I’ve been thinking about blogging a lot recently. I’ve been considering putting this blog on hiatus, as this is turning out to be my busiest year yet. At the same time, I greatly enjoy writing about things I love, and this blog has given me much personal satisfaction.
A few months ago, one of my music teachers asked me about the classical music blogs that I read. I mentioned some of my favorites, from journalists & publication writers (Andrew Patner, Alex Ross), academics (Joseph Horowitz), musicians and composers (Charles Noble, Nico Muhly) to random people (Opera  Chic, Proper Discord). It was this last category that bothered him. He wanted to know how one has confidence in what anonymous bloggers write, since you can’t verify their credentials. I tried to explain to him that, on the internet, appeals to authority don’t work in the same way that they do in academia.
I’m not saying one way or another whether this is a good thing. I’ve learned from the music research I’ve done as a part of school work that it is nice to have confidence in an academic and trust that they are being objective and have supported opinions. But I’m someone that needs to write to understand, and I think that some of the bloggers that I read do as well. I appreciate the personal reflection that it brings, and the diversity of passions that a blog show. Many of the bloggers I read have different favorite pieces, composers, ensembles, whatever, but by reading their words, I’m able to understand that music which I might not try and understand otherwise.
That’s why I blog.