Re: Does klezmer have a place in academia?

[Mattflight <Mattflight...>]

    As a current college student whose focus is on Jewish Music Expression 
from the Eastern European aesthetic and beyond, (What the marketing 
department puts under the "Klezmer" umbrella, I like to call myself a 
musician that caters to the "Jewish" and "Yiddish" crowd.) I find that 
Klezmer has as much a right to have a place at the Academic table as any 
other type of music. The question is a place at the table good for the music? 
Is a place at the table good for any other styles of music than the style of 
the table? The same as you wouldn't put Queen Ann Chairs at a Bauhaus table, 
does "Klezmer" fit at "Classical" music table?
    I like Tom's idea for a master degree program and as a person who is 
looking at heading to grad school once I finish my undergrad degree next year 
would love that type of program. But is that program what the music needs. 
Zev Feldman describes the music in his article on the Bulgar as being diverse 
but not eclectic. The Academic community has a way of styling subjects to 
make them fit departments goal in educating its students. In a way this has 
happened to the music that has come to define the "core repertoire of 
klezmer" through recordings.  Changing tastes in the listening public over 
the years have driven some of these changes, but so have the route that 
revivalists took to learn the music.
    If one where to teach "Klezmer" music I don't believe that to full teach 
it can be taught outside of a "Yiddish Culture" educational institution. My 
Jewish Studies minor is made up of almost 1/3 of the classes not being about 
"Jewish" culture. Every class but one could be classified as a survey class, 
and even if I wanted to take something deeper they didn't offer them in any 
of the Jewish classes.

    I will admit that I don't go to the perfect educational institution. I am 
a Music Literature Major without the performance add on because as a 
percussionist they have no place or equipment for me to practice on. Also the 
only teachers they could send me to, because no of them are inside the 
school, can only teach drum set. I have taken piano lessons instead most of 
the time to become a better overall musician. When talking to a music history 
teacher the other week she suggested that I should apply to a performance 
program rather than an ethno program because I would rather perform than 
anything else. My issue is do I have the type of chops that schools are 
looking for having spent my time getting a well rounded education. I have 
enjoyed my school experience, I just don't know if I would take the same path 
if I did it again. A combination of factors lead me to this path at the time.

    I don't know if any forms of music other than classical can be taught in 
side the academic frame work. And even then for the performers, is that the 
frame work that will help them the most in the career that they want as 
performers. The key is being able to have a good mentor/teacher/guru 
relationship.

Matt Temkin

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