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Angie Mc
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| Posted: March 18 2011 at 4:06pm | IP Logged
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In Praise of Cultural Omnivores found via tweet from love2learnmom.
Are you a cultural omnivore?
Love,
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Angie Mc
Maimeo to Henry! Dave's wife, mom to Mrs. Devin+Michael Pope, Aiden 20,Ian 17,John Paul 11,Catherine (heaven 6/07)
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Mackfam
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| Posted: March 22 2011 at 9:16pm | IP Logged
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I really enjoyed that article, Angie! And, while I would consider us cultural omnivores (to the extent that I understand the term  ), the article motivated me to prioritize more exposure to cultural events for my older children. We certainly enjoy some light "entertainment type" fare, and I'd like to think there is an appreciation, or at least the ability to recognize, a more culturally rich, deeper event such as an opera or a classical concert, but I need to make it a priority to offer them regular opportunities to experience these culturally rich experiences. Added it to my list of things to consider/prioritize for next year!!!
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Jen Mackintosh
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Grace&Chaos
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| Posted: March 22 2011 at 10:24pm | IP Logged
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I have to admit that up to the point of going away to college I was not at all a cultural omnivore, I came from a very "pop" culture driven childhood. My parents never exposed me to any of the classical cultural experiences like opera, great composers...and so on (most likely because they weren't exposed to it themselves).
Then came college, my dh(who already was a very well rounded omnivore IMHO  ) and motherhood. I can honestly say that we are cultural ominivores in this household. My oldest dd can recognize classical composers to the extent that we've heard her compare contemporary pieces and tell you whom she thinks inspired them (especially when listening to film scores)  .
The kids can laugh at Dispicable Me but still appreciate The Nutcracker at our local theater every year. I love that we can do this and are making the effort to introduce the richness available to them. One of the perks of living in Southern CA is having many great avenues for appreciating the arts: contemporary or classical  .
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Jenny
Mom to dds(00,03) and dss(05,06,08,09)
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: March 22 2011 at 10:43pm | IP Logged
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Well and they make no mention of the fact that I can take the family to the movie theatre for a 2 hr movie and spend $40.. or I can take them to a concert for 1 hr and spend $100.
I think perhaps the economy definately has something to do with losing the omnivores
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Grace&Chaos
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| Posted: March 23 2011 at 1:34pm | IP Logged
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JodieLyn wrote:
Well and they make no mention of the fact that I can take the family to the movie theatre for a 2 hr movie and spend $40.. or I can take them to a concert for 1 hr and spend $100.
I think perhaps the economy definately has something to do with losing the omnivores |
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You are so right about that aspect.
We get around the high price of things by doing a couple of things. Ask for gift cards (the kids love this), collect reward points (dh has been inputting his coke reward points for years, he averages several free movie tickets per year) and look for educational opportunities.
Our hs groups will set up field trips to museums, plays, concerts, opera/performances all under "school groups" (of course our adult to student ratio is usually much higher than a regular school, but we've never had anyone complain  ) . We have never had to pay more than $9 for a performance and many events have been free.
The girls just got to be part of a free Opera program in which they got a tour of the facility, had a chance to talk to people involved in the performance (from stage production, orchestra, performer) and then sit for final dress rehearsal (it's like sitting through an actual performance, orchestra and all). They loved it!
These are experiences that could otherwise be very costly and perhaps just not possible.
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Jenny
Mom to dds(00,03) and dss(05,06,08,09)
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guitarnan
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| Posted: March 23 2011 at 1:46pm | IP Logged
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If you live near a large military installation, you can probably go to a military concert for free once in a while, even if you don't have a military ID. In DC, the military bands put on free concerts (indoor and outdoor) every week, all summer long. (And it's not just Sousa marches...there's jazz, etc., depending on the week.)
ETA: I am definitely a cultural omnivore; always was. I've spent a lifetime studying and/or playing various styles of guitar music (next up: traditional Irish) and my interest in music and dance has led me to all kinds of events, performances and festivals (normally as a listener/spectator, rather than as a performer - dance moms don't have much time to practice for their own performances!). Some years I get out a lot (with and without my children) and others see me rejoicing if I can get to one Celtic music performance. It's okay; over time it all adds up!
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Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
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JodieLyn
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Oh yes there are ways around the money part. But the feel I got from the article was very much about events with price attached.
