BRAHMS IN THE HEARTLAND

In an earlier post I had mentioned that when I taught music appreciation several years ago, our textbook--cowritten by at least one graduate of the prestigious Oberlin Conservatory--failed to include any mention of Johannes Brahms (1833-1897), despite his historical significance and reverential standing as one of "the Three B's"--Bach, Beethoven and Brahms--considered among the very pillars of Western music and its development. At a workshop co-authored by the co-author, he shrugged off the omission and indicated that, as teachers, we were free to introduce additional topics to our curriculum--or not.

The act of omission is a powerful tool in the subversion of both history and current events, thus influencing our comprehension of who we are, where we have been, and where we are going. Lying by omission is an insidious means of distorting truth, particularly during a time when critical and independent thinking seem to be of reduced importance in our teetering educational system.

Thus it was that recently as I was entering a Menard's hardware store in suburban St. Louis, Missouri, I was pleased to hear the music of Brahms ringing forth live from a grand piano on the second floor of the spacious store. As part of Menard's efforts to provide a welcoming and soothing environment for its customers, the store provides live piano music for its customers as they search for nuts, bolts, electronics, bricks, lumber, plants and more.

It is ironic that a hardware was able to provide a bit of music education that our school failed to offer. But we can be grateful this bit of exposure was at least provided.

No, Menard's is not sponsoring this post--but hats off to the company for providing an experience of live music in its store, and hats off to the fine gentleman who performed the music. Here is a link to one of many performances of this work that can be found on YouTube. This version is performed by the famed Russian pianist Nikolai Lugansky. I selected his version because his tempo and dynamics reminded of the humble yet strong rendition I heard at Menard's by a local pianist who did his own part to educate and enrich us all:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iF4Rn2b4T8

 FINALLY....

After ignoring the issue for years, the mainstream media are finally noticing the Christian genocide taking place in Nigeria. Yes, we did know about Boko Haram, and yes, it is true that some non-Christians have also been killed and kidnapped, but it has become increasingly apparent that Christians, whether because of their numbers or for other reasons, have been the primary target of ruthless attacks.

It is deeply troubling that so few Christians ministers, priests, bishops and other leaders have miserably failed to speak out on an issue they should have been deeply aware of. Sadly, the mainstream denominations--who have long searched to increase their dwindling relevancy--are probably the most culpable in their neglect of their co-religionists. Many times we have witnessed mainstream leaders decry Islamophobia and any other real or perceived discrimination, but their was little appetite to speak out on behalf of Christians. This needs to change. Immediately. Those who claim that Christianity is worthy of our allegiance should at least be willing to speak out in its defense. 

To be fair, many non-denominational and conservative Christian leaders have indeed spoken out, but their voices too often have been squelched by the wider media. Regardless of where we stand politically or spiritually, we all need to speak out and educate ourselves about this and other issues involving morality. Yes, life and human affairs are complicated, but that is perhaps why we are given brains to sort things out.

A NEW PATH FOR AN EDUCATION WARRIOR

Ryan Walters, the young and principled state Superintendent of Education in Oklahoma, has recently announced his resignation in order to assume leadership of the Teacher Freedom Alliance, an organization dedicated to fighting teachers' unions and their disastrous grip on American education policies and curriculum.

Although teachers' unions have lobbed torpedoes against nearly every effort to improve education, at the same time, sadly, sometimes they are necessary in order to protect teachers who have been targeted unfairly by self-serving administrators. Given the fact that our schools are overstuffed with highly paid administrators, honest teachers do need a voice to speak for them. But our present unions carry too much baggage to fulfill that role effectively. The time for change is long overdue.

Mr. Walters is a fair and reasoned voice in the midst of the ongoing battle to develop an educational system that actually serves our children and their families. We should all stay tuned to follow his decisions and directions in his new post, and we wish him great success.

HOW MUCH DOES IT TAKE?   2.0

Although this blog is dedicated to discussing "education, music and life in general," our emphasis recently has focused heavily on the field of education. Currently education is facing many severe challenges in the United States and in many nations throughout the world; without sound education, the enjoyment and understanding of music and "life in general" would be greatly hampered. Many would agree that we are at a crisis level. As consumers and taxpayers, it behooves all of us to take a deep interest in education to the extent our busy lives will allow. By providing concise and direct summaries of current developments in education, we hope that our articles will aid in that effort. At some point in the near future, this blog may divide into two or three separate and independent blogs, on this or other major platforms. Our readership has grown tremendously. Thank you for taking the time to view our articles and enhance our collective knowledge on these vital subjects!       --Gary Liam Scott

Even as standards continue to plummet in many public and private educational settings, astonishingly, the salaries and number of administrators continue to spike upwards. Recently in Fairfax County, Virginia--the 12th largest public school district in the nation--Superintendent Michelle Reid's salary was increased to $424,146, plus a $12,000.00 automobile allowance and other perks. Even with a salary higher than that of the President of the United States, Ms. Reid will now also be granted a personal bodyguard, hired by taxpayers at a beginning salary range of $84,500-$143,000. 

In a similarly dramatic move, the school board of the Francis Howell School District in Missouri recently hired a new superintendent, Mike Dominguez, who resigned before his first day on the job in order to take an assistant superintendent position with the Shawnee Public Schools in Oklahoma. As a reward for breaking his contract, the Francis Howell board awarded Mr. Dominguez a going-away present of $229,000--and then refused to give taxpayers any explanation. Thankfully, the Missouri Auditor's Office has decided to investigate this matter and hopefully get to the bottom of this abuse of local citizens.

