Behind Dr. Cornel West's Spooktacular Quote

Dr. Cornel West's full quote reads:

"Music at its best...is the grand archeology into and transfiguration of our guttural cry, the great human effort to grasp in time our deepest passions and yearnings as prisoners of time. Profound music leads us-beyond language-to the dark roots of our scream and the celestial heights of our silence."

Dr. West is an American philosopher, political activist, professor, and music and literature lover. He follows the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., to tell the truth, and bear witness to love and justice. Dr. West graduated Magna Cum Laude from Harvard, where he obtained his M.A in three years. He then went on to complete his Ph.D. in Philosophy at Princeton. Throughout his career, Dr. West has taught at Harvard, Princeton, and Yale University. 

Author of twenty books, he is most known for Race Matters and Democracy Matters. He has partnered with MasterClass.com to provide influential courses on philosophy, empathy, and African American history. 

Quotes are designed for interpretation, much like poetry, literature, and music. Statements are words meant to express, bring comfort, or initiate dialogue to bring about change. West's profound quote can be interpreted in many ways while bestowing lingering thoughts and feelings upon his readers. Think about what this quote means to you. How does it make you feel? What visualizations come to mind?

Explore the imagery that language creates and allow Dr. Cornel's words to fuel your inspiration for your music and arts. When you pick up your flute today, play with the passion and guttural cries that Dr. West invokes within you!