Posted by dp on June 01, 2003 at 15:48:25:
In Reply to: extravagant student ensemble trips posted by js on June 01, 2003 at 13:09:25:
Joe, I know you're sincere, even when intentionally fomenting discord, but your question reminds me of all the wet blanket parents that voted down my High School Band's desire to go to some Vienna-fest in 1970.
"Why?" You ask? In my youth, I don't think another opportunity to see yurrop existed, and until I was in my 40's I didn't even get the pleasure of that long-ass plane flight for business. For music, indeed any arts students, you can go ahead and let the best that the N.E.A. will toss their way be their experiential benchmark...or you can support sending kids to places where the buildings are three times older than our country! Something to be said for the context and culture of the rest of the world being a fitting compliment to the educative process...but I am not sure this is an effective forum for championing such experience. Even if the question about such experiential value sounds more like rhetorical than one where there are real philosophical differences.
Best,
Dale