Music and art programs have long been fighting for their lives in schools. Ever-threatening funding cuts leave these supposedly superfluous curricula playing 5th chair to math, sciences, English and “other shit like spelling*.”
*As far as I can tell spelling is no longer a required skill in 93% of global industry. Besides, texting has completely undermined teacher efforts and it is obvious that phonetics and brevity have carried the day. U kno what I mn? LOL. =P
The plight of schools and teachers is constant and REAL, and even though parents should be fighting tooth and nail alongside teachers for better pay and smaller class sizes, the issue somehow falls off the radar until the next election comes along with a new Proposition to either cut or (hopefully) augment the resources available to educators and their students. While I believe that all schools deserve sufficient funding to not only maintain music and art programs, but expand them, there is a special place in my heart for great* teachers.
*Important fact: not all teachers are great. I don’t necessarily believe in “seniority” in the cases where young, vibrant, excited “rookies” are overlooked because Ms. Krabappel has “done her time.” As the radio-friendly Cee-Lo Green would say, “Forget You!”
Without having met the conductor in the video, I think it’s safe to say he qualifies as a great teacher. Inspiring tremendous enthusiasm from his students, he reflects their excitement in his own actions. Look at the way the kids move! They wriggle, writhe, and practically levitate they’re so psyched! The only time I moved like that in my school chair is when I had to make a pee pee.
In my not-so-humble opinion, you couldn’t pay this guy enough to teach my kids to not only appreciate, but SING songs by relevant artists. No offense to the church hymn b-sides that I was forced to stumble through in chorus, but maybe if someone had offered up Jesus Jones’ “Right Here, Right Now” as an alternative I’d have spent more time singing and less time stealing sheet music from my buddies and shooting staples at the balding head of our instructor.
Also, think of the benefits passed on to recital audiences! As of now parents are forced to endure “nails on a chalkboard” versions of songs that, if graded on pop-culture significance and creativity, would consistently receive the dubious “F-.” Can you imagine the delight if after all the years of arguing with your spouse whether you BOTH needed to attend Junior’s performance, and subsequently having to dress up in the Spongebob tie that Junior gave you for Christmas, the choir actually performed something that you’d heard on the radio earlier that day?!
Jesum Crow!! Who cares if they are missing a little something on the low end of the scale? Even if one kid gropes himself for the entire concert, I’d be in the front row with a lighter and a tall can of PBR singing along until the chair of the PTA escorted me from the premises.
Check out the video above for Pheonix | Lisztomania, the links below, and the many others on Youtube. Also, be sure to tune in to the Oscars to catch the kids performing. As Randy Jackson would say, “Welcome to Hollywood, dogg!!” Be amazed and make sure you support efforts like this by spreading the word; donating money, time or energy to similar causes; and advocating for teachers who spark real passion in their kids!
