Friday, Dec. 23, 2011
No apology necessary
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By Dennis Minich, Special to The Democrat Missourian
There is nothing more that I would like to write about this week than Christmas. Whether it is pithy and light about kids and toys and reindeer, or more serious about Jesus and love and angels, Christmas is a wonderful time. But a news story has developed in Missouri recently in which I know and respect some of the individuals involved and I think forgoing Christmas comments to defend a very good person is a forgivable offense.
As some of you know, my son, Derek, is a junior at Missouri State University, majoring in music education. I never understood nor appreciated the depth of his love for music. When the time came for him to select a college, many elements were taken into account, but the bottom line was the music department, from classes, to performances to reputation. When all was considered, he chose Missouri State, in no small part because of the work of the band director, Jerry Hoover.
For those that don’t know Hoover, he is a somewhat unorthodox, but brilliantly talented and passionate band director. The Pride marching band is recognized as one of the premier marching units nationally. Being part of the band is not just an extracurricular activity, at Missouri State it is an honor and an obligation.
I likewise like Hoover, he gets my humor. In fact, about the only complaint I have with the man is he did not like the Trans-Siberian Orchestra when they performed in Springfield last year. I guess even great men have character flaws and to this point, that is the only one I have found in him. But currently Mr. Hoover is in the midst of a controversy that is not only unwarranted and unfounded, but a totally misguided attack on a good man and a great program.
The controversy stems from the performance of one of Missouri State’s small specialty bands, a brass ensemble that has been chosen to play at various events throughout the region, including the annual Missouri Bandmaster’s Association conference. Just prior to Thanksgiving, the “Brass and Sass” group was on hand to provide the background music for a building dedication in downtown Springfield. The group’s play list consists of about a dozen tunes, largely based on marches, patriotic hymns and fun songs. One of the songs was “Dixie.” During the mid-November show, the band played its songs. Nothing was notable until recently when a controversy arose because the band had offended some present by playing “Dixie.”
The claim is that it is a song promoting racism and is offensive to people of color. It is pointed out that historically, three black men were hanged near the site of this building, sometime in 1904. A complaint was filed by the chapter of the NAACP and Hoover, the music department and the university has been raked over the coals for their lack of knowledge about history and insensitivity to blacks.
The story was posted nationally on Yahoo! and the Huffington Post, including artwork of a confederate flag. Comments posted included that “the band director should be hanged” and “we will never heal as a nation until we learn how not to offend others.” This is so very sad.
There is no room for racial bias and a keen eye for racial insensitivity is in order. But there also needs to be common sense dictating that intentional actions should be dealt with severely; unintentional noted and corrected; and contrived or irrelevant ignored. Logic would show this event to be the latter. Had this been an event about black history or commemorating the hangings, it would be repulsive. Had it been played to embarrass or demean someone, it should be dealt with seriously. But the context here is one song of many, being performed for general entertainment.
Something about art is a reflection of its time. While in a context, its playing could certainly be offensive. But in the context of Americana, it should be no more offensive than the “Battle Hymn of the Republic” or “America the Beautiful.” Part of sensitivity is being able to gauge context.
Sadly, the interim president of the university, who is obviously eyeing a permanent spot, has demonstrated political correctness, but a lack of leadership savvy, by not only apologizing, but making the blanket policy that no school musical unit will ever perform “Dixie” in public again.
As anyone who has met Hoover can tell you, accusing him of any type of racial insensitivity or any type of bias is simply sad. Hoover is a man of great repute in the Springfield area and I must suspect there was an attempt to make headlines by using his status to embarrass him and the university. I doubt this happened by chance.
Hoover has stayed above the fray, but unfortunately others at the university have not been so wise. The whole incident seems to involve small minds ignoring logic and looking for a headline.
