Monday, January 18, 2010

Classical punishment (again)


Add the West Park School in Spondon, Derby, England, to the list of institutions that use classical music to punish miscreants and deter further misbehavior:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2010/jan/18/classical-music-deterrent-schools

Besides dissing a cornerstone of Western art, using classical music as punishment is so day-before-yesterday. It's high time musical disciplinarians exercised more imagination and initiative.

The universe of off-putting music is vast: polka bands, mandolin orchestras, Hawaiian steel guitar, Rudy Vallee, Tiny Tim, Alvin & the Chipmunks, Mongolian throat-singing, field recordings from Karaoke bars.
One dose of "The Ethel Merman Disco Album," and the threat of repeat performances, would turn any juvenile delinquent into a model citizen.