Russians in the Heartland

Recently the St. Louis Symphony kicked off its 2010-2011 season with an all-Russian program, marking the inauguration of its season-long Russian Festival. The selections consisted of the rarely-heard Symphony No. 1 in G minor by Vasily Kalinnikov (1894-95), the Lieutenant Kije Symphonic Suite by Sergei Prokofiev (1934) and the Violin Concerto of Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1878), with Joshua Bell as soloist. Music Director David Robertson conducted.

This concert was not only a pleasure to the ears, but was educational as well. Although I had studied a bit of the Russian language in school (amazingly, it's not nearly as difficult as you might think), had read several novels and stories by Russian authors, and had waded through a bit of Russian history, hearing so much Russian music all at once made me stop and reflect on what this people has endured across the centuries. Invasions, repressive monarchical regimes, disease, revolution, excesses of the communist era--all are part of what this people has borne. How many people realize that the Russian death toll in World War II was as high as 22,000,000? Yet through it all their musicians have performed brilliantly, and their composers have produced beautiful music that breathes melody in and out, right to the present day.

Perhaps what struck me most of all as I listened was the sheer melodic quality of the music. Every piece we heard, although rhythmic and often gymnastic, still sported singable, haunting melodies that we all carried home resonating in our ears.

Even now I find myself recalling the opening themes of the symphony by Kalinnikov. His short life of less than thirty-five years (1866-1901) was a constant struggle with poverty and poor health, but his music is heroic, ebullient and free. His work is a reminder that greatness can overcome all obstacles.

The suite from Lieutenant Kije, based upon a comic movie about soldiers creating an imaginary officer, reminds us that people everywhere have faced the challenges of bureaucracy, boredom and feelings of powerlessness. Prokofiev's imaginative and sparkling score, however, transforms the mundane world into something much more magical.

The Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto needs no introduction to aficionadoes. It is filled with dizzying leaps and bounds, peaks as high as Everest, careening slides on the violin strings--but also with introspection and pathos. Joshua Bell is a supreme virtuoso. We often speak of a musical instrument working almost as an extension of a master performer's body, but Bell took this image to a new height; it was virtually impossible to tell where his arms and hands stopped and the wood and strings of the violin began. Watching a great musician is like watching the greatest of athletes.

The physical location of Russia is thousands of miles from the American Midwest. Yet on this September night Russia seemed to have opened its heart and soul in St. Louis.

Thanks for reading.
Gary

Who Is a Teacher?

Recently in an article I was preparing for publication I referenced a music education professor of mine who once observed that "the real music educator in our society is the DJ". His words made me realize anew that degrees and "certificates" are not the sole pathways to becoming an educator.

In the 60's and 70's it was fashionable to proclaim "We are all students; we are all teachers." Too much repetition trivialized the phrase, but its basic truth remains intact. Throughout our lives, in all situations, we will both instruct others and learn from them. Sometimes we will teach non-verbally, simply by sharing a work of visual art or a piece of music. Sometimes we will catch a ray of insight from someone else, perhaps unintendedly so. And there may be times when we teach or learn negatively--that is, by giving or receiving an example of how not to do something. But learning and teaching will take place at all times, passively or consciously.

Another professor in college also advised us not to worry about finding the right school, but to worry about finding the right teachers. This is some of the best advice a student can receive. When we direct ourselves to focus on receiving and imparting the best instruction available, we will all benefit.

Teachers come in all shapes and sizes, and all ages. A classroom teacher trained at Columbia Teachers College once pointed out that there had been times when her second grade students had shown her a better way to organize or present information. We would probably not have our present system of aviation had the early pioneers not learned from the flight of birds and insects. A DJ has the power to esthetically influence potentially millions of listeners simply by exposing them to a new work or a new style. Even the Bible admonishes us to consider the ways of the lowly ant.

We should never devalue ourselves as teachers as long as we strive to be accurate and sincere in what we share with others. Probably the best road to being a good teacher is to always remain a good and eager student. Of course there may be others who can teach better than we can, or who hold more knowledge in their brains to impart, but each of us still has our own contribution to make. In other words, the existence of a Shakespeare does not mean that a lesser writer has nothing to offer.

I have always pointed out the tragic fact that Mozart, Beethoven, Shakespeare, Einstein, Homer, Rembrandt and Michelangelo, just to name a few, would not have been allowed to teach in an American high school, even though their contributions transformed the world. Why? Because they weren't "certified". Mercifully, our schools are slowly coming to realize that the certification process, however well-intended, had the effect of depriving generations of students from contact with brilliant minds. But we all need to take up our mantles and realize that the gift and art of teaching is far too important to bottle up as a commodity. Teaching and learning is our birthright and our responsibility.

