strum up support

[Laurence Horn]

At 9:37 AM -0400 6/14/07, Joel S. Berson wrote:
>I had seen (here?) but forgotten about Bell in Washington.  But I
>think Furukawa's criticism of the passers-by is mistaken, on many grounds.
>
>Consider the venue -- poorly sound-proofed from underground train
>noise (remember the attention paid to this factor when Carnegie Hall
>was renovated), an audience constantly moving about and conversing,
>perhaps even crinkling candy wrappers and popping gum.
>
>Consider the audience -- would it rather have been hearing pop, jazz,
>rock, rap, ska?  Did people feel like a captive audience, imposed
>upon by something they did not choose to experience?
>
>Consider the instrument.  What relevance does its being a
>Stradivarius have?  Isn't there a saying (Fred?) that a skilled
>craftsman rises above his tools?

Usually in the form "a poor craftsman [or, "it's a poor craftsman
who"] blames his tools"; the converse above doesn't follow logically,
but it is a natural pragmatic inference, since if *all* craftsmen
blamed their tools, the saying wouldn't have much staying power.

LH

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