Blog Post #2 - Scott Crissman - Musicians (artists) as a reflection of the holy.

From October 2004-2007 I sang at Park Place United Methodist Church in Norfolk, under the direction of organist Ms. Jane Hanner. She died in August of this year after a long bout with cancer and I attended and sang at her memorial service in September. Both of the speakers during the services fondly remembered her love of music and her lifetime of devotion to it. One of them spoke of her enduring optimism and spirit throughout a lifetime of setbacks and alluded to the fact that "musicians are on a different plane."
This resonated strongly with me and I would have to say that I agree. Musicians, and, I think all artists of any discipline, adhere to this statement - each in a different way - and for musicians, specifically, I think it can be compared to van der Leeuw's discussion on the music in the theology of the arts. In the same way that "music is the last thing, that which remains," musicians (especially composers) often seem to be living in a different world than most others. This difference does not always manifest itself in the same way, but is often representative of a profound respect for and appreciation of the holy. Some, like Jane, reflect the holy in their joy, compassion, endurance, and infectious love of life. Others, however (many famous musicians included), manifest a more serious and sometimes disturbing way.
Arturo Toscanini was one of the most famed conductors of orchestras, releasing large numbers of recordings with multiple orchestras, including the NBC Symphony Orchestra. In spite of the beauty and spark he gave to the works he conducted, he is remembered for his bad and often downright frightening temper in rehearsal - countless performers (both instrumental and vocal) left his rehearsals in tears.
Another example of this side of the holy reflected in musicians is Leonard Bernstein, the composer of West Side Story, Chichester Psalms, Candide, and the breathtakingly beautiful multi-ensemble stage work MASS. His sense of orchestration and melody resulted in the creation of some of the most sublime melodies and musical effects in modern music. At the same time he is remembered for being one of the meanest and least ethical people in the music world.