So, I was ecstatic (faced with a tinge of self-disappointment for being late) when I was mindlessly scrolling through my Netflix dashboard and came across a documentary film about the great Quincy Jones. Not hesitating to click the film, I watched the whole thing entirely. in one sitting & no breaks. By the end of the film, I had absolutely no regrets.
For those who aren’t familiar with Mr. Jones.. first off, shame on you. I’m kidding, but how can you live your life blissfully without knowing this man? Not to sound dramatic or anything, but not entirely sure if you have experienced life. All jokes aside, Mr. Jones is a game changer. He is an American record producer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, composer, arranger, and film and television producer who began his career in the 1950’s. He started off as a conductor— working with jazz ensembles and orchestration by learning alongside some of the greats in the game. Decades into his career and he learned all the trades he can, he worked for Mercury Records as executive president in which he mastered his hand behind music production. With a knack for film scoring, Jones also then got into film which proved to be a pivotal moment in his career as he became the mentor who birthed the biggest name in the industry— the great Michael Jackson.
Some of his biggest works include: =The Color Purple (Oprah Winfrey), The Wiz, Thriller & “We Are The World” by Michael Jackson, to name a few. Almost 80 years later, and he remains a driving force in the world of entertainment.
I found this film enlightening because I found his personal struggles (both personally and professionally) very inspiring. Jones came from a broken home and was haunted by a broken relationship with his mother much throughout his life that influenced and bled into his professional career. However, he used this void and hurt to drive his creation and vision, ultimately bringing him to high levels of success and accomplishments. For me personally, I found resonance in his story that feels almost identical in my own personal journey as well. But I may save that story for another time.
In the beginning scene of the film, Jones sits with his daughter Rashida Jones in the back of the limousine. She asks him what he has learned about art & work. And Jones’ response not only put me in a place of peace, but also brought me great reassurance in my own journey. He responds, “be humble about your creativity and gracious about your success”. Later in the video he emphasis the importance of nuturing one’s own skills & abilities in their own artistic craft. He shares that his father would tell him, “Once a task has begun, never leave it til its done. Be the labor great or small do it well, or not at all”.
To say the least, the film was very much informative and inspiring in the same token and would recommend up next for your watchlist if you may be a music fanatic as myself. As I always like to say, thank you to those for reading up til this point. much love. Feel free to check out the trailer which you can find below.
shopcoa.blog 
2 Comments