Trifecta

Greetings World!

The most exciting part about blogging is the concept that a person—any person—can voice their feelings, opinions, passions and inspirations to the world. Although this blog has been created as a requirement for a class, I can’t help but be thrilled to welcome the blogging world into MY world—the world of music.

I am a music student at the USC Thornton School of Music studying for my Bachelors of Music degree in Oboe Performance. I am witnessing the changes in the classical music world in Los Angeles and across America—people are becoming less interested in classical music and more interested in MTV, and the validity of that world. (Don’t take me for a pretentious traditionalist; I love BEP and Taylor, but not at the loss of classical music). In addition, there have been significant changes (and cuts) to music education in America.

You may notice, as I expose more and more of my stories on this blog, that a large part of my musical life and passion comes from my ardent belief that music education is an agent of social change and a venue for which concert music--professional orchestras, master chorales and opera--can be saved. I hope to discuss developments of professional music, music education, their collaboration and any exciting events that are furthering this artistic world.

Like the professional music world, music education in the US is dwindling. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 led many school districts to cut funding to their music programs.

But, hope has not been lost. There are several good arguments why music education cannot be lost in the economic crises, or any other crises for that matter. One of them includes my new favorite story of change:

Recently, an example has been made of the Jose Abreu's El Sistema in Venezuela--a program that consists of 125 youth orchestras and training programs throughout the country that has absolutely changed the nation. Many of the students of this program have formerly been involved in gangs, crime or originate from extremely impoverished areas. The El Sistema has produced hundreds of professional musicians since it's conception in the 1970s, including conducting prodigy Gustavo Dudamel--the newly appointed conductor of the LA Philharmonic.

Here is a video for an upcoming documentary about the El Sistema:

Is it coincidence? That the product of the most notable music program in the world is coming to Los Angeles--home of a school district that projects a complete cut of all of its public school music programs within the next ten years. I hope not.

My ramblings of passion, inspiration, teamwork and dedication might seem farfetched, but I hope to somehow portray how I came to be such a zealous advocate through the entries in this blog. I am so excited to share my thoughts about the importance of this beautiful art with the world!

Profile Blog

The music education world, as large a spectrum music itself covers, is quite small. Generally, the most skilled and inspiring public school music teacher is no celebrity, and often, its legends are not aquainted with the blogishpere. Like many classical musicians/enthusiasts, it's all about the music, not about social networking--on the internet no less. This does not mean that music educators shouldn't keep up with technological advancements. In fact, even with the detrimental budget cuts, technology is continuing to find ways of changing music education.

Evan Tobias is Instructor of Music Education at Arizona State University. In my "blog search," I have found that his blog is most comprehensive in terms of combining new technological elements of music education, advocacy and the contributions of the "outside world" to music education. Tobias's blog, Catalysts and Connections, not only provides detailed information on various music ed. conferences throughout the country, but also provides thought provoking stories on how music is changing the world (through education). His entries are professional and academic as he often discusses the most effective ways to work with music students from a more pedagogical stand point. At the same time, he avoids the pretentiousness that comes with being a music critic or expert.

With the start of school in the fall, he has begun writing new blog posts, which should excite his readers who are mainly music teachers--public school or university level. He also receives comments from arts advocacy organizations.

In one article, he discusses how the music of T-Pain and Bjork can be used in the classroom to demonstrate different ways to portray and use the human voice. This is not only be an aid to teaching voice production, but also to exposing students to world music. As a member of the "teeny-bopper/pop culture music generation," I find that adding a bit of pop culture to a lesson plan is so applicable. It is still music and it helps rid the stereotype of what music education is--orch-dorks, band geeks, you get the picture.

Another article demonstrates how music contributes to history: Tobias congratulates the Lesbian and Gay Band Association and provides a bit of a feature on the group as they were invited to march in the inaugural parade back in January. What an incredible advocacy tool--music in school is not like a history class, but a class that could help you, the student, make history.

