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From: jtm@syteka.UUCP (Jim McCrae)
Newsgroups: net.music,net.music.classical
Subject: Re: Progress, the Arts, Razor Blades and Bull
Message-ID: <512@syteka.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 14-Mar-85 12:41:48 EST
Article-I.D.: syteka.512
Posted: Thu Mar 14 12:41:48 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 17-Mar-85 22:32:36 EST
References: <8347@brl-tgr.ARPA>, <109@spar.UUCP> <963@hound.UUCP> allegra.3096
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Xref: linus net.music:5251 net.music.classical:626

Art is meant to be a reflection of human awareness, a sort of
mirror in which we can see ourselves in ways not possible in
the normal light of day. Musical tastes come and go because people
need to see different things at different times. Some people
need to be reminded of order and gentle beauty; they'll listen
to Bach. Others need to be startled from a quagmire of humdrum
triviality; they'll listen to Husker-Du. Others need to see
progress in the arts; they'll listen to Phillip Glass or whatever.
But the thing heard is not something on a scale, and it only
relates to "art" if someone chooses to point out its "artfullness"
as they see it. The music is just there, someone's hearing it.
What the listener hears is what it is. The same frequencies 
have been available to the human ear for X jillion hours, and
they've probably all been heard, but I haven't heard them
all yet, and either have you, and that's the only important
thing.
Jim McCrae / Sytek / Mtn. View CA / {decvax,hplabs}!sytek!jtm
- the opimions expressed are my mom's, but she doesn't know it yte.