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Conserv
Going to a Conservatory of Music, I've learned a lot about the expectations and underlying attitudes present in my music education that may not always be visible at the surface. I've begun to notice that there is an elitist culture that emanates from the people and places around campus. Everyday I see the framed white men, "heroes" around the music building that loom over me. I see the pillars of the Chapel with its unmistakable resemblance to The Parthenon. Ancient Greece, where civilization gave birth to the "essential western classical art style". The building was erected in the name of "our Lord" and this is obvious by the stained glass windows and massive organ within, signifying to others the most "pure" form of music. I see the library with its endless amounts of information on music. Apparently the culmination of one's musical career should strive to end up on these dusty shelves. I see the message of our school engraved on a sewer grate, always asking for more and more "light", while the students work in the darkest of rooms to try and live up to immeasurable standards of "true artistry". What is our school really trying to "conserve"?  A system that is supposed to prepare students for their future but does not truly look beyond the past.

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