Musical musings

I am one of those people who feels compelled to make things. Sometimes visual things, sometimes audio things - occasionally both. I was at my stepson's graduation from an arts college and the valedictorian came up dressed in a bird costume he spent two years making by hand. I was a little dismayed at how little anyone there seemed to appreciate why he did what he did. Even to the student body of an art school it seemed odd that he would spend two years expressing an artistic ambition. He said that he didn't know if he would make a living doing what he had to do, but he knew that no matter how he made his living he would still have to do what he had to do. Or words to that effect.

Art is what people who call themselves "Artists" do. In a way that isn't true of Engineers, Computer Programmers and Baristas. There are objective criteria for being Engineers. No one needs a license to be an Artist. All that is required is the urge and an audience. Even an imaginary or wished for audience will do.