Things like this make me sad:
"Tough Times ahead for US Orchestras"
Even though I never go hear concerts or operas or see ballets (who has the money?)I've always been comforted to know that they're around and that some day, if I so desire and I've saved up a little cash, I could treat myself to a lovely evening listening to some beautiful music written by some dead composers. The fact that this music is still being performed live should be something of a marvel; can you see Justin Bieber's or Katy Perry's music being performed a century from now? I certainly can't. I suppose, in a world where everything is disposable, I relish things that have lasted or will last; books and poems, pieces of music older than my (very old) grandmother, cast iron skillets, and even older cars which seem so stable against my flimsy Honda Civic that gets pushed around on windy days.
Not that I'm obsessed with things that are old. Don't get me wrong, I couldn't live without my high-speed internet access and my gaming consoles (although I could do without a cell phone). But even my digital SLR camera makes me uncomfortable, like the pictures aren't worth as much because the camera is engineered to do so much of the work for me.
I'm not sure where I'm going with this, or if I have a point, except that I pine for days I've never lived but which I perceive to have had a certain amount of substance. Days when people valued craftsmanship and you didn't need a college degree to make something with your hands for a living.
Not that I make anything. It's nice to dream though.
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