Realidad y Deseo / Reality and desire

(Commemorative issue for the 1st anniversary of ABC Cultural, November 17, 2001)


It seemed logical that the musical revolution experienced by this country in the 1980s -marked by the widespread creation of symphony orchestras and the construction of new auditoriums- and its consequences, such as the massive importation of foreign professionals to meet the demands of the new situation, would naturally lead to a broad period of reflection in the 1990s. This reflection should have brought a comprehensive revision of music education and its various derivatives, from the modernization of curricula to the rational planning of educational centers and offerings -not based on a wild and whimsical demand, but on the real needs of the professional world and the new cultural life. The approval of the LOGSE in 1990 marked the starting point of a reform that, while radically changing the bleak landscape of the past, is still far from complete, both in terms of regulatory development and its implementation.
As for the former, the government still needs to approve significant regulations, such as royal decrees that will establish equivalencies between the old and current educational systems -essential for the proper implementation of the new advanced degree, which was forced to begin its general rollout nationwide without this crucial framework- or the establishment of pedagogical subjects required by law for teaching these courses, among others.
Regarding implementation, the degree of disparity and the general lack of coherent criteria displayed by the different educational administrations is glaring, whether through overreach or negligence in fulfilling their autonomous responsibilities and ensuring coordination among themselves. The very recent launch of the new advanced degree has been carried out under the most varied conditions -undoubtedly inherited from the previous situation but scarcely rectified by most Autonomous Communities. These disparities affect the centers themselves -many of which, nine years after the approval of the royal decree on minimum requirements, still mix advanced degree students with elementary level students- as well as the implementation schedule. The schedule has had to accommodate highly inconsistent situations, such as in Castilla y León (where the Conservatorio Superior de Música in Salamanca has already started the second year of the new advanced degree) and Madrid (where, at the time of writing this article -November 10- the Real Conservatorio Superior de Música had not yet begun teaching the first-year courses for this degree).
In my opinion, the undeniable benefits of the undertaken reform -including those mentioned above- such as the structured curriculum, an advanced degree fully equivalent to a university licentiate degree, increased instructional hours, the separation of centers based on the levels of education offered, and the creation of music schools to meet non-professional demand, among others- still require greater commitment from the various administrations to ensure the planned objectives transcend the theoretical realm of the "B.O.E." and become an unquestionable reality. This commitment involves both allocating the necessary resources to ensure the best conditions for implementation and fostering political sensitivity toward these educational programs. This sensitivity must protect their specificity while situating them within the most appropriate legal, academic, and organizational framework. Additionally, it requires building social trust in those responsible for delivering these programs, which has been undermined in recent years by the sometimes misguided way in which the dual professional roles of teachers -as both artists and educators- have been communicated to society, often prioritizing one role at the expense of the other.
In summary, many stages of the reform still need to be successfully completed to achieve its intended goals. All stakeholders involved -government, educational administrations, management teams, teachers, and students- must contribute to ensuring that the remaining phases of this process (the most delicate, as they directly impact professional practice) are not, once again, negatively affected by the all-too-common missteps of indifferent administrations or the ambition of a few influential representatives of the sector who prioritize personal interests over the common good. We have already seen too many self-serving overlords in the history of these educational programs. Now is the time for change, or we risk permanently missing a train of credibility that has already been running far behind schedule for too many years.

Madrid, November 2001