In the best of all possible worlds, art would be unnecessary. Its offer of restorative, placative therapy would go begging a patient. The professional specialization involved in its making would be presumption. The generalities of its applicability would be an affront. The audience would be the artist and their life would be art.
― Glenn Gould
We're there now.
Great music is created in response to the public's need for it. Life is perceived as so good now, so easy, so abundant that people no longer have need for meaningful art to help them feel something deeper than what they can see around them. Now all they need is constant distraction from their insatiable emptiness and boredom, so the weak art of today fills their need. Ear candy, temptation, adrenaline ejection, but never an uncomfortable soul connection to remind them who they really are. That is politically incorrect. Strange Fruit? Stairway to heaven? even Superfreak? On today's pop radio? No. You have to look hard to find it.
I believe that the justification of art is the internal combustion it ignites in the hearts of men and not its shallow, externalized, public manifestations. The purpose of art is not the release of a momentary ejection of adrenaline but is, rather, the gradual, lifelong construction of a state of wonder and serenity.
― Glenn Gould
As history demonstrates, the good times never last. At some point, the people will see the seriousness of life returning, and they will need their meat and vegetables again. They will turn to art and other reminders of their true self for solace as they always have. They will turn to the most accessible artform - music. Then we will see the great spirits of music born into our world again to amaze and inspire as they have before.
