For the sake of time

In Sweden we have the tradition of letting children take music classes, usually starting around 3rd or 4th grade. Getting to leave class to go toot a trumpet or bang a piano seemed like a waste of time. My best part of the day was when two bullies had lessons right after one another, they never came back on time and the room settled. Even back then I couldn't quite grasp the concept of musical notes, so I never learned. Not even playing twinkle twinkle little star on the piano or flute. According to my high school music teacher I'm not worthy of living.

I'm wondering how many of those people still play their horns, drums, clarinet or violin. Did they keep it up for long after it offered an escape from class or was just a ploy to make kids into musicians?

There were concerts too, endless concerts with instruments out of tune. The idea wasn't really to teach anyone to play well, it was more under the banderole that anyone can, everyone's good, if only they try. Those poor souls that didn't participate in the concerts were forced to listen, as I recall we were five children. Five to applaud twentyfive. Do the math for an entire school...

I would like to see some statistics for how it was in different parts of the country, and not only in this god fearing area full of farmers and factory workers. (Dear Molly, that was such an evil thing to say) But seriously, I have a point in that. Maybe it's more appealing to those who didn't have classical music around them anyway, to those whose mother didn't say "Listen to this sweetheart, can't you just hear how the build up fills your whole being and then explodes in your heart?", repeatedly playing the same symphonies over and over. And maybe I would have been able to enjoy the out of tune concerts myself had I not been dolled up as a child and taken to places a child had no place.

So I suppose I should be grateful that they were given the chance to discover the things I was given for free. Just like I had to learn to play soccer and hockey. I never would have gotten the idea to try had it been up to me. It saddens me that the activities I had an actual intrest in weren't part of the curricilum so the soccer nerds never had to learn to ride horses.

School isn't only about teaching you to read and write, it's also about showing you new things, something that doesn't have anything to do with your family and friends, a chance for you to grow and discover who you will eventually become.

For me, that ment I discovered I'll never be able to read music, and I ice skate better than I kick a ball and I have no personal use for the periodic table, but that's a completely different story. My love for books, words, music from another angle, cats and the colour red has completely different origins. Although, I will give school some credit for helping me with the basics of a different language.