Thanks,
Gary

Animals All Around

Recently our home has been invaded by a pair of raccoons intent on welshing the dry cat food normally reserved for Sylvia, the beautiful stray cat who adopted us a couple of years ago. The raccoons began making their forays in the wee hours of the morning, gaining entrance through a back window left open for Sylvia to pursue her nocturnal haunts, but lately they have begun attempting earlier visits--almost as though they realized I was now closing the window before heading off to bed. This means that Sylvia will have to ask for assistance if she needs to go out in the night. Just what I needed.

A more harrowing experience with a creature of nature took place recently on a trip to Florida. I had gone out early in the morning to swim in the ocean, one of my favorite activities. There were several people in the water, including a number of children. Lazily, out of the corner of my eye I saw a man running onto the shore. I instantly realized it could only mean one thing: a shark was in the water. I snapped to attention and turned my head to see a dreaded dorsal fin heading my way. Judging from the size of the fin, I would estimate the shark to be no more than five feet long--certainly large enough to cause some damage. I prayed HARD to God asking for help, and somehow made it out of the water. I was subdued the rest of the day. Perhaps for the first time in my life I realized what it must feel like to live as potential prey.

These two experiences, plus the abundance of wildlife that seems to investigate my inner-suburban backyard every day, have made me reflect more than ever on the majesty, beauty and mystery of the animal kingdom. The diversity of animals is so overwhelming that we often grow numb to it. Even in our cities there is an incredible range of life-forms, all earnestly endeavoring to survive (ourselves included). When we behold our own bodies, we see that we are mammals, with organs, skin, hair and appendages. For this we should feel honored and exalted. Our creator, however we conceive of him, her or it, has seen fit to bless us with spiritual and physical attributes. We are truly amazingly made.

Even the ants that have plagued the kitchen this year are evidence of the diversity of life, as are the countless birds that fly overhead, the earthworms that make our soil viable, and even the denizens who crawl and slither in the night. Makes you wonder just what we will find someday on other planets.

Thanks,
Gary

Transfiguration in the Heartland

Recently I had the privilege of attending the opening of a new play premiering in St. Louis by a local playwright, The Healing of Joey Padowaski, by Mario Harwell, produced by First Run Theatre. My review of the play will soon appear on the station website of KDHX radio (kdhx.org), but the play elicited much to think about, so I decided to share some reflections with readers of this blog.

The protagonist of the play, Joey Padowaski, the offspring of a Polish-American father and an African-American mother, acquires the gift of healing by laying on of hands following a childhood accident. However, he comes to realize that he is an unhealed healer, with a tragic secret locked inside himself, and struggles to understand the meaning and purpose of his gift. As his introspection deepens, he comes to understand that true healing must be total healing: the heart, soul and mind must be healed and transformed along with the body. Through much of the play he spurns his gift, perhaps because he spurns himself and the things he has done.

The cast includes a motley assortment of seeming misfits, such as a drag queen, a doltish and abusive lughead from Brooklyn and his co-dependent girlfriend, the spirit of Joey's best friend, trapped in limbo, Joey's scheming boss and his mother, who questions whether it is even appropriate to possess and utilize a mystical healing power in the first place. This oddball crew achieves peace and emotional release by a strange osmosis when they witness the healing of a dead man by Joey. When the deceased man returns, he is transformed from the inside out, and views his life on earth as a mission that he so far has failed to carry out.

Through acceptance and understanding of themselves, each of the characters, including Joey, comes to the knowledge that their failures and shortcomings were attempts to avoid the acceptance of their inner greatness and sense of purpose. One character sums it up like this: "I realized that I wasn't afraid of the darkness of my soul....I was afraid of the light."

This play is about wholeness, and how there is no true healing without complete integration of body and spirit. And in an even broader sense, the true healing of one becomes the true healing of all. When we accept who we are and what we are, our innate goodness is released--we are no longer choking ourselves off.

Thanks,
Gary

Symbol versus Substance

Recently a mayoral candidate in the community where I live mailed out a flyer informing voters that he had been instrumental in convincing the community that we needed to build a new public elementary school. Clearly, he felt that this activity demonstrated his ability to lead an entire community and indicated his commitment to education.

I immediately saw two immediate problems with such assumptions. First of all, a building in and of itself does not make an education. What is far more important is the way the building will be used to foster learning. Our ancestors generally learned in schools so small that they were called "schoolhouses", lacking the technically advanced equipment so prominent in classrooms today, and yet standards in the past were arguably higher than today. Nowhere in the flyer was there any description of what our would-be mayor had done to make sure the children of our community received a solid foundation in history, geography, fine arts, foreign languages, reading, English, mathematics or any other subject. However, we had a new building, and for that he felt he should be rewarded.

Secondly, our candidate had concluded that success in having a building erected somehow made him fit to govern and guide an entire community. The only thing I felt we could conclude was that we would see some new public buildings constructed if we turned over the reins of leadership to such a man. We could not know what he envisioned would take place within those buildings.

