Music
takes a bite out of crime
Our
view
They
say music soothes the soul, but who knew
it could prevent crime too? According
to a Los Angeles Times article published
early this year, Antonio Vivaldi has
been preventing crime-related incidents
in Britain.
Credit is also due to the help of his friends Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and George
Frideric Handel. How could these composers be crime fighters?
No, the British have not resurrected these long-dead Europeans and made them
into Robocop-type bad-guy busters on the streets of London. What the Britons
have done is play recordings of the music of these men, the violins of Vivaldi
and the horns of Handel, in public places.
The result? The Los Angeles Times reported robberies are down 33 percent, assaults
are down 25 percent, and vandalism is down 37 percent — not too bad for
a bunch of old dudes.
It would seem like this is an easy solution to the difficult problem of maintaining
public safety. Play a little Mozart around dark corners and people stop loitering
and go elsewhere. It’s cheap, easy and effective. But not everyone is
as impressed as they should be.
Some collegiate scholars of music think using cherished classical music as
a kind of bug spray to scare away thugs is insulting. Handel would be rolling
in his grave, they contest. They conveniently forget to mention that if Mozart
knew, he’d probably laugh and think it was great.
But not everyone is laughing. The academics think music used for that distinct
purpose is degrading the cultural value of the masterpieces. While they have
a point, they must also consider the current stage of classical music in modern
society and how it is perceived.
Many do not appreciate classical music’s complex forms. They have not
developed an ear for its subtleties enough to realize any master-piece’s
significance. To many, Handel and Vivaldi are the symbols of snobbery, games
of cricket in expensive clothes and endless amounts of wealth. They represent
the upper class and not the middle and lower classes where the majority of
society resides.
This perception is unfortunate, for even without considerable music education,
there is much within the classical music world for everyone to enjoy. But the
situation is what it is, and if playing violins and cellos helps keep parts
of the world safer from crime, so be it.
If the academics want to raise the cultural significance of classical music
and make it something for the masses, they must first eradicate the image that
it is something only for people with money and influence. This means a few
towering egos must fall, which is unlikely given the stubbornness of some.
An entire restructuring of music education would be needed. How plausible is
this in a system that often cuts music first in a tight budget?
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger probably could not tell you anything about his
own native Austrian composers, so how likely is he or any other politician
to increase funding for arts?
In their minds, if the arts were implemented in the United States to prevent
crime like what the British have done, this would save the state money by imprisoning
less people. This means good times for the populace and bad times for the violin
quartets acting as watchdogs for thieves.
But just imagine for a moment how odd it would be to watch an episode of “Cops” and
see officers blast Mozart to intimidate a running criminal?
But hey, if it works, rock on, Beethoven. |
