Message for animaux

Ericka Kammerer wrote:
Opera tends to be an acquired taste. It's hard to
appreciate opera without doing your homework so that you
understand the story and something about the music itself.
It is *much* easier to understand it if you see the opera
in person. If you do it a few times, you'll start seeing
it in a whole new light. The music isn't as melodramatic
as it might seem from the "outside."

Best wishes,
Ericka


This is why I thought it so shortsighted that the local opera company
offers no discount tickets for families. When DD started to express an
interest in opera, I tried to get affordable tickets, and there were
none to be had. I understand that it is very expensive to produce and
opera, of course, but the producers also have to understand that not
every family can afford $75/seat (no discount for children) and
accommodate that somehow. It could be half price day-of-show, or half
price for dress rehearsal, or SOMETHING, but they had *nothing* that I,
as a parent, could bring my middle-school daughter to (at the time when
she was deciding whether to apply to the vocal music program at the arts
high school). Now she goes for free with her HS vocal music class,
because dress rehearsals are free for HS student groups if the school
wants to participate. But when she was in middle school, they wouldn't
allow me to organize such a group based on her voice teacher's students,
or anything outside of an organized school group.

College students can get cheap ($20) tickets, though...but by then
you're competing for a *very* scarce resource ($20 for a college kid
could be a lot) and it's even developmentally later. Seems to me if you
can expose a kid in middle school, and keep them through high school,
you're building your college and beyond audience.

Sue

Tia Mary-remove nekoluvr to reply wrote:

From: (Texasxsgal1)


While opera (and viloins and organs) drive me nuts, i Just love the skirl of
the bagpipes .......


The actual sounds of opera don't bother me at all -- it's just that I have
no idea what is being "said" :-)! I've also wondered about what sounds llike
forced melodrama to my ear.


Wagner is a bit bombastic (not to mention rather long-
winded ;-) but when you start to "get" it, it seems less
melodramatic and makes more sense. It sure isn't Mozart,
though!

Ericka is right -- I have never really been
exposed to opera in person and I am sure that makes a big difference in
enjoying it.


It does make it a lot easier to follow the story, but
more than that, the music sounds different in person too.
Despite being a classical musician, I don't have all that
many classical recordings. I really don't enjoy *any* classical
recordings *nearly* as much as I enjoy them live, so I
always find the recordings rather disappointing. I really
should have more recordings now that the kids are getting
more into music. Adrian was learning a simple version of
a tune from Dvorak's New World Symphony on piano (the part
with the famous french horn tune), and I didn't even have
a recording to play for him so he could hear how the
orchestral version sounded!


As for the pipes -- I LOVE bagpipes of all sorts! I am especially fond of
the Uiellian (sp?) pipes but any bagpipe music is "music to my ears".


I love 'em too.

Best wishes,
Ericka

Linda D. wrote:

I never said the book had to be "fun", I just feel it would be
beneficial to attempt to offer a book that would be of interest to all
the students in a first year English class.


Why would one assume a dystopian science fiction book
exploring the possible consequences of a right-wing patriarchal
extremist society would be uninteresting to men (or anyone
else)? I would think it would generate fascinating class
discussions and be far more accessible than many other
novels. I just don't like pigeonholing people that way.
Plus, the wonder of literature is that it gives access to
different world views. What's the point of reading only
about what one has personally experienced? ;-)


Btw, my son isn't looking for *fun*, he's a Grad student in a
Masters program for Computer Science. He took the English course just
in case he decided to go into Education, but has since decided not
to..


I would certainly hope he isn't in it just for fun
(though I would also hope that he *does* at least find
elements of fun in his chosen areas). But I don't get
how encountering an important, well-written, insightful
novel could put someone off literature or education.
What would your son say about an English major taking
an intro computer course (to broaden his or her
horizons) who objected to learning, say, the c programming
language because he or she thought java was more relevant
personally? I suspect your son would recognize that one
has to start somewhere with *a* language, and that learning
*any* language helps build a foundation for understanding
programming concepts and learning other languages and
would bristle at the notion that students should expect
that each of them should be taught the language each
felt most relevant to him- or herself at the moment.

Best wishes,
Ericka

On 1/16/04 8:48 AM, in article ,
"Dianne Lewandowski" wrote:

Linda D. wrote:

Big snip!

What does Gucci have to do with diamonds? I don't 'get' that
part

Ask Cheryl. She was intimating that I'm some hoity toity person who
wears diamonds and designer clothing just because I believe that
"humanities" should be a part of school curriculum.

First, I said I didn't want to got to the classical events, I didn't want
the local nouveau "cultured" looking down their collective noses at ME. Of
course they'd be looking down their noses at the students, the senior
citizens and anyone else not chic.


