Lost in transit

Recital

There are two towns, town A (where the music school is) and town B (where we live, and where the music school has a small franchise in the local elementary school). They border on each other. Both are run by the conservative (Christian Democrat) party; town A by the bourgeois small-to-medium business arm of the party, being a town of shopkeepers, and town B by the agricultural arm of the party, being a town of farmers. So of course they hate each other, the two towns.

Town A is snotty and uppity, and town B residents are doltish farmers, depending on whom you ask.

The music school held a recital in town B last week, and I went since my daughter was playing there. She was one of the ringers. The music school, see, sent several pupils to this recital to give it a little class, although they actually attend class in town A, because although I hate to say it, not many of the other kids, and not many in the audience did very much to put the lie to town B's image.

It was scary at first. I'm used to recitals in town A. Lots of people dress up for them. There is a high level of music appreciation in the audience. It is taken seriously. Kids play real instruments like violin and piano, some go on to study music.

At the town B recital, though: primarily keyboards with boom-chicka-boom rhythm tracks. And the ringers of course. And the obligatory sad little girl sawing her violin in half with her bow.

And the proud relatives in the audience taking pictures, thick of neck, red of face and not wearing the latest fashions. Who are these people, I wondered. If we suddenly had an ice-age, would they kill me for my firewood? They'd probably eat me as well, I thought.

Who are these people? My neighbors. Proud parents. And I'm an insufferable snob. I paid more attention and noticed that the crowd was far rulier than at earlier recitals. Fewer little children ran around screaming this time, and none climbed onto the stage during performances. Everyone waited until the recital was over to begin eating the buffet food. They were learning. Music was having a civilizing effect on them.

And maybe town A is getting less snotty now that town B's strip mall is draining business away.

Posted by Mig at June 30, 2004 08:08 AM