Written and Posted on September 29, 2024
My wife and I saw Matt Walsh’s “Am I a Racist?”
I loved the movie. I encourage all people on either side of – pro or con – “Diversity Equity Inclusion” to watch the movie.
My take away from the movie was those with the power will manipulate or bully the weak.
Since the beginning of “man” this drive to be the one with the power has been the case and is till the case today. As a person who supposedly had the power until recently, to see it from the other side of power is itself awakening!
Those with the DEI credentials today are the equivalent to those yesteryear who had the “correct” pigmentation and the right genitalia. Seriously. Think about it.
From a music teacher’s perspective
On July 3, 1989, I started teaching high school music in California. Back then, when we went to conferences to learn how to be a better music teacher, it was about learning how to be a better music teacher. How to teach rhythms. Read notes. Play an instrument.
35 years later, the presentations now include topics that have nothing to do with the actual playing an instrument, maintenance of the instrument, how to have two or more voices sound like one.
Nope.
What is encroaching time at a music teachers’ conference / professional develop days are now questions such as the ones in the picture: “Have you ever felt like a piece of music, or the way in which you taught a piece of music stereotyped, tokenized, or othered a culture or ethnicity? Have you ever felt like a piece of music, or the way in which you taught a piece provided a positive or culturally respectful experience for your students to explore music from a different culture?”
What has happened to and/or in our music rooms that led to the need for these type of questions? The movement of the “secular-humanists.” I never and will never look at music through these questions / lenses. I choose music that I believe will help the student to be a better musician. I encourage my fellow music teachers to choose music for the same principle.
Shakespeare Meets Godzilla
Unfortunately, this movement is going to be here for a while, probably well past my entry into heaven. However, we need to stand up against this movement. We need to return to do our jobs and stay in our lane. Our lane? Teach music.
I believe what Leonard Bernstein said decades ago, “People first. Music second.” No doubt. Touch a heart before you ask for a hand.
This (questions shared in photo) is not the way to ask for a hand. 
The way to ask for a hand is to model the behavior you want and expect from your followers / your students (other people’s children). Therefore, choose music you believe the students will enjoy and learn from.
For the first time since 1989, I am teaching 4th – 8th grade. I need to find music that I would never had looked for in my previous thirty years of teaching. I found a very fun piece, “Shakespeare Meets Godzilla.” In no way did I think, oh good, with this piece of music I can make fun of British people because of the melody. Oh good, I can make fun of Japanese people because of the music “shout-outs” to Godzilla which is part of the Japanese culture.
However, selecting music for today’s students the filter is different. One may not choose “Shakespeare Meets Godzilla” because it could be seen as mocking British and Japanese people.
It does what?
Well, I mean, any one can now take a piece of music and find something DEI-ish with it. Be it the composer’s pigmentation, sex (male or female), homo or heterosexual or what the actual piece represents.
Instead of choosing a piece of music for the 4th – 12th grade student to teach and learn the seven elements of music (and isn’t that enough?): rhythm, melody, harmony, texture, dynamics, tempo, and sound, the music teacher now needs to be aware of non-music material? Really? Didn’t you (the music teacher) have enough to teach? Obviously not. Add to your list of how to select music: avoid being labeled racist, sexist, xenophobic, etc.
Regardless of Profession – How To Move Forward
Short answer:
- The Golden Rule
SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY FOR THE BAD WORD!! I did not write it and felt like not censoring it. - Fellow Christians – do what Jesus would do. Do not succumb to the teachings of the secular-humanist. These two questions given at the professional development day would not happen if the teachings of Jesus Christ is at the center of our lives / our families. Remember what John Adams said, John Adams strongly believed that the Constitution was designed for a “moral and religious people” and would not function properly without a citizenry committed to high ethical standards and virtue, essentially stating that the Constitution is “wholly inadequate to the government of any other” type of people.
- Stay in your lane – when the government gets in your lane in teaching your given subject, speak up. Silence is compliance. Yes. When you speak-up, you are going to lose friends, family, a job, money, and many other things (I write from experience). It hurts! A lot. I will lose more for writing this article. But, the short term (even if that is the length of my life; which can be as long as 90+ years) pain is for long term gain for many.
Conclusion
Be who you want your children / followers / students to be. Stop the madness. I give you, friend / family / stranger the benefit of the doubt. If you are a music teacher, I will first believe you choose music to help me be a better musician not to indoctrinate me. So, do that. Choose music that will make me a better musician. I will turn to my Lord, my parents, my counselor to learn how to be a better person and bring that better person to your rehearsals. 🙂
Oh, and by the way, my scholars and I are super excited about performing “Shakespeare Meets Godzilla” on May 22, 2025. Thank you Robert Buckley! God bless!
*******************
If you like what you read and you are able to, please do consider financially supporting our mission. We are a small “Mom & Pop Shop.” We would love and appreciate your financial support. Please go to https://www.venmo.com/u/Paul-Everts-1