$143 Million to The Arts Not Much To Ask Comparatively

Sharon Isbin a classical guitarist was at the Bergen Theater in Englewood, NJ this afternoon and we were too.  The agility of her long fingers to glide effortlessly across the strings making that guitar sound like an orchestra at times is so wonderful to see and hear.  It brings a tear to the eye.

Why do we love the mastery of anything?  I think if any of us has ever tried to do something be it play an instrument, perform a dance, paint a picture with earnest effort we know the discipline it takes on an ongoing basis to master a thing.  The work that goes into it, the pleasure that comes from seeing and hearing it resonates with our essence, the being, within, that is also a master of kindness and beauty.  We feel it. We know it. We appreciate it.  Sounds that soothe the nerves, make listening a joy, cradles your mind into peaceful thoughts.

That is what most classical music does for me.

We saw Sharon Isbin when she was touring with her Road To The Sun cd.  We saw her in Troy Savings Bank Music Hall in 1992.  She was great then and she still is. She teaches at Juilliard School of Music in NYC now and is creating a Ph.D. degree in music there. Juilliard costs $65,000.00 a year so you better be sure this is the life you want.  To be in an orchestra would be good, but to be a star pulling in $100s of $1000s to pay for this education would be less likely, but if you want to do it, go for it.

Otherwise play, put it on YouTube and get discovered like Justin Bieber did.

Thank goodness for technology. Kind of levels the playing field for all of us doesn't it?

"Sharon mentioned the arts gets only $143 million a year donated to help PBS and the arts in American schools, not much to ask to continue music and art in schools and on TV compared to the money it takes to foot the inauguration at a cost of $200 million for any president."

Sharon has a point.