Petition to Allow Wausau West Master Singers to Sing

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This discussion topic has been automatically created of petition Petition to Allow Wausau West Master Singers to Sing.


Guest

#51

2013-10-06 15:43

"District administrators did not return calls" -- what a bunch of cowards!

Guest

#52 Re: Thoughtful piece by an atheist who conducted religious music

2013-10-06 15:51

#41: - Thoughtful piece by an atheist who conducted religious music

Excellent article - and I'm saying that as a believer. Imagine removing Handel's Messiah from schools? How myopic of administrators.


Guest

#53

2013-10-06 16:19

Music should be chosen on educational merit, nothing else. The vast majority of the choral canon of the last thousand years simply _is_not_secular_. To place it on a par with "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" undermines teaching and kills learning. Please reconsider.
—David Simmons, BMus, MMus

Performing Artist

#54 Re:

2013-10-06 16:45

#12: -

I'm sure the board is concerned about being sued by someone. My former employer (school) would have nothing to do with any Holiday b/c a Jehovah Witness family threatened to sue. (I have a sister who is a JW, so I can write about this unbiasedly) I live in a very Jewish populated district. Our kids sing songs from all walks of faith and ethnic backgrounds because this is the time of year where much is celebrated. The kids learn about Bach in music class and how his faith inspired him. Our Jewish parents have no problem with that.


Guest

#55

2013-10-06 16:47

I grew up in Wausau and was always proud of how progressive it and the school system was. Now I am ashamed of this backward stance the School board. Why should a few, that probably do not even go to hear this music, govern for all. Music is music get beyond the words and be more a community again.

Guest

#56

2013-10-06 16:49

Dear School District, sacred music is a monumental genre within choral music. The censorship of these pieces are an incredible detriment to the overall choir experience. The banning of these pieces not only take away from full educational value in them music wing, but also even dissuade students from enrolling in the public school system. Please understand that those students who do not wish to sing certain pieces are more than welcome to refrain from singing them, (pardon my pun), but that does not mean that all music pertaining to their possible refusal to sing the pieces should be banned. Please think of the majority instead of the minority.

Guest

#57

2013-10-06 17:25

Stop this madness and let them sing the songs they want. If someone doesnt like it they dont have to come. Stop making us americans feel like we dont have the freedom of speech(through song)this can easy offend us!!!!

Guest

#58

2013-10-06 18:24

Absolutely shocking, the attack on a majority of the people in our area. Why take away our rights to satisfy the rights of so few? Is this our democracy today? Sickening - to say the least.

Guest

#59

2013-10-06 18:31

This is total bs! Bunch of bullies if you ask me!!

Guest

#60

2013-10-06 18:37

I'm very disappointed in the school district. How shameful to infringe upon the very rights you are supposed to be teaching our youth.

Guest

#61

2013-10-06 18:45

This is absurd political correctness and an abuse of power. Clearly someone has an anti-religion vendetta.

Guest

#62

2013-10-06 18:53

Think reasonably and responsibly. This is a ridiculous decision to ban concerts in December and to deny the public of the WW Master Singers!
Choose a nickname

#63 Re:

2013-10-06 18:58

#19: -

I'm sorry- I don't want to be rude, but did you write this post in seriousness? You seriously think the program needs to be fixed because you and your siblings didn't get your way in high school? Wow. You must have a very high opinion of yourself if you think the program is broken because you and your sliblings weren't included in the Pop Concert and Master Singers. I participated in the Wausau West music program for three years and don't deny that there were politics involved. But Concert Chorale and Mr. Buch have resumes that simply cannot be denied. The man clearly knows what he is doing. And by the way, I'm saying all of this as someone who auditioned for Concert Chorale twice and never made it.

If you need a reminder about the accolades of this program, read this (from http://www.dciny.org/2013-season-archives/monday-january-21-2013-archive.html):

The 75 voice Concert Chorale is one of nine music ensembles available to students at Wausau West High School. This award winning ensemble has received national and international recognition and has been a guest performer at choral festivals in Vienna, Austria; Verona, Italy and most recently Prague, the capital city of the Czech Republic. In 2010 the choir was recorded by Wisconsin Public Television for a special presentation titled, "Wisconsin Sings." The Wausau West Concert Chorale was thrilled to accepted the invitation from DCINY and participate in this performance of "The Armed Man" by Karl Jenkins.

Phillip Buch has been a music educator for the past 36 years in the state of Wisconsin. During his tenure, the joy of singing has been instilled into the lifestyles of thousands of students, who now as adults, are advocates and ambassadors for choral music education in school districts throughout the country. Buch firmly believes that the study of music is vital to every student's education and core to a well balanced curriculum. In 1985, the Wausau School district awarded him Teacher of the Year. In 1993, he received the Senator Herb Kohl Fellowship and, in 1998, he was honored as recipient of the John L. Cook Memorial presented by the Wausau Area Chamber of Commerce. Most recently, in March 2010, he was chosen by the Wausau Daily Herald as one of the 50 Most Influential People of the Decade in the greater Wausau area. Under his leadership, choral music at Wausau West has developed a high standard of excellence. The program is respected and appreciated in Wausau and throughout the state of Wisconsin.

squirrel

#64 well said!

2013-10-06 19:07

#23: - Re:

Well, well said!


Guest

#65 Re:

2013-10-06 19:09

#61: - Yes - her name is Michelle Schaefer.  Kathleen Williams just blindly goes along with whatever Michelle wants.  She needs to be replaced!!

 


Guest

#66

2013-10-06 19:17

Please sign this petition.
squirrel

#67 Sports Stop Immediately

2013-10-06 19:30

I have already commented quite a bit on this musical decision and do not agree with it. I will not vote for the current School Board members again,and hope the public follows suit. What I would like to see is ALL SPORTS eliminated immediately. Fair is fair.

Guest

#68

2013-10-06 19:59

Politically correct 'Tolerance' is intolerant of Christianity.

Guest

#69

2013-10-06 20:25

Keep Christ in CHRISTmas!!

Guest

#70

2013-10-06 20:25

Pornography-bad
Drugs-bad
Bullying-bad
Early sex-bad
Singing religious songs-positively good!

Guest

#71

2013-10-06 20:26

There is a need to provide ins and outs in every part of the world which should be learned in school. This includes being able to learn musically about different cultures and beliefs. Let these young students show the community and world their talents.

Guest

#72

2013-10-06 20:27

"AMENDMENT I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."
guest

#73

2013-10-06 20:30

"The First Amendment (Amendment I) to the United States Constitution prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering with the right to peaceably assemble or prohibiting the petitioning for a governmental redress of grievances. It was adopted on December 15, 1791, as one of the ten amendments that comprise the Bill of Rights."

Taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution

Guest

#74

2013-10-06 20:41

What is most confusing to me in this new proposal by the School Board is the decision that there must be 5 non-secular songs for every Christian song. Really...5? No matter what side of this argument you are on (even though I completely support Buch, the Master Singers and the Christmas programs around the district), 5 secular to 1 Christian song is in no way fair. "Fair" would be a 1:1 ratio. The true reason behind this decision is the WSD's cowardly administrators either a) fear of being sued, or b) anti-religion agenda. And the WSD should be ashamed of either.

Guest

#75

2013-10-06 20:49

I believe that the students should be able to sing. I have been out of school since the 80's and we sang all through my years of schooling. If someone doesn't want to sing then they don't have to participate, LET IT BE EACH PERSONS CHOICE. Enough said I believe...