Mar 2014
True and False...Yes and No
15/03/14 23:26
Have you ever read True and False by David Mamet? You should. Whether dancer, painter, actor, composer, violinist, or mime - read this book. And, if you’re like me, you’ll disagree with just about every word.
I’m not going to dare commentary or judgement on this work - there are far more intelligent people out there to give you better perspective. I’ll limit my response to one reaction and one quote.
One of Mamet’s main points lies in a seemingly total lack of faith in the institution: “Part of the requirement of a life in the theatre is to stay out of school” (18). Now, I’m no fan of blindly following the rules (in fact, I take immature pride in pushing boundaries that no doubt I must grow out of in a few years), but this disregard of the institution’s merits contradicts even the sensibilities of a rebel like me. The institution is a mechanism of concentrated learning experience for those who utilize it to its best effect. There is no better example than this final year of my master’s degree. I am a demanding student - I demand that instructors are intelligent, passionate, experienced, and care about my learning experience. I want to learn. The professor that recites monotony off lessons plans he hasn’t changed since 1986 will find me belligerent, combative, and a general pain in the ass. If this is the only experience Mamet came across, I completely agree with him. But there are thousands of sensitive, brilliant, passionate educators out there and, yes, they are generally found in the institution. The professor that encourages discourse without forcing his opinion, has genuine concern for not only what I’m learning but how I’m learning, and treats me like an adult with expertise and experience of my own - this professor will find me a virtual sponge for whatever he has to teach. In all the debate about education, and music education in particular, what is wrong with the student setting expectations for the educator? With a student taking control of her education rather than just swallowing the listed requirements? With demanding a learning experience? Some of my most gratifying learning experiences are in classes outside of my area of study. Strings with the director of orchestras, Music Business with a professor completely outside my college, Andragogy with the Chair of Music Education - none were required but all were beneficial beyond count. I sought them. Such experiences are not only found in the institution, but there’s the mechanism, right in front of you, for you to use. Take advantage of it! What success in there in scorning it? The proactive student finds seeds of learning within the institution, and the institution offers a concentrated nest of such possibilities. So, go seek them out.
(As you can see, I’m attempting brevity compared to my initial reaction.)
This book is provocative, an easy read (in rhetoric), but the content sparks ubiquitous reactions from every artist (at least certainly from all those to whom I’ve shown this book). It generates debate, beautifully heated debate. Oh, and by the way, it came to my attention by way of a professor in (you guessed it!) the institution.
I’m not going to dare commentary or judgement on this work - there are far more intelligent people out there to give you better perspective. I’ll limit my response to one reaction and one quote.
One of Mamet’s main points lies in a seemingly total lack of faith in the institution: “Part of the requirement of a life in the theatre is to stay out of school” (18). Now, I’m no fan of blindly following the rules (in fact, I take immature pride in pushing boundaries that no doubt I must grow out of in a few years), but this disregard of the institution’s merits contradicts even the sensibilities of a rebel like me. The institution is a mechanism of concentrated learning experience for those who utilize it to its best effect. There is no better example than this final year of my master’s degree. I am a demanding student - I demand that instructors are intelligent, passionate, experienced, and care about my learning experience. I want to learn. The professor that recites monotony off lessons plans he hasn’t changed since 1986 will find me belligerent, combative, and a general pain in the ass. If this is the only experience Mamet came across, I completely agree with him. But there are thousands of sensitive, brilliant, passionate educators out there and, yes, they are generally found in the institution. The professor that encourages discourse without forcing his opinion, has genuine concern for not only what I’m learning but how I’m learning, and treats me like an adult with expertise and experience of my own - this professor will find me a virtual sponge for whatever he has to teach. In all the debate about education, and music education in particular, what is wrong with the student setting expectations for the educator? With a student taking control of her education rather than just swallowing the listed requirements? With demanding a learning experience? Some of my most gratifying learning experiences are in classes outside of my area of study. Strings with the director of orchestras, Music Business with a professor completely outside my college, Andragogy with the Chair of Music Education - none were required but all were beneficial beyond count. I sought them. Such experiences are not only found in the institution, but there’s the mechanism, right in front of you, for you to use. Take advantage of it! What success in there in scorning it? The proactive student finds seeds of learning within the institution, and the institution offers a concentrated nest of such possibilities. So, go seek them out.
(As you can see, I’m attempting brevity compared to my initial reaction.)
This book is provocative, an easy read (in rhetoric), but the content sparks ubiquitous reactions from every artist (at least certainly from all those to whom I’ve shown this book). It generates debate, beautifully heated debate. Oh, and by the way, it came to my attention by way of a professor in (you guessed it!) the institution.
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