Klarinet Archive - Posting 001284.txt from 1998/07

From: Craig Earl Countryman <cegc@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Classical Music and Young People
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1998 15:30:30 -0400

Mary Sotnik wrote:

> I get what you're saying and I think you've got a point, though I think it
> can be a bit dangerous to say that a type of music's bad because 'just about
> everyone' thinks it is, unless you yourself don't mind people calling
> classical music boring (or whatever) because it's *also* a minority taste.

I don't mind this at all, so long as it is an educated opinion, just as most
people that do not like hard-core rap have heard it and dislike some of its
content.

> I don't like rap either and I don't think it necessarily 'sets a good
> example' (personally I'm not too bothered about swearing but I don't like
> sexism - I believe in the right of free speech but I believe in everyone
> trying to get on together too).

I didn't say I didn't like rap, in fact I appreciate some of it because it is an
art form in some respects. What bothers me is some of the content such as
swearing and what not. What kind of example does this set for our society of we
allow those types of words into the main stream of music? Right now they are
only in that genre, but if people don't take a stand aganist music like that
they will find their way onto the radio and into more mainstream works.

> I also think that while it *is* a good idea to encourage love of classical
> (etc.) music, it's dangerous to decide that the music someone else likes is
> *bad* and that they shouldn't be listening to it (though if you do
> personally think it is bad, *you* don't have to listen to it). I think if
> someone's going to 'grow out of' rap (or whatever), they'll do it when they
> can, but you can't force them to (though I'm not saying you personally would
> *want* to force them to).

I agree 100% with you here. We need to encourage appreciation for classical
music, but you can't do that by forcing someone to like it. Also, I think that
people will grow out of rap because as they grow older those words won't
describe their feelings as much.

> I have to say, though, that
> like you I'd also find it a bit wearing if I was listening to someone saying
> the f-word every 5 seconds (have you seen '4 Weddings and a Funeral'?), but
> it's less annoying when I find myself saying it. :-)

The thing that really bothers me about that word is that it is SO unneccesary to
use. For instance, whenever they portray military guys on a sub or flying
planes they have them cussing up a storm. That isn't like it is in real life.
It really upsets my dad to see that because he was in the military and knows
that is not true to life. So by using words, specifically "that" word, they
become more acceptable in everyday society and that is something we must
prevent. Of course, that gets into questions that really aren't germane to the
clarinet or even music so I will end my comments on them at this point.

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Craig Earl Countryman
cegc@-----.net
http://www.sneezy.org/clarinet/YPP/Craig.html
http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/1711/
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