In article ,
"Gary Eickmeier" wrote:
"Audio Empire" wrote in message
...
Why this is, in my humble opinion criminally negligent on the part of
educators is because they underestimate the importance of great music
in the education of our young. When cutting curricula to the bone to
save costs, do they cut US literature or English literature from the
program? No, but they say that few people grow-up liking classical
music.
Audio_Empire
My daughter plays the cello. Her grade school, middle school, and now high
school all have orchestras and bands for the students to learn string
instruments or band instruments. They play classical and jazz, and are
pretty good at it. I'm talking public school system, not performing arts
schools, and they have county wide competitions for best orchestras and
bands. My daughter attends Strings Workshop every summer, a two week
resident course taught at the local college by the local symphony personnel,
including the conductor. She also plays in the Youth Orchestra at First
Methodist, under the baton of the same symphony conductor. She is always
second chair in all of these orchestras, first chair going to the
conductor's daughter, same age and quite a prodigy.
All of this is going on in central Florida, not New York or San Francisco.
The stories of our schools' demise are premature.
Gary Eickmeier
Gary, everyone should be very happy that your daughter is having that
experience, and you're correct: music education is still doing very
well in a variety of places in this country. But as a professional who
travels a great deal working with elementary through professional
ensembles, I can tell you that music education (both music appreciation
type of humanities classes, and public performance orientated programs)
is in a serious state of decline, on average. There is no denying it.
Programs are being slashed. It is, in my view, a tragic situation.
Everything in school curricula that teaches beauty, aesthetics, personal
reflection through timeless works of art...is being cut at alarming
rates. It's difficult to measure it, after all. Our society will (and
perhaps already is) suffer due to this. Read Howard Gardner. Those
concerned about this should write, call, email, call again your state
and local representatives. Quickly.
--
www.jennifermartinmusic.com