Helena's Philip Aaberg shares Five Things He's Learned about America
View the next in our new series of messages, ideas, and inspiration – shared directly from Americans we admire.
Three days to go before election day. Time for one more in our series of written pieces, short videos, and other bursts of ideas and inspiration from people whose ideas and experiences shape America. Thanks to everyone for the kind and enthusiastic response we’ve received to this ongoing series.
Today, from Helena, Montana, pianist, composer and songwriter Philip Aaberg shares Five Things He’s Learned About America.
Philip’s a Grammy- and Emmy-nominated composer and pianist, who – among his many honors was named a “Treasured Artist of Montana” in 2016 through the Secretary of State’s office. He’s played in the bands of Elvin Bishop, Peter Gabriel, and many more rock, bluegrass, and blues groups, and is a multi-keyboardist of renown, having honed his craft on stage, in the recording studios of New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, and in the Paul Dresher Ensemble, one of the world’s premier new music groups.
Don’t miss his playing: check out the video at the bottom of this post!
Five Things I’ve Learned about America
“My name is Philip Aaberg. I live in Montana. I’m a musician and a composer.“
Every state has beautiful wild places.
“My concern is that we keep these places wild and beautiful. Because the thing about mountains and rivers is they ain’t making them anymore.”
We have way more things in common than we have differences.
“Listening is probably the most important thing in the world. America, listen to each other. Talk to each other. We have a lot in common.”
Our food and the wine are much better than they used to be.
“There’s a farm-to-table movement everywhere, which I think is really important.”
America is more racist than you might think.
“I know that there are people taking away our histories of racism and slavery in the south. They’re taking away the history of the American Indian, the natives. They’re trying to take those out of the schools because honestly, I think they’re trying to divide us again.”
Americans are pack animals. We're influenced by our leaders.
“I really think that we want the same things, for the most part. We want to be happy. We don’t necessarily want a lot of stuff. We want people to be kind to us…. If you want that, you have to follow leaders who also want that.”
But wait: There’s more!
After sitting down to talk about the Five Things He’s Learned about America, Phil twirled around and did this!
How great is this!
Check out more of Philip at his website, sweetgrassmusic.com
MORE ABOUT PHILIP
Philip Aaberg, of Chester, Montana, is known worldwide for his compositions that evoke the spaciousness and beauty of the Western landscape. A Grammy and Emmy – nominated composer and pianist, Philip is recipient of both the Montana Governor’s Award for the Arts and the Montana Governor’s Award for the Humanities. He received an Honorary Doctorate in Music (Montana State University), Rockefeller Foundation and NEA grants, 2011 MAC Artist’s Innovation Award, and was named a “Treasured Artist of Montana” in 2016 through the Secretary of State’s office.
Philip has played in the bands of Elvin Bishop, Peter Gabriel, and many more rock, bluegrass, and blues groups, and is a multi-keyboardist of renown, having honed his craft on stage, in the recording studios of New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, and in the Paul Dresher Ensemble, one of the world’s premier new music groups.
He and his wife Patty live in Helena. His son Jake goes to Montana State University in Bozeman.
Find Philip at www.philipaaberg.com, and www.ofthewest.net.
MORE ABOUT FIVE THINGS I’VE LEARNED ABOUT AMERICA
Five Things I’ve Learned about America presents live, personal conversations with leading thinkers, organizers, and advocates for our democracy. In tandem, we’re soliciting and sharing written pieces, short videos, and other bursts of ideas and inspiration from people whose ideas and experiences are equally inspiring and instructive.
If you’ve just recently discovered us, please check out recent reflections about America from people we admire including including Tony Alcaraz, Yvette Benavides, Matthew Chamberlin, David Martin Davies, Alex Dobrenko, Justin Elway, Sarah Fay, Lilly Gonzalez, Francisco Guajardo, Hal Harper, Tina Hedin, Marya Hornbacher, Scott Klug, Megan Matson, Jeannine Ouellette, Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez, Greg Sandow, Brooke Warner, Oliver Wasow, and Jamie Whalen.
And check out our free conversation series presented in partnership with Resolute Square, featuring 90-minute sessions with Americans we admire including Alan Light, Jennifer Mercieca, Beto O'Rourke, Trygve Olson, and Stuart Stevens.
Wow! I absolutely love this series, and Phil's vignettes are among my favorites. Next up? Phil's son, the one who had a stroke and started "from zero," as a kinder person. What are his "five things"?