Racial Implications: Music v. Sports
There is a blatant disregard toward those who identify as musicians, whether it be in an academic setting or a social one. In high school or college, the amount of favoritism that identification as an athlete brings is more evident than ever. Athletes are regularly characterized as the “model student” for being able to put their bodies through unparalleled amounts of exertion, only to later perform in a class with the highest caliber. As a result, athletes are recruited to various universities due to their display of dedication and work ethic through the participation of their sport. They are later on given large sums of money if they decided to become professionals and therefore gain national acclaim. What is not addressed as much on the other hand, is lack of admiration toward musicians.
To say that musicians are not “athletes” is not only offensive, but also ignorant. A sport is defined as a physical skill in which an individual or team competes with one another, often for the means of entertainment—therefore, how is a musician not an athlete? The amount of physical finesse and labor in playing an instrument is equivalent to that of an athlete’s, not to mention the competition. For those who are devoted to music will have experienced the physical pain aplenty. There are conditions such as tendonitis, Satchmo’s syndrome, bilateral laryngoceles, overuse syndrome, focal dystonia and carpal tunnel syndrome—all maladies that can keep a musician out of commission for months. If an athlete were to break a bone and therefore were unable to practice for a month, what would happen? They would be weak, not as adept at maneuvering and no longer a forerunner in the unspoken competition of instrumentalists. Do you honestly believe it is any different for a musician? String instrumentalists must be able to adjust their fingers the slightest degree to correct the tuning of a note and also alter the speed of their bows according to the piece of music. Is this a lesser skill set than maneuver a ball according to the number of opponents in your way? I think not.
Perhaps those who are not involved within the “musical world” are unaware, but musicians face just as much competition with each other. In regard to teamwork, musicians often find themselves required to participate in group performances, whether an orchestra or a smaller ensemble such as a quartet or trio. Trust me, a true musician will know the value and struggles associative with teamwork. Teamwork is not exclusive to the world of athletics; it is a universal phenomenon.
What is this nonsense of sport recruitment? Of course sportsmanship is representative of an individual’s diligence and eagerness for success, qualities that would be highly beneficial in a higher educational setting. But if that is the case, shouldn’t musicianship also be indicative of such characteristics? By not “recruiting” musicians, educational institutions are not only ignoring the similar efforts made by musicians, but also not giving them the proper credit that they deserve by guaranteeing them admission into college. Why can there not be recruitments off of the basis of musical talents? What and who set such a ridiculous precedent?
Musicians who tend to specialize in string instruments or piano often fit under a specific demographic, while athletes are more commonly part of another. It does not take more than a few minutes to survey a school orchestra (such as this institution’s) and realize that there is a larger percentage is made up of Asians in comparison to other races. Of course, this could be attributed to the supposed “tiger mom” syndrome that is prevalent in a number of Asian families. But such an ignorant statement is disregarding the reasoning behind many Asian parents pushing their children to play string instruments or the piano. It does not have to be said out loud, but it is a philosophy that is ingrained into many Asian or Asian Americans’ minds—the fact that they have to be that much better scores-wise and extracurricular-wise to be considered as even relevant. Sure this could be considered as a stereotype, but search up a statistical report and let’s see how much can be refuted.
As an Asian American, I’ve have had a mixture of supposed “Confucian” ideologies and “American” lessons ingrained into my head. So yes, I play a string instrument, I strive for academic excellence to the point of obsession and I have a slew of extracurricular activities. But I also am more vocal about my opinions than my more reserved and “proper” counterparts. To say that I am so Asian for playing the cello or for singing classical voice is ridiculous. To say that I am not an athlete is misguided and insensitive. Yes, I am not kicking a ball around on a field or running on a track, but I am an athlete, just not a stereotypical one at that. ♥