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| By the way, Zappa was a highly skilled jazz musician! |
Conservatives have had National Public Radio in their
budget-cutting sites since the 1980s. Their beef is really ideological–the
anachronism of "liberal media" bias that hasn't been remotely true
since the 1960s but is always good for votes. One charge, however, might just
have some merit: that NPR is "elitist."
I couldn't help think about that assertion as I fiddled with
my car radio to flee my local NPR station's latest fund drive. There was WFCR
with its tin cup out again at precisely the moment that a new Nielsen poll
revealed that, by stunningly large margins, jazz and classical music are the
least consumed musical genres in the nation. These also happen to be just about
the only music WFCR plays. The
station does throw a Saturday night sop to world music–a time in which most
music lovers are at concerts–and a
two-hour Sunday morning slot to Latin
music–a time I hasten to add that many Latinos are at mass. Can you say
tokenism? Years ago WFCR dumped its folk, Appalachian, and Celtic programming. The
station's music is so generic that I theorized the call letters stand for White
Folks' Classical Radio. I also shifted my donations to more adventuresome NPR
stations.
But mine is not an ad
hominem put-down of WFCR, NPR, jazz, or classical music. I believe in
National Public Radio. Among other things, it might be the last real bastion of
news collecting and analysis left in the land. The Nielsen poll, though, should
be a wake-up call to NPR. Jazz and classical fans–genres into which I dip
occasionally, but not passionately–should be able to indulge their tastes on
the radio, but the question remains one of whether the tax-paying public should
help pay for it. If more time is devoted to opera than to other music the
public actually likes, how does NPR dodge the charge that it's elitist?
Some stations have grasped what my local has not–that in a
democratic, multicultural society one must at least pay lip service to the
reality that you cannot be White Folks Classical Radio and expect the public to
give a damn if you make budget or not. NPR actually has quite a lot of
non-classical/non-jazz offerings: alt.Latino, All Songs Considered, First
Listen, Metropolis, Microphone Check, Mountain Stage, Song Travels, The Thistle
& Shamrock…. That is to say, you can find music in Spanish, adult
alternative, folk, bluegrass, country, Celtic, hip-hop, hipster tunes, New Age,
and world music. NPR's "Small Desk Concerts" are the best things you
can find on YouTube.
Two problems persist. First, local stations often fail to
carry the NPR programs noted above. Second, NPR still ghettoizes everything
that's not jazz or classical. By confining most of the planet's music to the
margins, NPR either inadvertently or intentionally cultivates an elitist base.
It also fails in one of its core missions, and I quote: "to create a more
informed public — one challenged and invigorated by a deeper understanding and
appreciation of events, ideas and cultures." If you're not a classical or jazz fan, you might
tune into NPR for the news or, perhaps, stumble upon a program devoted to music
you like, but it's less likely to be a habit and it's exceedingly unlikely it
will educate, say, a rock fan on the nuances of a classical concerto.
If NPR wishes to be relevant in the future, it could do worse
than to emulate the globe's most successful public radio venture: the British
Broadcasting Corporation. The BBC assembles playlists known to make elitists
apoplectic. It pairs Bessie Smith and Van Morrison and thinks nothing of
playing a cheesy Tom Jones song in a set with an aria, some John Coltrane, and
a pop tune. Sound awful? It can be, but if you listen you can begin to hear the
connections between bebop and jam bands. Or that Lady Gaga could sing opera if
she wanted to. Or that the Celtic "fiddler" Alasdair Fraser is as
skilled as any classical violinist.
Just to be clear, I know that NPR isn't in the same category
as for-profit commercial radio. I am aware of its many public service
contributions and–as noted above–it is, in my view, the single best news
service in the United States. I also know it doesn't get a lot of tax money any
more because of conservative castrators. But let's not kid ourselves: NPR is elitist. Asking taxpayers to pay anything for a service they don't care
about is analogous to bilking them to build a sports arena for a private
enterprise–something NPR fans tend to rail against. Want broader support? Give
the public more reason to care. How about some Billy Taylor and some Taylor
Swift?
Postscript: According to
Nielsen, the public's music tastes run (from top to bottom) this way:
1.
Rock and roll (apparently not as
dead as reported!)
2. R & B, hip-hop, and rap (not sure
these should be lumped!)
3. Pop
4. Country (probably # 1 given that so
much rock and pop is actually country)
5. Alternative (another catchall: folk,
acoustic rock, New Age, etc.)
6. Dance/electronica
7. Christian/gospel
8. Latin
9. Holiday music
10.
Classical
11.
Jazz (Taylor Swift sold half as many records in 2 months as all jazz artists
combined!)
12.
Children's music (It's actually lower than jazz—but just barely)
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