Reflections by Naomi Stephan

MUSINGS ON THE MUSE

Congratulations to you Naomi on your new, expanded website and the recent performances of your splendid composition, Mater in Memoriam for your mother Irene, and Ancient Christmas Carols in Rome and San Francisco. When you asked me to write a guest editorial, I fell into musing on the subject of Lesbianism as a special challenge for Classical musicians, especially Lesbian composers.

As a child, I had many occupational daydreams, doctor, inventor, publisher, artist, but although I had already begun to compose small, childlike compositions at the piano, it never occurred to me that I could grow up to become a composer. This realm seemed to be forbidden territory for a woman.

In thinking back on these childhood forays, I distinctly remember that they were usually inspired by my love of some particular woman, either my mother, a favorite teacher or girlfriend, or even a Hollywood star (Ingrid Bergman, for example).

In other words, my compositions were inspired by, and dedicated to a Muse.

The role of the Muse, a female figure, is reflected in the root word for Music.
One might ask, why is the Muse a woman? Is there such a thing as a male
Muse? And if not, why not?

Which line of thinking led to me a strange but fascinating conclusion. The reason women composers are so suspect is that there is an element of unconscious
Lesbianism intrinsic in the very fact of their composing. A woman writing love songs for a Woman? Sappho got thrown over the cliff for such an outrage.

Of course there have always been female composers along the way—(Hildegard of Bingen, Clara Schuman, Alma Mahler, and that composer with the greatest number of compositions of all: Anonymous). But it wasn’t until the third wave of Feminism which broke in the late 60’s/early 70’s, that woman musicians and troubadours started to come into their own, Chris Williamson, Tret Fure, Meg Christian, Sue Fink, to name a few. However, these Lesbian composers tended to remain ghettoized, writing music for and about Lesbians solely.

Naomi has taken a courageous and dangerous step, composing choral works intended not only for Lesbians, but also with universal appeal for all women, and men for that matter. She can tell you what resistance and obstacles she has encountered in getting her work widely distributed. This rejection and deliberate neglect is not only an insult to an artist, it represents severe financial hardship. Maybe she should write about that sometime.

Back to the question of the relationship of Muse to Music. The patron saint of music is St. Cecilia. Faust’s Muse was Gretchen. As Goethe succinctly put it, “Das Ewig Weibliche zieht uns hinan.” The Eternal Feminine draws up upwards). It seems that woman alone has the power to draw out of men and women heavenly aspirations, the desire to dance and sing and at the same time, to become a better person.

Could this also mean that women are intrinsically superior to men? Hm.

To end with a quote from one of my poems, Roadsong:

I am amazed at our fatal amusement with mazes.
I am amused with our futile amazement at muses.

Sue Carroll Moore, LCSW, ASCAP

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Editor’s Note: Sue Carroll Moore has had a long and illustrious career as a poet, playwright, writer, therapist, and feminist activist. She single handedly was responsible for the organizing forces to help pass the ERA in Indiana in 1977, the last State to do so before Phyllis Schlafly stepped in with her scare tactics to quash the movement.
Sue’s poetry inspires me every time I read it, and I have set a good half dozen of her poems to music, including Spring Song, and Learn to think Lizard, both on naomimusic.com, and in the books we co-authored, Fulfill Your Soul’s Purpose. We have worked together for over 30 years to help people find their purpose in life (long before Rick Warren).
You can read about her work at www.lifemissionassociates.com, where Sue heads the Editorial page, as well as the internet therapy program she is designing. You can reach her at smoore9375@aol.com