When I was a kid, we had band and orchestra
class in school. If we wanted to play an instrument, regardless of income
or background, we could learn. Nowadays, unless (public) schools
raise their own funds to pay for them, music classes are almost
non-existent. Low-income schools have been hit particularly hard by
budget cuts, and many feel pressure to focus resources on preparing
students for standardized tests.
But for a select group of kids, things are about to change.
"Lower-income kids across the country will soon be getting a free music
education through hip-hop and other pop tunes they can relate to.
Boston's Berklee College of Music is reaching out to (several) cities
with a 15-year-old program that's made instrumental and vocal music
accessible to underprivileged local children."
With
technology provided by Apple Computer, Berklee alumni will teach
students how to play individual sections of their favorite songs and
then to play along with "special computer mixes" of them. If they are
learning how create pop songs, I wonder if they'll spend the bulk of
their time mastering Ableton Live and learning how pitch-correction software works. (Hi, Asslee Simpson! I'm talkin' about you!)
Thirty-five kids wanting to learn how to play "I Wanna Love
You," fighting over who gets to be Akon and who gets to be Snoop. I
hope the Berklee alums learn how to channel Suge Knight before setting
foot in the classroom. Still, I hope the idea catches on.
[via WIFR]
