Quote by Nnenna Freelon: “Music is nothing else but wild sounds civilised into time and tune.”

Music is organised chaos — sound that has been given shape, pattern, and meaning without losing its energy. This is a beautiful way to think about creativity generally: not imposing order on nothing, but finding the structure already latent in wildness. The tension between the wild and the disciplined is where music lives.

Freelon made this statement in the early 2000s, a period of renewed interest in jazz as a living art form following the music's centennial reflections. Digital music production was beginning to transform the industry, and debates about the relationship between improvisation, structure, and technology in music were ongoing in jazz circles.

American jazz vocalist and Grammy-nominated artist known for her rich interpretations of jazz standards and spirituals. Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, she has collaborated with artists including Ellis Marsalis and Ramsey Lewis, and has also worked extensively as a music educator and cultural advocate.