I have been reading along in Joli Jensen’s Are The Arts Good For Us? I haven’t gotten too far because some tough weeks have made me long for escapist literature rather than material that I need to take notes on.

She is discussing Alexis de Tocqueville’s view of the arts from his famous Democracy in America. She notes that he felt America’s ties to European arts would keep the young democracy from devolving into barbarism until it developed art of its own.

I got to thinking, what uniquely American things as the country contributed? Blues? Jazz? Television? Movies? Rap? One might cringe at the idea of some of these things representing our contributions. Remember though that none of these things are bad in and of themselves. It is just the expressions via these media that have been lacking at times. Just as sometimes, the expressions have been breathtaking.

The idea that it is the expression, not the art form that is good or bad come upon me while listening to NPR on the ride home today. They were profiling Daniel Bernard Roumain, a classically trained violinist (for as much as that term might mean) who refers to his style as “dred violin.” He is a Haitian-American with dreadlocks and a silver nose ring who likes to experiment with all the sounds he can get out of his violin. His compositions are infused with rock, jazz, hip-hop and classical inspirations.

I don’t know much about classical music, but as I listen I get the feeling that there might be some real worth in what he is doing. Some of his work really sounds interesting. He could be contributing something to the whole music scene, regardless of genre.

But what is it about his pop-inspired music that is so compelling that isn’t in the music of Bond with whom I am not really impressed? To me it seems as if he is concentrating on exploring how different musical elements fit together well rather than if it sounds marketable. There is also some real there there.

Which isn’t to say he isn’t concerned about being marketable. The fact that his look is a marketable commodity is discussed in the interview. But so is the fact that his look will only be cool for so long and will only take him so far.

For all the bombast in the image they are trying to create for him and his group, there is a real humility. He wishes his mastery of classical music was better. He is relieved that a sightreading of a piece he composed for the Lark Quartet integrated as well as it did.

While he has plenty to keep him busy with his group and ten commissions lined up, it remains to be seen if his talent and approach are of a quality (and timing) that will have lasting appeal.