Luddites: Is Change Necessary? Pt.3

In 1970, I bought a brand new British motorcycle, showing rust right out of the crate, leaked oil, needed constant maintenance. It handled, rode and sounded great, but was an antique when I bought it. British manufacturing technology was in the dark ages at that time, since nothing was ever modified without overwhelmingly good reason for doing and even then only 10-20 years later than it should have been. Oil leaks were common and a point of camaraderie among BSA owners as were unreliable Lucas electrical systems that made one modern bike collector quip, "Lucas, prince of darkness". A whole mittful of British motorcycle manufacturers folded, as Japanese builders produced smooth, powerful and reliable (often ugly) and affordable substitutes.

I've done some teaching and have been around educational systems for over 30 years, and if anything teaching is more trendy than ever. New teachers who are not yet set in their methods may not mind. However, craft principles are widely recognized by experienced teachers, who in fact respond far more readily than tradespeople to discussions about the idea of craft. Those same teachers who have invested considerable time and energy in learning what works and what doesn't are forced to jump on the trend bandwagon each and every year. I'm not talking about the teachers who put no effort into their teaching, haven't changes their methods in thirty years and hate what they do, but those who care about real learning and know that teaching can be done effectively many different ways by very different individuals. Being told each summer to re-invent the wheel before September is an insult to their craft.

A very interesting television program aired a few years back featured a seventh generation violin maker in the American Midwest who carried on the tradition and methods. His only son went for teaching high school athletics, so the insturments he'd inherited from his European ancestors were destined for a university music department's museum.

I used to think that plumbers of all the trades were the most resistant to change, because if you had a product give service problems you'd stop buying it very quickly. But to my surprise, plumbers I've dealt with recently had embraced the new plastic piping for residential applications.

Finally, a female writer wrote in an article some time ago that no man over the age of 45 ever changes his mind about anything; my life's mission is to prove her wrong, starting with myself!

The above examples indicate that change is appropriate at times and not at others. Change for its own sake is novelty; just because some elementary teacher in Kansas finds that a teaching tactic works for her doesn't mean that every teacher needs to adopt the same method.

One of the most special moments in the piece on the violinmaker came when a musician came to pick up new instrument crafted especially for him. The two men greeted each other like old, dear friends, then the visitor picked up the new violin with anticipation and respect, the maker looking on with delight. Ever been at a home for supper, commented on the steaming plate as the hostess brought it to the table, and have her disclaim that she was trying a new recipe, not sure how it would turn out? Would that work here?

Obviously not. The craftsmen in this case has very good reasons for being conservative, in the sense of maintaining all of his methods, materials, etc. As the musician placed his order for the new violin, the old craftsman knew exactly how to adjust to the age, posture, reach and preferences of his friend to produce an instrument of perfection. To the collection of instruments from more than a hundred years of family instrument making, would someday be added those he had made. Years from now, on a quiet afternoon, a master violininist would remove instruments one at a time to play for a class of students and explain the subtlety nuances of variation between his instruments that the students might not perceive. Try that with a "flavour of the month" approach. Here, conservatism is essential. Just obtaining the right elements for woods, adhesives and fininshes was challenging enough.