Development Of Arts Damaged

I TAKE this opportunity to comment on the reports, submitted to the media over the past week, concerning the auditioning of musicians and singers to be awarded the chance to take part in the Music Festival to be held in Windhoek at the end of 2008.

The world of culture, of the fine arts, music, song, is the rarefied world where the deeper culture of a nation is nurtured and developed. In modern times for all sorts of reasons comparatively few young people devote their lives to such cultural activities.The reason they do so is that few youngsters enjoy the support of their schools, their parents and have the time, inclination and motivation and the deep innate drive to express themselves through the cultural arts.Also innate in such rare persons, is the aspiration to achieve excellence and to enjoy recognition of being judged – especially by their peers – as achieving excellence for their efforts.It is common cause that the one of the main instruments of the creation and education of civil society is the world of the arts.It is for the above reasons that the Franco Namibian Cultural Centre and Bank Windhoek must be congratulated for supporting the recognition of excellence in music and singing.I am making the following contribution on the basis that the articles in the various newspapers are stating incontrovertible facts, as to how the judging on 07 June 2008 took place.As a person involved in a profession where the aesthetic skill of the architect needs to be judged by peers I understand the frustration of students who are disadvantaged by perceived poor and biased judging.Fortunately the rules, in terms of which architects may compete, are controlled by statutory laws.The student musicians and singers however, are left to the mercy of the standards of ethical behaviour and the integrity of the judges of their musical talent.The concept of ethical behaviour is driven by the word ‘ought’.What ought to have been done! Integrity is defined as the ‘conformance’ between the stated, or implied, intent of a person and the final actions of a person.On the face of it therefore, the judging of the musical and song competition was defective on both counts.It was unethical and lacked integrity.To have parents of competitors, or their teachers, on the judging panel constitutes a serious conflict of interest, whatever the possible truth of claims of fairness.If creative competence is to be judged, then it must be done with full response to the imperatives of transparency, accountability and fairness.I would have expected that, in order that justice and fairness are not only done, but seen to be done, at least one, but ideally two, of the main judges, would be highly qualified, accredited, respected persons from academic institutions outside Namibia.To limit the judges in such a competition to the parents of the contestants, and the directors of the commercial interested, “schools” of music – must obviously be highly suspect.Inherent in the intention to have a competition to decide excellence is the implication that judging will be fair and impartial.Not to deliver on that implied promise is therefore fraudulent.In the corrupting of fair practice two disasters are taking place.If the deserving, perceived by all to be the more excellent students, are not recognised, then these students will suffer for the rest of their lives – disappointed and damaged by the perceived unfairness, and illegitimacy of the world in which has failed to acknowledge their excellence and achievement.The recognition of their excellence is the greatest motivation for giving up a large part of their lives to their passion for music and song.The other, and even more damaging consequence, is that the contestants who were perceived – note, perceived!!! – to be unfairly advantaged, will realise and know that their success was undeserved.They will suffer a more severe type of pain.The whole system is corrupting.I am a member of that group of people who supports, especially, Namibian choirs and orchestras at every opportunity.At such an occasion I am always made aware that the musicians and singers that are entertaining me spend a large part of their lives perfecting their musical skills.For this I am eternally grateful.Namibia is an extremely precarious environment for such people.I find it sad therefore that the cultural development of the musical arts in Namibia is being damaged, as has apparently been the case, at the auditions on Saturday, 07 June 2008.Why do people do this? There is no benefit to anyone, and the inequitable conduct of the judges corrupts essential cultural development and excellence in this country.One can only imagine the deeper damage when – and if – the Ministry of Youth & Culture, the FNCC and Bank Windhoek step in and call for a re-auditioning process under a fairer judging system, and previous “winners” are rejected in the re-judging exercise.Again! – why do this? Windhoek ArchitectIn modern times for all sorts of reasons comparatively few young people devote their lives to such cultural activities.The reason they do so is that few youngsters enjoy the support of their schools, their parents and have the time, inclination and motivation and the deep innate drive to express themselves through the cultural arts.Also innate in such rare persons, is the aspiration to achieve excellence and to enjoy recognition of being judged – especially by their peers – as achieving excellence for their efforts.It is common cause that the one of the main instruments of the creation and education of civil society is the world of the arts.It is for the above reasons that the Franco Namibian Cultural Centre and Bank Windhoek must be congratulated for supporting the recognition of excellence in music and singing.I am making the following contribution on the basis that the articles in the various newspapers are stating incontrovertible facts, as to how the judging on 07 June 2008 took place.As a person involved in a profession where the aesthetic skill of the architect needs to be judged by peers I understand the frustration of students who are disadvantaged by perceived poor and biased judging.Fortunately the rules, in terms of which architects may compete, are controlled by statutory laws.The student musicians and singers however, are left to the mercy of the standards of ethical behaviour and the integrity of the judges of their musical talent.The concept of ethical behaviour is driven by the word ‘ought’.What ought to have been done! Integrity is defined as the ‘conformance’ between the stated, or implied, intent of a person and the final actions of a person.On the face of it therefore, the judging of the musical and song competition was defective on both counts.It was unethical and lacked integrity.To have parents of competitors, or their teachers, on the judging panel constitutes a serious conflict of interest, whatever the possible truth of claims of fairness.If creative competence is to be judged, then it must be done with full response to the imperatives of transparency, accountability and fairness.I would have expected that, in order that justice and fairness are not only done, but seen to be done, at least one, but ideally two, of the main judges, would be highly qualified, accredited, respected persons from academic institutions outside Namibia.To limit the judges in such a competition to the parents of the contestants, and the directors of the commercial interested, “schools” of music – must obviously be highly suspect.Inherent in the intention to have a competition to decide excellence is the implication that judging will be fair and impartial.Not to deliver on that implied promise is therefore fraudulent.In the corrupting of fair practice two disasters are taking place.If the deserving, perceived by all to be the more excellent students, are not recognised, then these students will suffer for the rest of their lives – disappointed and damaged by the perceived unfairness, and illegitimacy of the world in which has failed to acknowledge their excellence and achievement.The recognition of their excellence is the greatest motivation for giving up a large part of their lives to their passion for music and song.The other, and even more damaging consequence, is that the contestants who were perceived – note, perceived!!! – to be unfairly advantaged, will realise and know that their success was undeserved.They will suffer a more severe type of pain.The whole system is corrupting.I am a member of that group of people who supports, especially, Namibian choirs and orchestras at every opportunity.At such an occasion I am always made aware that the musicians and singers that are entertaining me spend a large part of their lives perfecting their musical skills.For this I am eternally grateful.Namibia is an extremely precarious environment for such people.I find it sad therefore that the cultural development of the musical arts in Namibia is being damaged, as has apparently been the case, at the auditions on Saturday, 07 June 2008.Why do people do this? There is no benefit to anyone, and the inequitable conduct of the judges corrupts essential cultural development and excellence in this country.One can only imagine the deeper damage when – and if – the Ministry of Youth & Culture, the FNCC and Bank Windhoek step in and call for a re-auditioning process under a fairer judging system, and previous “winners” are rejected in the re-judging exercise.Again! – why do this? Windhoek Architect