“Art is so wonderfully irrational, exuberantly pointless, but necessary all the same. Pointless and yet necessary, that’s hard for a puritan to understand.” ― Gunther Grass From a New Statesman and Society interview, 1990
Ah, pointlessness. So underrated and so very necessary. In music, as in all art, expression reaches into every corner of the human soul, casting shadows and light from pain and happiness. Arts education is sometimes seen as something that helps prepare the brain for other tasks, while unto itself it’s not given the respect it deserves. Regardless of whether one can make a comfortable living in the arts, the learning of music and other creative arts is important to the development and function of the brain. As part of a school curriculum, music and the arts add a depth and richness, while not being subjects that easily conform to testing, which seems to be all the rage. But there is no test because success in the arts is objective and contextual and there is too many factors to quantify. Which brings us back to pointlessness.
Sometimes the point of something comes to us in hindsight or remains in question, depending on how vague or misleading the point may be. Sometimes there is no point and that’s the point. But the idea of creating art for its own sake should always be on the table, especially the “wonderfully irrational, exuberantly pointless” kind. Here at The Key of One, our goal is to give you the skills to make the most of your musical endeavors, pointless or otherwise. Ready to make your dreams come true? Let’s begin!