Last night I went with a friend to a concert of compositions mostly by graduate students at an eminent conservatory. Performed by a skilled ensemble of roughly fifteen players with a full battery of percussion -- I love percussion!! -- it presented a range of styles written by composers from China, Italy and the US.

When it was over my friend asked: "What is the point? There was no evident feeling, nothing to remember. It all sounded more or less the same except for a few pings here and there in conspicuous places."

All I could think of was airport/drugstore/movie music -- the ambient noise music of our day. Is this where employment lies? Is that why so much energy is devoted to mastering this cold, cold art (to paraphrase the famous country/western lyric)?