A new tool to help me come up with topics to write is FACEBOOK. Who would have thought? (SARCASM).
As you read this article (and every article I write), remember I am 57 years-old. I am a Caucasian, happily married to a woman. Jesus Christ is my Lord. He is my Moral Compass. So, I will let y’all come up with your labels. By the way, damn! Some of you are as mean as you accuse others to be. Just saying.
May I suggest you read and take a look at learning The Law of the Mirror?
The Facebook post is from Christian (and, there is irony that his name is “Christian”). I do not know Christian. I am sure (because I am) sincerely, Christian is a wonderful man with many friends. According to his FACEBOOK (which can be “Fakebook”) he is married to a woman and looks like he is in his early-to-mid-thirties. Again, I do not know him. Here is his post…
Alright y’all. Time for 2023 Midwest Clinic programming stats. This year I’ve done all performing ensembles, including band, orchestra, and chamber ensembles.
Band:
156 total pieces
19 pieces by women composers (12%)
33 pieces by composers of color (21%)
Orchestra:
92 total pieces
7 pieces by women composers (8%)
9 pieces by composers of color (9%)
Chamber:
120 total pieces
10 pieces by women composers (8%)
19 pieces by composers of color (15%)
Overall, these numbers are worse than last year for band, which had 13.5% pieces by women composers and 24% pieces by composers of color. I don’t have stats from prior years for chamber and other orchestra, but they are relatively low. Additionally, there were 5 (FIVE!) ensembles that didn’t program ANY pieces by a woman composer or composer of color.
In keeping with prior years, there were 0 (zero) pieces by Native American composers or non-binary/trans/other gender marginalized composers.
These stats are…disappointing. I would hope that numbers would get better or at least neutral, not worse. Not much else to say that hasn’t already been said.
One response to Christian’s research is from a Caucasian female, Liz. Liz looks like she is in the same age group as the author of the “research.” Probably mid-thirties? I will give Liz the benefit of the doubt. And again because I am, she is a wonderful human being with many friends. (Well, there is a difference. Since the shift to socialism / collectivism has made its way into our culture, not so many friends. Seems if ya don’t think like the socialists or collectivists, you are no longer friends. Didn’t / won’t make the shift. AND, I AM MORE THAN HAPPY TO BE YOUR FRIEND).
As you read this article (and every article I write), remember I am 57 years-old. I am a Caucasian, happily married to a woman. Jesus Christ is my Lord. He is my Moral Compass. So, I will let y’all come up with your labels. By the way, damn! Some of you are as mean as you accuse others to be. Just saying.
May I suggest you read and take a look at learning The Law of the Mirror?
The Facebook post is from Christian (and, there is irony that his name is “Christian”). I do not know Christian. I am sure (because I am) sincerely, Christian is a wonderful man with many friends. According to his FACEBOOK (which can be “Fakebook”) he is married to a woman and looks like he is in his early-to-mid-thirties. Again, I do not know him. Here is his post…
Alright y’all. Time for 2023 Midwest Clinic programming stats. This year I’ve done all performing ensembles, including band, orchestra, and chamber ensembles.
Band:
156 total pieces
19 pieces by women composers (12%)
33 pieces by composers of color (21%)
Orchestra:
92 total pieces
7 pieces by women composers (8%)
9 pieces by composers of color (9%)
Chamber:
120 total pieces
10 pieces by women composers (8%)
19 pieces by composers of color (15%)
Overall, these numbers are worse than last year for band, which had 13.5% pieces by women composers and 24% pieces by composers of color. I don’t have stats from prior years for chamber and other orchestra, but they are relatively low. Additionally, there were 5 (FIVE!) ensembles that didn’t program ANY pieces by a woman composer or composer of color.
In keeping with prior years, there were 0 (zero) pieces by Native American composers or non-binary/trans/other gender marginalized composers.
These stats are…disappointing. I would hope that numbers would get better or at least neutral, not worse. Not much else to say that hasn’t already been said.
