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I sure do like me some good music, regardless of who plays it. My Neighbor Teaches Music. and I even love to hear the Kids struggle through their lessons. Music calms the savage best, in all of us. I can leave it at that.
So last night my wife & I enjoyed a wonderful concert by the Omaha Area Youth Orchestras, at The Holland Center. Omaha Performing Arts - Holland Performing Arts Center (http://www.omahaperformingarts.org/opac.asp - broken link) It was an incredible night of beautiful music, and is great fun to see such talent. A 14-year old Japanese student played an absolutely stunning Violin Concerto with the final orchestra.
As we were watching & listening to each of the 4 groups play, I couldn't help but notice the racial makeup of the groups.
In each orchestra, the racial makeup was approximately 2/3rds white, and 1/3rd Asian, including (India) Indian. There were 2-3 black kids in each orchestra, and I noticed that there were no Hispanic kids in any of the groups. This racial mix did not change from one group to the next.
So why is this? This does not - in any way - reflect the racial demographic of our metro area.
Is the reason for this racial "imbalance" purely economic? Are there some races/cultures that do not enjoy or promote Classical Music? Is there something else going on here?
You must not be a musician or come from a musicians background.
#1. Race has nothing to do with it.
#2. Access to the art has everything to do with who has access to an orchestral music program.
If you don't have access, if your school district doesn't offer an orchestra elective in elementary school, you won't learn.
Considering that both Paul Robeson, and Marion Anderson ...
Again, more examples of cultural arrogance with a bit of musical ignorance. Violins, violas and cellos are the only instruments of European classical music? There are a multitude of African American kids who study, the entire span of brass, woodwind, percussive instruments to say nothing of piano and classical vocals.
You need to get out of the bay area more often.
Listen get control of yourself, for God's sake. Your rants don't mean anything to me. Don't be threatened by the reality and don't be in denial. I am right. The reality is that most (I estimated close to 98%) of black people today RUN FROM classical music. You cite a few examples where a few blacks embrace it. That's fine, but these people shouldn't be the EXCEPTION, but the RULE. Jazz doesn't count here. Sly, Hendrix, Motown DON'T COUNT either. I'm strictly talking about participation in chamber orchestras or those that focus on the music of the great composers like Beethoven, Bach, Wagner, Mozart, Handel, Brahms, Bartok, Dvorak, and so forth.
You were exposed to classical music. Great. You are one of FEW. Recognize the reality, don't run from it. Robeson? Anderson? These few should've been among MILLIONS of black people. Violin, viola, cello, bass. Did you by chance learn to play any one of these four instruments?
You seem to think you know me pretty well with the "cultural ignorance" comments, but you don't know a damn thing about me. Acknowledge the reality, don't run from it.
You must not be a musician or come from a musicians background.
#1. Race has nothing to do with it.
#2. Access to the art has everything to do with who has access to an orchestral music program.
If you don't have access, if your school district doesn't offer an orchestra elective in elementary school, you won't learn.
Period.
Well... In high school, one field I strongly considered was teaching music. I had a music scholarship in college. Play several instruments. Married to a woman whose whole family consists of professional musicians and artists. Both my sons have been professional musicians, and one still is. Daughter that has been all-state, all-city, honors orchestra, etc.
Basically, yeah, you could say I know just a little bit about music.
And I'll say this about your comments: You're dead wrong about it having nothing to do with race. Period.
Listen get control of yourself, for God's sake. Your rants don't mean anything to me. Don't be threatened by the reality and don't be in denial. I am right. The reality is that most (I estimated close to 98%) of black people today RUN FROM classical music. You cite a few examples where a few blacks embrace it. That's fine, but these people shouldn't be the EXCEPTION, but the RULE. Jazz doesn't count here. Sly, Hendrix, Motown DON'T COUNT either. I'm strictly talking about participation in chamber orchestras or those that focus on the music of the great composers like Beethoven, Bach, Wagner, Mozart, Handel, Brahms, Bartok, Dvorak, and so forth.
You were exposed to classical music. Great. You are one of FEW. Recognize the reality, don't run from it. Robeson? Anderson? These few should've been among MILLIONS of black people. Violin, viola, cello, bass. Did you by chance learn to play any one of these four instruments?
You seem to think you know me pretty well with the "cultural ignorance" comments, but you don't know a damn thing about me. Acknowledge the reality, don't run from it.
He does the same thing to everybody he feels threatened by. He'll pull the old, "I'm so educated that you can't even begin to touch me" attitude on you.
Again, I must apologize to some people if I sound too racist for you, but I do believe music preference DOES have a lot to do with race. I think some folks just don't want to admit it because they fear being called a racist. It is not some kind of marketing ploy that's drawing the majority of blacks to hip-hop, rap, jazz and so forth. For many blacks, classical music is not at all inspiring. Just think about the difference in the way a black church choir sings vs. a white church choir. It has nothing at all to do with marketing. People are born different for a reason. It's just too bad that some are so set on playing the superior/inferior game.
Again, I must apologize to some people if I sound too racist for you, but I do believe music preference DOES have a lot to do with race. I think some folks just don't want to admit it because they fear being called a racist. It is not some kind of marketing ploy that's drawing the majority of blacks to hip-hop, rap, jazz and so forth. For many blacks, classical music is not at all inspiring. Just think about the difference in the way a black church choir sings vs. a white church choir. It has nothing at all to do with marketing. People are born different for a reason. It's just too bad that some are so set on playing the superior/inferior game.
Exactly.
There are distinct cultural/racial (the lines differentiating the two are often too blurred to know where the line actually is) preferences and priorities. It has everything to do with what is prioritized and promoted in the home and neighborhood.
It's amazing to me how angry some people become anytime anything racial is talked about. Why not admit that, though we're all of equal value, we're all different? We like different things. We often prioritize differently. And there's really nothing wrong with that.
So let me ask you a question. Do you think the first chair violin in the New York Philharmonic makes as much money in their performances as Jay-Z does in his? Maybe the real question is why aren't more Asians/Indians in Hip Hop?
So let me ask you a question. Do you think the first chair violin in the New York Philharmonic makes as much money in their performances as Jay-Z does in his? Maybe the real question is why aren't more Asians/Indians in Hip Hop?
A fair question.
Here's another fair question...
Who's more likely to be shot dead in a fight? The principle violinist for the NY Philharmonic, or Jay-Z?
Honestly, the "cultures" of hip-hop and philharmonic are completely different.
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