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Fyi, ScriptSafe is showing that one of the blocked domains on this site is scientology.tv. Apparently Chick was a Scientologist. https://www.scientology.tv/se

Fyi, ScriptSafe is showing that one of the blocked domains on this site is scientology.tv. Apparently Chick was a Scientologist. https://www.scientology.tv/series/staywell-concert/artists/chick-corea.html https://www.scientology.tv/series/staywell-concert/artists/c...

brtkdotse 6y ago
He was, and quite a prominent one as well. While it low-key bugs me, I decided I won’t let it destroy the beauty of his art for me. In general, it’s better not to dig into the personal lives of people you look up to, because chances are we’re attributing all sorts of virtues to them based on their work, while they’re - just like all of us - humans with flaws and dark nooks. John Lennon, for example, beat his first wife.
- jacquesm 6y ago
  Seconded. Scientology is pretty good at corrupting people, and has quite a few prominent people in their ranks. John Travolta, Chick Corea, Tom Cruise, Isaac Hayes. Pretty sad in a way.
  - officemonkey 6y ago
    Corea's touring group was all sourced from Scientologists. It allowed him and the church to manipulate his staff. A colleague of mine helped on an overseas tour and accidentally incurred a $18,000 cell phone bill (international roaming charges out the wazoo.) They dumped her when she complained, and found another church member to fill in. An actual tour manager would have cost more money and would have had a contract to get expenses like that paid.
    - jacquesm 6y ago
      What a pity that such a talent should have a shadow hanging over him.
      - officemonkey 6y ago
        Like most Scientology celebs, he was carefully taken care of by the church. I doubt he was ever aware of how shitty they treated his staff.
        jacquesm 6y ago
        Next to impossible, but maybe.
- TurboHaskal 6y ago
  It doesn't surprise me much. I knew nothing about the guy, but watched the one hour video that is hosted in his website, and it seems as if he couldn't really explain what music is, nor how he produced it, in an intelligible way. As talented as he was, my early impression is that he didn't possess a very rational mind.
  - TurboHaskal 6y ago
    Down-voters may want to explain what is rational about "conveying feelings" and "bringing out the personality of the instrument player". Not that you can. A rational person just doesn't join scientology to begin with.
  - anaerobicover 6y ago
    Magnificent musical skills are rare; strong verbal ability is also rare; the combination must be even more rare. Not everybody who's good at doing something is good at explaining it. Or, as it's been put by other artists with a bit of pith: "If I could tell you what it meant, there would be no point in dancing it." -- Isadora Duncan "Talking about art is like dancing about architecture." -- Laurie Anderson
- SkyMarshal 6y ago
  >In general, it’s better not to dig into the personal lives of people you look up to, because chances are we’re attributing all sorts of virtues to them based on their work, while they’re - just like all of us - humans with flaws and dark nooks. I'm actually an advocate of doing just that. Less idolization, less focus on the person, and more focus on learning from their work and results.
  - brtkdotse 6y ago
    I don’t know. An (not well known) artist took his life and allegations about child abuse came up. I now have a hard time enjoying his music.
athms 6y ago
Yes he was, but if you like jazz, his music is amazing and he did many collaborations. Mark Isham is another jazz musician (and film composer) I like and he is also a Scientologist.
- aczerepinski 6y ago
  I met Mark as an undergrad when I was trying to get a career in music started. I asked him if he had any advice about getting my foot in the door of tv or film scoring, and his advice was... Scientology. Joke's on me. I never tried Scientology and consequently never made it as a film composer.
  - toast0 6y ago
    I mean, in a way, scientology is like any other affinity group [1]. If many members of a particular affinity group are prominent in an industry, joining it is a way to get connected with those members and that industry. Scientology is also a lot more hands on, and tries to manage staffing for their most prominent members, which means positions may be open only for members (which may be illegal), so it probably is pretty effective at getting your foot in the door in the industry. The questions are really can you get out of Scientology and stay in the industry, and is getting into the industry worth the strife of getting into and out of Scientology and of association with Scientology in general. [1] Most affinity groups aren't abusive or dehumanizing, or at least aren't to anywhere near the same degree.
    - Mediterraneo10 6y ago
      > The questions are really can you get out of Scientology and stay in the industry. Yes, you can, at least in the last decade. Lots of celebrities who were once vocal Scientologists have now left the church, though they might not make a big fuss about it. Blogs like Tony Ortega's have written on how Scientology's membership is imploding, though it still has some committed donors that it squeezes for money to keep up appearances.
Mediterraneo10 6y ago
Chick Corea was not only a Scientologist, but he recorded albums that were meant to be tributes to L. Ron Hubbard [0] [1]. That is a whole different level of cringe than an artist simply being affiliated with Scientology. To go from those classic 1970s ECM recordings to this raised many eyebrows at the time. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_the_Stars_(album) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_the_Stars_(album) [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ultimate_Adventure https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ultimate_Adventure
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
phlakaton 6y ago
Looking at the futuristic themes in his work, it seems to have been a major creative inspiration to him. Having grown up with church music of my own, I can recognize and appreciate that. Rarely does his music hit you over the head with it.

