The Crisis of Classical Music in America: Lessons from a Life in the Education of Musicians.

Wong, Hei Ting

The Crisis of Classical Music in America: Lessons from a Life in the Education of Musicians. By Robert Freeman. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2014. [xxv, 243 p. ISBN 9781442233010 (hardcover), $95; ISBN 9781442233027 (paperback), $45; ISBN 9781442233034 (e-book), $44.99.] Illustrations, appendices, bibliographic references, index.

American musicologist and educator Robert Freeman offers a personal yet authoritative look at classical music education in America in his book, The. Crisis of Classical Music in America. This book tells the tale of Freeman's journey to becoming a professional musician. Raised in a musically-talented family, Freeman taught at Princeton University and MIT, served as director of the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester, president of the New England Conservatory, and dean of the College of Fine Arts at the University of Texas at Austin. His background uniquely qualifies him to write about and critique classical music education in America. Written in first-person narrative, this book is a collection of Freeman's ideas and thoughts from his lifelong professional musical training and over four decades of leadership in academia. Freeman is undoubtedly one of the most respected and influential scholars to provide insights on the past, present, and future of classical music education in American colleges.

The foreword, written by Leonard Slatkin, music director of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, is the personal reflection of an industry' insider on the challenges facing classical music education in the United States. Like Freeman, Slatkin is apprehensive about the disappointing changes in music education in public schools in America: "More than a quarter century ago, Dr. Freeman began to address the educational issues that have today reached nothing less than crisis proportions, from the disappearance of music education in the public schools to the glut of single-minded musicians who have learned to excel at competitions rather than at music making," Slatkin writes. "Today we see a vast migration [to study music] here [in America] from East Asia. ... A principal question that concerns Dr. Freeman is where all these talented kids from all over the world are going to go when they graduate" (pp. xi, xiv). Freeman explores and addresses these issues in his book.

This book is divided into two sections. The first section discusses the development of the American classical music industry and education, while the latter section presents the author's advice and recommendations to people associated with the industry. In chapters 1 to 3, Freeman looks at the historical context of classical music education in America and its challenges, and discusses his experiences related to classical music education. Chapter 1 is an overview of higher education and the classical music industry in America from the mid-1950s, when Freeman was in college, and how these relate to the social, political, and technological developments in American society. He points out that the environment and survival of the classical music industry is dependent on the economy. This is directly related to the elite image of classical music: that it is only for people who can afford to go to concerts, own musical instruments, and take music lessons. While many music graduates become music teachers, Freeman argues that music students and musicians need to face the reality of shrinking markets and audiences created by social and technological changes.

Chapter 2 explores the development of classical music education. Freeman traces the earliest thoughts on music education to the ideas of Plato and Aristotle, which concern "music's role in society and the development of a harmonious personality rather than instruction in performance" (p. 13). In addition, classical music and education have an impact on social and gender roles and are important to religious communities, particularly the Roman Catholic Church, which played a large role in disseminating music education to the public. The shifting focus of classical music education to a greater emphasis on instrumental performance, a trend that began in conservatories in Europe in the late nineteenth century, highly affected music instruction in America. Conservatories were established after the Civil War, and America was regarded as the international center of music education after World War II. Freeman describes how classical music education programs at different levels and schools were like separate "islands" without cohesion and cooperation. Social changes have led personnel in American classical music education to seek partnerships among schools and curriculum improvements. Therefore, in 1975, the "Seven Springs Group" was formed: a gathering of representatives from major public and private music schools and conservatories.

In the same chapter, Freeman argues that music majors need to equip themselves with additional tools beyond musicianship:

   This includes much more analysis of the
   characteristics of our current audience,
   including thinking about how productively
   to counteract its apparently waning
   interest. Collegiate musicians are urged
   to get to know non-music majors, abundant
   in great numbers on most campuses,
   and to get to know such people
   partly by convincing them of music's
   power, (pp. 22-23)

Also, he adds that time management is essential to young musicians. These ideas are further elaborated later in the book.

In chapter 3, Freeman talks about his personal background and experiences as a professional musician. From an early age, he received guidance from his parents and their friends, who were all professional musicians. His mother "understood the central importance of getting her sons a broader general education than she felt she had had" (p. 30). Freeman has deep knowledge of the lives of professional musicians and how they should branch out to develop their careers. Providing a real-life example--his own path--strengthens the credibility of his argument about what music students should do to fully take advantage of their education to gain broader experiences and knowledge: for instance, having a double major (elaborated in chapters 4 and 5) may equip a musician with the skills needed to manage a career (e.g., proposal-writing and business acumen) in addition to musical skills.

Chapters 4 to 9 consist of advice and recommendations to parents, students, faculties, deans, provosts, and personnel in national arts endowment organizations. These chapters are centered on improving the landscape of classical music education in America and educating the public about music. Some of the pieces of advice and examples are listed in bullet points for effective reading. I highly recommend that current and prospective music majors read all of these chapters in order to better understand the different stances and perspectives of authorities in schools and in society, in order to promote classical music education, to understand what they should do for themselves as a musicians-in-training, and to prepare their own future students.

Chapter 10 is the epilogue. Freeman ends the book with the tale of Orpheus, the Greek mythological musician. He offers the following advice to youngsters studying music:

   ... I believe it a mistake to send young
   people to music schools without making
   them aware at the outset of the problems
   outlined in this book, and without providing
   ... a sufficient broad undergraduate
   education so that they gain the skills
   that will be necessary for them to succeed.
   ... Otherwise, the promise of
   Orpheus loses its force with them ...
   young musicians should be thinking
   much more than they currently do about
   what constitutes good teaching, about
   the glories of being a dedicated teacher,
   and about what the individual needs of
   their students and of music itself will be a
   generation or two ahead, (p. 216)

Based on his experience as a child growing up in a family of professional musicians and as a music educator, Freeman emphasizes two main points in this book. First, college students who intend to major in music should pick their primary instrument carefully (considering the availability of repertoire, the practice time requirements, and the career prospects of the instrument); and they should develop their musicianship and have a second major (to develop skills and knowledge to better place themselves in the market-oriented music world). Second, educators should help young musicians to succeed not only in the classical music industry but also in their lives. To achieve this is a matter of balance, which according to Freeman, is an essential skill that music students and musicians should master and apply to areas such as time management and work-life mixture. Freeman urges faculties and deans of music schools to improve the curriculums and seek opportunities for their students. He also recommends that provosts and private foundations cultivate interest in classical music among members of the public and students, as well as establish partnerships between the classical music industry and other disciplines, such as medicine and psychology, to enlarge the job market for musicians.

In addition, Freeman is concerned with giving the general public the opportunity to learn about classical music. He believes music has the power to make society better and encourages musicians to explore new opportunities to attract new audiences for the sustainability and survival of not just the industry but also of human society at large.

Freeman's writing is accessible to readers both inside and outside of academia. Some of the issues discussed in the book are quite personal (growing up in a musical family) and specific to the schools where Freeman worked (certain curriculum reforms). This book benefits, however, from Freeman's experience and positions in professional classical music circles in America, and is valuable documentation of the development of classical music education in this country. Compared to other available books on classical music education (many of which focus on teaching methodology or the educational perspectives involved in sustaining a performing career), Freeman's book provides more well-rounded insights. Lay audience members who are interested in the classical music industry and music education in the United States, as well as prospective professional musicians, will find this book extremely informative.

Hei Ting Wong

University of Pittsburgh