▁critic isms ▁of ▁social ▁media ▁will ▁feel ▁familiar ▁to ▁obser vers ▁of ▁American ▁politics ▁and ▁culture . ▁In ▁ess ence ▁the ▁claim ▁is ▁that ▁platforms ▁such ▁as ▁Twitter ▁and ▁Facebook ▁have ▁made ▁us ▁cr uder , ▁less ▁em path etic , ▁more ▁trib al . ▁ ▁Lan ier ▁wor ries ▁that ▁our ▁reli ance ▁on ▁social ▁media ▁platforms ▁is ▁reducing ▁our ▁capacity ▁for ▁spiritual ity , ▁that ▁we ▁are ▁in ▁ess ence ▁turning ▁into ▁autom ated ▁extensions ▁of ▁the ▁platforms . ▁ ▁Music ▁ ▁As ▁a ▁music ian , ▁Lan ier ▁has ▁been ▁active ▁in ▁the ▁world ▁of ▁new ▁classical ▁music ▁since ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 7 0 s . ▁He ▁is ▁a ▁pian ist ▁and ▁a ▁special ist ▁in ▁many ▁non - western ▁musical ▁instruments , ▁especially ▁the ▁wind ▁and ▁string ▁instruments ▁of ▁Asia . ▁He ▁maintain s ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁largest ▁and ▁most ▁varied ▁collections ▁of ▁act ively ▁played ▁rare ▁instruments ▁in ▁the ▁world . ▁Lan ier ▁has ▁performed ▁with ▁artists ▁as ▁diverse ▁as ▁Philip ▁G lass , ▁Or net te ▁Cole man , ▁George ▁Cl inton , ▁Vern on ▁Re id , ▁Terry ▁R iley , ▁Dun can ▁She ik , ▁Paul ine ▁Oliver os , ▁and ▁Stanley ▁Jordan . ▁Rec ording ▁projects ▁include ▁his ▁ac oust ic ▁te ch no ▁du et ▁with ▁Se an ▁L enn on ▁and ▁an ▁album ▁of ▁du ets ▁with ▁fla ut ist ▁Robert ▁Dick . ▁ ▁Lan ier ▁also ▁writes ▁chamber ▁and ▁orch est ral ▁music . ▁Current ▁comm issions ▁include ▁an