The 'why' of music: Faulkner
Scott Faulkner
"People don't buy what you do. They buy why you do it."
-Simon Sinek, from "Start with Why"
Although one might think it self-evident why we musicians do what we do, or that a ticket-buying audience member would give any thought at all to this, Simon Sinek's statement is just as relevant for musicians and artists as it is for entrepreneurs and salespeople. Since music is nothing but vibrating air, the intangible and elusive "why" is not only essential, it's about all we've got.
In any field it is easy to forget about the "why" and bog down in the "what" and the "how." Music is no different. Playing music well is really difficult, so we musicians have to focus a great deal of energy and time on what we are doing and how we are doing it. When we lose sight of why we are doing it, making music can become like any other drudge. I think about this a lot, and while I wouldn't begin to try to speak on behalf of all musicians, here are some of the reasons why I play music.
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Because I love it. There is a certain magic about the way musical sounds ring and mingle and fade and compliment each other that is unlike anything. It is a lot of fun to work on something and then perform it. We all know what music can do to heighten the emotion of a movie or a moment. Whether I'm playing or just listening, that music can still, regularly, give me goose bumps, inspire me to run faster on the treadmill, make me happy, or cause tears to well up is astounding. Playing music is nothing short of attempting to control time and space, and every now and then we come close enough to doing so that time and space evaporate for a while. When these miraculous moments happen, all the hard work is worth it and one experiences pure joy.
Because it serves. As a performer, certainly one of the big rewards is sharing the music I make with the audience. Whether or not they paid for a ticket and made it a transaction, I see the music I make as service to them. But as a bassist, and one who plays an accompanying instrument, the reward of my job is often to make others sound better.
Because it heals. Most of the audiences I play for aren't in the hospital or nursing home, but hopefully the music my orchestra colleagues and I make in the concert hall is balm for those in attendance. Outside of the hall there is noble and important work being done by groups around the country like Note-Able Music Therapy Services, Project: Music Heals Us and Street Symphony. We musicians need to be ever more intentional about taking our music to people where they are at and connecting genuinely with them where they are, especially if those people are in different and challenging settings.
Because it connects. Sadly there are fewer and fewer things in our world that we can all agree on, but music is one. Conservatives and progressives who would seem to have nothing in common can play beautifully together. Musicians and audiences of different genders, ethnicities, religions and backgrounds can come together around music. We, especially those of us in positions of power and privilege, need to work at being ever more inclusive, on stage and off.
Because I can. Lest the previous "whys" feel a bit disgustingly goody goody, part of why I play music is simply because I can. It has become a big part of my identity. If I hadn't been a shrimpy ninth-grader who couldn't hit a curveball, or had partied instead of practiced on Saturday nights, who knows what I might be doing now. Musicians often hear that "you're so lucky to get to do what you love." This is true, but sometimes a job is a job, and there are plenty of nights I would rather stay home with a glass of wine than head out to rehearsal.
Because it helps bring meaning to the world. Ultimately it is art's transcendent power to bring and reveal meaning to the human condition that is why we do what we do.
"Art exists to create meaning for individuals, communities and societies."
-Ken Foster, "Arts Leadership: Creating Sustainable Arts Organizations"
Scott Faulkner is principal bassist of the Reno Chamber Orchestra and Reno Phil, board president of Project: Music Heals Us, and associate director of the League of American Orchestras' Essentials of Orchestra Management seminar.