Response to music

[Ahmad]

an interesting article about response to music..
http://web.sfn.org/content/AboutSFN1...003_music.html

[Peter]

Yes interesting, but not new - philosophers have known for centuries the benefits of music as do all of us involved in teaching - if only our governments would realise it!

'Music is a moral law. It gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, a charm to sadness, gaiety and life to everything. It is the essence of order, and leads to all that is good, just and beautiful, of which it is the invisible, but nevertheless dazzling, passionate, and eternal form.' (Plato)

Another quote is perhaps a warning appropiate for some of today's 'music' - "Music is a part of us, and either ennobles or degrades our behaviour" (Boethius c480-520)

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'Man know thyself'

[v russo]

to Peter:

I'm afraid this second quote about music today is all to true. The degeneration of culture is a painful thing to watch. What room has great art in a world of vulgar, dumb-downed, soft-core pornography that is posing as art today?


[This message has been edited by v russo (edited January 02, 2004).]

[Gurn Blanston]

v,
Of course, you can follow my example and simply ignore it. People seem to have some inner need to fight against things that need not be fought against. The best way to render them irrelevant is to ignore them. And if others don't, then that is their problem, no longer your's. My life has improved immeasurably since I adopted this philosophy. I am not divisible by the lowest common denominator, and neither should you be.


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Regards,
Gurn
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That's my opinion, I may be wrong.
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[v russo]

Gern:

Interesting ideology. Your right in a way, though it is easier said than done.

...I just feel for the younger generation coming into the world today.

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v russo

[Gurn Blanston]

Originally posted by v russo:
Gern:

Interesting ideology. Your right in a way, though it is easier said than done.

...I just feel for the younger generation coming into the world today.

v.
Anything worth doing presents difficulties, the question is, what is it worth to you? I share your despair, but I am NOT going to let it make my life intolerable. As for the youngsters, they have far more opportunities available to them than I (we?) had available to us, and a good many of them actualy take advantage of them. As a percentage of the population, they are probably no different than my generation. We just see the extremes, and the extremes are pretty bad! Oh well, chin up, into Elysium, Ho!



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Regards,
Gurn
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That's my opinion, I may be wrong.
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[v russo]

Gern:

Yes, the extremes are just a part of the overall culture, but they predominate the american media in all shapes and forms. They are selling sexual extremes, lower culture, secularism...etc, etc...

And, in a visual oriented society (for the past 50 years or so...) this worries me GREATLY. Of course, (as you say) we can go about our own way and stick to our guns and belief's (so to speak) but, this does not change what is happening in the world.

To close one eye in a sense, may be more dangerous than anything else.

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v russo

[Gurn Blanston]

v.
It is not so much to ignore as to realize that many of the things that seem to gall us so badly are in fact harmless. Not all of them, this is true, and those are right to deplore and undermine when possible. But the things that i hear the greatest raillery about from my generation, now grown (except for me), are direct echoes of the things that my parent's generation complained and predicted for us, and they in turn from their parents etc.... What we need is to be able to be discriminating about what is important and what id merely frill.


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Regards,
Gurn
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That's my opinion, I may be wrong.
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[v russo]

Gern:

good points again but, I disagree in the sense that, what has gone on in this country in the past five years or so and has been rapidly excellerating is far beyond anything my generation (Three's company) or my parents (the Honeymooners) have had to endure. Technology dictates it so unfortunatley....

Past generations have not had to deal with the internet, the rise of poronography into the mainstream, "gangsta' hip-hop" ...etc, etc

This decadence is unpresedented, and the resentment of this western decadence has opened up a new realm of corruption and evil on to American shores (another thing past generations have not had to deal with)...terrorism.

it is a brave new world my friend...

anyway, I'd rather talk about art and Beethoven. Art is uncorrupt and time-less,
...unlike man.

regards,

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v russo

[This message has been edited by v russo (edited January 03, 2004).]

[Gurn Blanston]

v.
Yes, music is better. Certainly your concerns are valid, but I was thinking of cultural issues, and you are now talking about political issues, clearly there is a demarcation there that is beyond ignoring! I am from one generation older than you, judging by the references you make. I graduated high school in 1969, in the middle of the most major political and cultural changes of the last 150 years. I grew up with Eisenhower, life was simple, culture was proliferating, hell, I was simple!! Things changed radically in my teens, and will never change back. But right now the culture changes are merely cosmetic comparatively. It is the political changes that are to be worried about. Can't ignore those! Ah, well, time for a sonata. I don't think "Les Adieux" will be quite appropriate now

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Regards,
Gurn
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That's my opinion, I may be wrong.
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[This message has been edited by Gurn Blanston (edited January 03, 2004).]

[v russo]

8)



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v russo