Respect
Last week, I found myself in a heated discussion with a colleague over his perception that there was no one worth performing for or teaching any longer. In his view, everyone out there had completely forgotten how or did not care to behave as he thought they should.
Those who advocate healthy eating, talk a lot about respect for food. Respect means taking the time to use good ingredients, prepare them with love, and take the time to savor the result. You can respect your food alone in your kitchen at 8 pm after a long day, on a picnic, at a cocktail party, tailgating at the big game, at family meals, and more.
Same goes for music. We choose music that allows us to communicate a message, prepare it with love (avoiding pre-processed performances), then we give the listener something to savor, wearing clothes that don’t detract from the message.
We respect the music and our listeners by matching our etiquette to the situation too. Good manners dictate that we make everyone feel welcome. Why should programming and venues be the same for all kinds of listeners?
In her post, City Mouse, Country Mouse in Classical Music Culture: Part 1, Erica Ann Sipes wrote, After growing up as a city girl, surrounded by classical music and now living as a country girl where bluegrass and folk music are the staple, it seems to me that there doesn’t have to be just one type of classical music culture that works.
I submit it is disrespectful for an artist to say by (word or deed) I won’t let you listen to me unless you _______________, or I would never perform on a mixed program- it demeans me and my art, or this is what I am playing and this is how it’s done, sit down and be quiet- it’s good for you.
There are only a small number of artists in the world that can pull off that kind of attitude. Since music is meant to be savored and shared, I also submit it is disrespectful to the music to try.
So true!
I do a lot of handcrafting, and this reminds me slightly of people who get bent out of shape when they give a handmade blanket to someone, and that someone then proceeds to put it away and not use it. To be honest, some people DO consider handmade things to be too precious to use every day — who knows why? Maybe they grew up without much, or they grew up in a busy house with lots of kids spilling drinks everywhere, or that’s just how they express love toward something, by keeping it safe. That’s their decision to express love for something how they want. It may be annoying for the giver, but once it leaves your hands and goes into the air, the other person gets to react emotionally however they like to it. That’s what art is meant to do — we provoke reactions in others, but we’re not puppeteers who get to control the reaction we provoke. People still get to own they way their neurons fire in response to something.
I write music so I can share it with people and see who it speaks to, not because I want to control people.