"Musicians: Get a grip. Your skills have limited appeal. Wakeup; if the strike lasts, you will find that out for real. Your compensation package until now has been rather rich. Set aside your arrogance. The economy cannot continue to support your package. Strikes do not make for nice music. The symphony is not a primary need. Now is the time to bite the bullit."
"Go ahead and go on strike. Then you can go out into the real world and do music gigs and give lessons and find out what the real world market value of your skills are."
"They [the musicians] will find out how little anyone cares"
"ART IS DEAD!!!!! Time to wake up and get with the real world. Maybe the DSO can go on Americas Got Talent and see what Hasselhoff and Mrs. Ozzy thinks."
This goes hand-in-hand with the ideal that Mr. Klein (the chancellor of the New York City public schools) was conveying earlier today on The View. Music educators and gym teachers should be paid less than math and science teachers because art and fitness are less important than math and science. There is a very vocal (see above) group of people that do not truly appreciate music, a group that is anti-intellectual in nature, a group that values pragmatism over critical thinking . What can we do as music educators to bridge the gap, if we still have a chance? What can we do to educate our students and our peers about the significance of all music--classical, popular, jazz, RAP, and etc. . .?
Laura Dunbar, a dear friend and wonderful educator and advocate for music, works for the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra. She tirelessly commits herself to education and community outreach. The preparation and distribution of an entire curriculum for teachers (music teachers and classroom teachers alike) to use during the school year does lots of good. The document puts a stamp on the orchestra. It says, "This orchestra cares about reaching our young listeners to educate and inspire them to love music." This curriculum and all the other programs that come from the A2SO really define what ought to be happening at each orchestra around the world. If our officials and administrators in the education field do not think that music education is important, we must make sure that music education does not stop. It will change radically, but it can not stop.
Amidst the animosity and talk of the demise of music education and musical establishments, I am proud to call myself a musician and a music educator. I think that the first step all of us must take to fight this battle is to realize how special and important music is to society and find small ways to teach our students, our friends, and our families. Whether it be through the lens of critical pedagogy, Orff, outreach, or by simply talking about the joy of music, we all must start fighting back.
I think perhaps what fosters support for the type of response that you have quoted is the way in which the public views the constant sagas of symphony strikes. If the musicians of the DSO aren't "in to" making music together, even if the pay is cut, and therefore they strike, what are they collectively demonstrating to the public? Certainly the point of the value of their skills and its correlation to salary is an important point to make to executives and administration; however, in the public eye, this shows this symphony's musicians to be in the profession for the wallet and not for the soul.
ReplyDeleteI personally know several aspiring orchestral musicians who have been so disheartened as to the future of orchestral work that they have given up conservatory study of their instrument for something more immediately and securely lucrative, at least in idea. I say let the DSO go -- and let it become an avenue for younger players to come in and get their hands wet. I'd say the music might be better when it's done with a good dose of love, anyway.
I wish more people would see the harm of eliminating music education.
ReplyDeleteDerrick,
ReplyDeleteIf you simply let the DSO go then where do the musicians go after their hands are wet and they are ready to make a career and a living? Should it become just another second rate band that is full of people who just want to play and work day jobs as engineers and lawyers? When it comes down to it music is a business. In business people need to make money to make a living. I'm sure you make money at your church gigs. Should they perhaps stop paying you and let someone come in who loves Jesus more or will take less money? If anyone wants to make any sort of career as a musician no matter what the venue or the genre then we all need to stand together on issues like this to show we can not be walked all over and are a vital part of the community and culture.
It's a shame to see the ignorance that Mr. Klein shares with the common population.