Kids love music, and if exposed to good playing, they love all kinds of music. But, sadly, Michelle is probably on target in her recent post (Using Technology to Teach Classical Music) when she says kids do not look forward to studying about classical music. Why should that be? What is not exciting about Stravinsky, Prokoviev, Beethoven, Copland, to name a few? Is it a teaching problem fixable by technology, or a cultural problem?
Years ago I saw a survey about kids’ musical preferences in a major newspaper. Kids were asked what their favorite music was, but of all the types of music they were allowed to choose from, two notable types were missing: classical and folk. Instead I noticed a category called “slow music,” which of course did not receive many votes. Why did researchers offer kids the choice of “slow music” and leave out classical or folk? They didn’t even kids a chance to answer for themselves.
I explored the “slow music” question while doing some music demonstrations for 7th graders. When asked what “slow music” was, some kids said it was classical. So I played them a slow Scottish fiddle air, and then a fast classical violin piece by Bach. This intrigued them.
Sometimes the presumptions of researchers–or teachers, parents, and administrators–put words in kids’ mouths, and ideas in their heads. Of course, this is what teachers and parents are supposed to do. But in catering to what we presume to be the interests of kids, is it possible we sometimes merely follow instead of lead?
Last summer I created a week-long day camp to introduce kids to 11 different types of instruments. (See Choosing an Instrument.) They got to try them all, and then voted on their favorites to focus more time on during the last day. Popular presumption would say the kids would mostly choose cool instruments like electric guitar, sax, or drums, but roughly equal numbers also chose violin, piano, clarinet, trumpet, cello and bass as well. Half the instruments selected by kids, after they got to try them, were not instruments offered in local school programs.
As with many American school districts, in my town, our administrators, parents and teachers have decided that band music is the coolest way to appeal to kids, with band competitions simulating sports events, etc. But guess what? Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Brahms, Schubert, Schumann, Tschaikovsky–you name ‘em–they didn’t write for band! Without strings, there’s effectively no European classical music in schools. The result is a sort of elitism that is currently being imposed on classical music. In many towns like mine, a generation of kids are growing up with little or no exposure to classical music. And we can pretty well guess how such kids will regard classical music when they grow into adults with their own kids in school.
All genres of music have common elements of melody, rhythm and spirit. We teachers need to try to connect the dots, including appreciation and passion for classical music as well as other genres. We can help raise a generation of well-rounded and inspired musicians and audiences.
