ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, April 17, 1997 TAG: 9704170009
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-17 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DAVID WILEY
AN OSCAR-winning movie like "Shine" brings renewed interest in classical music, yet in our own community we are often surrounded by our own unrecognized "Mr. and Ms. Hollands," if I may mix movie metaphors. I am referring to the unsung men and women, our community's music teachers, who create their opus with the kids every day, hopefully without David Helfgott's kind of breakdown.
Let's focus on the arts in our community. I've been surprised to hear some folks complain about a lack of cultural life or "things to do" here in the valley. Quite the opposite is true - too many choices for one evening or one lifetime. Numerous symphony concerts, wonderful theater, museums, ballet, opera, bands, recitals and concert series - one could go on and on!
The Roanoke Symphony and Choral Society brings music to more than 70,000 folks throughout Southwest Virginia each year. In our travels, we meet teachers who are struggling with limited resources to give their kids a basic education and appreciation for the arts. I am inspired by the tremendous effort of these teachers and the dedication they show to their work.
On one occasion in a rural area in Virginia, with a high school gym full of students assembled to hear the orchestra, I asked the kids: "How many of you are hearing a live symphony orchestra for the first time?" All but a few raised their hands! By the end of our performance, we could hear and see the excitement of the students, especially when one young lady was invited to the podium to lead the orchestra in a selection by Beethoven. I believe that many hearts, minds and ears were opened that day, including my own.
About 14 years ago, backstage at Symphony Hall, Boston, I met one of my heroes for the first time. Maestro Leonard Bernstein asked me: "Well, young man, why do you want to become a conductor?" With my cracking teen-age voice, I think I managed to squeak out something about my love of music and the excitement of being on stage in the limelight. Today, I love music more deeply then ever, but I think my answer to the maestro would be different. Now, the things that are most important to me include: education, communication and building community through music.
I had been raised in that big college town of Boston, where the measure of what was important seemed to be, "What do you know, and at what Ivy League school did you learn it?" In my travels to the West Coast to conduct, the focus had often been on "Who do you know, and how can this help me make more money?" Now, it is so refreshing to learn that in Southwest Virginia, the question I hear is, "How are you, how is your family, what can we do to welcome you?" It is indeed a privilege to serve as music director in such a wonderful, caring community.
Why are the arts in general, and orchestral music specifically, that important? It may seem obvious that we are constantly surrounded by music. In the car, in the store, at the dentist, on TV - it is everywhere. But how often do we actually sit back and listen to what we are hearing? Why should we bother to attend live concerts, when music is all around us? I hope to convey my passionate belief that the arts, and education about the arts, is a necessity, not a luxury, today more than ever before.
We are aware of changing needs in education, of the importance of helping our children become productive, creative citizens. We also face a crisis in our popular culture, one that has become increasingly violent and exploitative. Telling people to turn off the TV if they don't like what they see is like telling people to wear gas masks if they don't like pollution.
Peer pressure is a powerful force in kids' lives. Kids know all about the popular music that they and their friends listen to, and are quite vocal about what they like and dislike. Kids today can tell you more than you ever wanted to know about the hottest new band or most recently deceased rapper. One of my young students said that she hated anything that sounded like "that stuff my parents listen to - you know, Pavarotti and that kind of stuff." Others will say, "I like rap and rock because, even if I'm in a different room, I can still get it. I can still feel the beat."
Another young student said something that struck me and has stayed with me: "I like rock music because you don't have to pay attention in order to get it." Could it be that, if I may borrow the title from Neil Postman's perceptive book, we are "amusing ourselves to death?" We need to give kids a creative outlet. Study after study has shown that exposing kids to classical music, especially at an early age, stimulates cognitive development and raises IQ levels. Mozart's music works especially well in this respect.
The average home in the United States has its TVs turned on almost eight hours a day. Isn't it time to find a reason to turn the blasted thing off and get out of the house? At concerts, we can explore our own feelings, inspired by composers of the past and present. At concerts, we hear and see great artists, many of whom have the gift of making the familiar new, while providing insight into the human condition. Concerts give us refuge from the frenzied pace of modern living. They help to put our lives in perspective while we engage with art and the artists.
Although orchestral music is "entertaining" in the popular sense of the word, it is much more than that. Many of us find that the inspiration that we receive in the concert hall cannot be found anywhere else. The community of great artists performing great music can be among life's most exciting experiences.
There is the community of one, the process of self-discovery. There is the community of two that brings loved ones together for shared experience. There is the community of the audience and the artists, where all are inspired by the magic of a live concert performance. Finally, there is the community of generations, as we preserve that which is valuable for the next generation of participant listeners. Remember the Aspen tree - cut a single one down and the entire Aspen grove suffers. The arts are much like that Aspen grove, a collective community that must be nurtured in its entirety.
So what are some concrete ways that the symphony and chorus benefit our community? We support our youth orchestras and "side-by-side" programs, where students play alongside mentors in the parent orchestra. We make it possible for performing groups of all sizes to travel to local schools and civic centers, leading events where kids are encouraged to participate, learn and have fun. We program family, holiday, "pops" and children's concerts, in addition to our traditional evening classics concerts.
We do these and other programs to encourage families to enjoy music together in a nonviolent, nonconfrontational environment. With the help of our dedicated volunteer support groups, we establish free lectures, private lessons and "meet the instrument" programs.
These are just a few of the diverse programs working in our area. Other arts organizations bring important and unique benefits to our community, as well. These vital programs touch the lives of everyone, not just the elite or the middle class.
We do this not only because we want to build educated audiences for the future, but also because we want to build communities for the future. An investment in our symphony orchestras is an investment in people, an investment in all of us. Supporting local arts organizations like the symphony orchestra is one of the best investments a business and an entire community can make, raising the duality of life for all, while attracting better employees to local businesses.
Finally, the arts promote important human qualities, including character, self-discipline, perceptiveness and creativity. The arts say much about us as a community and as a culture: "This is what we are, this is us at our best."
The arts embody the hope for a better future for our children and our civilization. What kind of world do we want a future generation to see the next time Hale-Bopp passes by? May the arts shine!
DAVID WILEY is music director and conductor of the Roanoke Symphony and Roanoke Valley Choral Society. He and his wife, Leah, live in Roanoke.
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