Why privacy still matters in an overshare world
We’re living in an “overshare” world. Whether it be celebrity tell-all, reality TV, or the narcissism of social media, we’ve gone from being a society that once wouldn’t ever air dirty linen in public to one that expects (and sometimes demands) that nothing remain private. Every aspect of culture has been affected by this, including classical music.
In a recent post on her excellent blog, pianist and author Susan Tomes wrote of the UK’s Channel 4 TV series, The Piano, saying,
“…there is a feeling that the actual playing is being moved into second place…We never hear the whole performance…And it’s clear that a heartwarming human story is likely to propel someone to the top of the list.”
Call me old-fashioned, but when the story overshadows the music, both the performer and the music are cheapened. It need not be as dreadful as the singer/songwriter I heard recently who read passages from her diary in-between her songs (!!); even in less extreme situations, the music is robbed when it’s overwhelmed by too much personal data. It’s odd to me that people who claim to want to share their music choose to let their stories overshadow the notes they’re privileged to play. I understand the importance of humanizing ourselves by letting people see some part of our non-musical lives, but putting every thought, every experience, every emotion for sale on the block of public opinion and scrutiny turns us into influencers, not artists.
In performer overshare situations, the music isn’t the only thing that’s suffers. Exposing things that should be kept personal cheapens them. Making deeply private things fodder for the public changes our experiences from rich memories to be savored and learned from to emotional exhibitionism. The sensationalism may entertain others in the moment, but we’re the ones who have robbed ourselves by exposing our inner wealth to plunder by outside opinions. One need only read one of the many stories that have been written over the past few years about the effect too much exposure has had on the mental health of influencers to see the danger of not guarding our privacy. Oversharing stunts emotional growth. It halts a true quest for authenticity, which by its very nature should be an internal one. Rather than quietly exploring the roots of our lives in the rich soil of our own hearts, we yank them up, wave them in front of others, and in the process, kill what could possibly enrich us as human beings.
Artistic expression springs from the fertile soil of a life lived deeply. The ground of our creativity needs darkness and quiet and introspection in order to flower. When we scorch this sacred ground with the harsh glare of the spotlight, it dries up and yields little or nothing. Eventually, if we refuse to leave the spotlight, we risk killing our souls. It is only when that shy deepest part of ourselves is shrouded from others’ eyes that we can begin to live the authenticity we’ve been pretending to live through oversharing.
Decades ago, the famed novelist and philosopher Iris Murdoch was asked what was the hardest thing about being a writer. She replied, “unselfing.” I believe her words apply to any artistic endeavor, including playing the piano. Great art requires artists to transcend the self in order to access the universal. The self we bring to our art is the rich material in which we grow something that by its independence from our personal stories has a chance to speak to other people’s experiences.
And so I implore other creatives everywhere: walk away from the personal life spotlight. Dare to keep your backstory private. Be careful about what you choose to reveal, knowing that once it becomes public property it will never really be yours again. Guarding your privacy most likely won’t enhance your social media standing, but it will make you a better musician and a richer human being. In the end, isn’t that the whole point?
Photo by Annie Spratt, courtesy of UpSplash