President, Senior Scribes
Art and Music
By Delbert Blickenstaff, M.D. 

Why did God invent art and music?  Or why did humans invent all kinds of art, including drawing, music, dance, painting, sculpture, etc.?  Even the cavemen drew lines on the walls depicting animals and other humanoids.  It certainly wasn’t because they were bored with life.  They had to spend most of their time searching for their next meal. 

My only answer is simplistic: our brains are programmed to invent art.  Of course, most of us have to learn music, for example.  We start with simple scales and tunes, and then graduate to more complicated melodies, harmonies, and rhythms.  But that explanation doesn’t cover everyone.  Some people are born already knowing all that, and we call them child prodigies.  They have concertos already in their brains, and can sit at the piano and play without having been taught anything.  I find that difficult to understand. 

I do understand, however, that the imagination is a wonderful accomplishment.  It is not difficult to understand how Rembrandt could learn to paint a portrait of a man posing in from of him. It is a little harder to understand how Picasso could look at a model and paint something that barely resembles the human form.  He had to somehow imagine it in his brain, and then paint what his brain was seeing.  And then there is abstract design, which is all lines, spaces, and colors that don’t necessarily represent anything real.  Why?  Because the artist imagines that it looks good, pleasing.  And sometimes it does.  Beauty, indeed, is in the eye of the beholder. 

I have always been fascinated by Native American art.  Their colorful clothing, paintings, and pottery show highly imaginative skills.  At the same time I am puzzled by their music.  It consists mainly of drumbeats accompanied by monotone melodies.  No wonder they had trouble getting it to rain. 

Do you ever feel chills running down your spine when you hear certain music?  Or do some songs move you to tears?  I remember how I felt watching the musical “Children of Eden.”  I simply couldn’t control the flow of tears, the effect was so emotional.  It is a total body experience, auditory and visual.  I wonder if the composer felt the same way. 

All I can conclude from these ideas is that I’m glad that my parents gave me encouragement to explore and pursue whatever interest in art and music I was born with.  It has made my life interesting. 

Delbert Blickenstaff, M.D.