Re: [microsound] anti-correlation

[Beni Borja <beni.borja@xxxxxxxxxx>]

What a disturbing sight!!!!  A writen statement I agree completely with,  I
don't recall the last time this has hapenned.

   Thanks James , for puting so clearly what I felt/thought about this whole
discussion.
..

Beni


----- Original Message -----
From: "James Harkins" <jamshark70@xxxxxxxxx>
To: "microsound" <microsound@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, July 15, 2002 10:47 PM
Subject: Re: [microsound] anti-correlation


> Allow me to introduce myself to the list by citing the wisdom of the
> great W. C. Fields:
>
> "The arguments are so petty because the stakes are so low."
>
> With that said, there are a few points worth a response.
>
> anechoic writes:
>
> >>and I find the violent outbursts against constructing a highly
> >>"informed" (read: intellectually legitimizing) music rather sad and
> >>empty headed...every artistic discipline has an intellectual
> >>component and microsound is no exception...so deal with it or fire
> >>up MTV and forget about it...<<
>
> I'm a little hypersensitive to the sense of artists "reacting
> against" so strongly ... one can never eliminate that element of
> reacting against, not completely, but far too many artists kill their
> own work before they get started by forming their identity around
> this reacting against. I'm hypersensitive to this because that's what
> I did through most of my music schooling, and I'm still working to
> free myself from it -- this could, of course, be seen as a reaction
> against the academic climate! So one is never really free. I guess
> the difference for me is, I know I can't find the answer to that
> puzzle in my creative work. I find the answer in silence, and the
> work comes out of the silence.
>
> I don't know that I see these outbursts as being so violent, or even
> necessarily outbursts. Knee-jerk reactions against intellectualism
> are indeed sad and empty headed ... but it's not at all sad to seek
> the middle way between appeals to the intellect as an excuse to avoid
> spirit in music, and appeals to the soul as an excuse to be
> intellectually lazy. It's not empty headed to see that intellect
> alone won't save our race, nor to see that the soul dies if it's
> unwilling to stretch.
>
> What is valuable about intellect? What is valuable about soul? How do
> they work together? Why do they get out of balance so easily? Do we
> try to do anything as artists to restore this balance for ourselves?
> If not, why not? Those questions are some of why I admire neither
> Xenakis nor most of what's on MTV.
>
> This is not a criticism of Kim's work, which I don't know ... just
> general comments. I'm trying to find a way to depolarize the debate,
> so we can find our way into the messy middle where the truth is.
>
> James
> --
>   ______                         | "To be thoroughly lazy is a tough
>   \    /  H. James Harkins       |  job, but somebody has to do it.
>    \  /   jamshark70@xxxxxxxxx   |  Industrious people build industry.
>     \/                           |  Lazy people build civilization."
>                                  |                -- Kazuaki Tanahashi
>
>                    http://www.duke.edu/~jharkins
>
> "Never does hatred cease by hating in return; only through love
> can hatred come to an end. Victory breeds hatred; the conquered
> dwell in sorrow and resentment. They who give up all thought of
> victory or defeat may be calm and live happily at peace."
>                                                    -- Dhammapada
>
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