Music Education – Buddy, can you spare a dime? (III)

One music teacher noted that as time went on, student attendance at events like orchestral concerts and ballets had dwindled. “The reason for that,” he pointed out, “is that they are not receiving that kind of education in schools. I’ll bet that nine times out of ten, if you asked those who do attend a concert they will say, ‘Oh, yes, I had music in school.’” What to do to save some semblance of music education in our schools, as the federal government “modestly reduces the rate of its growth” and through legislation forces state and local governments into a “Sophie’s Choice” between meeting federal testing standards and actually enriching their student’s cultural education experience? Well, there are sources for grants, like the aforementioned Save the Music program.

When the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences collects dues, and license fees for the annual telecast of the Grammy Awards, it channels some of the money into grants for music education. Even Paul McCartney has gotten involved; via his previously mentioned relationship with Fidelity Investments, he formed the Music Lives Foundation, although the bankers seeded it with a mere million dollars (they probably found it between the cushions of their couch). “After years and years of playing in a band and making a living doing what I love,” Sir Paul said, “I can honestly say: where would I be without music?”

“Children in the vulnerable age bracket have a natural love for music,” Frank Zappa said in his testimony before Congress.

If as a parent, you believe they should be exposed to something more uplifting than “Sugar Walls,” support music appreciation programs in schools. Why have you not considered your child’s need for consumer information? Music appreciation costs very little compared to sports expenditures. Your children have a right to know that something besides pop music exists. 

Members of Congress have vilified spending money on the arts, claiming it funds degenerates who think putting crosses in the bottles of urine is uplifting. But art does not necessarily need positivity to inspire or edify. And a government frightened of edifying its people has something serious to hide.

Music and art in general are hallmarks of civilization. When did Homo sapiens make the break that made us sapient? Some say the break came when we could not only use tools), but also start creating things for the sake of creation. For a lack of money, we will allow civilization to devolve?

Education in the humanities, meaning those things that make us uniquely human, has started to fall by the wayside in favour of math and science. Math and science are, of course, exceptionally important. One music commentator says; I have a child who is studying to be an engineer. But he also has attended philharmonic concerts and the opera, can sing Gilbert and Sullivan, plays a little brass and a little bass.

He reads for enjoyment, and his love of manga and anime has started him learning Japanese. In other words, it takes more than just leaving no child behind in math and science to educate him or her; it takes more than just teaching what words look like on paper to instill a love of reading into a child. It takes more than academics to make a well-rounded human being.

Eliot Spitzer seems to recognise this. The settlements from his payola investigations – over $30 million as of this writing – will go to a non-profit organisation supporting art and music education. By doing bad, it would seem the major record companies did good.