Choral Caffeine: Another Reason to Vote

In case anyone hasn’t noticed from all of the posturing politicians endlessly bloviating in front of anything with a lens, it’s election time.  Yes, we’re going to determine which of a field of veracity-challenged, folliclly-blessed attorney’s we send to the beltway to pork-out on our money.

 

For many of us, though, the larger concern in the voting booth will not be which talking head to elect but whether or not the school levy passes.  If the levy fails, the school will ax the music program.  It is always thus.

 

Thus, it is time to consider a few well-chosen words to aid us in the advocacy fight.  In this instance, from William Dabback’s article “Lifelong Learning and Shades of Grey” (Virginia Harmony, Winter 2010).

 

I believe in the philosophical underpinning of lifelong learning in music, but I also see great pragmatic potential. A rule of politics holds that if enough people think something is important, it becomes important to decision-makers. A profession that offers entry points into music making throughout life holds potential for increased and varied employment opportunities.

 

A society in which a majority of its members actually participate in music offers substantive support to the art and our profession. Of course, engaging all these people requires examining and expanding the way we teach and think about music.

 

Technology, connectivity, and the way people experience music in today’s society demand that we do this sooner rather than later.

 

(To access the full article, simply click the highlighted title. For additional articles on a dazzling array of choral topics, visit  ChorTeach.)