Spiritual Spotlight Series
Discover a world of healing, holistic, and spiritual modalities with the Spiritual Spotlight Series podcast. Every week, we introduce you to diverse spiritual practitioners, including psychics, energy healers, life coaches, spiritual thought leaders, and witches. Each episode offers inspiration and enlightenment through the unique journeys, experiences, and divine abilities of our guests. Perfect for those on a path to spiritual awakening, this podcast blends science and mysticism to expand your understanding of spirituality. Our mission is to open your eyes to the world around you, making complex concepts accessible and enlightening for anyone seeking spiritual growth. Whether you're new to spirituality or looking to deepen your knowledge, the Spiritual Spotlight Series is your go-to resource for awakening and transformation.
Spiritual Spotlight Series
Jazz for Peace: Rick DellaRatta's Soulful Journey through Music, Mindfulness, and Humanitarian Efforts
Join us on a soulful journey with the multi-talented Rick DellaRatta a jazz artist, philanthropist, entrepreneur, life coach, and spiritual thought healer, Rick's unique blend of music and mindfulness is reshaping how we view the healing power of sound.
Born from the ashes of 9/11, his transformative 'Jazz for Peace' project is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the universal language of music.
Do you believe music can heal? Listen as Rick recounts a life-changing concert in a remote part of India, where three unexpected jazz enthusiasts found their way to his performance. Their shared passion for music fostered a profound connection that inspired Rick to create in even more meaningful ways.
Rick’s compelling personal story highlights the extraordinary potential of intuition and music’s ability to unite us across cultures and geographies.
Lastly, we delve into Rick's philanthropic journey, notably his significant work addressing literacy in Pakistan. Through his boundless creativity and compassionate spirit, Rick has been able to spark positive change and bring communities together. Hear about his various projects and initiatives and learn how you can become a part of this incredible journey.
And as a cherry on top, let your soul be energized as Rick concludes with a stirring piano improvisation.
To learn more about Rick https://jazzforpeace.org/ and https://www.rickdellaratta.com/
We hope you found the episode to be enlightening and insightful. Our goal is to create content that not only entertains but also helps you grow spiritually and connect with your inner self.
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Hello everyone, welcome to another Spiritual Spotlight series. Today I am joined by Rick Delarada. He is a world renowned jazz artist, philanthropist, entrepreneur, life coach and a spiritual thought healer. Rick, thank you so much for coming on the Spiritual Spotlight series. I'm so happy you're here.
Speaker 2:My pleasure, Rachel.
Speaker 1:So, rick, your journey in creating jazz for peace started on the rooftop, less than a quarter mile from Ground Zero, during the horrifying events of 9-11. Can you share how that pivotal moment shaped your understanding of the role music can play in both healing the individual and collective traumas?
Speaker 2:Well, you know, I had always noticed.
Speaker 2:It was something I noticed and I kind of kept it inside me and I wasn't sure if it was only something that world globetrotting musicians knew, or you know if every but how many people, if everyone knew it and they weren't really, you know, doing anything about it.
Speaker 2:But when I saw those events, I started to realize that, you know, this was a unique way for me to play a role in, you know, in a reverse kind of way, in a healing way instead of a, you know, instead of a detrimental way. Instead of being part of the problem, I could really be part of the solution, due to my knowledge. That and that I'd seen at first hand, and I'd seen it with my own music and playing music of other people, saw how it broke through every barrier that divides us. Music and arts and culture break through and unite us. And, you know, just one thing led to another, starting with a poem called Jazz for Peace that I wrote on that rooftop. Just kind of the words just kind of came out, as I was, you know, experiencing these unprecedented, this unprecedented day.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, have you? Were you always like, from the time you were a child until adulthood, always a musician?
Speaker 2:You know a lot of people have asked me that I did have one other job in my life and it was as a paper boy.
Speaker 1:I love that.
Speaker 2:I was delivering the papers and I was kind of ambitious about it. You know, I was a little kid and I was maybe 13 years old right around the bike and I would, you know, fold the paper, ride with no hands on the handlebars, fold the paper, crack it, whip it to the door. So it was yeah, exactly that was me like the gunslinger with the paper. But one thing led to another and I really had to just drop out of the paper routes. After you know, I think the first thing that happened was my homeroom teacher. His sons had wanted to start a band to play the high school dances and all that, and so he wanted me to play in that kiddie band you know for the dances at the schools. And then there was a grownup band that wanted me to play with them. They're going to sneak me in and out of the bars and the clubs you know, to play in their band for like more like for private parties.
