[Host's Note: Ray wrote off-list:
> Would the list be interested in talking with me about a proposal for the
> future of the Arts in a mixed capitalist economy such as we have here in
> America?
I replied:
> Hmm... This dialogue facility is about org learning... The Arts is a part
> of learning and how to promote such learning in the US is fair game here.
> On the other hand, it would not work to discuss the arts per se here.
>
> Overall, I favor the idea.
>
> If you are game, I'd prefer that you start it with a little more about
> what's on your mind.
..and here is Ray's message to start a discussion thread.
.. Rick]
Actually Aesthetics is antecedent to all learning with the arts being the
expressive exploration of that perceptual organization. Music and Math
are the quantification in sound and sight of the environment as well as
the imagination. What I am doing is putting together a program for the
re-introduction of complex music into the American culture. Since 1900
there has been a 98% decline in live complex musical life in America.
The decline in complex literacy has paralleled that to the point that
today the most pressing need in America's political elections center
around literacy and education. The companies also have the same problem
with literate personnel. But instead of working from the pleasure model
and the model of personal mastery they work in the drudgery work model of
Western Utility which strangely also claims to be about pleasure but
isn't. In music the bulk of the society's funds go to the development of
music for children and adolescents with complex music majors at
universities graduating with expensive degrees to a labor market that
hires 2% of the graduates. Also 98%, a 98% labor glut.
So I am involved in a program to change all of that. I was interested in
seeing if the list would like to talk about the practicality of the
project. We will be having a Symposium in May of next year at Manhattan
School of Music where some of the nation's finest arts economists and
professionals will attend. At the moment it looks to be structured around
the Interactive Management model of Discovery & the pursuit of a generic
design, with follow ups on the internet. I asked the question because I
would like to get a dialogue going amongst professionals on these issues
and get their feedback.
I think an international perspective from people in some countries where
there has not been a 98% decline but which have active and vibrant complex
art cultures would also be helpful. Here's an example with the US.
Literacy has fallen to such a level that classical music stations rarely
program vocal music because people don't understand complex music with
words. I make the point that nothing is complex in a problem to those who
have the mastery of that problem. The pleasure involved in music is an
issue of predictability with a manageable novelty. Complex music is music
that requires a greater knowledge and sophistication in aural and poetic
forms than the simple 32 bar song forms with four chords and the perpetual
themes of sex and violence. Complex music is usually what we call
classical but much traditional classical music is not complex because it
is understandable by the reasonably proficient.i.e. its old and familiar.
The exception to this is vocal music which is usually not in English in
classical song and opera. That makes two more elements that must have a
proficiency for personal enjoyment. So as a result complex vocal music is
the least listened to music in America and English is the least of the
least. I call it the Mockingbird Song. Singing everyone else's music and
langauge but the music of your own identity, unless you are a child.
Most contemporary American Music and especially vocal music is not Complex
American Vocal Music or Art music. The art of that music is in the
performer and it is quite complex (i.e. hard to do) but the music itself
is relatively simple, i.e. some is even written by children. That is
completely different from the elegant sophistication of a song by Ned
Rorem which is complex in its elements, difficult in its execution and
highly complex as a virtuosity for the performer.
Well this is a little of the discussion. I can make it less technical but
the issues of the values of Aesthetics in learning was addressed by CS
Pierce many years ago when he stated that Aesthetics were antecedent to
all learning since aesthetics are the organization of perception and
without perception there is no learning (or learning organizations).
So is there a dialogue here?
Ray Evans Harrell
--"Ray Evans Harrell" <mcore@nyc.rr.com>
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