When I started a music program at an alternative high school, I had no idea how old I was becoming. I’m only 25, but in the eight years since I’ve graduated from High School, music has gone through some pretty dramatic changes. It’s the same for every generation. You begin to lose interest in new music over the years, and begin to think that the ‘golden age’ of music has disappeared. You’re not the only one going through this. Ever notice your 65-year-old grandmother tapping the steering wheel to some new artist you just can’t stand, while you’re in the passenger seat grinding your teeth? Then your grandma is one of the lucky ones. She is one of the blessed few who don’t get trapped into a couple decades of music and think everything else is junk.
Go beyond the generational difference, there are some artists that everyone should know, even if they aren’t within their era or favorite genre of music. If you agree with that last statement, then you should be able to imagine my horror when one of my students asked, “Who is Whitney Houston?” She had just passed the day before, and he had learned about her death. I was completely shocked and thought it impossible for anyone his age to not know Whitney Houston. That’s when it hit me; I’m fading out, getting old, dust in the wind. This kid was looking at me with the same look I had given my teacher when he played his music during class. How could this be? What odd circumstances in life prevented you from ever hearing about Whitney Houston, one of the most famous singers in recent history?
I understand, it’s a little bit dramatic on my end. We all go through it, and we all accept it eventually. In the meantime, my fellow co-worker and I take 5 minutes at the beginning of each class for the students to share a song. Each week, a different student shares a song, and we encourage them to share a song that they truly enjoy and might not be popular amongst the other students. It has worked out phenomenally. The students listen to the music with limited interruption, then each shares their thoughts on the music afterward. It’s been a pretty enlightening experience. I get introduced to music that I had never heard, either because I wasn’t looking or being close-minded. I also get a nice surprise when a student plays a Tupac or Pink Floyd song from time to time. It appears that my favorite music won’t die with my generation after all.
