Ornstein I reread this and genuinely don't think he thinks amateurs can create 'messy art'.
Or, perhaps more to the point, he’s probably not really writing about amateurs at all. Which is to say, we don’t really know what he thinks about amateurs from this article. I saw this article linked in a couple different places (e.g., FB) and also on the main site, and it pops up with a few different taglines and titles. I suspect the “make messy art” line is an add-on from an editor. But what I meant is, that part, the idea that “the rest of us” can still make art, messy or not, is more interesting and relevant to me.
In my opinion I think amateurs can achieve the level of real art but if they 'specialize' in pieces they really resonate with. Instead of trying to match a virtuoso in their entire repertoire I think we make it the goal to concentrate a lot on specific pieces that you can play with a high level of control, that would then allow you to play it with real abandon and allowing yourself to be spontaneous.
I like this idea. (Maybe they should have published an article by you instead!)
And, perhaps not surprisingly, spontaneity is definitely one of the hardest things for me. I feel my best performances (in terms of quality of musical expression) have happened when I am not playing for others or trying to record myself, and I’m completely unself-conscious. But when I try to play like that while recording, for example, I end up with a lot more mistakes. Or, if I try to record without mistakes, the performance is either not as good musically, or it has a lot of mistakes. And often those mistakes are distracting for the listener (and for me).
So the “make messy art” point for me, maybe, is to work on reducing the degree to which mistakes are distracting, while maximizing the musicality. This is different (IMO) than striving for perfection. And if we say “make messy art,” what we mean (or at least, what I want to say) is that messy art is still art, still valuable.
But again, as you say, that’s not what Bliss is writing about. And it’s also not an argument for ignoring mistakes and not trying to reduce them as much as possible.
I don't buy that people are dismissing otherwise great performances because of it.
This, I don’t have an opinion about (I don’t read YT comments nor do I generally read reviews of concerts). This is where, again, my interest is more with amateur musicians and perhaps people who want to take up an instrument but haven’t. Because I have had people say to me things like “what’s the point of learning piano at this stage of life, you’ll never be able to play [insert title of super advanced piece that professional pianists play in concerts].” And that, imo, is the idea that needs to be refuted.
So we need to advocate for the value of not only “making messy art,” but also of seeing the artistry, the value, in making “accessible art,” or in making “easy art.” 🙂
So I think the audiences are deliberately being underestimated, so that this kind of op-ed has the opportunity to be published to get the engagement the editors know they'll get.
Good point! I think it would have been far more interesting if he had talked about the ideas you and I are talking about.