One of the things I loved about working for The American Music Center, was the way it served as a nexus of 20th and 21st century American music. Through the collection of scores and recordings, there was a treasure trove to engage with. Through the various grant programs all sorts of information would circulate. And, there was NewMusicBox.org, which in addition to introducing artists, raised issues, and more. And, of course, there was the going to concerts and the network of artists and supporters.
What I came to understand, which was not taught to me at Juilliard, was that the 20th century, heading into the 21st, was the century of great innovation and world making in music, and so very much of it was American. From Ives to Gershwin, to Miles Davis. From Harry Partch to Lou Harrison, to Steve Reich, to Meredith Monk. And that was just concert music. There is folk, country, rock, pop, music theater. Sondheim, Captain Beefheart, Woody Guthrie, Frank Loesser, Ernest Tubbs, Tom Waits, Louis Armstrong, The Carter Family, Laura Nyro, Buddy Holly, and I can go on and on.
It was a century where music and meaning was invented and reinvented over and over again, often seemingly out of whole cloth. It was a century of innovation and powerful expression.
And, of course, it’s not limited to music. Whether it be Jackson Pollak, Cindy Sherman, Thornton Wilder, The Coen Brothers, Agnes DeMille, Paddy Chayefsky, W. C. Fields, George Carlin, well, it covers virtually every form of art you can imagine, from high to low, from comedy to tragedy, from commercial to financially bankrupt. It’s the stuff everyone knows, and the stuff known by just a few. It’s both the blockbuster and the diamonds scattered across the cultural and historical landscape.
I marvel at what America brought to the world. Made in America, by American artists. In so very many ways, it defines the century, as much or more in some cases than The Wright Brothers, the landing on the moon, the victory of World War II, the heyday of the motor city, and countless other archetypes of a great American century.
It’s a shame that this simple and glorious fact is not better understood, for if you take the time to think about it, to really embrace the great depth and breadth, the role it plays in our lives and society, well, you may come to the conclusion that it is our cultural heritage, and for every American a birthright.
On the anniversary of the death of John Lennon, and yes, I get the slight irony that he was British, I think about not only the great art, in and of itself, but the power of art and the artist. I think of the meaning that the art gives us, both literal and otherwise. I think of the platform that great and popular artists are accorded to speak out on behalf of truth and humanity.
I think of these haunting and vitally important words published this week in The New York TImes, by Yoko Ono:
The most important gift we received from him was not words, but deeds.
He believed in Truth, and had dared to speak up. We all knew that he
upset certain powerful people with it. But that was John. He couldn’t
have been any other way. If he were here now, I think he would still be
shouting the truth. Without the truth, there would be no way to
achieve world peace.
I spend a lot of time in my professional life trying to build a better mousetrap that connects arts to education, and I struggle with the ever changing message and lack of transcendent rationale.
There is one thing for sure, that while I remain ambivalent about much of the rationale that connects arts to higher test scores, and a culture of compliance and accountability, in my heart I believe that it is the 20th and 21st centuries of American arts that is the cultural heritage of each and every student, something that is their birthright. I believe that access to this cultural heritage, in a manner that provides engagement and ultimately ownership is fundamental to what education is ultimately about.
And if not through the public schools, how indeed will our students access and engage with their heritage?
So, why the arts? For this moment, in memory of John Lennon, I will say that it is because it helps to expand the hearts and minds of our citizens, providing a context and meaning for their lives and world, helping to create a pathway for them to be happy, productive, and ready to participate in a democracy.