Say’s Law and Education

This afternoon I was listening to a panel discussion on for-profit education, as part of some research I’m doing for offering Kindermusik classes at the School of Performing Arts. While much of it probably won’t interest most readers of this blog, one thing did stick out at me as particularly thought-provoking.

One of the panelists spoke about the ability of the private sector to educate far more efficiently and effectively than the public sector—a truth with which I couldn’t agree more strongly!—making reference to Say’s Law, which states that “supply creates its own demand.” His point was that innovative people create things which no one has yet “needed” (e.g., fax machines and cell phones), and this in turn creates demand for that good or service. In this case, educational entrepreneurs develop educational products (e.g., Kindermusik) which are proven effective over time, becoming both beneficial to society and profitable for the entrepreneur.

What I found most fascinating, though, was when he went on to describe public schools as “necessarily conservative”—in the sense that they “must not be subject to the vicissitudes and fads of the moment”—whereas education, to be successful, requires “the entrepreneurship of people with new ideas, flexibility, agility, imagination, energy, the willingness to run risks, and also a desire to make a little money.”

I’ll admit that when I think of public schooling, the word “conservative” typically does not come to mind. But as I thought about it, I realized the panelist was correct in his assessment. With an increasing push for standardization of student outcomes and the emphasis on a “common core” in government schools, the options for teachers and parents are quite limited in public education. This really is a conservative mindset, albeit a mind set on conserving values more commonly labeled “Liberal.”

Private and home schools, meanwhile, are at liberty to pursue whichever methods are best in a given context, giving parents and teachers the freedom to choose whichever educational options are best for their students. As the supply of excellent educational choices increases, it will create its own demand among those who haven’t yet realized what they are missing. This truth is what makes me so excited about my work at the music school and at Highland Rim Academy!

So what do you think? Are public schools “necessarily conservative”? Is school choice the key to better education for all? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments section.

*BONUS MATERIAL*

In the same discussion, Kindermusik CEO Michael Dougherty also stated that his “driving mission” was to prevent music from becoming “the next Latin,” something vital to a child’s education which has been “snuffed down in the lives of children.” As a huge fan of classical education, I thought that was a pretty cool connection to make!

The Future of Social Conservatism

Today I’d like to piggyback on a fascinating conversation that is taking place over at Mere Orthodoxy, one of my favorite blogs. Matthew Lee Anderson is one of my generation’s most promising Christian thinkers, and writes eloquently and persuasively on a variety of topics.

Earlier this year I shared Anderson’s article “Why I Am a Christian Republican” on this blog, but it bears repeating. It’s no secret that I have a strong libertarian bent in my personal politics, but the type of conservatism advocated by Anderson in this article and others like it is probably a closer representation of my views than a strict libertarianism.

This is why I was thrilled to see a week-long reflection on social conservatism on Anderson’s blog. He proposes four theses for advancing the cause of conservatism, with a short article devoted to each. I’ll provide a link and a short summary for each, and then wrap up with a few of my own thoughts at the end.

Thesis #1: To Sow or to Reap? — Anderson asserts that there are seasons of cultural sowing and reaping, and that Conservatives are currently reaping the results of a long-term failure to sow the seeds that will produce a healthy culture. He suggests redirecting some of our attention and resources from seemingly urgent political concerns toward “institutions that will form the backbone of [a] permanent culture“, such as libraries, conservatories, and art studios.

Thesis #2: End the Hostilities Against Elites — Anderson pushes back against the rhetoric that the media and academia will “always” be oriented against conservatism. Anti-intellectualism is a real problem in modern conservatism, and so some of the criticism directed toward conservatives is well-deserved. There is a need for conservative Christians to re-engage in so-called “elite” institutions, and to provide reasoned and well-articulated arguments in favor of social conservatism.

Thesis #3: Recover Intellectual Creativity — Building on the last point, Anderson points out that the reason conservatives are often so hesitant to pursue a rigorous intellectual study of their positions is that that aren’t really that confident in them. They worry that their convictions might not stand up to questioning, so they resort instead to formulaic arguments without fully understanding them. They’ve got it backwards: If what we believe is really true, then it will hold up under scrutiny, and our questioning will only increase our confidence!

