What does it mean to be human?
Scientists and philosophers have asked this question over the years. As they uncover evidence of earlier humans, scientists have discovered that 30,000 and more years ago there were two branches of the human family, with the Neanderthals living side by side with our ancestors. In the movie Cave of Forgotten Dreams, the question is raised: what distinguishes the humans from the other creatures alive at that early time. The drawings in the recently discovered Chauvet caves in southern France show a culture of early humans who live with a deep sense of spirituality and reverence. The beautifully artistic paintings are renderings of animals and people in various poses and ceremonies that reveal a sense of deeply human life.
The authors ask, what does this mean? What is it to be human? What does the term "Homo sapiens" mean? A young scientist translates this as "human knowing" but suggests that a more apt term for our species is "human spiritual." As he has worked with the drawings and searched for the mysteries of this ancient culture, trying to infer how they lived and thought, he concludes that this culture expresses through their art the deepest need of humans to connect and to communicate. This is what distinguishes us from other species. We express ourselves through art, music, stories and leave "artificial" traces of our lives for future generations to discover.
As I looked at the art and listened to these stories, I reflected on the nature of modern education. If the most important part of being human is to connect through art and music and stories, why is our education geared toward the skills of material accumulation. We prepare our children to get into schools which will yield them the best jobs to create the most wealth so that their children can continue the cycle. In an age where arts education has been designated a frill or an extra, we have lost our connection with what it means to be human.
Ragazzi strives to complement the education of our children with this spiritual connection to music and to communication. We reach back in time to discover the art of the past and we stretch out to learn music of far-reaching cultures of our present day. Our singers connect to each other and find ways to express themselves through this music. We connect with our audiences by sharing what we discover. As we explore what it means to be fully human, we reconnect with cultures from ages long past.
Joyce Keil
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