brtkdotse 6y ago

He was, and quite a prominent one as well. While it low-key bugs me, I decided I won’t let it destroy the beauty of his art for me. In general, it’s better not to dig into the personal lives of people you look up to, because chances are we’re attributing all sorts of virtues to them based on their work, while they’re - just like all of us - humans with flaws and dark nooks. John Lennon, for example, beat his first wife.

jacquesm 6y ago
Seconded. Scientology is pretty good at corrupting people, and has quite a few prominent people in their ranks. John Travolta, Chick Corea, Tom Cruise, Isaac Hayes. Pretty sad in a way.
- officemonkey 6y ago
  Corea's touring group was all sourced from Scientologists. It allowed him and the church to manipulate his staff. A colleague of mine helped on an overseas tour and accidentally incurred a $18,000 cell phone bill (international roaming charges out the wazoo.) They dumped her when she complained, and found another church member to fill in. An actual tour manager would have cost more money and would have had a contract to get expenses like that paid.
  - jacquesm 6y ago
    What a pity that such a talent should have a shadow hanging over him.
    - officemonkey 6y ago
      Like most Scientology celebs, he was carefully taken care of by the church. I doubt he was ever aware of how shitty they treated his staff.
      - jacquesm 6y ago
        Next to impossible, but maybe.
TurboHaskal 6y ago
It doesn't surprise me much. I knew nothing about the guy, but watched the one hour video that is hosted in his website, and it seems as if he couldn't really explain what music is, nor how he produced it, in an intelligible way. As talented as he was, my early impression is that he didn't possess a very rational mind.
- TurboHaskal 6y ago
  Down-voters may want to explain what is rational about "conveying feelings" and "bringing out the personality of the instrument player". Not that you can. A rational person just doesn't join scientology to begin with.
- anaerobicover 6y ago
  Magnificent musical skills are rare; strong verbal ability is also rare; the combination must be even more rare. Not everybody who's good at doing something is good at explaining it. Or, as it's been put by other artists with a bit of pith: "If I could tell you what it meant, there would be no point in dancing it." -- Isadora Duncan "Talking about art is like dancing about architecture." -- Laurie Anderson
SkyMarshal 6y ago
>In general, it’s better not to dig into the personal lives of people you look up to, because chances are we’re attributing all sorts of virtues to them based on their work, while they’re - just like all of us - humans with flaws and dark nooks. I'm actually an advocate of doing just that. Less idolization, less focus on the person, and more focus on learning from their work and results.
- brtkdotse 6y ago
  I don’t know. An (not well known) artist took his life and allegations about child abuse came up. I now have a hard time enjoying his music.

athms 6y ago

Yes he was, but if you like jazz, his music is amazing and he did many collaborations. Mark Isham is another jazz musician (and film composer) I like and he is also a Scientologist.

aczerepinski 6y ago
I met Mark as an undergrad when I was trying to get a career in music started. I asked him if he had any advice about getting my foot in the door of tv or film scoring, and his advice was... Scientology. Joke's on me. I never tried Scientology and consequently never made it as a film composer.
- toast0 6y ago
  I mean, in a way, scientology is like any other affinity group [1]. If many members of a particular affinity group are prominent in an industry, joining it is a way to get connected with those members and that industry. Scientology is also a lot more hands on, and tries to manage staffing for their most prominent members, which means positions may be open only for members (which may be illegal), so it probably is pretty effective at getting your foot in the door in the industry. The questions are really can you get out of Scientology and stay in the industry, and is getting into the industry worth the strife of getting into and out of Scientology and of association with Scientology in general. [1] Most affinity groups aren't abusive or dehumanizing, or at least aren't to anywhere near the same degree.
  - Mediterraneo10 6y ago
    > The questions are really can you get out of Scientology and stay in the industry. Yes, you can, at least in the last decade. Lots of celebrities who were once vocal Scientologists have now left the church, though they might not make a big fuss about it. Blogs like Tony Ortega's have written on how Scientology's membership is imploding, though it still has some committed donors that it squeezes for money to keep up appearances.

Mediterraneo10 6y ago

Chick Corea was not only a Scientologist, but he recorded albums that were meant to be tributes to L. Ron Hubbard [0] [1]. That is a whole different level of cringe than an artist simply being affiliated with Scientology. To go from those classic 1970s ECM recordings to this raised many eyebrows at the time. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_the_Stars_(album) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_the_Stars_(album) [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ultimate_Adventure https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ultimate_Adventure

deleted 6y ago
[deleted]

phlakaton 6y ago

Looking at the futuristic themes in his work, it seems to have been a major creative inspiration to him. Having grown up with church music of my own, I can recognize and appreciate that. Rarely does his music hit you over the head with it.