Vol. 2, No. 1
Exploring trends in all the arts
IN THIS ISSUE
FILM
How do you rate children’s movies?
MUSIC
Digital downloads for musicians
THEOLOGY AND THE ARTS
Beauty Forms Us
RESOURCES
Going deeper
FILM
How Would You Rate These Children's Movies?
Recently the movie industry (Hollywood, Disney, Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc) has released some new films for children. I am always skeptical when a youth-oriented film emerges, wondering just what demographic group is the target before I even watch the trailer. Thankfully there are still movies that are ‘safe’ for young children, made artfully by different studios. A quick survey revealed these watchable and tolerably good movies:
The Super Mario Bros. Movie is 92 minutes animated suitable for all children. It has an IMDB rating of 7/10, and a MPAA of PG for ‘action and mild violence’. See more at IMDB.
Wonka is almost 2 hours, with a rating of 7.3/10, action sequences are not merely gags, the characters are American and British, the story a classic. Produced by Paddington’s creator, it is packed with magical moments, and will entertain a wide audience. See more at IMDB.
Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget is a stop-motion film with charming characters and harmless action that will engage the youngest viewers but entertain the rest of us. Currently out in theaters and via Netflix, it promises to best its 2000 original, which was the ‘highest-grossing stop-motion animated film’ in history. See more at Netflix.com.
Leo is 146 minutes, rated PG, and stars Adam Sandler, Bill Burr, and Cecily Strong in animated action. We can ignore some of the inartistic catering to modern audiences (a common problem in these movies), because it has a warm, friendly cast that manages to be human and quite funny. See more at Netflix.com.
Elemental is 1 hour, 46 minutes from Disney, rated PG. The combination of shimmering animation sequences and lovable characters makes this fantasy/comedy release something special. Be on the lookout for symbolism about affirming the ‘different’ but for the most part, it is harmless. See more at IMDB.
MUSIC
Digital downloads for musicians
Sources of freely available and legal downloads sometimes solve the problem of students, singers, accompanists and serious artists. Over the last 25 years downloadable music has grown into a profitable business from sites like Musescore, Sheet Music Plus, Musopen, 8notes, and more. You can google ‘digital score download’ to find them. What we wanted to offer on MBJ is our own favorites, and even links to some outstanding free scores you might find useful. Here goes.
Free-scores.com features combined 181,047 pieces (PDF, MP3, MIDI) with searchable library by composer, instrument, genre, artist, and formations. An example of what’s available is “My Heart Ever Faithful” –a piano solo based on Bach’s aria from “Pentecost Cantata” and a sample to view, all for $4.99. With no shipping, such downloads are instant solutions for busy musicians.
SheetMusicPlus.com offers downloadable works by many composers, with only PDF format. Many of the titles are in public domain, and the copies are clean, not cluttered with unnecessary markings. Piano students will enjoy Beethoven’s “Fur Elise” to learn for lessons, and some teachers will find rare pieces well-engraved to immediately hand out.
SheetMusicDirect.com uses fully indexed scores for piano, voice, choir, instruments, band, orchestra, all available instantly. There are both free and purchasable pieces for every genre. “Scarborough Fair” for solo guitar allows the player to read chord symbols over lyrics, with a chord chart.
VirtualSheetMusic.com specializes with a members-only ($37.95) library of high resolution scores for the discerning musician. As well they feature free titles every 2 weeks. We found Sonata in G, K. 283 by Mozart in its complete 22-page original form as a delightful intermediate/advanced solo for the aspiring student.
THEOLOGY AND THE ARTS
Beauty Forms Us
Is there a way to pursue the arts for good?
Philosophers and theologians have attempted for millennia to define beauty, to capture it and decipher it. Sadly, despite many words, beauty eludes humans for the most part. Still, beauty beguiles us. It improves us, if we allow it, for a lifetime. As we engage with beauty in its many forms, it shapes us. In the best cases, it shapes us for good.
But beauty is merely a symbol. Some humans recognize it--for example beauty in nature that preys on our hearts as we observe a baby bird with its mother. Some of us even want to capture the truly beautiful—with a pencil at first, and later with water, pigment, oil on canvas, on walls, then billboards and screens—the medium doesn’t matter. Visual beauty has always fascinated and motivated us.
Beauty surrounds us. The presence of created beauty is a factor in almost everything we do, even if we don’t live in the Canadian Rockies or walk daily through Central Park. But beauty is in these cases a willing player with the cosmos. It can be misused as well. Beauty is a cooperative partner, and fills its role whether in dignity—or open shame. Sadly our cities are often citadels for the radical misuse of beautiful people and things. But when allowed to flourish, great beauty graces the occasion. When its presence is valued for more than commerce or greed, beauty envelops us with its glory. It is beauty’s highest purposes that I have spent my life pursuing. I want to invite others into this pursuit if they are willing.
How Do The Fine Arts Affect Us?
At heart, we are all affected by the fine arts even if we largely ignore them. We relish good music, enjoy paintings and sculptures, and devour engaging literature, even though we aren’t sure of their intent. Why do some artworks inspire and uplift, while others confuse us?
RESOURCES
For Further Exploration
“The Arts” in Modern Reformation, Vol. 33 No. 1 (Jan/Feb 2024) includes a discussion of the Lutheran and Reformed debate over religious images.
More articles like “Beauty Forms Us” are readable for free on Substack–comments are invited.
Article discussing J. Peterson quote:
Mere Beauty is a forum to encourage artists to explore works of beauty,
share resources, and go deeply into the treasures around us...
A Word from Terry Yount
Executive Creator, Mere Beauty
Mere Beauty exists
to encourage contemplation,
to become part of the art we see or hear,
and experience personal renewal.
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