Education Supplement
Thu, Jan 13 2011, 3:27PM
I was wondering what readers thought about the usefulness of this and other annual supplements in Gramophone.
The cynic in me sees it as just another means of obtaining useful advertising revenue from sources who might otherwise not advertise in Gramophone. For the reader of Gramophone which is ostensibly still a magazine concerned with reviewing the latest in Classical recordings, such supplements may be only of marginal interest and better served in other relevant specialist magazines.
They appear to be needless padding in an otherwise quiet month for new recordings.
Discuss...
Sat, Jan 15 2011, 10:55AM
#2
RE: Education Supplement
I agree that music education isn't the sexiest thing to read about, but anyone who cares about the future of classical music ought to be pretty angry about what's happening to everything from basic instrumental tutoring in schools to the vainglorious vacuous Michael Gove's snobby/arbitrary/daft league table of subjects he deems to be important - where music is placed somewhere between metal work and sewing - to the problems music and other humanities are inevitably going to face in universities, where tuition budgets have been slashed.
In other words, if you love music, you're now obliged to take a view on this. I suspect any future articles about music education might need to more forthright in tone....
Auric,
You may be right about the timing of this feature as to it being a 'quiet' month commercially. On the other hand, it does keep the issue of music edcuation before the public at a time when cuts (eg the Arts Council's recent announcements) threaten some of the work being done in this area. I hope the 'Gramophone' will continue editorially to maintain pressure on this most vital of issues for classical music.