Something my dh mentioned was also that in the past there was some (more?) mixing of the two. Bugs Bunny had classical music for instance. So growing up with that then the classical music has a familiarity that increases enjoyment. And the only thing I could think of now was the Barbie movies my girls enjoy. But then I'm not real up on tv shows or anything to know.
Funny story. I mentioned my girls love the Barbie movies. The movies are ok imo, maybe somewhat twaddley but nothing bad which put them above a lot of other things. But they did The Nutcracker and Swan Lake.. some really nice classical music. My oldest was probably around 8 and she discovered that daddy had the "soundtrack" for her Barbie movies And we talked about music categories and why it wasn't exactly a "soundtrack" but then our homeschool group was meeting at the boys and girls club. They had musci through cable tv or some such and she asked my oldest what her favorite music was and was rather taken aback to have this little girl tell her "classical"
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Jodie, wife to Dave
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CrunchyMom
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I don't think that the article was so much about the pricier options as perhaps the pspectives of those doing the studies and writing the story were from metropolitan areas where there is more access to less expensive options. There are lots of options in bigger cities for concerts in the park and the like which are not as easy to find for those in more rural or suburban areas. For instance, colleges have free concerts and inexpensive plays to attend all the time, but if you don't live near them, it's not an option.
I've also been a cultural omnivore for most of my life, and when I was young, I watched lots of concerts and operas and the like on PBS or listened to NPR. I rarely went to movies, either
I think our circles as homeschoolers make us a bit more likely to be omnivores but perhaps also a bit more like the person writing the article, where we assume a certain attitude in the recommendations of others that may not be there. In reality, most people are not just regularly consuming "twaddle" but rather out and out garbage. Our homily this past Sunday was about how God's glory should inspire us to seek out the good, true, and beautiful, but our society, with all it's vast resources, so often seeks out and creates ugliness. He said one need look no further than the fact that Charlie Sheen is now goi ng on a lecture tour 
Also, most evening concerts in my experience last two or three hours! One reason I don't go more often is that they don't start until after dinner. I can hardly keep my eyes open after intermission most of the time, never mind that most don't even start until my children are normally in their pajamas and ready for bed!!! It makes it difficult to take my children to such events, even the affordable ones. And as for myself, it means a late night babysitter to pay even if it's free, and with that, I normally doze through much of the last of it!
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
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[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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Angie Mc
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I'm a cultural omnivore by nature...and as an adult by choice.
CrunchyMom wrote:
| In reality, most people are not just regularly consuming "twaddle" but rather out and out garbage. |
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After reading the article, I've been pondering how fortunate I am to enjoy excellence across a large board of wholesome activities and arts. I seem to consider 2 things, content and process. For example, my dd recently treated me to a night out at the opera, Carmen. The content was classic/excellent, but, honestly, the process/performance was average. So the evening was a success mainly because of the content. The flip is when I see something that the content isn't considered classic, yet the performance is amazing, like some street acts I've seen in San Francisco. The BEST is when both content and process come together. Seeing Yul Brynner on Broadway in The King and I when I was a kid, comes to mind.
Love,
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Angie Mc
Maimeo to Henry! Dave's wife, mom to Mrs. Devin+Michael Pope, Aiden 20,Ian 17,John Paul 11,Catherine (heaven 6/07)
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Mackfam
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Angie Mc wrote:
| Seeing Yul Brynner on Broadway in The King and I when I was a kid, comes to mind. |
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OH.MY.STARS!!! No kidding!!! How fantastic is that?!
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Jen Mackintosh
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guitarnan
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I saw Rex Harrison in My Fair Lady - he moved a bit stiffly and he dropped a couple of lines, but it was magical all the same.
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Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
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CrunchyMom
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I saw Jane Eaglen (renowned soprano who sings Marianne's song on the closing credits of Sense and Sensibility) perform as Brunhilde in Wagner's Ring Cycle (I saw the ENTIRE thing, all four operas) at the Seattle Opera Company. I'm pretty sure I will never experience such a combination of content and process again--at least not until my children are all grown! I don't love Wagner (he was rather full of himself--Kill the Wabbit is plenty long enough, IMHO), but it was AMAZING opera.
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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4Real Forums : The Arts in the Everyday
Topic: Article: In Praise of Cultural Omnivores
