Music for Musicians?

With a forthrightness not often found in conversation, an acquaintance asked me why musicians seem to prepare and perform music for other musicians. Confused by the question, he asked me why so much of the music we perform is in a foreign language or in a "language" that is out of the experience of most listeners. He was asking me if we have fallen into a trap of teaching and performing music that is only meaningful to other musicians.

If this is true, and it may be to an extent, is it really a problem? After all, great art generally has a small audience. If art does reach the masses and becomes popular, are we then suspicious of its greatness? The wider the influence the likelihood of its commonality? If so, then mediocrity is sustenance of culture, the food of society, the oxygen of our lives. The better the quality, the smaller the audience. Achievement in the arts is then less about acknowledgement and more about meeting the criterion of no popularity. Taking this to its logical conclusion, a work of art that has no appeal is the finest piece ever created. Perhaps this means that no art is the best art. Ah, the joys of nihilism.

But perhaps as Aristotle encouraged, we should find a middle ground for excellence. Or maybe, just maybe, popularity in and of itself does not automatically degrade the essence of excellence or quality. Maybe, in fact, the lack of popularity does not demonstrate any kind of quality. Surely there is a middle ground somewhere in this murky discussion of mass appeal versus limited appeal. In some ways, the danger of politicians is to cast such a wide net hoping for enough votes to win the election, that they sacrifice their integrity and ironically find themselves on a tightrope with a long fall beneath them. So a politician hopes to establish his position, his views, and his steadfastness and still reach enough voters in support to carry him to the next level.

Back to music. If trained musicians compose and perform music for a vast appeal, they will most likely need to pare down their creative spirit with regard to melody, rhythm, and especially harmony. Not that music for the masses is lacking in creativity, but to a trained musician, it often feels a little simplistic and quickly accessible. But if a trained, academic musician only composes and performs for other musicians, then there is little regard for how music can change lives, reach people, minister, make an emotional impact, or simply entertain. In some ways, this type of attitude about music resembles a sad Ponzi scheme that eventually falls apart for lack of any substantial support or real lasting value. There is simply not enough audience to sustain it. It may make a few people feel good and it may have great worth to some, and it may have a certain educational spirit, or academic strength, but it does not have broad appeal to support it over time.

Speaking of time, maybe time is the ultimate test of worth. In 100 years, what music being written and performed today will still be performed? Will it be those works that seem to appeal to a few musicians or will it be those who find a wider sphere, a larger audience? Will Mozart's 41st symphony always enjoy mass popularity (if it does!) or will there be a time when audiences are generally ho-hum toward another performance of the great work? How will the unforgiving and harsh test of time treat popular music of today?

But it does somehow seem elitist and snobby for trained musicians to concentrate all their attentions on performing music for a select few skilled appreciators. There is a balance needed in music curriculum and a consideration of all types of genres in music. To narrow the output to music that is acknowledged as the "great" works would be likened to watching only those movies deemed of the highest quality such as Casablanca or Citizen Kane or only reading Milton and Shakespeare. There is a lasting niche for the great works of art but to do only the great works and thereby limit the audience is to be comfortable living in a vacuum.

With these thoughts, I call to battle those trained, skilled, and academic musicians willing to put aside their inherent selfishness and work diligently and comprehensively toward an inclusive curriculum. A curriculum that does provide music merely for the musicians but also provides music for the people. In the end, it may not be time alone that determines quality, it may be the freedom and joy that comes from music for everyone. Quality art is art that is loved by many both yesterday and today. It is time to fish on the other side of the boat for more fish using large nets and not be satisfied with catching just a few. If our music only appeals to a few, we may be selfishly and irresponsibly rejecting our calling.

Almost Friday

As I smiled at the lady and returned the item I had borrowed from her workplace, an office in the community, I asked her how she was doing. She looked at me with a kind of musty, disgusted grin and replied with a blended mix of optimism and pain, "I have almost made it to Friday." I smiled and said, "Yes, one more day."

Walking away and thinking on her response, I have to wonder about the sadness of our lives that depends on making it to Friday. Have we reached the point in society where the sole value, the ultimate happiness, the central goal is to make it to the end of the work week? Is this goal in order to have free time away from work? To accomplish some other thing? Or to do nothing at all? Or is it the idea of working that diminishes the joy of life? Is the formula for joy simply not to work? Or is misery likened primarily to a work situation?

She may have expressed the desire to "make it to Friday" as a way to share in her desire for a weekend, or she may have been making this type of conversation for many years and finding that everyone who heard the phrase agreed with her. It is always fun to say something and get everyone around you to nod in agreement. It could be enculturated in her to trudge in solemn despair to work every Monday morning and bounce in utter elation as Friday comes to a close. Of course, I have to wonder where the emotion lies on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Are we nearing happiness on Thursday? Are we still miserable on Wednesday? Maybe the peak of misery and pain occurs at 12 noon on Wednesday followed by a progressive, albeit quite slow, move toward happiness as the minutes wind themselves toward Friday at 5:00.

Making the assumption that a worker who is miserable is generally less productive than a happy worker, I would have to assume that our friend is unproductive. Of course it is possible that she has found a way to be a contributing, productive worker in spite of her pervading pain of having to work. But I suspect that her desire not to work is ironically her purpose for working. In other words, without the work, she has no joy in not working. The work is the impetus for the relishing of no work.

Curious as to her no work behavior, I think it would be beneficial to provide an environment for this lady that would cause her to enjoy her work. Unless she has a mental disorder or some physical anomaly that determines her attitude, I would guess that she would be more productive and certainly happier if she were doing something she enjoyed. It may not be possible, but it might be worth a try.

