should be.’ You know, the older we get, the we should be looking to the kids, to see more what they’re doing. And to make comments on it. But, you know, just don’t, don’t … blanket it all he exclaimed with a sweeping downward motion of his hand. bad!’” – ‘It’s someone agreed. know?” Tate reiterated. hum,” folks affirmed. “Right,” “You “Um them alone, they’ll grow up,” Tate added, drawing snickers and single word “Leave expressions of approval (although the woman who said that young women didn’t know any better seemed to shake her head in disagreement). grow up,” he repeated. “They’ll There was a silent pause in the room. Tate stated Much Ado About Nothing,” “Uh, dryly. someone gasped. that answer you?” Tate said to the young woman “Oh,” “Does who had asked the question. she gratefully responded, almost breathless at Tate’s rhetorical skill in “Yeah,” answering her question about Shakespeare plays while simultaneously making a about the entire hubbub over hip-hop. you.” “Thank welcome darling. Tate laughed heartily. The audience joined you,” “You’re him in laughter as the sense of community in the Visitor’s Center was redeemed. The process of publicly reflecting on his young interlocutor’s question while considering the intimate but momentarily edgy social dynamic of the room and also thinking about his – own life in music prompted Tate to find a way to both restore a sense of community for – those present in the Visitor’s Center, and to express his own feelings in a more balanced and thoughtful manner. Meanwhile, in using the word to refer to his young “darling” female interlocutor, Tate may be drawing on a southern linguistic custom from his youth in North Carolina. The woman, also from the South, may possibly have appreciated the endearment. (Consider how she momentarily switched to vernacular forms more common
should be.’ You know, the older we get, the more we should be looking to the kids, to see what they’re doing. And to make comments on it. … But, you know, just don’t, don’t blanket it – ‘It’s all bad!’” he exclaimed with a sweeping downward motion of his hand. “Right,” someone agreed. “You know?” Tate reiterated. “Um hum,” folks affirmed. “Leave them alone, they’ll grow up,” Tate added, drawing snickers and single word expressions of approval (although the woman who said that young women didn’t know any better seemed to shake her head in disagreement). “They’ll grow up,” he repeated. There was a silent pause in the room. “Uh, Much Ado About Nothing,” Tate stated dryly. “Oh,” someone gasped. “Does that answer you?” Tate said to the young woman who had asked the question. “Yeah,” she gratefully responded, almost breathless at Tate’s rhetorical skill in answering her question about Shakespeare plays while simultaneously making a about the entire hubbub over hip-hop. “Thank you.” “You’re welcome darling. you,” Tate laughed heartily. The audience joined him in laughter as the sense of community in the Visitor’s Center was redeemed. The process of publicly reflecting on his young interlocutor’s question while considering the intimate but momentarily edgy social dynamic of the room – and also thinking about his own life in music – prompted Tate to find a way to both restore a sense of community for those present in the Visitor’s Center, and to express his own feelings in a more balanced and thoughtful manner. Meanwhile, in using the word “darling” to refer to his young female interlocutor, Tate may be drawing on a southern linguistic custom from his youth in North Carolina. The woman, also from the South, may possibly have appreciated the endearment. (Consider how she momentarily switched to vernacular forms more common
Moehn_Jazz_Museum_1_Revised_submission_Oct._29_.docx