Hundreds of years ago artists
were held in such high regard that they were sponsored or
“kept” by the rich and powerful of the day. Recognizing talent and wanting them
to flourish and grow was thought to be en vogue and was something to boast about
and be proud of.
Without sponsors, who knows
where some of the great artists of the renaissance era would have left off and
or left out of their famous works.
Playwrights and composers
were treated with the same nurturing and admiration in that era.
<Cut to> today. Very few
people have a chance to even realize that they are artists. From grade school on
we are taught that the school will teach math, science, social studies and
English, but musical instruments are an extra, and over and above. We have to
rent our flutes, saxes and violins from an outside source if we want our
children to waste there time in band. Were do musicians go these days anyway?
Granted
I have written that only an A list trombone player can make a decent living
these days and one would have to really
stick with the bassoon and expect little star treatment with a bassoon case in
hand if they wanted to make ends meet, but there are livings being made.
Little Johnny wants to throw
the ball. In our country the obsession that is past from father to son is the
throwing and sometimes catching of a rubberized sphere.
There is basketball,
baseball, football, soccer, lacrosse and even the art line walking of tennis.
I guess without physical
contact and with any semblance of a protective pad of sorts tennis is less manly
than the rest.
Little Johnny is playing his
first game against the other town and every team members proud mom and dad show
up to scowl at the other team and root little Johnny and his friends on to win.
They will shout, cheer and
scream themselves into a Harvey Feirstein vocal state to assure that the
helmeted or padded fraternity of adolescence feels the support that is
parenthood.
<Cut to> The autumn band and
orchestra concert. No screaming, no yelling, sometimes no parents to support
little Timmy and his friends play through intricate pieces that they have
practiced on there own and rehearsed as a team for months. Maybe minute for
minute with the time that Little Johnny has spent with the coveted sphere.
The concert is over and a
small group of moms and a few dads are in the hallway to the parking lot and
give the kid a thumbs up. The band instructor walks by without a mention and
maybe a smile from Andrea the flutist older sister. There is no Gatorade dumped
over the head for painstakingly leading novice musicians into the pathway of
beauty through harmony, melody, intonation and timing.
No speech for the local
press and no “Go Tigers” for anyone in the band. The cellist takes off his dated
bowtie borrowed from dads “out of style and old” dresser draw and crumples it
into his pant pocket as he walks by the other parents.
No dad yells “way to go kid”,
“nice play”….the cello goes in the case and Mrs. Smith will drive him home with
3 of the other kids.
MTV has sponsored a wonderful
program named “save the music” which is a large scale effort to purchase
instruments for the high schools across America but to also give schools subsidy
to even save the entire program of music in schools.
One cannot imagine a program
called “save the math” sponsored by Casio calculators or “Save the history”
sponsored by the history channel. This is as unthinkable as a high school
anywhere in America that would discontinue the sports program .
I performed in band from 3rd
grade to college but also played 9th grade football with Boomer
Esiason. Of my entire graduating class of 500, we are the only students who have
made a full time living from either sports or the arts.
Most people think sports are
a better bet because it teaches team work and discipline.
These people have obviously
not played “A” train with 50 other 10th graders. I had to play take 5
by Dave Brubeck in band at the same time that I was playing football.
I never wanted to throw a
team member through the wall as I did my alto sax. Over and over and over for 2
weeks until I could play this one part that I found difficult ..until I got it.
That is discipline.
Of the kids who played sports
and performed in the arts in my high school only Boomer and I have made a good
living (he more than I) at it.
So what are the odds?
All the sports kids got other
jobs and yell and scream for there sons and daughters on the field. Was there
time in sports wasted?
All the kids who played in
band, acted in plays and sang in chorus might go and support there kids for the
Christmas or Spring concerts. I secretly hope that they yell for their kids and
say “GO main street USA School Choir” every chance they get.
High 5’s for the pit
orchestra when they walk up the isle and maybe an Evian bath for the marching
band director at the end of the parade.
The simple fact remains that
the artists might, if they have not become too rusty, be able to still play or
sing. They can continue to spread this ART until the day they die. They can
share what they learned in band or onstage with the world for decades after
leading a “civilian life” and becoming full time non-musicians.
Sports kids can grow up and
carry on the tradition and take with them the lessons of team work and
discipline and utilize these lessons in there vocation of choice.
Support art every chance you
can get. It is truly the stepchild of the American education system. As we
continue to add millions to the yearly salaries of our “ball players”, it
increases the strength and the focus on our schools sports programs, leaving art
on a large, gray and empty stage.
*For my teachers Bernie
Rydjeski & Joseph Vasallo. Thank you for the music.
Save the Music Website
