This commentary is by Fran Brock, of Burlington, a retired high school history teacher.
I almost failed my college music appreciation class. I totally appreciated the music; I just couldn’t hear the differences between and among an assortment of orchestrations. Realizing that I was on the verge of failing, I brought the piece we were studying home for Thanksgiving break. My older sister was home, too, and she drilled me on the piece. I sat in front of the stereo and listened and relistened to the orchestration. To this day, I can recognize Mozart’s Eine kleine Nachtmusik. But it was clear, I did not have a good ear.
As I now listen to news reports and read the news each day, I remember how I almost failed a class because I could not distinguish sounds. While each section of the composition made its own contribution to the piece, I had a very difficult time differentiating between, for example, the strings and the woodwinds. The goal, of course, was to hear each contribution but appreciate how the parts came together to create a single piece.
My affliction seems to be an affliction affecting our entire society. Too many people seem to be so focused on spotlighting their own special interests, that they are deaf to what others are saying. Folks are functioning in their own bubbles or echo chambers. They hear what they want to hear but don’t hear what they should hear and, as a result, no one seems capable of having a constructive conversation. It’s the Tower of Babel on steroids.
How do we change the trajectory of our society? How do we get back to appreciate e pluribus unum: out of many, one? How do we get our fellow citizens to stop and listen?
Just as I learned to recognize Mozart’s orchestral composition by listening to it over and over until I understood what I was hearing, so folks need to listen intently, that is, with the intent of hearing. It took time, patience and perseverance to really hear the piece. I worked at hearing because I had a sister who pushed me to listen. She led me to learning how to appreciate, differentiate at least one orchestration.
Where are the leaders to help citizens listen and understand? We elect people into positions of leadership — Congress, state offices — yet the so-called leaders seem so caught up in their own self-serving political antics that they are not leading us. As citizens with the authority to elect our representatives, we need to lead by making sure the people we elect are ready and willing to pull us from a political imbroglio that is defeating us. We need leaders who listen and negotiate constructive solutions.
Just as I was, in the end, solely responsible for listening to and learning Mozart’s piece, so is each citizen in each congressional district responsible for electing people who will listen, learn and lead. The Constitution clearly states that it is “We the People ” who are responsible for the success of our nation. The final authority rests with the citizens; we voters must exercise that authority and require that our elected officials listen and act responsibly. To achieve success, it is time to listen.
By the way, I passed my music appreciation class.
