One more thought about bringing classical music to minority kids, as Carnegie Hall and the Berlin Philharmonic did, when they taught “inner city youth” (their phrase) to dance to Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring. (See my previous posts on this, the first, second, and third.)
It’s easy to do.
And yes, of course it can be done well or badly, that of course you have to learn some things before you can do it well, and that some programs — like maybe that Berlin/Carnegie enterprise — might be inspired.
But at bottom, this isn’t much of a challenge. If you go into schools, you can get kids interested in many things. At least twice, dedicated teachers have developed powerful chess teams in New York inner-city schools. (Go here and especially — such a lovely, powerful story — here.)
Last night, on TV news in Washington, I saw an item about kids at an inner-city school transformed by a drill team. Again, one inspired teacher was responsible. I’m sure there are many stories like this, from all over the US.
Bring kids something new, do it in an inspiring way, and very likely they’ll take off with it. The arts have no special virtue here. Kids are hungry to learn, hungry for new things, hungry to succeed in something.
What wouldn’t be easy? Bringing the Rite of Spring — and classical music generally — to younger people, not as outreach, but in the marketplace, alongside pop music and the movies, as an arts and entertainment choice they’d willingly make, without the need of any special program designed to reach them.
Why — for instance at music schools — do we see so little of what I’ve just described, and so much outreach to the schools? Because outreach to the schools is easier. Because no one quite believes that younger people could be reached by normal means.
Now, granted, concerts would have to change, and be marketed in new ways. But isn’t it time for big classical music institutions to learn to do this? To let classical music stand on its own feet, and not depend on special pleading, special programs to reach what — if we’re honest with ourselves — is a very easy audience.
(And not a long-lasting one. What programs are in place to turn those Stravinsky-dancing kids into Carnegie Hall subscribers when they’re older? Has there been any followup at all? I hope there has been, but anyone who’s followed classical music’s outreach over many years knows that there often isn’t.)
AMEN!!!
It’s been interesting reading your last few posts about bringing classical music to minority kids… because I’m pestered by the renewed thought that it’s not a “minority kid” issue anymore – not with arts funding being cut everywhere, and with kids now being at least 2 generations removed from any kind of natural cultural exposure to classical music. I know you know this though. Your blog simulateously discourages and encourages me. Discourages, because we’re facing a hard uphill battle; encourages, because there are still people like you out there willing to climb.
Greg, ask Elizabeth Dworkin some time how hard Music from Copland House has tried to get something going in the Peekskill school system. Sometimes the problem is that the schools don’t have the inside help to administrate a terrific program.