“If you make music and no one listens to it, is there any reason to make music?”
This was a question I received from one of the students at Scheiber Sándor. It’s not too dissimilar from the question, “if a tree falls in the forest and no one is around, does it make a sound?” It’s an amusing postulate to discuss here in America, but one that holds significant gravitas when discussed in Hungary. This is a country with a sluggish economy, a high emigration rate, and an increasing amount of antisemitic rhetoric. It seems that the Hungarians are abandoning ship at an alarming rate, leaving the youth of this country with an an uncertain future.
I am passionate about teaching the arts. An arts education can give students a voice, and young adults, if nothing else, want to be heard. Art is communication. It’s more than just a form of expression, it’s an exchange of ideas. Whether it’s painting, dancing, singing, etc., it’s never a one-way street. Artists need feedback, especially our young students who are just learning how to express themselves. So let’s look at this question again. Is it worth expressing yourself if no one is listening? This particular student felt defeated, hopeless. From his point of view, no one seemed to care about him or his music. He felt as if it wasn’t even worth trying to create, express his ideas, communicate.
My recommendation to him was to reach out to an online community of musicians who were creating similar music. The community is a global one, one that includes composers from just about every country in the world, and I assured him that they would be very open to listening to his music. At the very least, he would be part of this larger, global community. Immediately his demeanor changed, and there was a spark of hope where moments before there seemed to be none.
This exchange clarified something for me; I am a part of a global group of Jewish educators who have come to Budapest to exchange ideas, to listen, and to communicate with the Jewish community of this city. Where once we were two separate communities, now we are one. I am very much looking forward to see where this collaboration takes both Scheiber Sándor and Beth Tfiloh.
If you are curious to listen to some of the music this student from Scheiber Sándor has decided to share with the world, he has since set up a page on Bandcamp. I encourage you to give it a listen: https://dirtywhite.bandcamp.com/
