One of my latest scripts is titled Ade’s Blues about a young man who is torn between his own demons, his artistry, and what it means to sacrifice for his family. There is alot of music in the script and right now I am listening to Miles Davis’ “Tempus Fugit”, which in fact reminded me of a scene in the script.

I always listen to some type of music when I write and I typically like to use music to invoke the mood of a situation or character’s emotional state. All of my most momentous and detailed memories in life can be tracked by one song or another and as a writer I seek to synthesize the reader’s/audience’s experience of my character’s emotional arch in the same way in which I remember milestones of my life through music. Here is a sneak peak of some of the action (I must really like you all to be sharing this but, it’s a good practice to let the work flow…that’s the only way to get better)–Please excuse any grammatical errors… this has not gone through the second draft phase and FAIR WARNING: THIS IS RATED R:

INSTRUCTIONS: LISTEN TO THE YOUTUBE CLIP WHILE YOU READ.

INT. DRESSING ROOM- BIRDS EYE JAZZ CLUB- NIGHT
The entire band including Ade, Chuck, Willie, and Smalls
is enjoying drink and conversation in the club lounge.
Bear is a bit tipsy.
ELOISE
Right, but non violence is what has gotten
us this far, if it weren’t for a peaceful
approach we wouldn’t be able to sit here
and even travel together.
CHUCK
Oh wow, listen to you Eloise. Peace ain’t
got nothing to do with it. Art transcends
all of that shit anyway.
BARRY
Woah,Chuck, watch your mouth now.

Bear sits back sipping on his drink, enjoying the
conversation.
Ade is equally intrigued, waiting for a chance to jump
in.
ELOISE
Well, I stand corrected.
WILLIE
You sure do. Back to my point, Malcolm
had a better handle on what was necessary
for the black people, forget all this we
shall overcome bullshit. I doubt we have
made any progress in terms of who we are
to ourselves as a people.
SLIM
Right. But I do agree that if we are
going to live in this country we have to
work as a unit, and Martin was on to
something with desegregation.
BARRY
Well, despite their faults, I suppose
they still brought us to a place where we
can applaud something about their
efforts.
ADE´
Yeah.
BARRY
What chu’ yea’in about? You really fucked
up tonight, you know.
ADE´
That wasn’t my fault… Willie how you
gon’ just let him throw me under the bus
like that?
ELOISE
Bear, come on… we’re having a good time
here.
Ade shakes his head with disgust.

BARRY
It may not have been your fault, but your
career was on the line in that moment.
Fuck Slim, Fuck Willie or anyone else who
was accompanying you. It is your
responsibility in that moment to save
your own ass. These cats we talk about,
Martin, Malcolm…when they are in front
of the press all that matters is their
own representation of themselves, not the
meetings they had or the support that
comes with it… just them and their
words.
Ade tries to back Bear down.
ADE´
Right, but as musicians we work as a team.
BARRY
No, you are always the director of your
team. Shit, stop the damn performance if
they are taking you off course. But
NEVER, EVER let them sabotage your
greatness. You fucked up! You don’t know
what the hell these folks think of you
and what’s even more appalling actually
is that you fucking embarrassed me. I
don’t play that shit son. You just barely
made it.
ADE´
I can’t believe this. Pops It’s my first
time.
BARRY
Might be your last.
ELOISE
Oh Bear, come on… we’re all having a
good time. No artist is 100% perfect all
the time… no visionary is so either…
BARRY
In life… Yes that may be true, but
after practice is over… that is your
job… to just fucking show up! That’s
all you have to do! After all the hours
of practice, and all the bull shit you
have about 20 minutes to show up and if
you dont’ do that, you’re a pathetic
piece of shit. There are millions of
musicians out there waiting for that
chance.

The room has gone silent. All the men are tuned into
Barry’s lecture, except for Ade who has checked out
mentally.
ADE´
Is that it?
BARRY
Yeah.
ADE´
You’ve got some nerve Bear.
BARRY
Go on.
ADE´
Out of all the missed opportunities you
had to do this very thing… drop
knowledge, care, be a fucking man, you
chose other ventures… but now… when
that moment has passed you want to take
it upon yourself to teach…I’m grown
now… no thank you. Fuck you! I’m here
by my own vices and I will either stay or
leave by my own vices.
Barry is tickled by Ade’s forward rebuttal.
BARRY
You think you have control huh? That you
don’t need me?

A scene like this would be dead in the water without a bit of Miles simmering in the background… and If I could put music to all of the fights I ever witnessed in my life they would have been so much more cinematic Hope you enjoyed it. On that note–I’m actually quite inspired to bang out the second draft of this pretty soon, goodnight all!