Elena Greco—Music

E l e n a G r e c o

MUSIC

Rosina Lhevinne (1880-1976) speaking at the 20th Anniversary of the Aspen Music Festival, 1969:

My life at the Moscow Conservatory taught me to equip myself with knowledge and craftsmanship before going out to conquer the world. My life with Mr. Lhevinne taught me not to conquer the world by force, but to discover the world through study, kindness, imagination, and through the integrity of your own quest. Finally, in my new life of 25 years alone, I have found that despite the obstacles which face you, despite how small and worthless you may seem to yourself—that you can find the strength to continue, and try to make the world a more beautiful place.

We who are in the field of music have a special responsibility in the quest for humanity. For music is the one universal language. It is the one language which can transcend those boundaries by which men continue to divide themselves.

from The Legacy of Rosina Lhevinne,
a documentary film by Salome Ramras Arkatov, Arkatov Productions 2003
( http://www.arkatovproductions.com/lhevinne.htm)

Music is both vibration itself and the recreation of emotional and psychic expression through sound. It bypasses the need for intellectual processing. When we listen to music, we experience a direct communication of the musician's emotions and essence. When we perform music together, we are speaking with one voice. It is the perfect medium for bringing people together—through relating to each other, through the shared emotional experience and for sheer pleasure and entertainment (Greco 2005).

I believe that creativity offers a major contribution to the evolution of society and a means of conveying our history in a much more relevant manner to future societies than a history book could possibly communicate. In addition, the arts offer the experience of communicating in a language that has no boundaries or limits, so that expression through creative arts can be shared by different cultures with no language barrier. Speaking to each other, or with each other, through the creative arts allows us to communicate in a common language in which we are much less likely to encounter miscommunication or intolerance, and to learn of our commonalities as human beings as well as to appreciate the differences (Greco 2005).

I have a keen interest in creative expression in all forms, as well as a fascination with, and support of, small or indigenous cultures, particularly in melding different cultures into new and vibrant forms of expression while keeping old traditions alive, as I believe that there is much richness to be found in the cultural traditions of small but ancient cultures, particularly musical ones. I believe strongly that sharing our languages and our creative arts is a simple but powerful means of enhancing communication and understanding among cultures, and that expression through the creative arts drives human evolution and therefore deserves and requires our respect and support. I offer a Music Salon each month for musicians and poets in order to provide a haven for those who value the support of colleagues in their struggles and triumphs to create.

REFERENCES:
Greco, Elena (2005). Intercultural Exchange through Language and the Creative Arts: A Bridge to Cultural Empathy and Harmonious Relations Between Americans and Latinos.

The image is "Angelo Musicante" by Giovanni Rosso Fiorentino (High Renaissance).