For me, artistry means being a channel. Art captures intimate feelings and thoughts, making them visible. An artist captures the ethereal nature of emotions, stories, and our generation’s most pressing issues and traps them, retaining their universality so that they are felt viscerally by all. Being an artist is about forming a bond between the soul of that piece and the audience’s heart. On the other hand, this bridge offers audiences a way out of their troubled lives. In this case, the artist leads the audience to a state of serenity and grandeur. Contrastingly, the same bridge can also communicate messages of rigor (Tolstoy, 2023). For instance, a critical concern that the artist will be able to bring to audiences is climate change. Here, the artist acts as a catalyst for change. It becomes possible to make the viewers feel through their respective art, as this is what empowers audiences. The link the performer builds up between spectators and artwork holds significant transformative potential to improve society. Be it providing consolation or urging audience actions, the ability to reach a crowd at such depth and emotionality is as powerful. Artists can bring people together on a common ground of feeling and experience, alter views, or inspire action with art (Wilde, 2019).
Breadth and Depth
My involvement in my community goes well beyond my training as an oboist. I have developed through my artist role, where I started an organization that helps connect, heal, and motivate people through musical power. The first time I volunteered to perform a solo concert for patients with dementia in seventh grade, it was so vivid in my mind. In this fight over the front seat at my concert, two ladies proved to me a desire for something beyond their living quarters. This revelation inspired the formation of nonprofits. My nonprofit organizations are to fulfill the mission of giving audiences a ‘bridge’ and accessing experiences that they may not be able to feel otherwise. In places like hospitals or homes for disabled children, I want to provide comfort, happiness, and a feeling of unity through my music. By the time we are two years old, our impact has exceeded what I could ever have imagined—my nonprofit is now national. A few weeks ago, a high school junior from Georgia contacted me to share how the work I was doing in the community inspired her. Observing the impact I had on my nonprofit, she was inspired and opened a branch in her region to serve more people. This extension brings to light the universal requirement of connection via art. My performance in the community has allowed not only me but also my audience to become different people. This has enhanced my knowledge of music and how it is used in society, transforming me from a mere musician to an arts leader for community construction as well as social development. Connecting the ending to the essay prompt is unclear.
The Future
While imagining my future as an artist, the emphasis is put on providing more children with a chance to experience and communicate through music. For the nonprofit education project, I gave weekly in-person oboe lessons to two elementary school students from a Title I school system in Santa Ana District who lacked access to private music classes. At the close of each school year, students from my nonprofit education program played at an end-of-year showcase and displayed their progress. It is easy to see how they grew from the time I started teaching them until we reached the maturity and skills demonstrated during the concert. A few months ago, I contacted several Corporate Charitable Giving Committee members, and they made a considerable donation, which allowed us to improve the lives of children at Gigi’s Playhouse, a center for disabled children. This donation enabled us to get a full-size keyboard for our students. On January 30, I will perform the delivery of the keyboard and music for Gigi’s Playhouse teenage group. It is exciting to hear students play the keyboard.
The kind of work I want to do in the future.
In the future, I desire to keep and develop this work that involves teaching young people in relation to one of the most potent powers on earth – music. Learning an instrument is not the only thing that matters; understanding music as a form of emotional expression, social bonding, and self-improvement is also essential. I see upcoming programs and initiatives that touch children from all societies to ensure that music is a part of their experiences. Additionally, in order to raise more universal issues and establish compassion among young learners, I will use music as a medium. I want to show them not only the beauty of art but also its power in passionate social cases. In the end, as an artist, I want to be remembered for improving the cause of music education and its advantages. By developing musical abilities and interests in children, we could build a kind society that is more connected and harmonious.
References
Wilde, O. (2019). The critic as artist. David Zwirner Books. https://journals.openedition.org/polysemes/8117
Tolstoy, L. (2023). What is art? BoD-Books on Demand. https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/creativity/what-is-art/1/#
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