Yes, I am guilty as charged: I was really looking for an excuse to post some real divas of music Jessye Norman and Kathleen Battle (see below). But honestly I just wanted to type a few words about how in many ways the tenor of our times has become more about who did or is doing what to whom and the when, where and how of that as opposed to the realization that someone is always doing something to someone (and whereas that doesn’t excuse the behavior)and that perhaps our time, energy, focus and perhaps (here’s a big one) money should be invested in activities and ideals that are antithetical to that end.
Oh don’t get my wrong I like a little inside info as much as the next person. I love to laugh and love to ponder the unbelievable things that passes itself off as human behavior, but just like anything when there’s no balance that’s not good. When we speak in terms of music and culture I believe better choices can and should be made.
In the coming weeks here at GFM we will be working to define what I consider “grown” choices as opposed to “old” choices. You see “old” takes on the connotation that if it were not for your present state in terms of age you would make the same choices as you did when you were not as aged. For me “grown” connotes that you have matured (regardless of what age you are) to a point where you make different choices.
Heck why don’t we start a movement right here today… GFM and the m stands for: music, movies, media, maturity whatever you like but perhaps most important of all we can start making the choice to realize that everyone has a name and that perhaps in our actions and dealings with one another we would seek not to scandalize our own and not revel in the scandalization of others.
Ivan Orr is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, performer, and writer. A native of Charlottesville, Virginia Ivan was involved with the forming and nascent days of The Music Resource Center as its first Program Director. A graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University’s Department of Music, Ivan currently resides in Richmond, VA where he maintains an active performance and production schedule while serving as the Music Editor for Grown Folks Music, a position he has held since 2010.
