"I . . . stared at the phone. It was hard for me to believe that Igor Stravinsky had a telephone number, just like the rest of us. God didn't have a phone number. Why should Stravinsky? Nevertheless, my trembling hand reached out and dialed his number, which, I noted with astonishment, had the same number of digits as those of ordinary mortals." -Arnold Steinhardt, Indivisible by Four
Stravinsky indeed arguably had the greatest impact on Western Music than any other composer of the 20th century. His advancements in rhythmic and orchestral textures, as well as harmonic color were vital to developing the music we have today. However, we cannot forget that he was after all still just a man. He was given a great gift by God, and yes Stravinsky was a Christian, thus I speak for myself when I say we must be careful that our view of our favorite artists does not make them idols. So often the pop culture industry uses music as a tool for artists to get famous. What is the point of fame anyway? Everyone is famous, fame just means "you are able to go into a diner, have people recognize you but you don't recognize them." Alaa el-Aswan famous Egyptian novelist.
In closing I would encourage all of you musicians, and listeners of music to evaluate your favorite artists: to what degree do you like them, why do you like them. Carefully read and listen to the lyrics or even find out more about them as people and not just see them as superior beings.
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