Thesis #4: Recovering Our Confidence — Anderson’s final thesis is more practical: If we have confidence in our convictions and the ability to speak intelligently and civilly about them, we stand a chance of actually persuading others… which is theoretically the goal of political discourse, though it almost never actually happens. Unfortunately, the “culture war mentality” undermines our effectiveness. “If the point is defeating our opponents, rather than persuading them to join our side, then why should we work to make our positions sound like good news to them?  Why would we spend the ridiculous amount of energy it [takes] to see our opponent’s positions from the inside so that we can make the appeal more effectively?” Our confidence and persuasiveness depend upon intellectual integrity.

So what’s my take? Other than a hearty “Amen!” to the entire series, I haven’t got too much to add. But I think we’re in an exciting season of transition within conservatism right now. For all its good intentions, the “old guard” of the Republican Party and the “Religious Right” is on the way out, which is as it should be. In its place will rise up a new generation of conservatives with confidence in their convictions and the ability to ask good questions, find real answers, and persuade others of the truth that undergirds their positions. I’m optimistic about the future, though I suspect things will get worse before they get better.

I do want to bring special attention to the first of these theses, however. As the director of a church-based music school, sowing cultural seeds is obviously very important to me! But people often ask the question: Why would a church be interested in teaching music lessons? The answer is that things like politics and morality are downstream from culture. If we truly want to shape the culture of our earthly kingdom, we need to be shaping the next generation of culture makers, not just in the arts, but in literature, aesthetics, theology, ethics, science, and other similar intellectual pursuits. (Which also, by the way, explains my dedication to Highland Rim Academy, an excellent training ground for what J. Gresham Machen called “the higher aspirations of humanity”.)

I’ll close with an excerpt from a book that has had tremendous influence on me, Nancy Pearcey’s Saving Leonardo: A Call to Resist the Secular Assault on Mind, Morals, and Meaning (my review):

The arts are often dismissed by Christians as mere entertainment, a leisure activity. Aren’t there more pressing issues calling for our attention — such as what’s happening in the White House?

Secular people know better. Consider a much-quoted line by Todd Gitlin, former president of the radical Students for a Democratic Society (SDS). After the 1960s student protests, Gatlin said, the Left began “marching on the English Department while the Right took the White House.” Today we must ask ourselves: Which was the more effective strategy? The 1960s radicals who avoided the draft with student deferments made their way up through the universities, became professors, and inculcated their radical ideas into the minds of generations of young people — ideas that shape the way they now vote… Those who marched on the English department are now in the White House.

The arts and academic institutions are not inherently secular! In fact, the spread of the “university” followed the spread of Christianity, as it was Christians who once promulgated the idea that “all truth is God’s truth”, and became the intellectual and cultural champions of the Western world. There is no reason why this can’t be the case once again. Once conservative Christians regain the ground we’ve lost in arts and education, we’ll begin to see real change in areas of politics where we’ve been spinning our wheels for decades. What we sow today, our children will reap tomorrow.

Interested in an Introductory Class on Christian Worldview & Philosophy?

In the last two weeks I’ve had several meetings brainstorming possible collaborations between the School of Performing Arts and other Christ-centered educational organizations in the Upper Cumberland. While there are several exciting and interesting possibilities, the one that is most appealing to me personally (and also the likeliest to happen in the near future) is the chance that I may be teaching a course in Christian Worldview & Philosophy for homeschooled high school students.

I’ve had a desire for a while now to incorporate classes at the SPA that would broaden the scope of what we currently offer; things such as Music Theory, Music History, and Music Appreciation. One of the things I love most about music is how well-suited it is to being a tool for teaching about the Great Ideas that have shaped human history. So when I learned that the Sharp Arrows Tutorial Academy was looking for someone to teach an introductory class in Christian Worldview & Philosophy at Peachtree Learning Center, it seemed like a natural fit for a collaborative effort between three different programs!

There are still some details to be worked out, and it’s far from being a “done deal”, but one of the major details involves gauging the interest level for a class like this. If it were offered, there would likely be two different classes: a weekday morning class for homeschool students, and a not-for-credit version in the evenings geared primarily toward parents and other community members interested in the subject matter.