The frustrating aspect of the growing financial giveaways to educational administrators is that they come even as American education continues to decline. We are handsomely rewarding incompetency. If taxpayers are OK with this, well, we can call it part of the price of democracy. But one wonders...how many Americans are even aware of what is going on behind the closed doors of school management? Most of us were assured from childhood that educators were above reproach and could always be trusted. We now can realize just how naïve and costly that attitude is.

Always remember:  Each of us is entitled to a voice, and each of us has a stake in our educational system. We need to demand accountability and answers to our questions. We need to see improved test scores, and even more importantly, we need to see evidence in our daily lives that our fellow citizens can read, communicate, do basic math and have enough knowledge of history to be able to learn from its lessons. 

 

A PERSONAL NOTE...

The community of St. Louis, Missouri is blessed with many fine musical ensembles, as is the entire Midwest. One of the newest groups to form is the Black Tulip Chorale, founded and directed by Robert Stumpf. The mission statement of BTC highlights the organization's unwavering commitment to "...advocate for social consciousness through excellence in the performance of choral music, while providing an affirming environment for all, regardless of expression, gender, identity, or orientation." I have had the privilege of reviewing their concerts many times, and have always found the performances, along with the shared testimonies of chorale members, very moving. This past year I reviewed their annual holiday concert in December, 2024.

I have always noticed that the Black Tulip Chorale is able to present its message of advocacy of the LGBTQ+ community, and of humanity in general, without expressing hatred of oppressors and without mounting personal attacks on those who disagree with them. When we believe strongly in a cause, it can be difficult to hold back resentment, hatred and fear of those who believe strongly in the opposite direction. Yet BTC has magnificently resisted any sort of temptation to denigrate others. There seems to be an inherent and ingrained desire to foster communication and understanding rather than driving a wedge even further. I learned that lesson on a trip to Germany several years ago. We met a former SS officer and his wife, who had devoted themselves to caring for my wife's aunt, who had immigrated to Germany from Poland with her husband, seeking a better life during the postwar years when life behind the "iron curtain" was acutely difficult. The officer and his wife made a snap decision to give my two young daughters--whose only living grandmother bore a tattoo from Auschwitz--special gifts that they had originally bought for their own grandchildren. 

Recently, Gabriella Flores, the Senior Student Success Advisor at the Berklee College of Music in Boston and who identifies as a queer woman, posted a classified ad to sublet her apartment. She specified "no Zionist" in the ad. We can give Ms. Flores the benefit of the doubt and assume that it is more than likely she does not hate Jews as a whole, but her wording without any sort of disclaimer is understandably off-putting to most Jews. Even though the BTC concert focused on Christmas and was held in a church, it was deeply gratifying to see at least two persons wearing kippahs (yarmulkes) present at the program, and who clearly felt comfortable in so doing. I have always noticed that the Black Tulip Chorale is able to present its message of advocacy of the LGBTQ+ community, and of humanity in general, without expressing hatred of oppressors and without mounting personal attacks on those who disagree with them. When we believe strongly in a cause, it can be difficult to hold back resentment, hatred and fear of those who believe strongly in the opposite direction. Yet BTC has magnificently resisted any sort of temptation to denigrate others. There seems to be an inherent and ingrained desire to foster communication and understanding rather than driving a wedge even further.

HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH?

How much money should a school superintendent earn? What if the district he/she manages is a failing district in which a majority of students are not reading at grade level?

Writing for the Lansing Journal, Paul Czapkowicz penned an excellent article that speaks for itself, outlining the decision by the Dolton School District Board to raise the salary of Superintendent Kevin J. Nohelty from $450,000.00 by an additional $30,000.00 per year for the next two years:

https://thelansingjournal.com/2025/03/21/already-at-450k-dolton-sd-board-approves-pay-raise-for-superintendent/

To be fair, Mr. Nohelty also fulfills the duties of the "chief school business official," whatever that might mean, but we have to ask ourselves if even such a double appointment is worth that much money. Average household income in the area served by the Dolton School District is $42,000.00 per year, and the district spends $28,000.00 per student per year, with a teacher/student ratio of 1/10.

Make your own decision:  Is this salary reasonable? Given the amount spent per student and the ratio of teachers to students, should the district be able to do better? Whether they agree or disagree with the Board, how should citizens respond?

HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH?

Recently St. Louis-based commentator and radio host Jamie Allman addressed the issues surrounding the withholding by the federal government of $400 million to the university because of its administration's refusal to rein in anti-Israel demonstrators who have gone beyond the bounds of peaceful protest. Most citizens are probably unaware of just how much money the US government doles out to public and private institutions every year. $400 million is a huge amount, but it becomes staggering when you realize this is only a yearly donation--and yet more staggering when you realize that Columbia is only one of many, many institutions that receive federal funds, and is far from the largest recipient.

Allman dropped yet another bombshell:  The current endowment of Columbia is nearly $15 billion dollars ($14.8 billion as of June, 2024 to be exact). Mr. Allman was astounded not only that our educational institutions received such vast amounts of money, but--perhaps even more troublesome--why there was no outrage from US taxpayers about such an outward flow of public dollars.

Ask yourself:  Should heavily endowed institutions continue to receive such large funding? Should they receive any public funding at all? And why have college tuition increases generally outpaced the rate of inflation--sometimes dramatically so?