Klarinet Archive - Posting 000869.txt from 2002/07

From: "Laurence Young" <klarinette@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] Sarcasm. You don't say.
Date: Tue, 30 Jul 2002 02:56:30 -0400

Now we're going somewhere. Almost four years ago I attended Peabody's
Convocation. The Dean of the Conservatory spoke about music and our (the
students and Peabody's) goals with it. He noted the use of sarcasm in
popular culture and spoke at length about how this is devaluing our language
and in turn devaluing ourselves. He felt it was necessary to eliminate
sarcasm as best we (Peabody students) could because it is necessary for us
to mean what we say as artists. It was his belief that sarcasm would
destroy art because as with language it detracts value from the speakers
meaning. I have tried to take his words to heart since then, although I do
use sarcasm often I have been trying to eliminate it as much as possible.

I feel that he is correct in his statement about this being detrimental to
art, since art must always be sincere and from one's own true feelings. If
you haven't truly experience passion, love or despair and if you can't
express these emotions clearly then perhaps I'd dare say you cannot perform
Wagner's Tristan and Isolde correctly. If you've never felt contentment or
cannot express this in your playing then the second movement of the Mozart
Concerto isn't for you (thanks Fred J. for helping me understand what this
movement was all about.) This is not to say that these feelings are the
only valid ones in these works or that one must experience these feelings
while playing said works but one must have an honest base from which to
approach the music at all times.

We all are in grave danger of destroying our language, the arts, and
ourselves as we become more and more sarcastic. I believe that it is in all
our best interests to decrease our use of this rhetorical devise.

Meaning what he says,
Larry

P.S. Welcome Kimber, continue to contribute off topic as much as you wish,
please. Way to stick to your guns and not let these list snobs push you
around. You are already a great contributor to the list.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Kimber" <wolfcry01@-----.com>
Subject: Re: [kl] Time for a moderated list? (Even further off topic)

> Thanks for pointing that out! ;) I had read it the other way once;
> apparently it was a typo. Also, are there any clarinetists on the list who
> could answer this: Does being facetious effect you playing at all? I am
> sarcastic a lot, which is why I use the word so much. But I was wondering
if
> it could have any effect on the way you play, likegrief and love and hate
> do?
> Kimber the Wrestler

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