[LAU] Paul Hindemith says hello

Raffaele Morelli raffaele.morelli at gmail.com
Mon Jun 22 11:01:54 EDT 2009


2009/6/22 Paul Davis <paul at linuxaudiosystems.com>:
> On Mon, Jun 22, 2009 at 9:24 AM, Fons Adriaensen<fons at kokkinizita.net> wrote:
>> He's not saying that musical creation should be restricted to a
>> small number of predetermined people. But de facto, like all
>> artistic endeavour, it is a minority activity, We may all be
>> potential great composers or artists, but most of us do not
>> exploit that potential, just look around. Maybe 10% of the
>> population is capable of producing anything that would be
>> regarded by the remaining 90% as music they'd want to listen to.
>> Less than 1% could do something that would survive a generation
>> and become part of music history,
>
> Although I don't disagree with anything you've written here Fons, I
> feel compelled to note that there is a purpose to artistic creation
> that has nothing to do with creation "for others". When we encourage
> children to paint or make music, we are not doing so because we
> believe that their work will have meaning for others or illuminate
> some aspect of the human condition. At least, that wasn't why I
> encouraged my daughter to do so, and its not why I encourage her now
> with her cello playing.
>
> When I started writing audio/midi software 11 years ago, it was
> originally with a goal to providing the tools I wanted so that I could
> make music. Over time, I realized that I am a really stunningly
> mediocre musician (even that is putting it a little kindly), and its
> much more productive for me to use whatever skills I have as a
> programmer creating tools for others. BUT ... I still attempt to
> create my pathetic little pieces of sound not out of any delusion that
> they will last beyond the end of next week but because the *process*
> of creation is intensely satisfying even if the end result is almost
> certain to be disgarded.
>
> the problem with the "democratization" of music production is, IMHO,
> not that most people shouldn't be engaged in it - they should. the
> problem is that the same processes that have led to this
> "democratization" also seem to have led everyone who can rearrange
> loops in garageband to believe that they are creating work worthy of
> exposure to others and *this* is where they are mistaken. they should
> be enjoying themselves, deeply immersed in creating mediocre pieces
> that nevertheless bring some pleasure and meaning *to them*. i
> remember eno describing the hundreds or thousands of demo tapes he
> would get at one point in his career, and noting that people didn't
> seem to realize that for every piece he ever released, he worked on
> "hundreds or a thousand" other pieces that he discarded because they
> were crap. his allusion was clearly that most of what we all produce
> is crap, but that shouldn't stop anyone from engaging in the process.
> we just have to find a way to get people to understand how the
> difference between making music for others and making it for yourself.
> there is no shame in either.


"Who is wisely limited to what seems possible not ever make a step"

from Morte di un matematico napoletano (a film by Mario Martone)

let's say, I don't want to wisely limit myself in writing a simphony ;-)
... hope I will finally write a blues :-))

regards
-r



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