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hazen329
ubw newbie
Joined: Aug 30, 2006
Posts: 15
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| Posted: Fri Dec 08, 2006 2:45 pm |
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well i have to give a speech and i want to know what you guys think. do you think that popular music is teaching immoral values?? and also why do you think that music and fine arts should be taught in schools below the college level??
thanks for your help!!!! it's appreciated.  |
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smili
moderator
Joined: Sep 11, 2004
Location: Nashville TN
Posts: 1220
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| Posted: Fri Dec 08, 2006 8:56 pm |
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Hi hazen,
I don't have much comment on the immoral values. I grew up listening to hair bands in the 80s and those bands and songs could be about as debauched as it gets, but imho morals come from someplace else. I just liked the grooves and the energy of it all. Music tends to get scape-goated imho when the individual character issues lie elsewhere. Can the music you listen to contribute? yeah I guess it can influence you - like anything else in the environment - but folks need to see through these tertiary issues if they're concerned with a lack of moral clarity and identify larger drivers. We probably need to address deep hypocracies at the center of culture at the same time that help define these moral ideals.
Music and arts are a part of life experience. I don't know that "teaching" is necessarily beneficial to the way I view music or art, but "rather" the experience is worthwhile. I tended to find the classes far less interesting than actually playing music or looking at a book of Salvador Dali paintings. Heck, for fun I go out on ebay all the time and just look through the paintings out there for inspiration. (Check out some of Zora Kader's stuff for example - I keep hoping to get one of her paintings for my wall, but they keep getting bid up).
I approach music from a musicians viewpoint and the creative aspect of songwriting has always been valuable to me "just because". It seems as with books there's also a time for certain types of music. I'm by no means well read or well listened, but high school is probably too young to appreciate many of the good books, or to appreciate many of history's composers, or art, or ... well lots of things.
Bach and Vivaldi did nothing for me in high school. At 25 I was able to see them as the rock stars of their day and could understand much better what I was hearing. Similarly in high school there's often not sufficient life experience to understand what's at the core of many books, that when read several years later will seem considerably more approachable (although Shakespeare has never connected for me).
The best I can figure is go with what moves you at the time. I think there's a creative window and energy kids have in high school that goes away as we get older, and whatever it is it should be encouraged/nurtured - whether it fits the teaching canon or not. One of the finer musical performance I've ever heard is "Little Wing" by Stevie Ray Vaughan and I doubt it'll ever be heard in a music class. In the right mood it literally brings tears to my eyes when played through good speakers. Maybe it's an opera that turns the crank for other folks. Maybe it's dance. Go with what moves you.
But here's the thing - if you aren't at least exposed some in high school - I wonder if there's anything to build on later?
Shane/smili |
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Guitarman152
ubw luminary
Joined: Aug 03, 2005
Location: Hamden, Ct. . . .USA
Posts: 719
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| Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 10:26 pm |
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Hello Hazen......I don't know what demographic you are giving your speech to, but we absolutely need to be exposed to the arts in the early years imo. It saved my life in a way...a lot of kids can feel rejected and lonely and can relate to music in some special way.... Music and Art is so important to me and my finacee'....it's who we are and it started at an early age....It's not for everyone just like history or sports or any other subject, but it should be available imo.....
I agree with smili about morals being taught elsewhere, certainly not from the pop music scene...... a lot of people these days frown on the image being portrayed by some of these pop stars or rap stars, but look at what we hear in the news about some of our elected senators, congressmen, corporate ceo's, the scandals and corruption.....they certainly do not portray a positive moral lesson for our youth either.......with that reasoning, should we not teach social studies and business or political science?...................
......freedom is choice......anyway.......my 2 cents........I hope this helps.
...music can sooth the savage beast...
Peace  |
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