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Sunday, March 12, 2006 Thoughts Scribbled During a Performance of Avant-Garde Music What defines music? What determines whether music does and doesn't deserve to be heard? To have public performance? Art inherently has meaning, begs for meaning--and when it is meaningless, that too is meaning. Nihilism. A performer has a responsibility to the audience. To what degree does the performer own the audience? To what degree does the audience own the performer? Intellectual. While one does not want to pander to an indiscriminate, unintelligent audience, there is a line between catering to the lowest common denominator and artistic pretension. Why do we believe that random-sounding noises are more intellectual, and therefore in some sense better, than country music? (Granted, I rather despise country.) To what degree does talent play a role? Is this pretension more permissible if the performers are capable, competent musicians, dancers, actors? How would one know? Is knowing the intention behind the "art" necessary to imbue it with value? What value does it have if there is little on an obvious, audience-discernable level? Delusions of grandeur. In improvised, "deep listening," what defines a "piece"? It's like doing piano exercises (but more random, less coherent). For an audience. Is it so much to ask for melody? For a line instead of chaotic texture? Is melodic music more poppy, less intellectual by nature? Are noises more intellectual than words, phrases beyond fragments? Fragments that form or imply coherent thought? A chasing after the wind. We all want to seem intelligent, but at what cost? Where does stewardship of talent fit in? The calling of the arts to engage, to question? What is music? What is art? Ken's poetry class, freshman year--on the first day: "What is poetry?" Definitions, ideas. By the end of the hour, all erased. Poetry is thus everything and nothing. Also devoid of meaning. Movement for movement's sake. Noise, sound for sound's sake? ^ Top | 10:19 PM | | | 
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