"France would be great without the French." To which I replied, "France would not be France without the French." The man that said this to me was a performer who had traveled extensively worldwide and was familiar with most major countries. I decided not to get into a debate when he contrasted France to Italy and remarked how Italy was "the best." When I asked why, he said because they have the best food and best people.
You cannot extract essential elements that you don't like from a package that you do like and expect to be left with the same package. The French are proud, with good reason. And they can be quite particular. This is why they have excelled in so many areas - food, wine, film, architecture, art, music, philosophy, science, culture - and why France still tops the list of tourist destinations.
These things do not come by accident or from a laissez-faire attitude. High quality products require exacting standards. The French are often much less willing than others to compromise quality. There are many other cultures and people who share the same drive for quality, and the world of music is one place to look. When I learned that a friend was having her piano tuned, I asked if I could drop in to observe.
