WaHI Magazine
The Need to Share 
11 January 2004
It is not enough to share our surpluses, for to share surpluses is not really to share at all. —Harry S. Truman [1]
Music has always been about sharing. Unlike all other pursuits, be it painting or politics, sporting or speech, laboring or literature, the very essence of music is its ability to be shared inadvertently. It penetrates walls, escapes through windows, rushes down the street and over the landscape (even in complete darkness), all in an effort to enter our hearts. Music will never be confined within geo-political boundaries and will always transcend barriers of class and race. Issac Stern once said, “Music is not about creating musicians, it’s [about] creating a civilized society” [2]. What he meant is that music teaches us to share.
In the last year I have noticed an increase in those who shuffle between subway cars looking for a handout. The tales of woe are oft repeated and skillfully honed. Yet, no matter how convincing the delivery, I rarely reach into my pocket. Such is not the case with musicians who arrive on the scene, for unlike the others, their story is verifiably honest. “I am a singer,” stated one man matter-of-factly, and sure enough, he was. Another group performed on conga drums — for three stops the subway car was alive with sound! One of them announced “We’re trying to do something positive …,” and indeed, they were succeeding. These impromptu sessions offer refreshment and provide us all with brief glimpses of sincerity and truthfulness. I am happy to share with such wonderful community servants!
Other musicians working for positive change include a certain bargaining committee charged with negotiating a union contract for music teachers at an Upper West Side cultural arts center. Collectively, these few individuals unselfishly donated hundreds of unpaid hours on behalf of nearly 140 music teachers. In the end, despite nearly a million dollars spent to thwart their efforts, the committee secured health and pension benefits for some, as well as job security and higher minimum wages for all. We are sincerely grateful: music teachers do deserve better!
My own musical community service has taken the form of founding an eight-month concert series at a church in upper Manhattan. My efforts as artistic director, coordinator, and occasional performer are entirely pro bono. The interest has been to involve as many musicians and composers on the programs in an attempt to attract large audiences and bring our society closer together. Since the church is both covering its bottom line from other resources and has the status of being not-for-profit, the money raised for the concert series has become a tremendous opportunity to share: free child care during the concerts, free receptions after the concerts, musicians guaranteed fair compensation with additional bonuses if we have a larger-than-expected crowd, bonuses for composers, special gifts for the volunteers. … I get excited searching for excuses to extend the list!
In a world where some would sooner die than share, we must be reminded that musicians of all kinds provide a sorely needed antidote to such madness. Music’s inadvertent essence also reflects the true nature of sharing: it can become contagious. A surplus of sharing? Now, that I’d like to see!
Notes:
[1] Harry S. Truman, “Address in Chicago on Army Day,” Soldiers’ Field, 6 April 1946 (3 p.m. national broadcast).
[2] Isaac Stern, Musical Encounters, Educational Broadcasting Corporation and the Hopewell Foundation, Inc., 2000.
Saxophonist James Noyes is a member of our community and a faculty member at the Manhattan School of Music. He is the organizer of Music at Our Saviour’s Atonement, a concert series in its second year dedicated to presenting quality acoustic performances in our community at an affordable price. This essay is copyright 2003 by him and is reprinted here with his permission.
» Read other articles in the Essays section
» See the complete archive of articles
Send This Article to a Friend
Readers’ Comments
Thanks for this splendid article on sharing! Well written and thoughtful! (Posted by kathleen hurty on January 15, 2004 12:27 AM.)
Post a Comment
WaHI Magazine powered by Movable Type 3.15