Speaker 2:It could be ways, it could be clubs, whatever. And then, on top of that, my mother, who was the church organist, all of a sudden I needed, you know, I needed to relieve her as a church organist. She just wanted me to take over for her. I'm sure it was for my own growth, you know again specifically. And then by that time I was just overwhelmed with the paper route, so that was too much. Yeah, that was my last, that was my last job so far.
Speaker 1:You know when you're saying paper boy, all I have is that movie movie better off dead coming to mind. Why want my two dollars? Like the paper boy looking for his money, like I want my two dollars.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's a great scene because we did use to. I used to have to go and collect from people in strange places and get a little. You know they get a little bit riled up that I was there, but you know I was like well, your wife told me that you were here, you know? What do you want?
Speaker 1:me to do in three months.
Speaker 2:You're a month and a half late with the paper. You know you got to pay your bills. Yeah.
Speaker 1:So you've been described as a life coach in a spiritual thought healer, in addition to being an accomplished jazz artist. How do you blend your musical gifts with spiritual coaching and how do you use these two facets of your life to synergize?
Speaker 2:Well, you know, it really started when I started doing the benefit concert series with Jazz for Peace to help outstanding causes, and I realized that, you know, all outstanding causes were in need of the same things and you know, one of them was to grow their donor base, Another was to rejuvenate the people that they had, Another was to get sponsors and new and prestigious supporters and publicity and awareness race funds, all of that stuff.
Speaker 2:And then I noticed that you know, a lot of these things just transfer to individuals. You know we are kind of an empowerment tree ourselves that needs healing and needs growing and needs nurturing, and so, you know, you're kind of transferring it from, you know, an organization as a whole to individuals as a whole and you kind of just see these correlations and then you find that you're able to spot something or say something in someone that makes a difference. And it's exciting for both people. I mean, it's exciting for them just to, you know, get some, get some relief, you know, in terms of an issue they're having. And then it's really exciting for me to say, wow, did I really make a difference, you know? And so it's a surprise for me as well.
Speaker 1:Well, I mean the thing is is that in for myself, as being someone who is spiritual and also a healer, music plays such a valuable role in healing? Even if you're, you don't even have to be spiritual, the power of music can really like. I feel like it's a universal language and I'm sure you've seen that with a lot of your clients how it's just, it's uplifting, it's positive, it helps to take you out of a rut. Have you seen that with? So I'm sure I mean you've had a ton of concerts with a lot of people that have watched you or maybe been coached by you.
Speaker 2:Absolutely Well. You know what it is. It's. It's it's. It is, like you said, a universal language. It's spoken everywhere. Even when you get into specifics like, let's say, the art form of jazz, there's no place I can go to, no country I can go to where there won't be either someone who speaks that language in terms of a musician or a listener who has developed an ability to an appreciation for it. You can sense them in the audience, you can feel their energy.
Speaker 2:I remember once I was in the south of India and I was playing for people who I knew had never heard jazz before in their lives. Really remote place in the south of India where I was the strangest thing because I'm playing for all these people and the music is going through. I'm almost watching the music pass through the people. It's passing through in a way that's being appreciated at a certain level of enjoyment and enjoyed like that. Then there's this one little spot in the concert hall where it's just going thug. It's just like being immersed and swallowed and, how would you say, consumed. I'm noticing it in the concert hall and I'm like who are those three people sitting in that concert hall?
Speaker 2:I realized that the music kept going and it was completely being devoured by these three people. I was like I've got to meet these people, they can't be from here. They said somehow we found each other and I said you guys, where are you guys? What's up? Because something's up here. I know and we've heard about your concert and flew in from another part of India, their jazz enthusiasts, and they had flown from another part of India to this remote part and attended my concert just to come to the concert. I could sense them. I could feel them in the audience because they were hearing it from a whole other level. Not that one was better than the other. I mean, there was an honesty and a beauty to the other people hearing it for the first time. But the other people were. It was going in through them. I mean, they were in notes that I could tell. They knew what I was doing, they knew where it was coming from through their intellectual appreciation for it that they already had brought to the event.