Because having a purpose is a motivation for success, I would take this scenario another step and say that I suspect she finds no purpose in her work and feels as though she does not make any kind of positive difference for anybody or anything, hence her misery in the workplace. Perhaps she had a purpose at one time, perhaps she entered the position believing she could make a difference only to have the challenges overcome the desire for success. Whatever the cause, I might recommend a change in venue or some kind of change in goals.

I further want to remind myself to avoid the trappings of working for the purpose of not working. Working is a joy and an opportunity. We are blessed to work and motivated by purpose, by a desire to make a difference in lives or in an institution or community. Let it not be said that he worked so as not to work. I wish instead to work in joy, to play in joy, and to live as a productive, contributing and joyful person making a difference in the world in some small way.

It's Not 8:00

Driving into town this morning, I mentally listed the various errands for the morning including going by the office, stopping at the ATM, going to the grocery store, getting the mail, and having my car washed. Placing these errands in order by their location and convenience and after stopping at the office, I found myself at the car wash place. The bays were open, workers were walking about, there was an air of energy and expectation, the business appeared ready to operate, ready to wash and vacuum cars, adding scents and tire dressings and various appealing cleansers to vehicles.

I happily pulled into an open bay, near to the vacuum hoses, and expected several workers to materialize as I hopped out of my truck ready to hand it over for the cleaning experience. But nobody came. I waited about 2 minutes and got the attention of a worker who came over with a scowl on his face. Using my immense charm, I smiled my best smile and said "Good morning, how are you?" With an indirect glance my way and somehow increasing his scowl, he said, "What time do you have?" I glanced at my phone to check the time and said it was 7:58. He said "Two more minutes" and muttered something nearly unintelligible about not giving any time to this place. I nodded and said nothing.

Two minutes later he smiled and said, "How may we help you?" I smiled back (actually tried to hold in a sarcastic laugh) and told him what kind of car wash I wanted. He proceeded to begin the process and I headed to the cashier to pay and then wait for my vehicle.

Supply and demand is an economic truth that in a true market economy is a driving force toward success. This story told has many applications and suppositions. Please allow me a moment of prophecy regarding the young man who refused to work two minutes before official opening time. I predict he will not keep his job much longer, or if he does, he will alter his general practice of performing at a minimum. Because the most productive workers are the ones who work beyond their pay scale and give more to the business than they take, a worker who gives less is likely to find himself unemployed. If a business employs workers who take more than they give, that business will likely find itself struggling. In light of this idea, I predict that if this car wash continues to employ workers who give the minimum, then there becomes an opportunity for another car wash business to be successful. For it stands to reason that in the world of supply and demand and in a world of trading money in exchange for a good or service, the one with the money holds the upper hand.

This is not always true, but is generally true that the service or good should be of greater value than the money exchanged. For today I accepted his impudence, I mean after all the business was officially closed. But I now search for an alternate way to have my car washed, perhaps even my own hand! Will the business suffer at all in the loss of my monthly $14.95? Doubtful. But if nothing else, I am reminded that my goal is to give more than I receive. For me, it just might require working a few minutes before the official opening time.

Talking about health problems--redirection.

Whine, whine, whine. That's what I feel like doing sometimes when I talk about my health problems. Not that they are serious, life-threatening, or debilitating problems. No, they are just nagging pains here and there that are fairly common to everyone. Granted it seems as though more of them showed up after I turned 50. But I have noticed the tendency for me and others to discuss our health problems more as we get older. This may be because there are more of them, or it could be that life has changed--kids are grown, settled in jobs, comfortable in our homes, and that these elements of security ironically exaggerate the other issues.

When we add aging to stability along with the proliferation of medical advice found on television and the internet we have a "perfect storm" of elements that cause those of us over the age of 50 to focus on our own health problems. And of course they are MY problems and I have a right to whine about them and share those problems with others if I so choose. Since we are mostly a self-centered bunch and since the word "I" is one of the most common words in our vocabulary, it stands to reason we would expend great energy discussing our own problems. I want everyone to know about me after all!

Try an experiment sometime. Ask everyone in a group to express something about himself or herself that hurts or is a problem. Aside from the momentary intrusion, which most of us quickly get over, we are eager to share our problems with others, at least unless the problems create social issues. I am reminded of the Far Side comic where a dog admits to having worms. The caption says, "Dog social blunders!" It is wise to avoid subjects that are severly private but it is also wise to avoid minor or innocuous problems such as the scrape on your knee or the sore elbow. And yet, it is sort of fun to whine about the general pains--feet, shoulder, back or whatever. Perhaps I could expend some time discussing my balding problem or knobby knees or a lack of earlobes or any number of anomalies on my person. Before becoming too righteous however, I should point out that sometimes people have a strong suggestion for improvement. Life's experiences are great teachers and those experiences should be shared and not hidden under a bush.

But it is time to eradicate my inherent selfishness--no talking about my health problems. No sharing of my sore feet or my sore shoulder or my occasional lack of sleep or even my expanding waistline due to a lack of running because of the feet problems. This week is not about me. Instead it is a time to focus on others and their problems. Maybe more outward concern will redirect the personal problems and hide them from myself! Doubtful but worth a try. Unfortunately it is hard to hide the limping due to the soreness of the heel caused from running. But it is worth a try. If someone says to me, "How are you?" should I lie? Or maybe a quick nod and a return of "Great, and how are you?" would be appropriate.

Onward to fewer health discussions about me and more discussions about others. In truth, my problems are pretty minor compared to some I know. Perhaps if I weren't so darn selfish I might actually be able to help someone else. Redirection can only be a positive step toward altruism and sincere concern for others. But before actuating my philosophy of the week, I must express irritation with my feet and my shoulder. Darn those pains!