I am not an educator; I am 'old school" in the sense that when I was in school MUSIC was a joyful spot in a day; home room teachers in elementary schools were encouraged to do what they could and,later,at least, there were itinerant music teachers; there were choirs and musical events; we SANG. In High School everyone was exposed to music and there were music teachers in music classes; being in the yearly musical or choir was a joy . Music made for school spirit; it was an aid to education; for some of us it was an education. Nobody pretended it was as important as basic language, math and science skills, BUT it was never shuffled off to the sidelines for those subjects; room was made for music.
Where is it now? From my conversations with those familiar with Ontario's so-called education system [circa 2006] most elementary schools have minimal if any organized music. High Schools have some music, if their Board has opted for Music rather than Art. Why should they have to chose? Why not both? Surely an appreciation of art and music make life worthwhile for many; maybe even more so for those who do not have much else in life than those who have been graced by home and intellectual climates that do support such life delights. But music and art have practical benefits that even the hardest headed Board member or Member of Parliament should be able to grasp. To put it crudely - art and music make happy workers; happy workers are more productive; happy students are likely to stay in school longer; everyone becomes more productive. [etc]
ALL OF THIS is SELF EVIDENT; why should there even be a debate? YET, I am told, there is NO MONEY! But there is money for the politically correct curricula which are sold as modern necessities in the education system. My instinct is "balderdash"!
BUT, I don't KNOW. MANY of YOU DO KNOW . What are the mandatory and optional curriculum requirements? What is it that has replaced these necessary grace notes. WHO will RESEARCH this and let us all have the benefit of true knowledge of who has gutted our educational and why. Is it just bucks? or are there agendas which are not so obvious? Who will volunteer? e-mail me with your thoughts.
FIRST: Boards that are eunuchs, saddled with meeting Toronto's constantly changing bureaucratic requirements without any control over the purse; constantly second guessed by Toronto; left without funds for necessities and told that items like Music and Art are of no priority. For those Board members who care it should be a source of embarrassment that they have to hear of their teachers buying school supplies out of their own pockets rather than see the students do without.
BUT these problems seem ingrained in the system and no one seems to care. One of the MORE RECENT MISTAKES was the ultimate exercise of bureaucratic control; taking the PRINCIPALS OUT of EDUCATION and making them minor retainers of the BOARDS, leaving no one in the schools to be concerned about EDUCATION. Yes, the principal is in the school (when not at BOARD meetings and the like), but, no longer being teachers, rather, now minor bureaucrats, they have no time for education as they strive to do their masters' sole biddings; "KEEP THE BOARD OUT OF TROUBLE!!" BUT you say, there are "Supervisors" or "Consultants" to look after the education component of the system' RIGHT. Where are their offices? How often are they in the schools ? As a layman I may be ill informed and I may have been misled by what I have heard. IF SO PLEASE TELL ME SO.
I have no music training, but have enjoyed 'good' music since my introduction
to Gilbert & Sullivan in the chorus of Pinafore and Trial by Jury under
the direction of Ernie Brose at Kenora High School. While living in Deep
River Ont. I was lured on stage for various plays and musicals presented
by the Deep River Players, happily for the audiences mostly in minor parts,
but did enjoy being the Mayor in Music Man, the Innkeeper in one production
of Fiddler and Lazar Wolf in another [in Pembroke], Mr Bumble in one production
of Oliver and Mr Sowerberry in another [in Pembroke] and various other
chorus and minor parts in Annie , Pinafore and the Judge in Trial By Jury
[in Pembroke]. And, finally, Fiddler On The Roof lured him back on stage in the chorus
of Pembroke Musical Society's second production of Fiddler in Nov 2003.
There is no doubt of my dedication to the more romantic and modern
aspects of 'classical' music with Wagner as absolute favourite , followed
by Mahler and then the whole panoply of music written since 1800; Russ
does enjoy much of Mozart and Bach, but very selectively.
In Oct 06 I was lucky enough to be in Toronto and find a single seat last minute ticket for Walkure presented by the Canadian Opera Company as part of the first mounting of the RING in Canada.