I’ve drafted a tentative syllabus based on a 32-week class (16 in the Fall Semester + 16 in the Winter/Spring Semester). Here are my stated course objectives:

• Provide students with a firm foundation for a comprehensive biblical worldview, as well as a basic understanding of major philosophical ideas that have competed with this worldview in shaping the world in which we live.
• Investigate ways in which philosophy and worldview influence popular culture (music, art, literature, movies, etc) and how these cultural artifacts in turn influence the thinking of individuals and entire societies.
• Equip students to be able to articulate a biblical worldview and defend it against challenges, while understanding that the proper end of apologetics is evangelism.

My three primary teaching sources would be The Truth Project materials from Dr. Del Tackett, Seven Men Who Rule the World From the Grave by David Breese (my review), and Saving Leonardo by Nancy Pearcey (my review). In addition to studying some of the most influential philosophers in history, there will be a heavy emphasis on music and art history, showing how differing worldviews affect popular culture. I’m also hoping to end the class with a “field trip” to the Frist Center for the Arts and the Nashville Symphony.

Whether this class happens beginning this Fall or not, I definitely plan to teach this at some point. So let me know if you or your teenage child would be interested in something like this and I’ll keep you informed on when and where it will be happening!

How I Found My Calling

Bookstores are filled with books designed to help people find a sense of purpose or direction in their lives. It seems everybody is trying to figure out what they are supposed to do with the time they’ve been given. Christians in particular have suggested several ways to discern the call of God, some of which are good (like this), some… not so much.

As someone who is pretty confident that I’m doing exactly what God has called me to do (and who loves doing it!), I thought I’d take a moment to share my journey. I don’t have a magic formula that will work for everybody; no four-step method to the perfect vocation. But I had a really good discussion about this last week with a group of college guys from our church, and if my experience is helpful to you as well, then may God receive the glory!

The topic came up as the small group of guys I’m discipling was discussing the final chapters of the book we’ve been reading together: The Masculine Mandate: God’s Calling to Men, by Richard Phillips (my review). While the entire book speaks generally of God’s calling to all men, the penultimate chapter looks more specifically at discerning spiritual gifts for the purpose of serving the church. I really liked this quote:

Most often, spiritual gifts are revealed not through a diagnostic test but through the experience of serving the Lord. The sooner we begin serving where there is a need, the sooner we will begin to learn where the Lord is leading us in our service to Him.

This resonates with me because it is backed up by my own experience. While I am sure there is some merit to diagnostic “spiritual gifts tests” (such as this one that our church sometimes uses), I have never found them particularly useful. In my life, it has been through service to the Lord and close relationships with other Christians that God has progressively revealed to me the ways that He has gifted and called me. Let me explain…

The clueless, freshman version of me.

When I arrived in Cookeville, TN, an 18-year-old college freshman with no friends in a town far from home, I didn’t know a whole lot. I was not a student of God’s Word, and rarely contemplated matters of faith. I had no more than a vague idea about what I would do with my life. All I knew was that I loved music, and church seemed like a good place to meet friends.

Along with a few other music majors, I began attending Stevens Street Baptist Church. At the time, the church had just introduced the drumset during corporate worship (shocking!), and the 20-member choir clapped on 1 & 3. But even then, despite my lack of spiritual sensitivity, I could tell that this was a place where good things were happening, so I stuck around.

After a few months, I introduced myself to the music minister, told him I played the trumpet, and offered to play if he ever decided he’d like to use me. Then he did something totally unexpected: he told me he’d love to have me play — and incorporate others as well — on the condition that I take ownership of the instrumental group. Thus the Stevens Street Baptist Church Worship Orchestra was born, and I learned my first valuable lesson about God’s calling: A Godly man in a position of leadership delegated authority and responsibility to me. I never sought leadership; it was thrust upon me! But without Robert Ward’s trust followed by years of continued guidance, I may never have known that I could be a leader.

