I’ve never really thought of myself as an artist. More like the scientist or philosopher type. Most of the things I do certainly have room for creative expression, but good luck trying to convince the average person that there can be art in something like a syntax tree, a chess position or a computer programme.

However, I did go to a music school for a few years in my childhood. Surely an artistic alibi, if one was needed. I had to deal with a somewhat stern piano teacher (well, is there a music teacher who isn’t?), and for quite some time I didn’t even have a piano of my own to practice on. We could only really afford one of those awful cheap keyboards. Fortunately, my neighbours bought a piano. The mother of the house not only encouraged me to join this school, but helped me jump the queue and let me practice on their piano. Bless her.

Learning how to play an instrument is definitely a challenge. People keep talking about the difficulty of reading notes, but that really is only a very small part of it. You also have to keep track of the rhythm, put your fingers on all the right spots, press the keys and repeat the process ad nauseam, in real time. All the while maintaining your posture, as your impatient teacher screams at you for your egregious mistakes in every one of those categories.

But you know what? It was fun. The occasional compliment, applause at the recitals, but more importantly: the world of music is opened up to you. In the end, you’ll never look at music the same way again. And you will have a stronger appreciation for just how much it takes to compose and play great music.
Aristotle had a good word: τέχνη (techne). The Liddell & Scott Greek-English Lexicon gives the meaning as “art, skill, craft in work, cunning of hand”. It’s the source of our modern word “technology”. And that’s the way I prefer to think of art. Something which involves production, knowledge, and skill.

 

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