THE INTERNET, A DISTRACTION FROM OR A TOOL FOR THE ARTS?

It is outstanding how the internet has changed everything around us. From shopping, to watching films, to social networks, to video games, to dating sites. These have all changed and accustomed us to a faster-immediate world where we can get what we want, when we need it. And the fear of losing the sense of the arts overall is not alienated to this. How can we make a living as artists if a $80-$120 dollar opera ticket will be replaced for $1 on iTunes or even worse for free on Youtube? Massive venues are and will be broadcasted and then be digitally transferred to fit 4MB of streaming video.

Ben Cameron, Arts administrator and live-theater fan at the state of the live arts, asks how can the magic of live theater, live music, live dance compete with the always-on Internet? The answer lies in the following video.



In his speech, Cameron builds trust with his audience by ironically depicting today's reality and facts about how easy it is to get everything we want through the web. He shares his knowledge about the performing arts being democratized through this medium, how he devours e-books, and watches films now at the luxury and comfortability of his own home theater. The audience laughs and he immediately engages with them. He comments on him sharing those passions with them, and he transitions by telling them they most likely also share with him his passion for live performing arts and music. It is here when he raises the question to the main problem or major event: will the live arts, live venues disappear? Should we fear the internet taking away these social gatherings that provide us with our our human needs of expression and cohesion? Cameron's answer to this is no, absolutely not. We have a wired need to fight and work for what we believe in more than for monetary reasons. The power to indulge to the senses and awaken our human emotions comes from a live interaction between human being. We will never, as much as we think we will because of the innovations of this new era, lose the need of human interaction. Quite the opposite, we will now more than ever need it.

At last, he finalizes by making the audience overcome their doubts and fears. He confronts the problem in his speech by clarifying that it is our job to use the arts to unite us all and understand that the web and its innovations are just tools, but are not and will never be the answer to our human co-existence.