Speaker 1:I think that's such a beautiful thing, and also you, as you're a world-renowned jazz artist the fact that you were able to sense their energy and to sense them out in this event and then to take time out to actually meet with them and talk with them. I don't know a lot of artists that would do that and I think that's amazing, that you're able to intuitively connect with them and then talk to them about their experience and you were able to see that power of your music just through them.
Speaker 2:Well, absolutely. But it's also a rare thing where you'll have a whole bunch of people at one level and three people at a whole other level. It's just such a Like hello, yeah, because that won't happen, let's say, here in New York, or something like that. I mean, there'll be people at different area, but the sound will, it'll go through and it does its own little thing. It's only meandering, similar to what they call that the energy, the jet stream, like it was like a jet stream, yeah, yeah, like a jeff stream, but in this situation, because of those, you know, it was just the craziest, yeah. So I was like, I was almost like I got. Who the heck is that?
Speaker 1:I mean, this just sounds like a really cool experience, like for you and for them, as that just sounds amazing. So, with over 850 concerts to date, each much carry a unique energy and a message. I know we just talked about this one, but is there maybe a particular concert that stands out as a defining or transformative moment in your journey?
Speaker 2:Well, you know there's so many. I know it's a lot. I mean you could make a whole podcast out of each one of them because, like I told you, that was just one part of this experience in India. But I mean, you know there's nine different trips to Africa. All that have been completely different. There've been, you know, south America, you know Canada.
Speaker 3:Brazil, Mexico, everywhere.
Speaker 2:So there's so many different things, but you know, I noticed that something might have changed in my life, maybe when I actually read the poem, Because before that I was, you know, Rick Della, Rod of the Jazz Artists, just like all my friends still are. You know, all of all of my friends in music, they're still them, I'm. You know, I have this other element now Right right.
Speaker 2:What happened was I'd written the poem and then the country was closed down. And then, right when it opened, I just opened, just in time for me to get to a jazz festival where I was headlining and there was going to be 8,500 people there. And when I read that poem and I just read the poem, but that was something started to change at that time because people were so moved by the words and I didn't know if anything, you know again, I didn't know it, but it was the change. A change had started because people were associating me with words that I wrote from an event that I experienced, you know, and offering a solution through those words.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely Like you're offering them peace, like that to me, just for going through 9-11, you know that was such a traumatic event for our entire nation and then for you too, like you said you wrote this poem and then to come out for this concert, I would imagine like all of the energy was just kind of like heavy but then lifting as you're reading that poem. I just find that fascinating.
Speaker 2:Well, it was. You know, it was probably most. For most people it was their first event since the country was locked down. So yeah, it was an emotional experience for all of them. But I just noticed that I was like in the back of my mind. I sense it's possible that my life could be changing from this moment, you know.
Speaker 1:I love that you were keyed into that though, like you were kind of like intuitively connected to look like I know I have a bigger mission here, I have a bigger purpose here, you know, and for people that are on a spiritual journey, like it's like that inner like did you have that like inner nagging? Like not nagging, but like inner, maybe inner chair leader, just kind of like all right, look, you need to be doing a little bit more. You've got a bigger mission here.
Speaker 2:Well, you know what it would be was just one thing would lead to another. So I mean, I'm sitting here with this poem and I'm like there's something kind of significant about the fact that I just witnessed this event and I have something to show for it. You know everyone else is running around trying to give blood or whatever they're doing, and you know all the news and the blah, blah, blah. But I have, I have something to show for this that's always going to exist. You know the words to this poem and so I didn't know, but I had a feeling like, hmm, sometimes when you do something significant, there's something that follows it, and then, who knows, something could follow that follow that. You could be off and running on a journey, who knows, depending on what?
Speaker 1:you're right. I mean, the thing is, is that once you're like, I feel like the universe will support you, once you're in, like you said, you're following the path, and then it's almost like, okay, here's the next thing, here's the next thing, and it, and that energy opened up and you were, you took aligned action, which some people don't. You took aligned action and you continue to move forward, which is amazing, you know, because some people get stuck in. Well, I have this thought, but I'm not going to do it, but you did it.
Speaker 2:I agree with you with that, you know. I think, see, as a musician and an improviser, this is another thing. Another reason why I'm an advocate for the arts and culture is because if you're involved in something like, let's say, jazz, where you're improvising and you're going to make something up or something, or you're going, to do something spontaneous.
