Can you imagine a music director ordering a set of parts for the Rosetti No.5 Concerto URGENTRLY by two email letters, but not providing any shipment address ???? In what a mind less time do we live now ???
But this is not the only customer. I receive orders without shipment address quite often. Nevertheless, it is not to blame our time or the customers from overseas. We just received the UNESCO report about the GERMAN educational system not reaching the international standard. You don’t believe it ??? It is true. 25% of the young people leaving the basic schooling behind them, have difficulties to read & write, have also great deficits in mathematics. Seven Million people in Germany (including the millions of "guest" workers (expatriats) are more or less illiterate. No a good news indeed. During my school time, everybody learned how to read music, even just for singing, - I do not speak here about the music lessons we got in the "humanistic gymnasium" - , but I speak about grammar school & middle school. Even today, it is much better in Austria than here in Germany. Here the music reading ability is just popular in the smaller places, where most young people join the village band or one of the two or three brass bands, or the church choir or the Maennergesangverein (Male Choir Society). But in the cities, - nothing. Shame. Well, if TV programs hail popular singers, praising them as "autodidact who cannot read or write music" .... no wonder that the level goes down & down the hill. But blaming the school system, the planners of the curriculum, the planners in the education ministry, - would it help much ? I doubt. It would not help you in your country, nor would it help here. Thumb folks are the BEST (EASIEST) CONSUMER. Thumb folks do never revolt. Thumb folks can be kicked in the ass, but would eventually say "thank you" then. The train has left the station already, lost culture cannot be brought back. A true sign of decadence. In Berlin they have changed the way of hiring musicians even for the city´s or the state´s orchestras. New members will not receive an unlimited contract after the trial period, so the contract can be ended any time, just respecting the requested time frame. This will destroy the music cultural landscape in Germany like an avalanche destroys villages in the Alps. But the villages can be rebuilt, orchestras NOT. If they are gone, they are gone forever. Prof.Hans Pizka, Pf.1136 D-85541 Kirchheim - Germany Fax: 49 89 903-9414 Phone: 903-9548 home: www.pizka.de email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________ post: [EMAIL PROTECTED] set your options at http://music.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
