Comments on: Christmas Concert Ruminations http://www.soyouwanttoteach.com/christmas-concert-ruminations/ Providing HOPE for educators since 2007 Wed, 13 Apr 2011 17:59:29 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: margarethttp://www.soyouwanttoteach.com/christmas-concert-ruminations/#comment-3161 margaret Sun, 21 Dec 2008 04:09:47 +0000 http://www.soyouwanttoteach.com/?p=740#comment-3161 Glad to hear it went well. I attended the local 6th-HS Christmas concert earlier this week and it was very interesting to hear the difference just 1 more year of instruction/practice makes in the Jr High groups. By the time the HS concert and symphonic bands got to play, I was amazed at how much more polished they were than the young beginners. There wasn't but 4 or so years difference in age, but my, how much they'd learned in those 4 years! The HS group's final piece was playing snippets of familiar songs in different styles around the world. The director challenged the audience to identify the country as they played - it was fun to do so. I can only suppose it was fun to learn to play in all the different 'flavors'. Glad to hear it went well. I attended the local 6th-HS Christmas concert earlier this week and it was very interesting to hear the difference just 1 more year of instruction/practice makes in the Jr High groups. By the time the HS concert and symphonic bands got to play, I was amazed at how much more polished they were than the young beginners. There wasn’t but 4 or so years difference in age, but my, how much they’d learned in those 4 years! The HS group’s final piece was playing snippets of familiar songs in different styles around the world. The director challenged the audience to identify the country as they played – it was fun to do so. I can only suppose it was fun to learn to play in all the different ‘flavors’.

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]]> By: mz.whttp://www.soyouwanttoteach.com/christmas-concert-ruminations/#comment-3160 mz.w Sat, 20 Dec 2008 23:31:02 +0000 http://www.soyouwanttoteach.com/?p=740#comment-3160 “My concerts used to be offensive, but that was because my bands didn’t know how to play.”
hee-hee!!! love your sense of humor. i must say, our winter concert (includes pieces about winter as well as xmas music, so i guess its accurate) was a very pleasant experience. all 3 times as i attended the actual performance and both assembly versions. it’s thrilling to see the students be so proud of themselves for working hard.

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]]> By: Joelhttp://www.soyouwanttoteach.com/christmas-concert-ruminations/#comment-3154 Joel Sat, 20 Dec 2008 20:05:21 +0000 http://www.soyouwanttoteach.com/?p=740#comment-3154 Points taken. Thank you! Points taken. Thank you!

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]]> By: Nancy Flanaganhttp://www.soyouwanttoteach.com/christmas-concert-ruminations/#comment-3153 Nancy Flanagan Sat, 20 Dec 2008 15:40:07 +0000 http://www.soyouwanttoteach.com/?p=740#comment-3153 I did 30 years' worth of Christmas concerts, too, mixing up sacred and secular literature, and enjoyed every one of them. Two thoughts on your post: #1) Just because instrumental music does not include lyrics doesn't mean that the audience is not thinking "holy infant, so tender and mild" as the mere notes are playing. Or that the overture to the Messiah, for example, is not thoroughly "sacred" music. Music written in the service of worship (whether it has words or not) is sacred music--it's not lyrics that make music holy, it is the music's purpose. #2) If the bulk of your community was Jewish or Muslim, you would be certainly feel differently about an all-Christmas repertoire, at least after the first dozen calls from parents concerned about a Christmas-only concert. If you work (as I did) in an almost exclusively Christian community, is it not your obligation to share culturally diverse music with your students? And is it not your obligation to do a winter/December/holiday/Christmas concert that pleases your audience and teaches kids something about why many religious or non-religious traditions celebrate a holiday around the darkest days of the year? There is a large and worthy body of Christmas music--worth performing, for Christians and non-Christians alike, because it is fabulous music. And "peace on earth, goodwill to all" is a universal truth and goal. It's really not about being worried about offending someone. It's about honoring diversity. Even in the most non-diverse student bodies. It's 21st century learning, in the music program. I did 30 years’ worth of Christmas concerts, too, mixing up sacred and secular literature, and enjoyed every one of them. Two thoughts on your post: #1) Just because instrumental music does not include lyrics doesn’t mean that the audience is not thinking “holy infant, so tender and mild” as the mere notes are playing. Or that the overture to the Messiah, for example, is not thoroughly “sacred” music. Music written in the service of worship (whether it has words or not) is sacred music–it’s not lyrics that make music holy, it is the music’s purpose.

#2) If the bulk of your community was Jewish or Muslim, you would be certainly feel differently about an all-Christmas repertoire, at least after the first dozen calls from parents concerned about a Christmas-only concert. If you work (as I did) in an almost exclusively Christian community, is it not your obligation to share culturally diverse music with your students? And is it not your obligation to do a winter/December/holiday/Christmas concert that pleases your audience and teaches kids something about why many religious or non-religious traditions celebrate a holiday around the darkest days of the year?

There is a large and worthy body of Christmas music–worth performing, for Christians and non-Christians alike, because it is fabulous music. And “peace on earth, goodwill to all” is a universal truth and goal. It’s really not about being worried about offending someone. It’s about honoring diversity. Even in the most non-diverse student bodies. It’s 21st century learning, in the music program.

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