On 11 Apr 2005 at 16:04, Christopher Smith wrote: > On Apr 11, 2005, at 3:44 PM, David W. Fenton wrote: > > > On 11 Apr 2005 at 9:52, Raymond Horton wrote: > > > >> under the section labeled "INSPIRATION AND CREATIVITY" including > >> Brahms declaration that "No atheist has ever been or will be a > >> great composer." > > > > Well, Brahms was full of shit. > > Gee, David, that's pretty strong, even for you! > > I don't agree with his assertion either (even though it may have been > true during his time) but your vituperation makes me think there is > something behind that we're not seeing. Care to enlighten us?
I would expect a more secular discussion from an international forum such as this. The word "spirituality" is completely debased in modern discourse, by New Age loonies on the one side and by fundamentalist morons on the other. I object to the introduction of the entire concept as a necessary element of creativity -- it's not a "necessary element." It may be present for some people, but that's not generally applicable. I also object to the equation of the unconscious/non-rational with "spiritual." I just don't see how a practical discussion of how people's early creativity works can be helped by reference to anything related to "spirituality," however it may be defined. That seems to me to be something too personal to be in any way helpful to other people. And maybe I've just reached the point that I'm sick of the way this kind of garbage is paraded out in the media as if everyone is a believer. I'm not one, and that tells you nothing about my humanity, my creativity or my musicality. The subjects have NOTHING to do with each other. -- David W. Fenton http://www.bway.net/~dfenton David Fenton Associates http://www.bway.net/~dfassoc _______________________________________________ Finale mailing list Finale@shsu.edu http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale