Music Education: rethinking its impact
First and foremost, please watch the following TED talk:
Gustavo Dudamel and the Teresa Carreño Youth Orchestra: A musical sensation from Venezuela
[kml_flashembed movie=”http://video.ted.com/assets/player/swf/EmbedPlayer.swf” height=”326″ width=”446″ fvars=”vu=http://video.ted.com/talks/embed/TeresaCarrenoOrchestra_2009-embed_high.flv&su=http://images.ted.com/images/ted/tedindex/embed-posters/TeresaCarrenoOrchestra-2009.embed_thumbnail.jpg&vw=432&vh=240&ap=0&ti=466″ /]
Source: http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/466
Perhaps, you also want to watch Jose Abreu’s interview and TED prize wish:
[kml_flashembed movie=”http://video.ted.com/assets/player/swf/EmbedPlayer.swf” height=”326″ width=”446″ fvars=”vu=http://video.ted.com/talks/embed/JoseAntonioAbreu_2009-embed_high.flv&su=http://images.ted.com/images/ted/tedindex/embed-posters/JoseAntonioAbreu-2009.embed_thumbnail.jpg&vw=432&vh=240&ap=0&ti=464″ /]
Source: http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/jose_abreu_on_kids_transformed_by_music.html
Growing up in Malaysia, in a middle class family, with parents eager to compete to send the child to all sorts of lessons (piano, swimming, ballet, drawing, etc. you name it) and also having been in music groups in school, in which you see peers failing every academic subject, yet managing to recoup some dignity and identity by playing in the school band, puts me in a unique position to consider what Jose Abreu was doing. I mean, the length of his career, the background of the musicians who went through “the system”, the enormity of his challenge is definitely worth all the admiration that he’s getting now, perhaps even more, as he is the beacon of hope, the angel for many of these kids.
Nevertheless, we mustn’t forget that the other millions and millions of musicians around the world, who did not went through “the system”, and also found their voice and meaning in life through speaking with music. We also mustn’t forget that there are many music teachers out there, who, because their circumstances would be different than in Venezuela, would never have the chance to pursue something as great as the Venezuelan music education program. My piano teacher, who primarily teaches kids like me who can afford a relatively expensive tutoring fee, would not give up on me as well, even as I can’t play the piano properly. My band instructor, who earns a pittance out of teaching bands, cares for the musical development of every band member who comes through (and we have a “system” of keeping them around so that they won’t give up). Even when I went overseas and joined SYO (now SNYO), I learned about the “system” here of tutoring offered by SSO players, and today, I am still working with the same relentless teacher from my days in SYO, in TPO (you know who).
Even around me, I saw so many friends who suffered badly growing up. From those who committed suicide due to family problems, to those who were too involved in gangs and other “bad” people, many of them held music as a possible way out. Some stayed in the school’s band room, hid in it like a sanctuary, practicing, practicing, practicing. Some took all their savings in their life to buy an instrument upon graduation, whether or not they play it again, as that instrument represented all of life that was ever meaningful to them.
When I was 12, my primary school’s music teacher singled me out after a band performance to the parents teacher association (I was already a famous naughty boy then) and proclaimed, with me as an example, that “kids who learn music won’t learn bad things”, loosely translated, means that learning music is a way to keep your children out of trouble. That, to me, now, 17 years later, was really really shallow. It had its effect on the parents, which was what was intended at that time (recruiting for the school band), but these parents just had no idea the amount of discipline, perseverance, and sheer determination required to play in a music group such as a band / orchestra.
And what has this to do with El Sistema? It is this: There is no system, especially one that fits every culture, social classes, geography, endowment etc. only dedicated music teachers, and children who are lucky enough to have to forge their own identity, playing music. Jose meant well when his wish was to export El Sistema to US. But without an equivalent Jose in US, there will be no El Sistema. And ultimately, only 50 children, who were lucky enough to be forced into picking up that violin and start sawing strings under the watchful eye of a character building angel, will receive the hope that TED had bestowed.
Separately, ever wonder if MPYO or SNYO can play Stostakovich like that?