Fast forward a couple years. After church one day, I sat at lunch with my friend Doug Clark, who at that time also played trumpet at Stevens Street. By God’s providence, Doug (the far better trumpeter!) received a phone call during our lunch together recruiting him to go and serve on the music staff at a place in New York called CAMP-of-the-WOODS. Pretty much on a whim, I decided to audition, too, and we both spent the summer using our God-given musical gifts to serve the Lord at this Christian resort.

Doug and me, from our first summer at CAMP-of-the-WOODS

COTW benefited me in innumerable ways, but here are a few of the most pertinent:

1. I heard God’s Word preached almost daily.
2. I was surrounded by people who loved music as much as I did, and loved Jesus much more than I did.
3. I was discipled by a man who convinced me of the importance of daily Bible reading, and held me accountable to do it. Interestingly enough, he also taught me that my love of reading was a gift from God, and fed me a consistent diet of good books on theology and the Christian life.

So, this was my second lesson: God worked providentially through my circumstances to put me in a place where the gospel would penetrate my heart for the first time. I thought I was going to New York because I needed a summer job and had found an opportunity to be paid to play the trumpet. God had so much more in store for me!

Skip ahead three more years. Having now spent several summers at COTW, yet another Godly man delegated yet more responsibility to me. See, in addition to playing concerts, the music staff also served as waiters in the dining hall. Like most of the music staff, I really hadn’t wanted to do that, but I had taken to heart the summer staff’s “theme verse” from my first year there: Colossians 3:23. And so, I had decided to wait tables with all my heart as unto the Lord… whatever that meant.

Posing with one of the waitresses in the COTW dining hall that I managed.

By God’s grace, I realized not only that I could wait tables, but that I really enjoyed serving people! So in 2004, when the COTW personnel director needed to hire a department head for the dining hall, he called me. I told him there was absolutely no way I could handle that kind of responsibility, but he insisted that he had identified in me the characteristics of a leader, and one with the potential to be a good administrator. My third lesson: God used an older man to point out gifts and abilities I would never have seen in myself.

As a result, I was given responsibility to oversee a dining room that served three meals a day for up to a thousand people, with dozens of employees under my authority. There I learned how to do everything from scheduling to filling out payrolls to dealing with angry customers to disciplining staff members with grace… all things that were invaluable in preparing me for the job I have now!

My Outback/Lennon days.

Back in Tennessee and still trying to figure out what to do with my life (besides waiting tables at Outback), I was taken aback when my pastor and music minister shared their vision for a church-based music school, and asked me to develop and administrate it. Though the vision was not mine initially, I caught it immediately. It was the answer to so many prayers! Another lesson: God’s calling on my life was just a small part of a much larger work of the Holy Spirit. My calling is not really “my calling”; it is inseparable from God’s calling on the lives of many other people who are part of the Body of Christ.

Some of the students who performed in the first SPA recital back in 2005.

In the seven years since the School of Performing Arts launched, God has continued to reveal gifts I never knew I had. Through the use of these gifts, and through relationships developed along the way, He has continued to enlarge my sphere of influence and increase my responsibilities. In addition to administrating a rapidly growing music school, these responsibilities now include teaching and discipling others in our church, numerous community service opportunities, and presiding over the Board of Directors at Highland Rim Academy.

If you had told me as a college freshman that within a decade I’d be starting a music school from scratch and then working as an administrator, while also serving as a school board president (and being a husband and father, to boot), I’d never have believed you! A “spiritual gifts inventory” would not likely have labeled me as having “the gift of administration”, and even if it had, I would have been totally unprepared for my current vocation without the experiences that taught me how to rely on God to equip me to walk the path He’d prepared for me.

I don’t say any of this to toot my own horn. At best, all I’ve brought to the equation is insecurity in my own abilities and a proclivity to fly by the seat of my pants, which at least means that I didn’t have plans of my own to get in God’s way. And, of course, I brought years of musical preparation, which was the result growing up with parents who helped me discover and develop those talents in the first place.

The only advice I have is to point back to what Richard Phillips said: If you want to know God’s plan for your life, start looking for needs in your church that you can fill. Build relationships with those who can help you identify gifts — and sin — you didn’t know you had. Get involved in the Lord’s work, and be prepared to follow where He leads. Understand that he may lead you just one step at a time, but understand as well that you can trust that He also knows the steps that come next.

