Why don't kids nowadays know about Jazz and classi

Papertrail makes a good argument for continual testing of teachers to keep them honest. We need a lot more history, literature, sciences (biology, chemistry, astronomy, geography), mathematics, and english grammar and composition. Teach the kis how to diagram sentences.

And stop teaching them about lifestyles and sex; let 'em pick it up on the street. More fun.

I think Viridian and Onhwy61 are displaying a supreme level of wisdom in this thread with their posts. My hat is off to both of them.

To subjugate another human being to what one considers the "correct" or "preferred" style of anything in life is the height of arrogance. A lot of the most dangerous "isms" in the world are born out of this. Freedom is the ability for a person to listen to whatever music s/he so chooses.

My daughter is an avid cellist, constantly exposes herself to classical music, and has an ability to retain knowledge like very few people I've ever met. Her understanding of the music, both the breadth available as well as insight on the individual pieces, surpasses anybody else that I know of any age. The music program she was in while in public school was phenomenal due to the incredible efforts of her teachers, even though they are operating on a budgetary shoestring.

My son does not play an instrument and doesn't know much of anything about classical music, but over time listens to just about every genre imaginable, and avidly.

Both of them regularly have Hendrix, Zeppelin and, yes, even the Allman Brothers cued up. I give them trouble all the time about finally finding some "cool" bands to listen to.

My kids may not be representative of the norm (or they may be), but music is one of the most bonding influences in my family. I'd love to see the funding of the arts reverse it's downward trend, but nothing can kill the inspiration of music.

Trelja, Yes, there is something to be said for personal freedoms. However, there is also something to be said for exposing young people to music, art, lit, that they would not be exposed to otherwise. As "adults" we have a responsibility to see that our children/young people not only eat right (since the beginning of time, parents have been making their children eat their "vegetables"}, but to also see that they are taught and learn "right", that they learn to think, and question, and if they don't like something that they at least try it and know why they don't like it. Remember the foods you hated as a child but because of parents who made you try them, you finally learned to love. Also remember the ones you loved, but now hate. Children/young people, left to their own discretion would eat nothing but candy, ice ream, sodas, etc. Now there is nothing wrong with a good scoop of "ice ream", but there is also much right about eating ones "vegetables" , even if one hates the vegetables.

You and I do not disagree, Papertrail.

It is our responsibility to teach our children just as you said. And, I often jump through a lot of hoops in vain to get my daughter to eat food beyond meat, ice cream, candy, and chips (her 4 basic food groups), listen to jazz, or to read at all.

However, I take great issue when I hear some say chocolate is better than vanilla, green is better than blue, or wet is better than dry. The number one point I wanted to make is that whenever personal choice and free will are stomped on, the door is opened to perhaps jazz and classical music being the targets. Freedom does not protect the many, but the few. The doors to censorship and oppression are opened by arrogance and feelings of superiority.

No matter which music we prefer to listen to, the failure occurs when we do not recognize category ABC as being as viable as category XYZ. A good musical education will include such musical genres as blues, rhythm and blues, rock, pop, rap, hip hop AND world music (let's not forget that there are other relevant cultures in the world beyond Western Civilization) in addition to chant, classical, Romantic, etc. It wasn't so long ago that ragtime and jazz were decried in the same manner, often in far more blatant and open racist tones, that rap is towards my generation. Of course, if one chooses to listen to one type of music exclusively, their right to do so must also be guaranteed.