One of the saddest hallmarks of society today is our acceptance of symbol over substance and quantity over quality. Yes, buildings are important, especially schools. But what goes on within the walls of a public building is what we should first be concerned about. Educational reform will never take place until we acquire a fresh understanding of education itself, not its trappings. We must decide, as individuals and as a society, what we want our students to learn, and what it takes to achieve true learning. Educational talk is simply talk, or jargon. Knowledge--the awareness of facts and ideas, and the ability to understand them, apply them and make reasoned decisions based upon such awareness--should be our primary goal.

Thanks,
Gary

Puccini in the Heartland

One of the most vibrant neighborhoods in the St. Louis area is known as "The Hill", home to the city's Italian-American community. Although the Hill has long been a bastion of stability and tradition, recently it has acquired a new role as a cultural beacon for the entire St. Louis community and beyond. St. Ambrose Roman Catholic Church, an icon in the neighborhood for many years, has recently opened its doors to productions mounted by the Winter Opera, founded (and often starred in) by St. Louis native Gina Galati. Recently, on the weekend of March 13-14, Winter Opera performed Giacomo Puccini's one-act knockout, Gianni Schicchi, a beautiful comic story of star-crossed lovers and a curmudgeon's will altered by a clever yet affable impersonator. The singing was joyous, rousing--and, very importantly these days--seemed to raise everyone's spirits right through the vaulted ceilings of the historic church. Special thanks indeed must go to the priests and lay leaders of St. Ambrose Church, since Puccini does poke a bit of fun at religiosity. But I'm sure everyone present was filled with gratitude to the work of the church in sharing the music of one of Italy's best-loved sons--a great gift from a nation that has given the world so much.

Opera right in the neighborhood is a wonderful experience, and, although perhaps recent in the U.S., opera has always been a part of daily life in Italy. Many residents of the Hill simply walked to the performance. And afterwards, there was no shortage of fine restaurants to cap off the evening. The performers onstage and in the orchestra, along with the crew and staff of Winter Opera, seemed to enjoy the music and storyline along with everyone else. This is a wonderful way to celebrate heritage and ancestral roots.

It must be noted that opera does not come free. Remember, "opera" literally means "the works", meaning that it is a feast for all the senses. These requires money and community support. I would love to see the day when performances such as Gianni Schicchi are free and open to the community. Hopefully we will work towards that end.

For additional information about the Winter Opera of St. Louis, contact its offices at 314-865-0038.

Thanks,

Gary

A Tragedy in North Carolina

Recently the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, which oversees curriculum in the state's public schools, offered a proposal that the teaching of American History in the 11th grade be altered to cover only events since 1877. This would leave out the American Revolution, the Civil War, the Colonial Period, the eras of exploration and expansionism, as well as the history of slavery and minorities prior to 1877. The presidencies of Washington, Jefferson, Jackson and Lincoln would be left out, as well as the struggle for emancipation. Rutherford Hayes would be the first president studied. To be fair, the state has indicated that these topics would still be included in curricula for the earlier grades, but one has to wonder if it is a wise decision to leave out coverage of the early eras of American history at a time when students should be developing a sense of time, place and analytical thought.

Rebecca Garland, chief academic officer for the NC Department of Public Instruction, insists that these guidelines would be put in place so that students could become more aware of the history that impacts their lives today (as though the development of American democracy and the growth of individualism had nothing to do with the present). The new standards, she argues, would enable students to "stop and smell the history".

A theme in American education for the past several years is that memorization of events, dates, facts and figures is not nearly as important as developing "critical thinking". I believe that most people who are able to think critically would agree that critical thinking cannot exist without a background of cold, hard knowledge--of which dates, facts and timelines would form a "critical" part. The proposed North Carolina changes would throw out a vast portion of knowledge that should be vital to any real sort of critical thinking.

Thankfully, many North Carolina citizens are outraged, including many educators. The people of North Carolina seem shocked at the proposed turn of events. The standards have not yet been enacted, and there will be a opportunities for public comment. There is hope yet that knowledge can be preserved. Hopefully reason and intellect will prevail in North Carolina and throughout the United States.

I thought everyone knew the saying: "Those who do not learn from the lessons of history are doomed to repeat its mistakes." Evidently there are some "educated" bureaucrats, most with initials after their names, who seem blissfully ignorant of the lessons offered by our history. Their attitude is arrogant, and is an insult to all citizens.

North Carolina has no corner on educational backwardness; we should all take time to cast a critical eye on the education bureaucrats who wield control over the intellectual upbringing of young people in all states. Yes, it takes time, but it is no exaggeration to state that the future of our civilization is at stake. An uneducated citizenry can only spiral downwards.

Thanks,
Gary