APPRECIATING THE ARTS

 APPRECIATING THE ARTS

 

Why do we give our children lessons in ballet?  Why are piano instructions for kids a good idea?  Why do our schools even have art and music classes?

If your child is destined to be a musician, he will find the music.  You will not be able to keep him from it.  If your child is destined to be an artist, he will find the brushes, paint and canvas.  You will not be able to hide them.  If your child is destined to become a dancer, her feet will feel the music and she will dance. 

If art is in the child, the child will find it.  Your children will learn to walk and run and talk and think.  It is in them, it does not need to be taught, it can only be suppressed.  If they are inclined to the arts, it will come out. Encouraging will help of course, but unless intentionally suppressed it will come out. 

I write in “Maybe It’s Just Me” that if you had locked Beethoven in a closet at the age of five with a case of empty bottles, a pitcher of water and a pencil, he would have learned to play a symphony.

So why bother teaching the average child to play an instrument, or paint a picture, or to dance? 

First and foremost, you don’t need to have talent to enjoy trying.  Second, without trying you cannot appreciate and enjoy what the truly talented artists achieve.

Years ago, I tried to teach myself to play guitar.  I could pick a tune, and strum a bunch of cords.  I could follow the cords on a music score and fake a tune or two.  Basically I sucked.  I could play for no one but myself, but damn when I see and hear someone who can really play guitar it is amazing.

I once learned to juggle.  I could do some pretty good tricks with any three objects; when I went to four…not so much.  When I watch someone preform juggling four, five, or more objects and do it with different rhythms and do it while playing a kazoo…damn do I appreciate it.

Mrs. C has me watching “Dancing With The Stars.”  She has taken years of ballroom dancing instruction, and she can tell who is doing well, and who is missing the steps.  I have no clue.  Since I don’t know half of the “Stars,” I had trouble even telling who was the professional.  Now I can tell.  The professional is the one that does not look like he is trying.  He is not thinking about his next move, he just flows and the music is reflected in his feet, hips, arms and face.  He is the one who is in tune with his body.

It is the same with musicians.  Anyone with enough practice can learn to play a song on guitar or piano.  A musician will ask, “What key?”  Like the dancer, you can tell the musician by his face and body language.  He does not think about what he is playing, his fingers know where they want to go just as you or I know how to shape our lips and tongue to form a word.

The artist chooses his brush and his tints and his touch without thinking.  He sees, he feels.  It is in him and it needs to come out.  Most of us can’t do that.  Most of us have to feel for the next step, or search for the right key, or guess at the right color.  It is not in us, but unless you attempt, unless you see for yourself, you can never appreciate the gift that truly talented people have to give us. 

The artist is given a gift, and he shares it with us.  It is up to us to learn to appreciate this talent, in order to truly receive their gift.