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Author: Julian ibiza
Date: 2024-02-03 18:05
Today my family and I atended the inauguration of the new and eagerly awaited municipal music school facility. It's a brand new, purpose built building,with sound insulation walls for its 13 individual tuition classrooms, three larger classrooms for the youngster group lessons and two large halls for band practice. The entrance lobby has a glassed in light well surrounding a small courtyard. All beautifully designed, built and very tasteful. It's not always one feels one's tax money is being well spent, so I was really delighted. Students pay 30€ a month to attend. This starts for the youngsters with group lessons of music theory and other basics. Also there is a choir practice option . If students care to go on to learn an instrument, they immediately receive individual tuition as part of the deal. The school has been growing steadily since its foundation in 2000, thanks to some great directors and of course the dedication of students, teachers and supportive parents.
I just wanted to share this, because for me, it's like a little piece of utopia and I'm frankly over the moon about it !
Julian Griffiths
Tel. 34 696 798 853
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Author: donald
Date: 2024-02-03 20:55
That's great, but I'm a little confused how the "new and eagerly awaited" music school has been growing steadily since its foundation 24 years ago... I'm sure there's an explanation.
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Author: Julian ibiza
Date: 2024-02-03 21:40
I refer to a new purpose built facility. The school had previously been distributed between various smaller premises around the municipality .
Julian Griffiths
Tel. 34 696 798 853
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2024-02-03 22:17
It is certainly great to hear of music programs that are thriving and expanding. Here in the States we still treat music as an expendable luxury. When budgets become tight, music is one of the first things to go.
Wonderful news!l
.............Paul Aviles
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Author: Julian ibiza
Date: 2024-02-03 23:56
I live in Sta. Eulalia, Ibiza ( Balearic Islands) Spain. There is probably a degree of assimilation here of neighboring Catalunya's progressive cultural values and their defense and promotion of the arts. Catalunya reveres its artists for enriching their proud culture and as a result they have a history of many great ones.
Who would have thought it all started with a chap called Wilfred The Hairy.
Julian Griffiths
Tel. 34 696 798 853
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Author: ruben
Date: 2024-02-04 00:09
Yes, but every American school has a band, orchestra and choir. This is hardly the case in most European countries, with the possible exception of Germany.
rubengreenbergparisfrance@gmail.com
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Author: Julian ibiza
Date: 2024-02-04 01:01
I'm not privy to the facts to make national comparisons. I just wanted to celebrate a bit in something that pleases me and the more of it the better wherever it's happening.We all enjoy the riches of a global dedication to the arts and music in particular serves as a remarkable bridge that spans cultural differences.
Julian Griffiths
Tel. 34 696 798 853
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Author: Gerwin
Date: 2024-02-04 22:11
That is absolutely great news! In my country, the Netherlands, music schools are disappearing because of a lack of funding. Our government doesn’t think musical education is of any importance. This has been the opinion of our neoliberal government for 20 years, hence the popularity of dj’s, who are now considered the epitome of musical artistry.
I applaud Spain for thinking differently, and I congratulate you with the new musicschool. Thank you for sharing, this gives me hope.
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Author: Julian ibiza
Date: 2024-02-05 00:56
To be honest I think that what I described does not represent Spain in general. Perhaps some provinces more than others because Spain has great cultural biodiversity . I think these things grow up on a kind of small town local level and tend to have key individuals that have inspired them. My municipality just happens to have money for these things, but that's also to do with the fact that they get status from a good town band, football team etc. so there's an element of marketing in making these things happen in one's community .
Julian Griffiths
Tel. 34 696 798 853
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2024-02-05 03:34
I hope I didn't help drag the conversation in a wrong direction.
I'm very happy to hear of the new building for music in your area!
Of course as you mention, there can be some benefit to having other successful programs that can benefit the music program. There is a southern university I can think of (here of course) that has an immensely popular football team. They also have more money than they know what to do with as a result and offer full scholarships to the music school if you participate in the band......that plays for the sporting events. Whatever works, works.
.............Paul Aviles
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Author: Reese Oller
Date: 2024-02-06 00:27
I wish all high schools had an orchestra. Mine doesn't, we have a band and a choir.
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Author: ruben
Date: 2024-02-06 02:31
Reese: Well that's a start! At least there is music-making in your high school. There must be a junior symphony orchestra in your town or in a nearby town.
rubengreenbergparisfrance@gmail.com
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Author: Julian ibiza
Date: 2024-02-06 15:37
Well it's guys like you Reese, that will make a high school see having an orchestra as a good idea.
Julian Griffiths
Tel. 34 696 798 853
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Author: kdk
Date: 2024-02-06 17:48
Many schools in the U.S. lack an orchestra. Bands are a necessity of sorts as long as there is a football team. Choirs are easy to form because the performers (singers) don't need to have studied how to sing or buy/rent the instrument. Of the three programs - orchestra, band and choir - the string program is the first to go in any budget crunch.
Karl
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Author: Julian ibiza
Date: 2024-02-06 20:58
Here in Europe where we play grammatically correct football, there is no tradition of orchestras or cheerleaders. Perhaps we should organize some sort of exchange thing. We get your orchestras and cheerleaders, and we send you a bunch of cavemen who sit in the stands singing,
"Eeeeweeegoeeeewegoeeewego...ow!", flat.
Julian Griffiths
Tel. 34 696 798 853
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Author: Gerwin
Date: 2024-02-06 21:28
There used to be a long tradition of choirs though. I’m the Netherlands , almost everybody used to be in some sort of choir, church or otherwise. My parents used to sing Bach’s Mattheus Passion, Mozart’s Requiem or some other oratorium. This kind of community life is almost gone now. I admire the American schools for their bands and orchestras. I’ve seen quite some of these bands on YouTube, and the level is often quite high.
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Author: ruben
Date: 2024-02-07 01:45
Dear Karl, I left the US a long time ago, so my knowledge doesn't seem up to date. I hated marching band, but loved having access to the all state orchestra and the junior symphony orchestra. If I hadn't done music at school, I would have never played it.
rubengreenbergparisfrance@gmail.com
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Author: Reese Oller
Date: 2024-02-07 21:54
Now that you mention it, I forgot one crucial detail. The Illinois Symphony Orchestra does have a youth orchestra that I participate in!
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Author: kdk
Date: 2024-02-07 22:37
ruben wrote:
> Dear Karl, I left the US a long time ago, so my knowledge
> doesn't seem up to date. I hated marching band, but loved
> having access to the all state orchestra and the junior
> symphony orchestra. If I hadn't done music at school, I would
> have never played it.
>
I was right there with you! I put up with marching band to have access to the concert band and all the inter-district bands - district, regional, state, etc. - that require the kids who audition to be in good standing with their school programs. I wasn't eligible to audition for the orchestras in the Penna.MEA program because my school was one of many that didn't have a string program, hence no orchestra. I think that's an unfortunate requirement. The kids don't decide what ensembles are offered by their school boards, and for wind players playing in an orchestra and playing in a band are very different experiences.
Karl
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