Speaker 2:you have to open up a channel to allow that to come through. And what you're talking about there is what a lot of people do. They block the energy from coming. They block it themselves. They just don't have the intuition to say, hey, wait a minute, let me just open and allow, rather than close and try to control the situation. I mean, there are much greater things out there than us little people, so we might as well keep the door open and allow that.
Speaker 1:Yes, and I think it's really hard for some people to do that. Like you're used to being a channel, like you said, you improvise, you're a musician, you're used to kind of channeling that energy. But for other people they get stuck in it and they also get used to being comfortable with uncomfortable, because I think people get stuck in fear, they get stuck in the wall. I don't know what that is, so not for me.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and also that fear can cause you to think, which shuts the channel.
Speaker 1:Yeah, everything shuts the channel, guys.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean. Well, you know, when people practice meditation they actually are. They tell you do not, you have to just let things flow, you have to allow. I guess the word of it is allow, allow.
Speaker 1:And what I like to do is I like to say I'm going to surrender to the universe and when I do find myself maybe, maybe you know shifting into a little bit of I don't know about this, what I will do is I will call, I will, as I will call, in my team and also just give me one divine, align action to take. I'm feeling a little. Give me one and then I'm going to trust it, I'm going to follow it, you know. But I like with the meditation too, because you're right, Like I'm somebody who's like, I'll text my friend. Am I meditating correctly? Am I doing this right? How long am I supposed to be doing this? Why am I? I don't know. It's hard.
Speaker 2:It is, it is, it's tricky, it's tricky.
Speaker 1:It's tricky. So let me ask you this. So jazz for peace has been involved in numerous philanthropic activities, including teaching mothers to read to save off terrorist recruitment in Pakistan. Can you elaborate on how these initiatives align with your broader mission of peace building through music?
Speaker 2:Well, and that's a good one that you brought up, because that was just another one of these amazing kind of miracle things that I never thought would actually happen and the way it evolved and developed was so amazing. I didn't even know myself of the massive amount of illiteracy that was going on in that country, and I was actually tipped off by a Walmart worker in Seattle out of the blue, who just called me on the phone and said I have been following this thing going on with you in Pakistan, that they're sponsors and this and that. And we were at a standstill where I was telling the people look, we have a model, but you've got to complete the steps. You can't go to this step until this step is complete. And this guy completed the step because he was so knowledgeable about the problem, because he was fixated on his belief, that is, that kids need to learn how to read, and that it was a big, big problem them having limited options in life and all that. So, like I said, it was just I was allowing, I was allowing, I was definitely allowing, but I wasn't betting the ranch on anything. You know what I mean. I'm not going to allow this, but, yeah, I'm not going to bet the ranch on this coming through, but if it goes through, that's fine.
Speaker 2:And this guy just kind of put it, he became the final piece of the puzzle that confirmed the event. But what I wanted to say about that is what I found that we're able to do a jazz for peace is we're able to take a baton that was brought this far by all of the other people before us, whether it was Gandhi or Martin Luther King or John Lennon or all of these great people that played a part, a role in peace. And now we're taking the baton and we're saying listen, we can redefine peace now through all of these good works. We're now using the arts and culture to help the world's most outstanding causes and bring them to the forefront, and we're generating peace in that way, by not only helping that cause, but now that cause is able to help all the people that they serve, and so we're touching all of these people in a positive way.
Speaker 1:That just sounds so beautiful. I mean, really, it just sounds so amazing. So let me ask you this, as a multifaceted personality how does your entrepreneurial spirit contribute to musical journey and the outreach for jazz for peace, and how do these different roles nourish your soul?
Speaker 2:Well, a lot of people just don't realize it, and I didn't until I just kind of got in. You know, sometimes you don't find out things you can't find out from the. What is it? The where the train takes off. You know what I mean From the. Yeah, that little you know when you're waiting for the train. There's only so much you know. But the journey teaches you a lot.
Speaker 2:So from that journey I was realizing wow, I'm getting rich here from the achievement of it you know from from the people, from being able to make a difference and being able to help people and being able to play such an important role in their eyes in their success. So it was gaining me, you know. So all of that is, it's all complimentary to your existence in the arts, because arts in general is a gift to the world.
