The Values We Hold

Yesterday in my day job as a music promoter I was speaking to a wealthy lawyer who wrote some songs and got some other people to play and sing them, and now wants to promote them in hopes of selling them to a publisher. During the conversation he said to me, "I can't let my name be associated with this. I can't ruin my reputation for my serious work. People would think I was went nuts."

I think this comment says a lot about how people view the arts in America. Art is not serious work. The work of a lawyer has so much more value then that of an artist that it could ruin his reputation. In fact, to be involved in arts would make people think he was insane.

Of course his real motive is to tell his songs and make money off them. If art makes money, then it has value and you don't have to be ashamed of it.