For the past 30 years, at least, the music education system of the public schools of this country have gradually been reduced or eliminated. Children who used to hear classical music, at least at school, were exposed to something important. Children were taught to sing in groups, not just in choruses, but in classrooms. All through grade school we started the morning with the Pledge of allegiance and either “God Bless American” or “America” (My Country ‘Tis of Thee), which we did unaccompanied. Think of it — who would do that today?

If you have two entire generations that have no exposure to music other than what they hear on commercial TV and radio, is it any wonder that most Americans don’t know good from bad, quality from drekk, when it comes to singing and singers?

I can’t say what effect this might have on the state