Whenever I hear Far Eastern music, I notice how unfamiliar it is to me. Conversely, it makes me wonder how audiences in those countries approach our music.<\/p>\n
But then, I experience the audiences\u2019 enthusiasm first-hand as during this year\u2019s tour of the Vienna Johann Strauss Orchestra through Taiwan, China, Japan, and South Korea \u2013\u00a0sometimes louder, sometimes quieter, depending on local custom, but always with great intensity\u00a0\u2013, and there is no doubt: We do succeed in conveying positive feelings to our listeners, in reaching their hearts and emotions, and in making their lives \u2013\u00a0at least for a brief time\u00a0\u2013 a bit happier, more livable, conscious, and therefore better!<\/p>\n
And that is what art and culture have been doing since the dawn of time: Filling lives with joy and with meaning. They are staples, food for our souls! Let us\u00a0never<\/em>\u00a0forget that.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Whenever I hear Far Eastern music, I notice how unfamiliar it is to me. Conversely, it makes me wonder how\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":4224,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[194],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n