The Fish Seeks Blog Visibility

The Fish, vain Fish that I am, wish to attract more visitors to this lowly blog.
Hence, I am now releasing Technorati Spiders into my tank zone.

Technorati Profile 

The Fish Ponders the Ethical Dilemma of Racial Profiling

If you are a sea or tank dweller like I am, you have to 
think about your basic needs. There is food to find,
appropriate sleep to catch, and the ever present problem of boredom.

You also have to consider your safety.  Suppose your owner decides to create a diverse, almost multicultural collection of fish.....fish of every size and color.....fish of every temperament...you know what I mean.   Some fish are able to live in community with others.  These are tolerant and even friendly, but there are some fish you do best to avoid.  

Because of my goldfish persuasion and strongly held fish beliefs, I have noticed that some fish consider me to be less of a fish.  The Grouper, for example.  If I come near a Grouper, it would be the last think I would ever do!  There are few fish that are able to live under the oppressive  dominion of the Grouper peacefully. And these are cowardly fish indeed.  
They even give their own hatchlings to the 
Grouper for their feed The rest are considered mere fish food.   

We fish carefully note the physical characteristics of the Grouper....and avoid them like the plague!  If our owner is wise, he will also racially profile the Grouper and keep him in his own tank where he can cause little to no damage to the rest of the fish.

Humans would be wise to note the Groupers among them and take special caution so they do not become part of the food chain.  The will do irreperable damage!

There is no need to be afraid of the gentle angel fish, the diligent snails, even my phlegmatic plucustomus buddy is no danger.  But the Grouper will try to kill me and anything larger and smaller than itself 100% of the time and I will be certain to watch for them.

The Fish Thinks About Music Education

It is time again for all the guppies to swim in their schools.  Parents concern 
themselves with the academic needs of their children, but are they attending to 
their musical needs as well?

The little fry need music for so many reason!

1. Music causes people to be more civilized (I exclude the expletive laden and 
oversexed hip hop and rap music from this category) 

2. Music participation makes kids smarter.   They use both sides of the brain at once.

3. Music brings people and communities together.

4.  Music participation is a healthy release from daily stress.

5.  Practicing music brings discipline into the lives of kids.

6.  Music participation, whether in a band or a choir, teaches teamwork and cooperation.

There are so many good reasons to get those small fry into a music class.
Whether yours participate in a school program, or you enroll them in lessons or community programs,  your children will benefit greatly.

Here are some links about the arts and academic achievement:

Arts Education Partnership
Music Education: The Cornerstone to Developing a Well-Rounded Individual

The Fish is Writing a Paper

When one gravels on topics as much as I do, the need arises to present 
information that will be useful to others and that will be satisfactory in 
the eyes of one's professor. 

This is what the Fish is doing today and will be doing tomorrow as well - delving 
deeper into the depths of Wagnerian symbolism.  And discovering in the process that, despite his amazing creativity, fascinating music and artistic output, the Fish would probably not have liked Wagner that well as a person.

Back to gravelling.  My unfortunate plucustomus partner is annoyed at my incessant studies, but, as some say - "It is all for art!" - and I am a musician at heart.

The Fish Needs a Few Good Men

Oh, don't take me wrong.  This flamboyant fish does not want "Men" in a 
relationship sense.  Besides, my faithful plucustomus with me (unwitting 
partner that he is).  What I need is a few good male singers!!! 

Occasionally I swim in the halls of our hallowed University (don't ask me how, 
I just do it) and look into the Great High and Holy Choral Room.  Behold, 
there is a preponderance of females!  Only in the Highest and most trained vocal 
ensemble is there a semblance of balance between the genders. 

Are men of good voice not aware that there is ample work to be had as a vocalist 
in what humans call the "Real World"?  Why do only a few catch the vision of the
grandeur and glory of being a singer.   Since when did Vocal music become the
domain of the female gender?

As I gravel on this subject, my enlightened mind turns toward music programs in the  schools. There is a point at which young men lose their zeal to sing, for they are not nurtured or encouraged to sing, and this occurs during that dangerously tender  time called puberty.  
A young man's larynx grows like an algae bloom in an untended tank!  He will temporarily have a drastically restricted singing range and then the pitch of his voice will lower.  During this time, young men are not encouraged to keep trying to sing and not encouraged that this voice change they are experiencing is merely a sign of impending manhood,  and they should be proud that they are changing (Perish the thought og the consequences  of not experiencing puberty!)   Teachers of voice and  singing should be on the look out for these forming basses, baritones and tenors, and encourage them to persevere through this vocal mutation, for the rewards will be great on the other side of it.

The Fish Bemoans the Lack of Musical Community

Since when has classical music been sequestered to the hallowed halls of 
University Music Departments?  In the past, trained musicians would meet in each
other's homes to entertain each other, to sing and make music together, to foster creativity and new works,  and to build bonds of friendship.  
The closest thing we have to that past phenomena in this era is the garage band, and, sadly, some of the music that comes from those bands is mere noise.

Musicians need to stop hiding their abilities and join together socially to produce music, 
which ends up being one of the higest forms of fulfillment one can experience.  
From the homes music then needs to be brought into public spaces for all to enjoy and 
receive edification from.  Perhaps there would be more peace and tolerance if there were 
more music.

Time to poke the plucustomus and invite him to sing a fishy song with me.