Cool... Leonard Bernstein's Young People's Concerts

[pokerfan]

I'm just old enough to remember a few of the later ones...

Here is another hot tip on a fascinating set of DVDs... Leonard Bernstein's Young People's Concerts.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonard_Bernstein">Leonard Bernstein was an accomplished composer and conductor, but if you want my opinion, he really stood out as being one of the world's greatest educators. He began a series of televised educational concerts in 1958 called "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Young_People%27s_Concerts">Young People's Concerts", and systematically educated America's youth about great music for the next 15 years. Bernstein didn't talk down to the kids. Looking at these lectures today as an adult, there's still plenty for me to learn. It distresses me that there's nothing even remotely like this available to kids on television today. It's a crime in fact.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3D3LovIK0g">In this clip, Bernstein sums up how America's melting pot of cultures distilled many different kinds of music into quintessentially "American" music. Too often we try to ignore cultural differences and pretend they don't exist. Pointing out the things that are particular to a group of people is seen as "impolite". I prefer to celebrate all of the ethnic cultures around me here in Hollywood- Hispanic, Asian, Black, Middle Eastern- it's all more interesting to me than the plain old white bread people I grew up around. As a cartoonist, the differences between all of us are much more interesting than the similarities. Viva la difference!

Anyway... , in this clip, Bernstein turns over his baton to a guest conductor, composer Aaron Copland. Great stuff!

Guestblogger Stephen Worth is the Director of the ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Archive, a museum, library and digital archive devoted to the use of professional artists and students.

http://www.boingboing.net/2010/01/23/adventure-10-bernste.html

[elleng]

1. I was at one, and Dad says I shouted a VERY LOUD response to a question 'Lenny' asked!!!

THANKS for this!

[pokerfan]

2. I like that he didn't "talk down" to kids

I always found that rather insulting.

[elleng]

3. He was a good teacher; had to be as a conductor.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

4. I used to ask myself who could be the Leonard Bernstein of our day

and after a concert in Portland, I decided that composer John Adams has the kind of ability to relate to an audience that Bernstein had.

In another indication of how times have changed, Leonard Bernstein's Young People's Concerts were shown on Sunday afternoons on CBS.

[mnhtnbb]

5. I went to rehearsals of several of the concerts as a kid; my Dad's company was a sponsor

and he was able to get tickets to the dress rehearsals.

[qb]

6. His daughter Jamie carries on the legacy - I took my kids to a fabulous free kids' concert

at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis last January. Ms. Bernstein provided kid-friendly commentary to each Leonard Bernstein piece. She even invited children on stage for an interactive music theory lesson.
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