30th
John Sheets
father of Zach, a young composer since fifth grade, now a junior in high school
I can offer a narrow view of Opus 16 as my son is planning on majoring in music composition in college. Because of this the Vermont MIDI Project has become one of his most important activities. Simply put: without VMP my son would probably not be a potential professional composer. The impact of this statement is enormous. While he is also going to pursue a major in flute performance, his abilities at composing offer an important adjunct to his future musical career.
The true importance of the Vermont MIDI Project does not rely on these few highly motivated teenagers. It lies in the opportunity for any number of interested young people to try their hand at writing music. That is revolutionary! It offers the possibility for a large segment of young people to be more involved with, more educated in, and more appreciative of music. In the past such training has resided in pre-college conservatory programs or college music programs. Perhaps it can be compared to learning how to express oneself in writing a poem, an essay, or a fictional tale. We take those things for granted as part of the educational process. We’ve considered composing music as a mysterious process, so people are amazed at the level of music creation in a concert. Perhaps the Vermont has unlocked a secret. Maybe everyone should try to compose music.