Dianne, there is no doubt you have very strong feelings about
the arts, not all of us do. I don't care if my kids ever go to an
opera or read Shakespeare or see a Picasso.

My mother didn't like that "stuff" either. Thank the gods I had
grandparents, a father, aunts, uncles and teachers and schools who
insisted upon it and surrounded me with it. I'll bet you were never
exposed to it. Or that your family said: "Classical music? Yuck!
Hate the stuff!" That's very common. As is the notion that it only
belongs to those uppity ups who dress up in tuxes and gowns. That is
called a cultural war. A totally slanted view. One needn't be rich or
uppity to enjoy the richness of finer culture.

But it is true that the local "opera house" has a dress code that includes
ties and no jeans and designates "formal nights".

I was quite taken aback at the book my son's English
Instructor chose for them to read in English 116 at college. I don't
know if you've heard of it, but it's called "A Handmaids Tale", Why
would any English teacher assign a book that is so geared to women is
beyond me. What a great way to turn off guys to literature.

Not familiar so can't comment.
Dianne

Great book - you'd like it!
Cheryl

From: Ericka Kammerer

..... Despite being a classical musician, I don't have all that
many classical recordings. I really don't enjoy *any* classical
recordings *nearly* as much as I enjoy them live ........

Not being a musician, I love it live or recorded :-)! I probably ahve as
many classical recordings as I do "regular" music. #1 on my car radio is the
PBS station that plays classics from 9 to 3 during the day. DD has grown up
listening to it and she is doing the same for the SMDGD.
I have thought long and hard about just *why* I like classical music so
much. I am the only one in the family with an affinity for it. I have decided
that it's a result of being the first generation to grow up with television and
cartoon shows. Have you ever watched any of the old cartoons? The music is
almost *always* one of the great classics! So I grew up watching fun stuff on
the telly and listening to classical music at the same time! Add to that the
absolute WONDER of seeing Fantasia when young and I was hooked for life :-))!
Ya' think maybe that's why I get a kick out of Bugs Bunny doing Flight of the
Valkyries??? LOL CiaoMeow ^;;^
..
PAX, Tia Mary ^;;^ Queen of Kitties
Angels can't show their wings on earth but nothing was ever said about their
WHISKERS!!
Nothing is complete without a few cat hairs!

Susan Hartman/Dirty Linen wrote:


This is why I thought it so shortsighted that the local opera company
offers no discount tickets for families. When DD started to express an
interest in opera, I tried to get affordable tickets, and there were
none to be had. I understand that it is very expensive to produce and
opera, of course, but the producers also have to understand that not
every family can afford $75/seat (no discount for children) and
accommodate that somehow. It could be half price day-of-show, or half
price for dress rehearsal, or SOMETHING, but they had *nothing* that I,
as a parent, could bring my middle-school daughter to (at the time when
she was deciding whether to apply to the vocal music program at the arts
high school). Now she goes for free with her HS vocal music class,
because dress rehearsals are free for HS student groups if the school
wants to participate. But when she was in middle school, they wouldn't
allow me to organize such a group based on her voice teacher's students,
or anything outside of an organized school group.

College students can get cheap ($20) tickets, though...but by then
you're competing for a *very* scarce resource ($20 for a college kid
could be a lot) and it's even developmentally later. Seems to me if you
can expose a kid in middle school, and keep them through high school,
you're building your college and beyond audience.


True. I don't know what you have in your area, but
you could maybe keep your eyes peeled for recitals. They
tend to be inexpensive or free. It's not the same as seeing
a full blown opera, but you at least get to hear "real"
singing.
Are there any programs in your area not hosted by
the specific companies? For instance, in DC there's Stages
for All Ages, which has inexpensive tickets for children.
You are very limited in which performances and the number
of tickets, but if you call early you can get tickets for
kids for a reasonable price. Since I think our kids have
too many toys, we try to encourage "experiences" for
birthday gifts. My oldest will soon be nine years old
and my parents are fishing around for a show to take him
to. Last year, they took him to the ballet to see Peter
Pan, and it was terribly expensive at full freight (but
he really loved it).

Best wishes,
Ericka

Cheryl Isaak wrote:


First, I said I didn't want to got to the classical events, I didn't want
the local nouveau "cultured" looking down their collective noses at ME. Of
course they'd be looking down their noses at the students, the senior
citizens and anyone else not chic.


Why would you think they'd be doing that? I go whenever
I get the chance, and the only people I've ever seen "looked
down at" were people with no concert manners (talking during
the performance, cell phones/pagers making noise, kicking the
seat in front, etc.). There's usually a very wide range of
ages and types in the audience That's part of what makes it
fun--great people watching during intermission!


