Endings . . .

My school year is ending. I keep looking at my students' faces and wonder if I've made a difference. Will they remember me? Do I want them to remember me . . . ha ha, maybe not in a few cases. As a music teacher, I always wonder if they are going to support music performance ensembles for their children . . . at a much later date of course. Did I teach them a song that they will sing and play for the rest of their lives? I hope so but I don't know so. Our society has the "American Idol" philosophy that some people are singers and some can't . . . which is really wrong. We all have the capability of singing, unless there is a physical defect. However, in the United States today, there is a stigma against perceived inability to produce a singing tone . . . if we can't belt it out like Carrie Underwood, then we can't sing . . . crazy thought, but I do think it is true. Listen to a young child sing . . . most likely they will imitate their favorite Disney singer . . . how many Miley Cirus wanna-be's are out there . . . too many! I guess I should be grateful that they are imitating Miley and not Billy Ray (Achey Breaky Heart deserves a peaceful death . . . ).

We used to have a great tradition of singing. I had the great privilege of growing up in a family that sang holiday carols in the car, had campfires where a favorite aunt and a favorite uncle would play folk tunes on the guitar and we'd all sing along, where we participated in scouting which always involved singing around the campfire . . . I always sang in chorus. Always. Now I just sing in my daily job and of course have the occasional "belt it out" fest on my commute to and from my school. Thanks to my iPod for that last one! In addition, singing schools were held in prairie one room school houses. Shape singing, also known as solfa, was popular in New England. Revivals involved singing . . . African American Baptist/Gospel churches have maintained this tradition, probably better than we rather staid Caucasians.

Singing in America though is not an ingrained part of our daily culture today. It's seen as something that some can do and most cannot. Sadly shows like American Idol and America's Got Talent contribute to this when they dismiss people with perfectly acceptable ordinary singing voices. They should say "yes you can sing, but you're just not a pop star".

This idea of music in culture makes me ponder this . . . do we have a culture if we don't sing? All the interesting cultures around the world have singing traditions. From African village gatherings to work songs in farming communities in China to aboriginal songs in the Middle Eastern and Asian countries. We're losing Stephen Foster songs and slave spirituals and jazz favorites and holiday sing-a-longs (do we really need to sing "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer" . . . over "White Christmas"). The oral tradition of passing down songs still exists around the world but it has faded in the US. Families either don't have the time nor the inclination to do that any more . . . how many kids in America know "Oh Susanna" or "Dixie" or my personal favorite "The Cat Came Back".

The closest place that I can find singing for children, outside school music programs of course, is in churches. The problem with church music is that it is limited to music that serves the purpose of that particular religion. There are, of course, wonderful church music teachers. Maybe churches could expand their repertoire and teach folk songs mixed in with those of religious themes. I'd also like to see churches go back and teach all the old religious songs . . . there's too much new poppy stuff on the market.

Maybe I should make this blog about songs . . . hmmm . . . I keep thinking that I lack personality. I might be on to something here . . . I could focus on a folk song and it's history each week. Maybe . . .