Bill Pirkle wrote:

>Could someone enlighten me as to what public service music critics
>perform.

We experience, we desire to express the effect our experience has had
upon us.  Mostly what is written is no more than the idle chatter that
people have at bus stops, or over lunch, or while out drinking.  No more.
However, this chatter is part of what connects people, affirms their common
bonds of culture, provides activity and feed back.  The buzz of the vast
hive of culture.

Some critics go a step farther - the explain in sufficent detail as
to enable many others to express.  These critics perform the invaluable
service of creating or refining the platitudes which others will repeat.

Some very few critics write in such a way which informs practice, which
presents a vision of a distant city towards which the musician may journey
towards, knowing that he will almost surely die before reaching it.  It is
for these that the rest are tolerated.

stirling s newberry
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