One response to Christian’s research is from a Caucasian female, Liz. Liz looks like she is in the same age group as the author of the “research.” Probably mid-thirties? I will give Liz the benefit of the doubt. And again because I am, she is a wonderful human being with many friends. (Well, there is a difference. Since the shift to socialism / collectivism has made its way into our culture, not so many friends. Seems if ya don’t think like the socialists or collectivists, you are no longer friends. Didn’t / won’t make the shift. AND, I AM MORE THAN HAPPY TO BE YOUR FRIEND).
Here is Liz’s post…
I’ve noticed the same this year in general recital rep. I think a lot of people “got over it”. They spent a year ~*trying*~. There was such a big push to check a box and honestly, it was sometimes offensive how little effort was put in. Really, if people had any modicum of curiosity and interest in new music, there wouldn’t have been a need to push DEI in programming. When you’re living in new music, accessible to all rep and more academic rep, there is no need to work hard to find not-white-cismen composers. They exist all around you. It’s hard NOT to program women or POC or non-cisgender.
Give it 8 years. 8 years of students graduating from high school and going to a solid undergraduate music program. 8 years of really encouraging these kids who went through covid to sort themselves out, and realize there are doors open for them. 8 years to graduate students who are thinking about diverse programming and get hired into high school programs. 8 years to retire people who need to go away. There has been just enough to light the fire over the last few years, but we can’t expect change over night. I have hope.
My response to both of these people and others of the same mind-set, why does this matter so much to you?
I’ve noticed the same this year in general recital rep. I think a lot of people “got over it”. They spent a year ~*trying*~. There was such a big push to check a box and honestly, it was sometimes offensive how little effort was put in. Really, if people had any modicum of curiosity and interest in new music, there wouldn’t have been a need to push DEI in programming. When you’re living in new music, accessible to all rep and more academic rep, there is no need to work hard to find not-white-cismen composers. They exist all around you. It’s hard NOT to program women or POC or non-cisgender.
Give it 8 years. 8 years of students graduating from high school and going to a solid undergraduate music program. 8 years of really encouraging these kids who went through covid to sort themselves out, and realize there are doors open for them. 8 years to graduate students who are thinking about diverse programming and get hired into high school programs. 8 years to retire people who need to go away. There has been just enough to light the fire over the last few years, but we can’t expect change over night. I have hope.
My response to both of these people and others of the same mind-set, why does this matter so much to you?
I definitely see this as a generational difference. Sure. From time to time, I will see some virtuous person in my generation jump on board with this mind-set and I really want to ask them, how did a person who learned what I learned come up with this being so important?
As a high school music teacher for 30+ years, all in California, this type of thinking really hurts my heart. This type of thinking is so un-American and anti-American.
What made America the shining “city” on the hill was the fact we had people who put their differences aside and used documents, such as, The Bill of Rights / The Constitution, to bring us together! In fact, those documents / Founding Fathers’ writings were used to stop slavery, gave women the right to vote, improved working conditions for minors. I could go on what those documents have given to us and many parts of the world.
Take a look at what Christian and Liz list as being important. They don’t have genre listed. I bet you that out of the 156 band pieces less than 17.76% of them will be patriotic and that lack of patriotism is a bigger problem than all the other stats. Without teaching our youth about being humbly-proud Americans, where else do they learn patriotism?
As a high school music teacher for 30+ years, all in California, this type of thinking really hurts my heart. This type of thinking is so un-American and anti-American.
What made America the shining “city” on the hill was the fact we had people who put their differences aside and used documents, such as, The Bill of Rights / The Constitution, to bring us together! In fact, those documents / Founding Fathers’ writings were used to stop slavery, gave women the right to vote, improved working conditions for minors. I could go on what those documents have given to us and many parts of the world.
Take a look at what Christian and Liz list as being important. They don’t have genre listed. I bet you that out of the 156 band pieces less than 17.76% of them will be patriotic and that lack of patriotism is a bigger problem than all the other stats. Without teaching our youth about being humbly-proud Americans, where else do they learn patriotism?
Unfortunately, this “lens” in looking at people is a mind virus that is built around narcissism: excessive interest in or admiration of oneself and one’s physical appearance. Here are some synonyms: self-love, self-admiration; egoism; self-absorption. The opposite? Modesty. Diffidence. Humility.
