You and I do not disagree, Papertrail.
It is our responsibility to teach our children just as you said. And, I often jump through a lot of hoops in vain to get my daughter to eat food beyond meat, ice cream, candy, and chips (her 4 basic food groups), listen to jazz, or to read at all.
However, I take great issue when I hear some say chocolate is better than vanilla, green is better than blue, or wet is better than dry. The number one point I wanted to make is that whenever personal choice and free will are stomped on, the door is opened to perhaps jazz and classical music being the targets. Freedom does not protect the many, but the few. The doors to censorship and oppression are opened by arrogance and feelings of superiority.
No matter which music we prefer to listen to, the failure occurs when we do not recognize category ABC as being as viable as category XYZ. A good musical education will include such musical genres as blues, rhythm and blues, rock, pop, rap, hip hop AND world music (let's not forget that there are other relevant cultures in the world beyond Western Civilization) in addition to chant, classical, Romantic, etc. It wasn't so long ago that ragtime and jazz were decried in the same manner, often in far more blatant and open racist tones, that rap is towards my generation. Of course, if one chooses to listen to one type of music exclusively, their right to do so must also be guaranteed.
It is our responsibility to teach our children just as you said. And, I often jump through a lot of hoops in vain to get my daughter to eat food beyond meat, ice cream, candy, and chips (her 4 basic food groups), listen to jazz, or to read at all.
However, I take great issue when I hear some say chocolate is better than vanilla, green is better than blue, or wet is better than dry. The number one point I wanted to make is that whenever personal choice and free will are stomped on, the door is opened to perhaps jazz and classical music being the targets. Freedom does not protect the many, but the few. The doors to censorship and oppression are opened by arrogance and feelings of superiority.
No matter which music we prefer to listen to, the failure occurs when we do not recognize category ABC as being as viable as category XYZ. A good musical education will include such musical genres as blues, rhythm and blues, rock, pop, rap, hip hop AND world music (let's not forget that there are other relevant cultures in the world beyond Western Civilization) in addition to chant, classical, Romantic, etc. It wasn't so long ago that ragtime and jazz were decried in the same manner, often in far more blatant and open racist tones, that rap is towards my generation. Of course, if one chooses to listen to one type of music exclusively, their right to do so must also be guaranteed.