Ok guys, opinions on Camac?

[unknown-user]

It is human nature to reject what we do not understand, but it is important to catch ourselves and know that our own lack of comprehension of an artistic expression does not make it worthless. While most people focus on the familiar, the true artist is a leader opening peoples minds to new expressive capabilities. Without growth there is only stagnation, redundancy, and a lack of individual thought. The following are some quotes I posted a while back on a discussion about new music for harp, but it is important enough to post here. This is how the people in Beethoven’s day perceived his 9th symphony, which now is a standard by which much music is judged.

“We found Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony to be precisely one hour and five minutes long; a fearful period indeed, which puts the muscles and lungs of the band, and the patience of the audience to a severe trial … . The symphony we could not make out; and here, as well as in other parts, the want of intelligible design is too apparent.” — The Harmonicon, London, 1825

“The whole orchestral part of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony I found very wearying indeed. Several times I had great difficulty in keeping awake … . It was a great relief when the choral part was arrived at, of which I had great expectations. It opened with eight bars of a common-place theme, very much like Yankee Doodle … . As for this part of the famous Symphony, I regret to say that it appeared to be made up of the strange, the ludicrous, the abrupt, the ferocious, and the screechy, with the slightest possible admixture, here and there, of an intelligible melody. As for following the words printed in the program, it was quite out of the question, and what all the noise was about, it was hard to form any idea. The general impression it left on me is that of a concert made up of Indian warwhoops and angry wildcats.” — A Providence, R.I., newspaper quoted in The Orchestra, London, 1868

“If the best critics and orchestras have failed to find the meaning of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, we may well be pardoned if we confess our inability to find any. The Adagio certainly possessed much beauty, but the other movements, particularly the last, appeared to be an incomprehensible union of strange harmonies. Beethoven was deaf when he wrote it.” –Boston Daily Atlas, 1853

[S M]

I never said it was worthless, and I realize that certain works can improve in a person’s mind/opinion over time.

[unknown-user]

The term “self expression” can be defined in an almost endless number of ways. I would suggest a very broad definition in which self expression is any honest expression from an individual. This would include expressions of a person’s sincere faith. I would be curious to hear more definitions from others. By understanding oneself, we can better understand others. To use Beethoven as an example again, I believe that it was his deep understanding of self and his ability to express it that made his music speak to so many. Each person’s experience in life is equally important and contains a great deal of joy and pain. The majority of people do not have the expressive skill, whether it be writing, music, art, etc., to communicate their experience. The artist, by expressing their own experience honestly, can speak for many. This discussion about self expression is a topic that has been wrestled with by philosophers for hundreds of years.

[unknown-user]

I meant to post before, that I appreciate your value to move away from selfishness. It is the cause of most suffering in the world, and it is a shame when the arts become a vehicle for selfishness and arrogance. There are instances when the arts are used as a weapon to make people feel worthless, etc. I just don’t want to mix the idea of honest self expression into something vile. I really believe that it’s the same reason wolves, dolphins, whales, create amazing sounds to communicate with, the reason people laugh, cry, etc. that we express ourselves in the arts. It is a fundamental part of being a human being. Even though the arts are a more complex form of expression than the above mentioned, self expression in that context is necessary to the well being of us all.

[unknown-user]

Perhaps not everyone knows that I have been playing the harp for thirty-one years, and have worked my way up the hard way, and sought out the best teachers, the best music, and the best instruments. Why? Because I believe in ART and that the harp is at its best an art. Art does not recognize univeral equality. Art does not happen at the lowest common denominator. Yes, everyone who plays the harp plays the harp. They are only equal in terms of coincidence. There are levels of development, evolution, spirituality, and achievement in art. Art can happen anywhere,

[unknown-user]

Okay! We get it already.

Geesh.

[S M]

“Let us always strive to better ourselves and always improve. That is the real key to wisdom.”

That is NOT the real key to real wisdom.

[Tacye]

Urgh- please!

[S M]

Hey – I was just kidding; that’s why I put it in parentheses.

[S M]

The end of the beginning of this post said, “Let the battle begin.”

[Ann Marie Liss]

Ok, this is almost getting funny.

[Ann Marie Liss]

Oh and one more thing,
Steven I really agree with Saul about not seeling your troubador, especially if you plan to continue a harp career to include teaching.

[unknown-user]

Through the years I have noticed in the arts that standards and a sense of progress tends to be achieved through one of two paths. One is based on exclusiveness, on attempting to identify what is ideal and shunning all else. The other is based on an openness to embrace diversity and continually sort things out as they develop and evolve. I believe both can possess high principles, but in the first it is the application of the principle that is adhered to and in the second the principle is continually reapplied in each new context. The danger in the first is to accidentally shun something of great value, and the danger of the second is to embrace something that may not be worthy. Being only human, mistakes can be made in both approaches.

[unknown-user]

Well, I must say, I’m quite proud! This is the first oobah-long post I’ve ever made in the three years I’ve bee posting here.

As of now, I’m going to keep my Salvi. I’ve also decided to NEVER leave my house with harp in tow for less than $400, which seems pretty fair to me, as i usually get $250. Obviously, that means that my main source of fundage will be lessons. I’m going to be music director (how exciting!)of next year’s school musical, so I’ll probably have a lot less time for gigs.

As for some of you here, your philosophies would rival with those of Plato!

[unknown-user]

Plato, schmato. I prefer Socrates myself. Just because new things come along, doesn’t mean they have to be embraced. I will never embrace hip-hop or rap “music.” The computer has introduced new possiblities, but it has lowered the quality of so much. I use it, but I don’t embrace it. It is hard to keep a balanced approach to new things. There’s nothing like the test of time. Unfortunately, in our commercial, popular culture, there is so much that was meant to fall away that will never go away, like pop songs of the 70s. I will be forced to hear them on muzak until I drop, ’cause it’s the “sound of my generation!” Uggh. Even though I like some of the songs, they were not made to last, and don’t hold up well. “Blinded by the Light” gives me a fright! Which reminds me, with all of the harp technicians running around these days, charging hundreds of dollars to change felts, strings, and regulate; does anyone realize that we used to do all of this ourselves for the most part? I’m not aware of any do-it-yourself guidebooks on the market anymore. Steven Fritzmann didn’t even know that Lyon $ Healy had printed one back when I started out. How about a new edition of your book, Carl Swanson?

[Author]

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