This past week's episode of Glee entitled, "Grilled Cheesus" brought up a great point about spirituality and allowing spiritual and religious songs to be sung in choirs in public schools. This conversation has been going on for a long time in the world of music education.
While I understand the arguments against allowing such music in schools, I, personally, find it more beneficial to allow the music to be taught. Music can be a history class, after all, and music such as Handel's "The Messiah" is a perfect example. While, yes, the song is about praising God and Jesus, and yes, it has strong Christian ties, it provides the students with wonderful learning opportunities. The harmonic structure challenges students to concentrate on their own part and not relying on those around them, while at the same time being aware of what is happening in the other parts. Not all of the students in the choir may be christian, but teaching "The Hallelujah Chorus" is not about converting students, its about challenging them. I am Jewish, yet "The Hallelujah Chorus" was always my favorite song to sing in my high school's winter concert. While I don't believe in the text of the song, I learned how to pretend I did for the sake of the song. Each student also had the choice to not sing the song if they didn't feel comfortable singing it, and that is very important. A music teacher must never force a student to sing or play a song they find insulting to their religion or beliefs. However, to completely eliminate this music from the curriculum denies the students the historical aspect of music. At one point, all music was written for the church. The history in that music is just as important as modern, non-religious music. It is one thing to present a song to your musical group for the purpose of teaching challenging skills and musical elements. It is a completely story to teach religion in a music setting. Music teachers intend on developing their student's musical abilities, not to convert them, and this traditional music definitely presents wonderful challenges for students of all ages and skill levels.
It's funny the different reactions people have to Glee. While it certainly is not "realistic," it can be an entertaining and thought provoking show. Certainly this episode ("Grilled Cheesus") provides much food for thought. BTW, I often watch Glee on Hulu, a great way to catch recent TV episodes you've missed.
ReplyDeleteYou bring up some very good points. I definitely agree that it is important for musicians to have access to and perform all types of music. This includes music of a religious nature. I went to a public high school, and the choir would often sing Handel's "The Messiah". I know that many students looked forward to singing it, even if they were not Christian. I also agree with your belief that teaching this music is like teaching a piece of history, not an attempt to convert students. Thanks!
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