Tobias speaks of the importance of bringing music to students in need also. He wrote in early 2007 about the importance of high school marching band to students whose programs suffered from Hurricane Katrina. He makes reference to an article in the New York Times that featured a band that marched in the first Mardi Gras parade since the hurricane and "proved they could do something positive in such devastated surroundings." The article said this about one student:

Joshua Phipps had been thinking about basketball, but the band changed his life, he said. “At my first band practice, I just fell in love with the sound,” he said. “I practiced a whole lot, every day, and it was like a hidden talent I didn’t know I had.

I enjoy eTobias's stories because they reveal the magic of music in schools. In my blog, I hope to feature more discussions of advocacy and the state of the arts budget throughout the country, and less pedagogical teaching methods, as valuable as they are. This blog can definitely be an aid to my research and I am excited to start the magic!

Voice Critique

In my research of music education/classical music blogs to write a "voice critique," about, I realized that many arts critics, educators and even advocates use voices that are more mundane than the chord progression used in an average song by Miley Cyrus. Much of the blogs I found were the daily activities of education conventions, or some non-descript or opinionated activity of the National Endowment of the Arts (NEA), amongst other things. The blogging "voice" of a few opera critics had potential, especially since their blogs were also the most colorful.

The blog I chose happened to relate to my topic much more closely than I had anticipated.

Deceptively Simple is written by Marc Geelhoed, the Resound coordinator and administrator for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. In his blog, he promotes the arts through his personal experiences, knowledge of classical music along with his knowledge of popular culture.

Last July Geelhoed wrote an entry about the advancements of technology, and how kindles, ipods and other technological items are keeping symphony goers from purchasing CDs, (specifically CDs of the CSO). His blog had definite structure, beginning with how the situation directly relates to him--the sale of CSO paraphenalia and CDs. His argument of using new technology without abandoning an appreciation for bookstores gets more complex, then culminates in a question of whether or not technology will actually make people more cultured. Questions are often commentary in themselves, I suppose. He uses short sentences as well as short transition statements.

"Ephemerality is the enemy. I like stuff that lasts."

Geelhoed prefers the "old-fashioned" ways of buying CDs from Tower Records, making conversation with the sales clerk and fostering the "community" of buying records in a store. His description of the scene reminds me of a mom and pop's store in the 1960s that a child might go to every day after school to buy a bottle of "pop." The scene he creates seems nostalgic, which seems humorous considering CDs are technology that, within 15 years ago, seemed relatively new and inventive, and of course, in my comparative scene, school children aren't allowed to drink sugary sodas anymore either.

"So, if you’re looking for me, you can find this 31-going-on-78-year old in the bookstore, grumbling about kids and their Twindles or Kitters or whatever they’re using these days."

Although he also describes himself as a devoted "abebooks.com" shopper, he ardently claims to have never purchased items recommended by "Amazon.com algorithms." He points out that when he uses the word "browser," he is referring to a shopper, not Internet software. He demonstrates his ironic lifestyle by doing this--being so against internet shopping, but knowing enough to reference websites and terms that online shopper officianados, (who could be in his audience), might recognize.

Other blogs include youtube videos, pictures or references to songs that apply to the topic. One blog entitled "Guns don't kill people; people with guns kill people," is hardly about music at all. He makes a statement about his opinion regarding gun control, and posts a youtube video of a stand-up act by Eddie Izzard.

"But anyway. The more these sort of issues come around, the more I understand the immutable truth that Eddie Izzard has already addressed them, and unearthed logic such that no one can argue. Here’s Eddie on gun control. (NSFW)"

In celebration of Leonard Bernstien's would-be 91st birthday, Geelhold created a playlist of his favorite classical works that were conducted by Bernstein. Each was chosen because it had significance in his life either as inspiring art or as "the first classical CD I ever bought," (Mahler's fifth). This particular post as much musical merit, without the pretentiousness of many classical music critic/junkie bloggers embody, which is actually more annoying than impressive.

"For sheer fun, Bernstein’s never been beaten in Rhapsody in Blue. I’m pretty sure I paid more than the $7.99 Amazon lists it for, too."

This lack of arrogance makes Geelhold's blog easy to read--and trust. The fact that he can describe Bach and Mahler without sounding like a know-it-all adds to his credibility as a person, which, in blogging, is so important. In his youtube-loving, Bach-obsessing and politically knowledgeable frenzy, Simply Deceptive offers a voice that is simple enough to simply appreciate.