Just read yet another syrupy justification for the arts in society and the value of musicians in the community. I am no longer convinced we can justify the arts based on nebulous and subjective emotions. We in the arts must provide concrete evidence of why and how the arts are a significant economic force in our culture. We cannot arbitrarily decide that our own preferences for something automatically make it valuable for others or for society. Just because I have a strong preference for the music of Mozart and his Horn concertos in particularly does not give me the right nor the power to force others to support my preference. Should I lobby in Washington for more tax dollars (your money that I am taking out of your wallet and your purse) to provide more performances of the Mozart Horn Concertos, simply because I want this to happen?
We cannot continue to fabricate an economy and a market that is obviously in decline. If the Mozart Horn Concertos are that important to me, I am welcome to gather musicians, form an orchestra, rent a performance hall, hire recording engineers, and make a recording or have a performance. Since I do not have the financial resources for such an endeavor, I have to make some choices. I can buy a recording and listen or I can find an orchestra somewhere who happens to be performing a Mozart Horn Concerto or I can write impassioned letters to politicians asking for public funds to support my desire.
The absurdity of coercing others to love what I love reminds me of the personal tension that lives in me everyday. So many things that I enjoy are not popular enough to be economically supported by others. Such is true of everyone. We make decisions all the time about what to support, what to attend, what to buy, and ultimately what to value. This morning I am having a medical procedure that will be expensive because I value my health and my quality of life. I attended a Frank Sinatra tribute concert on Saturday night because I was willing to spend some money to hear the music. Fortunately for the singer, the band, and the venue, the concert was enjoyed by over 300 people all willing to pay for the experience.
Please do not misunderstand. I love the arts and "classical" music in particular. I find great joy in the music of Brahms, Wagner, Beethoven and Mahler. I am often moved by a phrase in the music of Bach and am thrilled by the power of the music of Sibelius. But, again, while I thoroughly love art music, that love does not make it economically feasible to transmit into live performances. Joy is intangible and infectious but it cannot be codified in and of itself. It can, however, be demonstrated through the marketplace.
All the "love" in the world for a professional orchestra and all the respect that can be mustered for a "classical" performer cannot pay the light bill nor put food on the table. It is the invisible hand of the market that advances or rejects the arts. It is not labor unions, poor management, bad performances, poor halls, bad parking, low wages, lack of knowledge, bad marketing, poor programming, out of tune oboe or weak percussionists, poor seats, inadequate lighting, boring concerts, more pops concerts, less pops concerts, or any number of things on which to place the blame. It is the market that determines the success or failure of the orchestra. While this may be shaped by the factors mentioned above, it can only be measured by ticket sales.
Love the arts, support the arts, but do not expect your love alone to shape or even save the arts. In the end the people will decide what remains, what disappears, and what grows. For those of us who love the canon of great literature, let us hope and pray the people will share in that love and demonstrate it.
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