This topic's been on my mind for a while. Coherent ramble in 3...2... I find his dedication admirable, enviable even - but in the end I wonder if it is a hollow kind of dedication. There's this great article on De Correspondent (so it's in Dutch, sadly) that I keep coming back to every once in a while. Usually I reread it when I have a moment of doubt regarding my own goals, devotion and ambitions. In it, the author talks about the ambition that is so dominant in the life of Andrew in Whiplash and to an extent in our lives and society. It is the unbridled, self-destructing, total dedication that his instructor demands of him and that he eventually delivers on. While the movie shows what kind of double-edged sword that level of dedication can be—Andrew breaks up with his girlfriend and drums until he bleeds—his ambition is admired and envied by many. I too felt that envy while watching Whiplash and I feel it too while watching this man build a cathedral to death. I know other students around me aspire to that level of dedication too. Whenever I am bored for too many evenings in a row I immediately want to fill that time with work, with sports, with being productive. When I did an architecture course, the people in my group would often work on projects and study until 4-5am and be in class 8:45. I had a lengthy discussion about the 'pressure to perform' with other honorary students where many bright, ambitious peers confessed that they hated working this hard but felt the need to regardless. Because it was expected of them, because 'you gotta work hard to get ahead', because they didn't know what else to do. The author argues that Andrew's dedication is not just a bad idea because he is ruining himself but that it's completely meaningless. Never does the movie explain why he is so into drumming. The movie could've been about competitive basket weaving and people would still marvel at his level of dedication. We've come to find ambition and devotion more important than the things that drive us to devotion: interest, or fun, or fulfillment. Some of the honorary students worked their asses off but couldn't answer the why question - all they were focused on was the next todo, the next exam, the next career. They were focused on working hard without ever stopping to reflect on where all that work would take them to. So I wonder whether the same goes for the cathedral man. The video doesn't give much reasons but I wonder what kept him going so long. (cgod)I respect this guys devotion.
There was this guy who drank at the bar I worked at named Julian. I've mentioned Julian before. He was a bit of a movie buff and Whiplash was his favorite movie of the year. He wouldn't shut up about what a amazing and inspiring film it was. I probably heard him expound on the greatness of it a hundred times. A friend who bar tended one day a week but who was otherwise a professional musician (studio, production, composition and a bit of touring) also had to hear Julian go on and on about what a great film it was, and how Corey, as a professional musician would love it. So Corey and a few of his musician friends sat down and watched it one night. They thought it was one of the stupidest piles of shit they ever saw. It's not like they hadn't worked hard and payed their dues. Corey lost a large part of his youth to the piano. He wasn't a performance major, he didn't even go to school for music (I had a college music instructor tell the class that if any of us wanted to be professional jazz musicians we should get up and leave the class right now). He is listed as a research assistant on one of the definitive books on modern classical music theory which is hard to do when you don't attend college for music. He's worked his ass for decades to pay his bills with his craft, so had the other guys at least one of whom has a pretty distinguished body of work. They hated the drumming. "Buddy Rich bullshit, that was more than dried up in the 80's. No one plays like that anymore, no one wants to hear it. If someone came in the studio like that he'd never work again." They seemed to think the screaming and anger was something beyond silly. Julian felt hurt and deflated by the whole thing. I didn't see it. I don't like most movies so I don't see many. Maybe it's good but I'll never know. I'd watch Space Is the Place on YouTube again anytime.
I don't think you should watch it. My best guess as to why Julian found it so inspiring is that that dedication is an achievable goal. On the surface, the only limit Andrew has is himself - if only he put more work and hours and effort into the drumming, he'd achieve his dreams. Which is also why reality is so deflating - Corey and his buddies know that just working hard isn't what will get you there. For starters, you need luck, creativity, connections. Corey knows that. Julian doesn't know that or doesn't want to know that. I think he wants to believe the fairy tale that those things don't matter if you just have enough ambition and dedication. So I can totally see why Corey would find it a silly characterization of professional musicians while Julian sees it as a great inspiration. Don't watch it. JK Simmons is good but if you want to watch a good music-related film I liked Inside Llewyn Davis better.
What you said reminded me of something I overheard a college student say when I was getting coffee a little while back. He said, " I've worked so hard to get to where I am and like... Where am I ?" He had done everything he was told to do but when he looked at it from a different perspective he couldn't figure out where it even got him beyond a seemingly hollow achievement.
Figured this out about two months ago, and as whole, have been much happier since then.We've come to find ambition and devotion more important than the things that drives us to devotion: interest, or fun, or fulfillment.
It's beautiful. It reminds me of the Watt's towers and Salvation Mountain, but it's much more grand. A friend of mine helped Leonard Knight build his mountain one summer.