I don’t know what’s at the end of this road, but God does! I can’t wait to see what He has in store…

A Big Week for Cookeville Concerts

For those in the Cookeville and Crossville areas, there are several really great opportunities to hear live music in the next two weeks. Some have a price of admission, while others are free. I hope you’ll take advantage and attend one or more of these concerts!

Chamber Music for Winds, Strings, and Voice, featuring Robert Swan, piano

Part of Tennessee Tech’s “Center Stage Concert Series”, this performance will be held in the Bryan Fine Arts building tonight (April 18) at 7:30. The Center Stage concerts are always tremendous, and always free!

School of Performing Arts Student Recitals

Students from the Stevens Street School of Performing Arts will be performing in three recitals this week. Each will feature students of various ability levels playing a wide variety of instruments. These recitals are a great encouragement to me, and also wonderful for those who are considering taking music lessons. Children and parents can see what our students are capable of doing, which is helpful when deciding where to take lessons! The recitals will be held in the sanctuary of Stevens Street Baptist Church at 7:00 Thursday evening (April 19), and 5:00 and 7:00 Friday evening (April 20). All are free and open to the public.

TTU Symphony Band and Concert Band

As an alumnus I realize that I’m partial, but I think the Symphony Band is one of the best collegiate bands in the region! Their spring concert will be held in the Bryan Fine Arts building on Friday evening (April 20) at 7:30, and will be free. Students playing band instruments really need to have opportunities to hear great bands, so parents, get them there!

Southern Stars Symphonic Brass with Buddy Greene

The Southern Stars Brass Band is a great group, and one I’ve really enjoyed playing with. But of all the concerts we’ve played in the band’s three years of existence, this is the one I’ve anticipated most. In addition to a show consisting primarily of swingin’ hits from the big band era, we’ll be featuring guest artist Buddy Greene, who is the world’s greatest harmonica player. He’s most known as a member of the Gaither Band, and for co-writing the song Mary, Did You Know?, but he’s also a tremendous solo act. He’ll be playing a few songs specially arranged for harmonica and brass band, as well as doing a 30-minute segment by himself. As you’ll see in these videos, he combines great humor with extreme talent!

The concert will be held at Stone Memorial High School in Crossville, TN, at 7:00 on Saturday evening (April 21). Tickets are just $18 for adults and $5 for students (college and younger). You can purchase them at the door, or talk to me and I can get them for you. You can read more about this concert here.

Bryan Symphony Orchestra Concert

Many people don’t realize that we have a professional symphony orchestra right here in Cookeville. Not many towns our size can say that! They always put on a great show, and this one will be no different, featuring soprano soloist Sabrina Laney Warren. You can read about the concert’s programming on the BSO website, or watch this concert preview:

Tickets (if they are still available) are $30 for adults, $26 for seniors 65 and older, and $8 for students.

Tech Troubadours and Troubadours Alumni Big Band Concert

This one’s going to be a lot of fun! A group of alumni from TTU’s historic big band have “put the band back together“, and we’re playing our first gig this Sunday (April 22) at 6:00 p.m. in the banquet hall at Pueblo Viejo restaurant (located in what used to be the Wheeler Skating Rink on 10th). The current Troubadours group will perform a set in between ours. We’ve got a lot of great swing tunes in the book, and have a Wayne Pegram chart where any current or former Troubadour can take a solo (if this is you, bring your horn!). There’s a $7 cover charge for admission, most of which will go to help fund the jazz program at TTU. You will also be able to order from the dinner menu if you like to listen to jazz during your meal (who doesn’t?).

School of Performing Arts Faculty Recital

In addition to the student recitals listed above, we will be holding our first ever instructor recital on Thursday, April 26, at 6:30 p.m. This will also be at Stevens Street Baptist Church. It’s always fun for students to see their teachers perform, and I’m excited for ours to get this opportunity. We’re also encouraging folks from our community and from our church body to come out and see what a spectacular staff we have! Our 15 teachers are all incredibly talented, and will each be performing. There will be solos, chamber music, and a couple large ensemble pieces covering a wide variety of genres from classical to pop to bluegrass to corporate hymn singing. This is a free event, and we hope many will come!