There are a few things that really get my blood boiling. This for instance.

Here’s another:

People talking about how Architecture is like Jazz enrages me. I HATE when people make this comparison. I want to ask, okay so you say architecture and jazz are kindred spirits? Are you both an architect and a jazz musician? No? Then shut the fuck up.

So here’s the thing. I am both an architect and a jazz musician. And I’m going to tell you how architecture and jazz are related. Both are about creativity and design. But more than that…

“In jazz and in enterprise, jam sessions are designed to foster novel insights and accelerate learning. Jazz players engage in active experimentation, follow hunches, and build on others’ ideas. Jam sessions are open and collaborative environments, with a band that’s a collection of diverse specialists combining different instruments, backgrounds, a variety of preferences, styles, and skill levels–the same as a startup office.”

That quote is from an amazing article over at Fast Company. Read the whole thing here.

I love the concept of a jazz mindset. Of a creativity that is based on openness, experimentation, and collaboration. This is the joy of being a bassist. I’ve been playing the electric bass for over 20 years… grooving, building off others, supporting their ideas, laying back when appropriate, going wild and soloing. This is how architecture and jazz are related. If anyone that doesn’t practice collaborative design in this manner starts talking about jazz and architecture, just tell them to save their breath. Send them to the article above, and if they still aren’t convinced… find some new coworkers.

This is me from many years ago, showing you the stance to take if anyone starts talking about Architecture and Jazz. For clarity, I’m accosting the cello player’s boyfriend in this image. He was kind of a jerk.