Substitute the Word "Art"

Perspectives from The Artist's Road

We were recently introduced, via the internet, to Karl Paulnack’s Welcome Address of a few years ago, given to parents of students entering The Boston Conservatory of Music. He so eloquently stated the importance of music and the arts, that we called him to ask for permission to bring you a small portion of that speech here. We encourage you to read it in its entirety at The Boston Conservatory website. Although Paulnack is speaking about music and musicians, it is easy to substitute the words “art” and “artists”.

“One of my parents’ deepest fears, I suspect, is that society would not properly value me as a musician, that I wouldn’t be appreciated. I had very good grades in high school, I was good in science and math, and they imagined that as a doctor or a research chemist or an engineer, I might be more appreciated than I would be as a musician. . . On some level, I think, my parents were not sure themselves what the value of music was, what its purpose was. And they loved music: …