Best wishes,

Ericka

Tia Mary-remove nekoluvr to reply wrote:


Not being a musician, I love it live or recorded :-)! I probably ahve as
many classical recordings as I do "regular" music. #1 on my car radio is the
PBS station that plays classics from 9 to 3 during the day. DD has grown up
listening to it and she is doing the same for the SMDGD.


That is an excellent plan. It really, really makes a
difference, just like learning a foreign language. When you
get the sounds in your ears, your brain learns to make sense
of it, and the earlier you're exposed the better. You can
see this as an adult if you try to develop an appreciation
for non-Western music. In the beginning, it just sounds like
noise because your ears can't make sense of it. If you study
and listen for quite some time, you'll get to a point where
it starts sounding "normal" because you've finally trained
yourself to make sense of it. My son's piano teacher says
she can always tell which children have been exposed to
classical music and which haven't, because those that have
are able to make more sense of the music and play with more
musicality much earlier. I always figure it's a very good
thing to keep children's options open by exposing them to
many things while young just in case they take to it later
on.


I have thought long and hard about just *why* I like classical music so
much. I am the only one in the family with an affinity for it. I have decided
that it's a result of being the first generation to grow up with television and
cartoon shows. Have you ever watched any of the old cartoons? The music is
almost *always* one of the great classics! So I grew up watching fun stuff on
the telly and listening to classical music at the same time! Add to that the
absolute WONDER of seeing Fantasia when young and I was hooked for life :-))!
Ya' think maybe that's why I get a kick out of Bugs Bunny doing Flight of the
Valkyries???


Absolutely. The older cartoon music is *fabulous*, even
the stuff that isn't poached from the classical literature. It's
a shame so much of the film/tv/cartoon music now is so lacking.
Much of it now is just throwaway music (with some notable
exceptions, of course).

Best wishes,
Ericka

On 1/16/04 11:11 AM, in article , "Ericka
Kammerer" wrote:

Cheryl Isaak wrote:


First, I said I didn't want to got to the classical events, I didn't want
the local nouveau "cultured" looking down their collective noses at ME. Of
course they'd be looking down their noses at the students, the senior
citizens and anyone else not chic.


Why would you think they'd be doing that? I go whenever
I get the chance, and the only people I've ever seen "looked
down at" were people with no concert manners (talking during
the performance, cell phones/pagers making noise, kicking the
seat in front, etc.). There's usually a very wide range of
ages and types in the audience That's part of what makes it
fun--great people watching during intermission!


Best wishes,

Ericka

Remember, I live on the East Coast in the middle a region filled with the
universities of New England. Definitely a "dress code" - shabby preppy
clothes are more acceptable than pressed K-Mart specials.
Cheryl

I'll tell you the story of a volunteer that was told to take her efforts
elsewhere. She found several interesting opportunities for "enrichment" in
science, history (Strawberry Bank trip), music ( a Jewish folk group) and a
thought for the fifth grade trip (traditional a play).

The weather was great - fit in perfectly for the science curriculum. The
music was referred up to the middle school - the general music program (as
opposed to instrument track) where was a better fit. (1-3 is primarily
choral work, followed by introduction of instruments and introduction of
classical works.) The history didn't fit - the curriculum was for a "farming
village" not a port town. The play wasn't even close - meant for 16-18 year
olds not 9-11 year olds and on a subject not covered in that grade.

So - please book the buses for the trip to the play the teachers picked (a
musical about colonial life). Here's the phone number. Never did, why?,
cause it didn't fit what she wanted the kids to see.
Didn't want to play by the rules, so screwed the students out the trip and
the committee out of the $800 cost. Because she wanted it her way and told
the rest of the world to blow when she didn't get it.

She is not welcome at any PTA in town now and had her dues returned to her.

Frankly, I wouldn't mind having a concerned and dedicated non parent and new
comer ask what they could do to help. But if there was no "fit", we'd point
her (or him) a better direction. I guess there is no better direction,
locally, for you. But you made the choice to move where you did (and I am
not saying you had other viable options), your input was not welcomed, stop
tearing your self up over it. You will self destruct other wise.



Actually I don't. I'd prefer to fund schools on a local level. Period, end
of story, no entitlements, no Title One funds, nada.

Well, without Title One funds (or is that Title Nine?), this district
would be worse than it is. However, I agree that there are too many
mandates which are not funded.
Title One is "literacy", Title IX is equal funding of sports programs for
males and females.

But a "village" is my town. I pay taxes in MY town. So what happens
here is my direct responsibility,

No - you have a secondary responsibility, to pay taxes. You aren't on the
school board or a member of the PTA or a have a student, so you do not have
a direct responsibility for education.


Cheryl