On Shaping Loves and Irrigating Deserts | “How do you get someone to love Johann Sebastian Bach who would rather listen to Taylor Swift?” a music colleague recently asked me.
I wonder if a soft soaking of Bach playing quietly in the background during non-instructional periods of time in different classes / lessons (study hall, etc.) would pique a gentle appreciation of classical music in the students? Maybe, at least, a willing awareness of when they hear such music being played in other settings! This soft soaking would probably need to take place several times a week over a school year (for example, different pieces of Bach played consistently for 6 weeks). Perhaps, there are some teachers willing to play Bach, and eventually, other classical muscians' pieces during a specified time in their classes... if the school allows?
I have mixed feelings about this. On one hand, it's hard to think that Bach playing more would not help. On the other, I don't want to reinforce the common idea that classical music is background music to be played in the background without paying much attention to it. If music is a language, and it most certainly is, then you wouldn't put an audiobook on in the background while you did the dishes. I think we should modify your suggestion only slightly to have active listening of Bach and not passive background listening. Then we'd be better off. Thanks for the feedback!
Excellent piece. And small doses of Bach, through works like his “Jig Fugue,” can be especially appealing to young children and adults alike. It’s one of our favorites during our short commute. And watching someone play it can be astounding! Here’s one link:
I wonder if a soft soaking of Bach playing quietly in the background during non-instructional periods of time in different classes / lessons (study hall, etc.) would pique a gentle appreciation of classical music in the students? Maybe, at least, a willing awareness of when they hear such music being played in other settings! This soft soaking would probably need to take place several times a week over a school year (for example, different pieces of Bach played consistently for 6 weeks). Perhaps, there are some teachers willing to play Bach, and eventually, other classical muscians' pieces during a specified time in their classes... if the school allows?
I have mixed feelings about this. On one hand, it's hard to think that Bach playing more would not help. On the other, I don't want to reinforce the common idea that classical music is background music to be played in the background without paying much attention to it. If music is a language, and it most certainly is, then you wouldn't put an audiobook on in the background while you did the dishes. I think we should modify your suggestion only slightly to have active listening of Bach and not passive background listening. Then we'd be better off. Thanks for the feedback!
Excellent piece. And small doses of Bach, through works like his “Jig Fugue,” can be especially appealing to young children and adults alike. It’s one of our favorites during our short commute. And watching someone play it can be astounding! Here’s one link:
https://youtu.be/WuoxijdFKA0?si=37CqpUuNgEasarR6