Another “by the way” moment. Currently, I teach middle schoolers. Part of my role is to handle “detention.” We worked on the word, “Humility.” My goodness. These scholars had no idea what that word means. But, I am sure they know what “cisgender” means.
So again, why does this matter so much to you?
Another “by the way” moment. Currently, I teach middle schoolers. Part of my role is to handle “detention.” We worked on the word, “Humility.” My goodness. These scholars had no idea what that word means. But, I am sure they know what “cisgender” means.
So again, why does this matter so much to you?
I know you are going to lecture me about the importance of the “marginalized.” Yet, you miss the irony you are creating. You are making the white composer (any gender, and yes – mostly the heterosexual male) now a marginalized group. Read the definition! Treated as insignificant or peripheral. Are “you” doing this by only listing those you listed? Anyone not list is being treated as insignificant or peripheral. No more Grainger (composer). No more Copland (composer).
Bottom line?
I pray (while I still can) that we will survive this current wave of anti-American thinking. Anti-American thinking is narcistic thinking. I do hope we will go back to a time when we were “simply” Americans. Get out of the hyphenated-American that was created in the 1960s.
Let’s be BRUTALLY honest. What do the top 10 happiest countries have in common? And don’t be a smart “donkey” with your answer: they’re white. STOP THAT!! THE ANSWER IS they are predominantly ethnically homogeneous countries!! We are not! Therefore, what we need to do is have something, such as, the Constitution bind us together. So, assimilation does work. Our children need to learn that the Constitution is what makes us Americans.
The world is watching the United States of America eat itself up.
Do I think we have a chance to get through this period?
YES! Not unscarred. I have “scars.” This article will create more “scars.” The more I bring up, let’s be Americans, I will have more “scars.”
In her response, Liz says, “Give it 8 years. 8 years of students graduating from high school and going to a solid undergraduate music program. 8 years of really encouraging these kids who went through covid to sort themselves out, and realize there are doors open for them. 8 years to graduate students who are thinking about diverse programming and get hired into high school programs. 8 years to retire people who need to go away. There has been just enough to light the fire over the last few years, but we can’t expect change over night. I have hope.”
Respectfully, Liz is off, not just in the years, but in the cultural shift. The youth rebel against their elders. The elders now? Super liberal. Super socialist and collectivist. Secular way of life. Anti-family. Anti-having children. The youth will rebel against this thinking.
Liz has hope.
I have hope, joy, love and peace.
Bottom line?
I pray (while I still can) that we will survive this current wave of anti-American thinking. Anti-American thinking is narcistic thinking. I do hope we will go back to a time when we were “simply” Americans. Get out of the hyphenated-American that was created in the 1960s.
Let’s be BRUTALLY honest. What do the top 10 happiest countries have in common? And don’t be a smart “donkey” with your answer: they’re white. STOP THAT!! THE ANSWER IS they are predominantly ethnically homogeneous countries!! We are not! Therefore, what we need to do is have something, such as, the Constitution bind us together. So, assimilation does work. Our children need to learn that the Constitution is what makes us Americans.
The world is watching the United States of America eat itself up.
Do I think we have a chance to get through this period?
YES! Not unscarred. I have “scars.” This article will create more “scars.” The more I bring up, let’s be Americans, I will have more “scars.”
In her response, Liz says, “Give it 8 years. 8 years of students graduating from high school and going to a solid undergraduate music program. 8 years of really encouraging these kids who went through covid to sort themselves out, and realize there are doors open for them. 8 years to graduate students who are thinking about diverse programming and get hired into high school programs. 8 years to retire people who need to go away. There has been just enough to light the fire over the last few years, but we can’t expect change over night. I have hope.”
Respectfully, Liz is off, not just in the years, but in the cultural shift. The youth rebel against their elders. The elders now? Super liberal. Super socialist and collectivist. Secular way of life. Anti-family. Anti-having children. The youth will rebel against this thinking.
Liz has hope.
I have hope, joy, love and peace.