Morning.

The dawn has risen on the final day of Joni-Fest.  Prepare yourselves, young padawans, for all of your work has been building toward this moment…

Vocab:  Hejira – “a journey, especially when undertaken to escape from a dangerous or undesirable situation” (Merriam-Webster).

Hejira – “a flight or journey to a more desirable or congenial place,” or “escape with honor” (Joni Mitchell).

Joni found the word “hejira” while reading the dictionary, and was drawn to the “dangling j, like in Aja… it’s leaving the dream, no blame.”

Steps:

1.  Outer Space

• what do you need to do to prepare the space around you?

2.  Inner Space

• what do you need to do to prepare the space within you?

3.  This is an interpretive drawing.

Think back to the art we created while listening to the “Prelude” and “Liebestod” from Tristan und Isolde.  We’re going to do something similar here.

Your job is to listen to the title track from Joni’s ground-breaking 1976 album Hejira and to draw what you hear.

There is no right or wrong: you can interpret the lyrics; you can interpret the music; you can draw what you see in the YouTube window, just images, images and words – totally up to you.

Before you begin, though – have you actually done Steps 1 and 2 above?  If not, please do so now.

If you wish, you can read the lyrics before you begin – this is not required.

This album was mostly written during a road trip across the U.S. (disguised in a red wig and sunglasses and going by the aliases “Joan Black” and “Charlene Latimer”!) and is full of the kind of density of imagery and metaphor (and the layers of sound – “braided together . . . a sheet of sound,” as Joni said) that has made Mitchell famous – painting with words, as it were.  It also is known for the deeply groovy bass-guitar work of Jaco Pastorius, who played a uniquely fretless bass.

Deep breath.  Do your best to allow what happens to happen.  Go.

4.  Title: Joni Mitchell – “Hejira.”

5.  Date it.

6. If you have not already done so, you will send me all five of your Joni drawings today, doing your best to send me clear images (but not obsessing over it).

For those who are interested, there are three live versions of this song, one with a full band here, and a solo one here, and one really strange one with Jaco and a figure skater here.

For those who are now full converts, or at least Joni-curious, you could do worse things with your time than watch this documentary or watch Joni tame a crowd of 100,000 hippies.  If you do so, let me know your thoughts and we’ll consider it extra credit in Socials, Writing, or Art – your choice.

Check-in question: what is one thing you’ve learned, noticed, or appreciated about Joni Mitchell?

See you at 10:00, cruciverbalists!