Re: Does Kate Bush read news?

[emx.utexas.edu!ut-emx!slh@cs.utexas.edu (Susan L. Cecelia Harwood)]

In article <1996@eric.mpr.ca> hui@joplin.mpr.ca writes: (In answer to
a query about KT reading news) 

>A close relative of mine is studying composition at a university.
>She does not read news, [lots of computer-oriented things that she
>doesn't do deleted]...  But: she certainly can use a score editor to
>maximum effect, can control a whole array of synthesizers quite well
>with a computer, and, of course, composes music a lot more substantial
>than anything KT has done; but music of a different genre, hence
>perhaps "more substantial" is not a fair comparison here, objectively
>speaking.

My, but she's quite the talented girl, isn't she?  I suppose, because
she's a Student of Composition, it would be only natural to expect
that she composed music of a substantial nature, as do they all.
Right?  And Kate Bush, who by her own admission is a songwriter (she
does not say composer) would not write anything so earth-shattering
and substantial.  And how sporting of you to suggest that such a
comparison is unfair, due to the respective natures of the women's
work.  I have not heard your relative's work, so forgive me if I
decide the comparison is unfair to her, not to Kate, as you implied.

>But music has always been subjective; those who love the work most
>usually end up writing a less accessible piece than those less
>devoted to it.  

Well, that was the proverbial straw.  You didn't say in what genre(s)
your relative writes, but I'm assuming you mean Serious Music, i.e.
classical.  Your implication seems to be that her music (and music of
such ilk) is doomed to be less accessible than something like Kate
Bush's because composer types are more devoted to their music than
songwriters and the like and will thus not prostitute their art for
accessibility.  What a perfect martyr to the Cause of Serious Music
you are.

(By the way, Kate Bush could hardly labelled "accessible.")

I too have studied music at a university; I even have a degree in
performance.  Furthermore, I consider Kate Bush to be an artist, and
have seen nothing to make me think this woman who has only released
six albums in twelve years is not wholly devoted to her work.

The sarcastic tone I took about your relative's work was not due to
any action on her part but arose from your exclusive attitude about
music-- which by the way had little to do with the question at hand.
It's attitudes like that that make "serious" music inaccessible, not
the music itself.  
-- 
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Susan L. Cecelia Harwood                       amadeus@walt.cc.utexas.edu *<:-)
The University of Texas @Austin          "...suspended in gaffa..." --Kate Bush
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