So I was thinking tonight about a lot of things and this big thought came to me.
It started with the end of the movie Iron Man... You know, the dynamic delivery of the line "I am Iron Man" and the shot of the crowd's reaction an the cue music...Epic! I felt so intrigued and excited, all because of that one moment sculpted by writers, actors, film editors, etc. The effect that the whole movie had was palpable. Yes, it raised ideas. But on an emotional level, it left me feeling intensely energized and riveted.
And this got me thinking... Isn't that exactly what music aims to do? Make people feel a certain way? As musicians, we bend over backwards trying to portray a certain feeling through sound. Performers, conductors, composers, all go through years of training to learn how to make moments like that, only through another medium.
And what's the point? Obviously this is relevant in light of recent budget cuts in art and education... Is there a deeper meaning behind this "feeling," or is it just a rush sensation that soon fades? Megan raised an interesting discussion the other day about whether art and arts education really advances society... But you know what I think? It's not about the advancement of society. In my opinion, it's about slowing us down, and reminding us about human truths. This "feeling" we get when we are really impacted by artistic greatness reminds us that truth lies in knowing ourselves as human beings. And indescribable as we are, the very intangible nature of art makes it uniquely capable of revealing our very core.
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