Speaker 1:You know you're, you're doing something with your art to make a positive difference and this really Super-sizes it absolutely, and and I love the fact that you brought up like it's a journey, not the destination, and you've taken time to actually enjoy the journey and to be able to look back like, oh yeah, I did this. This is amazing, you know is.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, the journey is so important and Musicians will find it out when they're studying because, uh, you know, there's like these um things where you would see a great jazz pianist, you'd watch a video of him, and someone is telling him, show me this, show me that. And he said, and he would say to them I'm thinking specifically about jazz pianist named Bill Evans, but there's a video where his brother was a professor and he wanted to interview him and he said you know what? It's the journey of discovery yourself at the piano, not the actual Copying of the other person's voicings, but discovering them yourself. You know, and that's true, it's the discover, it's the journey of the discovery and then knowing when you're discovering something that unique to you, things that you know, nobody I mean, I think everyone has the ability to do something that nobody else could do but them. That's one thing.
Speaker 1:So, before I ask you the final question if anyone is interested in either Learning more about jazz for peace or learning about all of the things that you do, what is the best place for someone to reach you?
Speaker 2:well, a great thing to do is, um, you know, watch this, for example, watch this podcast I don't know a lot of other podcasts or a lot of other ones and you know, try to learn a bit of a little bit about about us. Our website is jazz for peaceorg, so you can always go there. And then there's a website. There's another wordpress site that has a lot of archived information and that's called jazzer peace dot wordpresscom. And if you go there and even add a forward slash about to get to a specific page, you can see all this stuff We've been talking about with all these events, and you can see the actual People said who we perform for organizations and see in their own words and videos and all kinds of archival stuff. So that's great. And then just send us an email at info at jazz for peaceorg, and you know that's a great way to get started, especially if you have a little knowledge behind you.
Speaker 1:That is perfect, so our listeners would love to hear you play something for us today, do you mind?
Speaker 2:Sure, I think that'd be great. Now, what I'm gonna do is actually what we were talking about, because I'm gonna make something up Completely unique for your show. Yeah, I call it free J A and it comes from a concert I did in Haiti where they said welcome jazz for peace, and they spelled the J as s and that. Yeah, that led me to understand that it's actually a Creole word. We've been spelling it wrong, but that it's their word and it's called jss. So I took that off and I have free J a, which is short for free jazz.
Speaker 2:But it's also a little thing we're doing to Stand for freedom of speech and some of these rights that are in jeopardy now, and so I'm gonna make that up. It's a free improvisation and I'm gonna put a little something familiar in front of it, and this is a song that has a spiritual connotation. It was written by the Beach Boys, but when they interviewed them after it, remarked a spiritual change in their lives, so it's a little bit that it's called. God only knows. It could start at that. I'm going after that. I'm gonna go into something I've never played before. I don't know what it is, we'll find out, we'll both find out together, and then that's gonna finish with the words of that poem that we've been talking about the whole Time, the jazz for peace poem. And again.
Speaker 2:I'm gonna improvise completely spontaneously underneath that. Perfect, thank you. This thing I have to check. Yell, turn this off and then I can start. I'm Not always you, but long as there are stars. You never need.
Speaker 3:I'll make you so sure about it.
Speaker 2:God only knows what I'd be Without you.
Speaker 3:If you should ever leave me. All I've said, oh one, believe me.
Speaker 2:The world could show nothing to me.
Speaker 3:So what would living to me? God only knows what I'd be without you. God only knows what I'd be without you.
Speaker 2:I hear jazz for peace coming through the trees and in my heart it fills me like a celebration.
Speaker 3:I see the light and I want to follow, inspired by the past contributions of those that came before.
Speaker 2:We lay the groundwork for us to build on this universal language.
Speaker 3:It's a gift for all mankind.
Speaker 2:When we speak it, people are enlightened by the creativity and artistry it stands for peace and love and humanity and intelligence that leads to reaching potential we have in our soul so we can raise our total conscience and see that the gift of giving is our greatest privilege. I hear jazz for peace.
Speaker 1:Thank you so much for playing that beautiful piece. That was really amazing, Thank you.
Speaker 2:Great, I'm so glad you enjoyed it.
Speaker 1:And I just want to say again thank you for coming on the Spiritual Spotlight series. You are amazing. And again, thank you for sharing your gift with us. I really, and our listeners will truly appreciate it.
Speaker 2:My pleasure, Rachel.
Speaker 1:And you have a great day.
Speaker 2:Thank you.
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