2008: A Year For Amateurs?

If I had a dollar for every time someone told me “I used to take piano lessons but…” or “I wish I could sing but…” my student loan would be shrinking faster than the polar ice cap.

Most people have a natural desire to express themselves artistically – whether through craft, woodworking, decorating, music, you name it. I wonder how many households in Carleton County had a musical instrument under the tree this Christmas.

Before the mass media age, citizens were forced to entertain themselves, so they did. Europeans wrote waltzes, symphonies and operas; the Scottish and Irish danced the night away with fiddles, drums and guitars. Nearly every home had a guitar or a piano in the parlor.

This musicianship wasn’t motivated by the idea of playing at Carnegie Hall. It was done for the player’s enjoyment and for social reasons. People enjoyed taking lessons and making music with each other. In rural culture especially, music (and food-they often go together) provided a break from hard labour and relief from loneliness.

In fact, the word ‘amateur’ comes from the French verb ‘aimer,’ which means ‘to love.’ So an amateur musician is someone who loves music, even if he or she is not specially trained.

Today, the age of amateurs is largely past. We are ‘consumers’ now, prepared to buy a piece of the fun from someone ‘more qualified’. Somewhere along the line, we were convinced to trade participation for a role as a spectator. We expect bigger and flashier shows, but remain hesitant to sing out even in church, where the 100th Psalm commands “Make a joyful noise, all the earth.”

For many people, part of the magic of Christmas is in the music. As the music director at Saint James, I look forward to Christmas Eve because it’s the only day in the church year I can turn up the organ to full volume and still hear the congregation singing.

At Christmas, amateurism is reborn temporarily. Small groups go caroling and a lucky few have a sing-along at home. People proudly display homemade crafts and gifts, and cookies become works of art.

Last Friday night at Fusion, Adam Mahoney and Allie Ross hosted an evening music as a fundraiser for their service-learning trip to Guatemala. The music was provided mostly by amateurs (Will Davidson being the obvious exception). The locals who love music-Richard Wetmore, Ruthie Luff, Lee Kinney, the hosts, provided a wonderful evening: genuine, well-intentioned and a little rough around the edges. This is a reflection of the people around here, who are similarly generous, kind and unpretentious.

Amateurism helps us enrich each other. Friday’s performances were not manipulated in the way most media are – for the profit of a few and often at the expense of the truth. By being brave enough to speak in our own voices, we assert that we have something worthwhile to say. To paraphrase a good source, amateurism is art “by the people of the people, for the people.”

I do believe people in Carleton County have something to say, and my wish for 2008 is that we will encourage each other more. Everyone who tells me they wish they could sing also agrees there is an abundance of natural talent around, if a lack of training opportunities.

So, let’s hope 2008 is a year where amateurs- lovers of food, music, gardening, you name it – get together to enjoy each other’s company and maybe even work together on a project or two. You never know, you might feel more connected, learn something new or simply enjoy the time spent. At the very least, you won’t have to mute the commercials.