The key to life on Earth, according to Sun Ra: “I’m a destiny-maker”
There are a number of different reasons why people get into making music. Some are in it for the money, some have been inspired by other musicians in the past, and then you have Sun Ra. Sun Ra didn’t choose to make music; instead, he believed he was chosen to make it. As someone who persistently said he was from another planet and the product of The Creator, Sun Ra thought he was brought to Earth to create experimental music that touched people and changed humanity.
His eccentric nature resonated with his music. He was never afraid of having band members play out of time or out of key; in fact, he encouraged it, saying that in-tune harmonies were “Earth music”, and when we play something that doesn’t seem quite right to the human ear, it’s because the sound comes from another planet.
Sun Ra used to come up with sayings like this frequently as he genuinely believed that what he was doing was for the good of humanity. Subsequently, he didn’t just consider himself a good musician. When asked what he considered himself to be, he replied, “I’m a destiny-maker. I change the destiny of planets, change the destiny of countries. Everybody can’t do it. You have to have the authority. You get it from the Creator, the one who this planet belongs to.”
Because of his attitude towards music and his way of life, he frequently passed on wisdom to his bandmates so that they could live the best life on Earth. The first bit of advice he gave, which he enforced heavily, was that people should be disciplined, as he believed this is what many human beings were missing.
In his book, A Strange Celestial Road, trumpeter Ahmed Abdullah recalls his time on the road with Sun Ra and notes what he said when band members turned up to practice late. “The only thing the people of planet Earth don’t have is discipline,” he recalled, “Now, I know I was sent here to demonstrate what has never been done before, and that is to show that a group of Black people could actually stick together and create something of beauty for the Creator.”
He continued, “It’s a difficult job, and the only way it can be done is if folks begin to respect leaders. Y’all got to learn how to play follow-the-leader. Now we got a job to do; we are going to play for some Black folks in Brooklyn.”
Another thing that Sun Ra believed the people of Earth should do is give in to death. While it isn’t elaborated what he means by this, given his spirituality and the fact he subscribed to such a higher power, it’s likely he meant not to let death rule over your life. You should live while you have the chance to and let the constant worry of death prevent you from doing so.
Sun Ra’s music has moved many people in the past, and whether his teachings have genuinely impacted those around him remains to be seen, but there is no denying the sound he created and the legacy he built for himself is, in many ways, otherworldly and immortal.
