Górecki and innovation

After reading about the death of the polish composer Henryk Górecki I started thinking about musical innovation and what inspires someone to expand the way they think about music. Although in his later years his music was classified as minimalism and much of his work was extremely religious, the composer innovated music as one of the leading figures of the Polish avant-garde in the post-Stalin musical panorama. Many musicians, from Shostakovich to the punk bands that formed as a reaction to the conservative suburbs in which they lived, oppression seems to have cultivated some of the most astounding types of musical innovation.

I then stumbled upon this video of a man playing crystal glasses that also seemed very innovative and to stem from the discomfort of his situation. I think street performers present an interesting concept in the sense that they almost work against the system. As a music student, so many people constantly ask me what I'm going to do with my life and how I expect to make money, because making a living off of music is just unrealistic (or so they think). But the street performer like many people of gypsy culture (Django Reinhardt included) are forced to pick up an instrument to make some money. It's interesting how differently music can be approached. Anyway, this street performer playing classical tunes on these glasses is really talented so I hope he can at least support himself doing it. I guess I'd like to think talented musicians can always live off there art. "isn't it pretty to think so?" -Ernest Hemingway