Peabody holiday concert inappropriate song selection
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Anonymous
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People ... your children need to learn about all religions. Learning about it, learning about the art and music of religious cultures is a part of education. Those of you getting all hot about this sound really, really ignorant. Are you going to forbid your child to take a humanities or art history class too? Opt of of World History because they will learn about religions and religious wars? Never allow them to visit the Sistine Chapel or an art museum?
Teaching about it is not indoctrination. Remaining ignorant about it is what leads to uneducated people believing stereotypes that are not a true understanding of others. Your insecurity is astounding. |
Anonymous
| I live on the Hill and saw this post on Moth and was dismayed. I was happy to see several people respond on Moth in support of Peabody. The OP on Moth also accused the school of violating the Constitution (I’d say we need to be concerned about bigger Constitutional violations these days). I don’t practice any religion, but find these lyrics beautiful (as I find, for example, Amazing Grace beautiful). I think it’s wonderful to expose our children to music and traditions of different cultures and faiths and what better time to do it than this celebratory time of year. |
Anonymous
| I'm a secular mom of an atheist child at a public charter. My child's school sometimes includes religious Christmas songs in their winter concert. I'm fine with it because I feel that the school is very careful to do a balanced program that represents a variety of faiths and secular celebrations and does not do holiday decorations. |
Anonymous
I’m the PP first quoted. There is enormous value to culture, and children learning about cultural references to make them well-rounded and able to take part in well-informed conversations as adults. Some of the most famous works of classical music are based in Christianity, because of their European history. Reading the major religious texts (Christian, Jewish and Muslim) should also be something people do, to broaden their minds, just like studying languages, or literature. Many famous works of art or literature are full of outdated prejudices against women and minorities, yet we still study them. It’s all part if our history and why our society is what it is today. I understand and agree with school secularism and the separation of church and state, but don’t make the mistake of shielding your children from cultural references of all types (western, eastern, wherever you’re from). We must expose our children to all kinds of things to ensure they develop critical thinking skills and tolerance. So traditional songs st school during the Holidays is perfectly fine, in my opinion. |
Anonymous
| Peabody is an elementary school. This is not AP English studying the Koran, Torah, New Testament in counterpoint to the Iliad. Four year olds singing about Jesus are not “learning tolerance and critical thinking skills.” They are being taught what is normative. And if that’s not their cultural myth or origin story, they are being taught they are abnormal. This is not appropriate in a public school. Great song for a church. Poor choice for a public elementary school. Doing a unit on Negro spirituals as literature or in history with appropriate cultural context -fine. |
Anonymous
| Christmas is a religious holiday. It celebrates the birth of Christ. Nothing wrong with singing about that. I have no problem with hearing Jewish, Kwanzaa, or any other songs/ music to celebrate the season at a holiday concert. |
Anonymous
They were not celebrating all religions. Just one. |
Anonymous
Many music classes for kids teach traditional songs from other cultures. My guess is this was in a music textbook probably to teach a particular style of music and some element of music like rhythm. |
Anonymous
| Merry Christmas! You’re welcome. |
Anonymous
Kwanza is not a real holiday. It was contrived, and to equate it with Christmas or Hanukkah is a joke. |
Anonymous
That isn't the point and all the holidays are commercialized and basically a joke now. Hanukkah is not equal to Christmas which shows your lack of knowledge but the point being they are only celebrating one holiday, not all. Its inappropriate. |
Anonymous
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I am a WASP but I'm not a huge fan of kids singing Christmas songs in a public school. I went to a DCPS decades ago and the (presumanbly Christian) African American principal did not allow Chirstmas songs.
That said, I am not sure what the cultural makeup of Peabody is. If you are white, I would not speak up and complain about the kids being taught an old black spiritual. That's not a good use of your energy imo. You might offend people and be seen as the white gentrifier telling African American students and teachers not to sing songs from their culture. I just would not go there. |
Anonymous
| Parents should vote with their feet. Stop going to these concerts. Some funding these concerts in whole or in part. Get excused absences for any class time wasted on preparation for these concerts. |
Anonymous
| This is not appropriate for public school. |
Anonymous
Incorrect. They sang a Hanukkah song at the same concert. Also, no 4 year old unfamiliar with Christianity will get Jesus = God from the song. Mary had a baby; “oh lord” is also mentioned. That’s it; they even cut the “she named him Jesus” verse. A real woman named Mary really did have a baby. |