Constantannihilation

Man that’s intense, and I’m in no way comparing my level of skill to yours, but I work as a chef in a highly awarded fine dining restaurant in a busy city. In some ways, it’s not all that different to find out everything on the menu has changed and on a Friday night no less. You’re expected to execute fast and perfect, with little to no explanation, but wicked high expectations. As JK Simmons character says in whiplash, there are no two words more harmful on the English language than “good job”.

All that being said, what is your take on a movie like whiplash? Is it to musicians the way that Burnt is to a chef? A gross misrepresentation of the field with some truths peppered in? We all bleed for our art in some way or another, but what’s your opinion on the matter?

Very interesting! A good friend of mine was first chair cello in the NY philharmonic many moons ago, but was forced to quit due to arthritis. His current passion (among a great many of notable things) is cooking. There’s definitely something about instantaneous consumable art, and the ability to perform worse than when you just friggin nailed it. Paint stays on a canvas, writing lives on the page.. cooking and playing music are congruent in the way that you’re painting the same thing multiple times per night/ week. Ephemeral is the perfect way to describe it though. It’s art that can exist only in this exact moment. It’s a beauty that hinges on its impermanence.

Self driven can equal self destructive.. not an approach that I agree with, just to be clear. Success comes through many means. I’ve been on both sides of the spectrum. I’ve had some amazing and kind mentors who I’ve learned the most from, and I’ve been under the thumb of truly terrible kitchen monsters from the best kitchens in the world. Way she goes I guess. The most important thing is that my passion is left intact. I live to cook another day.

By the way, “Sounds Delicious” sounds pretty cool. I do work in the private sector for some pretty big names but I keep that on the DL.. NDA and such, but it could be cool to work together. DM me if you’re looking for something new at some point.. jshannon.23 on Instagram

We may have some mutual friends 😉