Chocolate is the root of all evil

Chocolate comes, chocolate goes, chocolate disappears. And that's natural. When you understand this, your relationship with chocolate can change. When you DEEPLY understand this, you will truly have no fear of anything at all.
That allegory by Lama Yeshe conveys the essence of Buddhism, but it also contains another important teaching. Classical music is riddled with silly conventions. Less damaging conventions include composer anniversaries, binary mindsets, concert etiquette, proscenium arches, embedded journalists and classical charts. Among the more damaging conventions are celebrity, industry experts, discrimination, ambition and greed. But, just like chocolate, these damaging conventions come and go and finally disappear. And that's natural. When classical music understands this, its relationship with audiences - new and old - can change. When classical music DEEPLY understands this it will truly have no fear of anything at all.

Also on Facebook and Twitter. Any copyrighted material on these pages is included as "fair use", for the purpose of study, review or critical analysis only, and will be removed at the request of copyright owner(s).

Comments

billoo said…
chocolate comes, chocolate goes..you know, for a while there I was all ears, Bob. but, but...this is sacrilege!

:-)

Recent popular posts

Why new audiences are deaf to classical music

For young classical audiences the sound is the message

The Berlin Philharmonic's darkest hour

Who am I?

Classical music's biggest problem is that no one cares

Audiences need permission to like unfamiliar music

Classical music's $11 billion market opportunity

Jerry Springer rebel grabs Gramophone accolade

Music and malice in Britten's shadow

Classical music has many Buddhist tendencies