe is a very Stoic thing to do. Cheers Gary
Thank you, Gary! Very interesting band with great songs, and I agree it's very Stoic for an artist to try to make a political difference. I looked up Peter Garrett on Wikipedia and apparently he's had quite a remarkable life overall: severe asthma as a child, the death of both of his parents at a young age, a house fire that killed his mother. I wonder how these experiences informed his music and life. Anyway, thank you for bringing this to our attention!
What a fantastic article! As a composer and poet I’m fascinated by the connections here and definitely need to read this book. I hadn’t thought of composing songs based on The Meditations but you’ve planted that seed in my mind now. Thank you!
Wonderful! I would love to hear it if you decide to pursue a Meditations composition. Is there somewhere we can listen to your current music?
Thanks! I will absolutely let you know if/when I write a Meditations song. I really do need to put up a SoundCloud so all my music is in one place, but here are a few selections:
My latest piano improvisation on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cyo10D7JBz6/
My personal favourite, In Amber, from a dance opera I wrote music & libretto for: https://youtu.be/pVDwPTH07TM
And my visceral videopoem about the heart: https://vimeo.com/17653170
I’m writing music very slowly these days since I became disabled in 2015 and can only sit at the piano for 10-15 minutes at a time, but I do still compose.
Beautiful work! I look forward to your Meditations-inspired compositions.
Thank you again!
Great article.
I'm not sure I would listen to it in the same way as other music, but I thought this "Stoic Rap," was enjoyable and an accurate summation of Stoic ideas: https://youtu.be/XWuLvsB7UmE?si=Jv__pB6ylPY5QW9Y
Absolutely, thanks for linking to Nathan's rap! We had him at the Stoicon Women conference last year and he was a lot of fun. Good point that we might have different expectations for different genres of music. This piece is a bit tongue-in-cheek, so not something I would turn to for inspiration if I were locked in a prison cell or something. But as a teaching tool or an introduction to Stoicism, it's amazing.
Really disappointed that I can’t make it to Stoicon tomorrow, but will be sure to check out the recording when it’s up.
This is where I recommend Akira the Don’s musical version of Meditations, which is surely not to everyone’s taste musically, but is great fun and a very catchy way to get some of Marcus’ words stuck in your head. “Grateful to the Gods” especially.
More in the vein of what you’re talking about here would be Ciara O’Neill’s songs La Lune and Le Soleil. I’m not sure if she’s a practicing Stoic, but the lyrics for these are very much in line with what one would write if they were.
Wow, I had no idea about Akira the Don, but it looks like he's quite popular. This is really interesting. And Ciara O'Neill's work is so beautiful...La Lune and Le Soleil are a really lovely pair of songs.
I agree, in their different ways both of these artists have created pieces that it make it easier for us to relate to and remember some difficult philosophical themes. Thank you for bringing them to my attention!
Stoicism would be good for heavy metal/hard rock. I can easily see a Judas Priest album about Stoic values.
You should follow Dr. Greg Sadler on Twitter...he has interests in both Stoicism and heavy metal.
Yeah, I love Dr. Sadler's work. I've watched his "Heavy Metal" series on YouTube. I corresponded with him very recently about submitting an article to Stoicism Today.