Letter to the Editor

To the Editor,

I write to you with the desire to convey my perspective on the argument tapped into, concerning the phenomenon of 'Text Speak' and the ostensible torment it has inflicted on teachers, in your latest issue. Whilst I do concede with some statements made within the article, in the entirety, I am afraid that I disagree with the outright condemning of social media platforms and the indirect labelling of technology oriented colloquialisms as a liability to the acquisition of Standard English.

As a student/youngster of today's generation, I find it quite unsettling how the article (falsely) reflects the youth's ineptitude to draw a line between contexts that justify the utilization of a certain nuance of English. Yes, the youth indulges in a new form of English alluded to as 'Text Speak,' however, the evidence provided to support the argument of this practice mitigating one's competency in Standard English is quite unreasonable. The article claims that children these days spend a lot of their time on "Facebook" and "Twitter" which translates to them having "limited vocabulary." As much as I have tried to comprehend this claim, I just cannot begin to absorb it merely because exposure to the World Wide Web and said platforms has perpetually been credited as for expanding our linguistic capabilities by constantly being introduced to novel words and phrases. So much so, new neologisms that have emerged from online phenomenons like 'Text Speak' are today even being legitimized by the Oxford English Dictionary. In my opinion, the English language has been subject to change throughout the of course of history. With every evolving generation comes an evolved form of the language, and for our generation technology just so happens to be the catalyst for this change.

Now, I understand how the manifestations of colloquial terminology and improper syntax and spellings may irk teachers. Nevertheless, what I do not understand is why technology is being accused as the primary reason for students' weakened awareness regarding the conventions of the English language? In fact, according to John McWhorter, a linguistics professor at Columbia University, the improper use of the rules of English is a relatively dated concept that can be traced back to several decades ago; thus, indicating that it is not purely the advent of technology that has caused this unfortunate notoriety to materialize. With all due respect, perhaps Mrs. Jordan should look into a viable solution to this problem as opposed to dismissing her students and their grammatical flaws as incorrigible. A balance needs to be struck between the exercising of the varied structures of English and I personally believe schools, where students spend a substantial amount of their time, should be a conduit to solidify this balance.

Sincerely,

Shriya Baweja

The King of Swing

By Shriya Baweja

October 12, 1984

Benny Goodman was an eminent clarinetist, bandleader and songwriter who made notable contributions to evolving music in the American society; subsequently becoming a pivotal figure in history or Jazz. He helped usher in the Swing era in the 1930s, which consequently earned him the title of— "The King of Swing."

Shriya: Thank you for being here with us today, Mr. Goodman. It truly is an honour to have you. 

Goodman: Thank you very much. I can't believe people would still want to listen to me talk at 74. 

Shriya: Well, people undeniably continue to crave your harmonious clarinet tunes. Don't you have a few concerts lined up?

Goodman: Oh yes, yes. I head to Tokyo tomorrow. I am quite excited about exploring Japan. 

Shriya: Wow, that truly is incredible. Now, may we talk a little about how it all started?

Goodman: Yes, of course. It has been a while since I have told my story. 

Shriya: So you began playing the clarinet at the age of 11. How did that happen? Were you always keen to play the clarinet?

Goodman: So one morning my father decided to take my brothers and I to the synagogue in the vicinity (in Chicago). I think they were holding free of charge music lessons or something like that. When we landed up there, the teacher decided that I was rather small and handed me a clarinet, whilst my brothers were handed a tuba and a trombone. I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little annoyed. But had I made a fuss about it, I wouldn't be where I am today, would I?

Shriya: Absolutely, for today you are credited as one of the most iconic figures in the history of clarinet and Jazz music. So much so, you introduced a new language to it, the Swing. What inspired you to pursue this unconventional style?

Goodman: I'll be honest with you— really, all I wanted to do was convey my passion through my music and playing all that dull music that was existing in the 1900s was not something I enjoyed. In fact, I clearly remember my fellow bandmate, Gene Krupa saying, "If we're gonna die, Benny, let's die playing our own thing." And that was it, we decided that we would deviate from all that boring "music" and make our own. What came as a result was labelled as Swing. 

Shriya: That was quite a bold step. Were you afraid of the reception or contrarily the flack that you could potentially receive?

Goodman: Like I said, we set out on a mission of playing music that we wanted to play. Whether people liked it or not was not the utmost of our concerns. However, we were fortunate enough that our music was widely embraced by the public... at least eventually. 

Shriya: What do you mean when you say "eventually"?

Goodman: Let's put it this way, music concerts in the 1900s were mostly for the posh people in town who could afford to splurge and go sit in a theatre to admire the peaceful melodies played by an orchestra. However, when we first played our unusually upbeat music at the Carnegie Hall in 1938, along with it was coupled cheers, applauds, the snapping of fingers and the most troublesome, care-free dancing. The wealthy were disgusted by this ostensibly "rowdy" music that caused people to break into a jig in public places. It took a while, but people became accustomed to our way of playing, and dancing became a tradition at our concerts. 

Shriya: How fascinating! You were a man that broke down numerous social barriers with your confidence and courage. You also had one of the first racially integrated bands in the history of music. How did that come about?

Goodman: I said it back then, and I'll say it a thousand times if I need to. I was selling music, not prejudice.  I didn't and I still don't care about how a man or a woman looks. As long as they can play the level of mastery I want played in my band, they are in. I worked with many influential men including Charlie Christian and Teddy Wilson. The world should not be denied the talent of individuals based on their race or ethnicity. 

Shriya: I completely agree with you. You were an inspiration to musicians in the early 1900s and you continue to be one today. The finesse in your music is yet to be transcended. Thank you for taking out the time to talk to us.