I believe the sensory experience of music itself has the power to change hearts. This is both why our hierarchy wants music in the liturgy and why the hierarchy has always attempted to keep music constrained. Even so, the hierarchy knows it cannot control music, so it must control musicians. It keeps them confused about what it wants: look at the disconnect between documents and statements and what actually is implemented by bishops and priests. It keeps them defensive through verbal obfuscation: look at the constant redefinition of terms like congregation/assembly; presider/celebrant; sacred music/liturgical music/ritual music. It keeps them cowed through the constant promotion of untrained or undertrained persons into positions of musical leadership: look at the typical American parish.

Like society in general, the hierarchy is afraid of the power of art and music and so marginalizes artists and musicians. How do we know we are marginalized? Even though society throws huge money at a few secular artists, most of our (public and private) education deprives the great majority of children of any meaningful artistic experience or training. Even though the hierarchy writes and preaches of music and art's importance, little of quality is supported (think salaries and working conditions) or attempted (think lack of vision).

Many of those who read and write for this blog are, in fact, heroes. Why? Because they carry on with artistic integrity in work situations which are, at best, tolerant of their efforts. Because they know that the sounds they produce affect their listeners in a positive way (even though that way cannot be verbally defined). Because, most of the time, they produce beauty in the face of oppressive indifference. fear and, all too often, jealousy.