Klarinet Archive - Posting 000853.txt from 2001/09

From: Bilwright@-----.net (William Wright)
Subj: RE: [kl] Musicians in trouble
Date: Thu, 27 Sep 2001 14:46:05 -0400

<><> Karl=A0Krelove wrote:
What you're indicating are symptoms of a lack of support for the arts
that in the U.S. has become part of the social fabric. [major snip]
Sorry - it's one of my more pessimistic afternoons.

...but you are completely correct, Karl. (and probably your
statement applies centuries ago when travelling minstrels were
essentially beggars, and all types of performers of average skill were
regarded as nearly scalawags with questionable virtue).

For example: Those of us who were subscribed to this list 6-9 months
ago can remember that the school administration in my district attempted
to eliminate all elementary instrumental education. Not just cut back,
but eliminate all of it from every elementary campus in the district.

There was such a tremendous protest locally that the administration
abandoned the plan and submitted a new budget; but the fact remains that
when the administration had to choose between non-teaching staff and
instrumental music, they chose to keep staff and drop music.

This is not to say that school staff is a waste of money, but only to
say that when a choice had to be made, our administration's first choice
was to drop music and to maintain staff.

It _is_ a broadly based opinion that music isn't "mainline education",
but only an after-school recreation if the parents can afford it. And
one of the primary reasons for this is that reading/writing/arithmetic
is better rewarded in the 9-5 workplace than music is. Of course, if
you're a superstar in anything (be it music, science, business,
athletics, or whatever), you can earn lots of money. But in the daily
workplace and if mney is the only criterion, schools may well be
justified in putting music (all arts, actually) in second place.

The most forceful pro-music speech i our district, by the way, came from
a 30-year physics teacher at one of our schools.)

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