What Does an MFA do? Toodle-do

Author: Bill H. Ritchie, Jr.

Subject: Practice Makes Permanent is the message for people who want to apply hands and minds to a new category of professionals called the Multi-Faceted Auxiliary. The author is applying the principle and experimenting on himself in this essay--linked to the Web.

Statistics: Words. Characters. 1 Page. PP990507 ©1999 Bill H. Ritchie, Jr.

What does a Multi-Faceted Auxiliary do?

If you recall the story of the Blind Men and the Elephant, you may visualize the MFA as being like a musician. Picture the musician with a musical instrument. It may be a piano, for example, or a violin, recorder or a harp. Picture any instrument you wish to. It is an imaginary musician and his or her imaginary instrument. Or, the musician may be a singer, therefore the voice, the way of breathing and shaping the mouth are things the musician must practice. Every day, the musician practices with the instrument of her art. Not only that, but the mind of the musician is at practice, forming the basis of music that is the soul of the art.

The musician who composes music, or one who arranges the music composed by others, also must practice. It is true of the dancer, too, and the choreographer. Continuing this analogy, the concert hall, music chamber or opera house are the domains of the musicians and the skilled people who contribute to the audience' enjoyment of music. In a recording studio, also, there are many people who, like the musician, practice the art, craft and design of music and its performance.

The Multi-Faceted Auxiliary is comparable to the musician in the matter of the fact of practice. We say, Practice Makes Permanent. In other words, as long as one is living, breathing, thinking about his or her art, craft and design, they are practicing. And as long as they are practicing, they are making their art, craft and design permanent. I have no musical instrument, therefore it seems to me that I can only say, Toodle-doo or hum a little tune. My voice is my only instrument when it comes to music, as I am not a practicing musician. I am content to amuse myself by singing, humming, whistling or tapping rhythms for my private enjoyment. I am not a musician, but I feel I understand that practice is the essence of music. The extensions of the musician are to be found in the instruments and environments for musical performance and also in the multitude of people who collaborate in the art of music.

The instrument of the MFA of interest to me today is the multimedia on-line computer. What an MFA does, in my opinion, is practice using this instrument. In a way similar to his or her partner--a professional in their own right--the MFA practices the art, craft and design of extending the partnership to the whole wide world. This is another example of Practice Makes Perfect.

You may be wondering, Where can I see an example?