Music access is so much better than it used to be. How should we talk about it?
I told some stories today about the pains I had to take to listen to The Singers Unlimited when I was in college. The immediate access from online music stores and streaming services is truly remarkable.
There are two ways of wrapping up that story. First, I could have said “You don’t know how good you have it these days.” Second, I did say, “We are so fortunate now.”
I don’t doubt that the changes will continue to pile up as technology advances and the gulf between the age of me and my students grows ever wider. It’s the privilege of any teacher to experience that.
But I can’t hope to connect with my students if I draw a line between lucky them and unlucky me twenty-five years ago. Better to draw a circle around us all, and acknowledging our commonality.
Now to go listen to The Singers Unlimited sing “Indian Summer.”