Teach pop art first, classics marginally

Noel Fabri and Madeleine Gera (Enduring Relevance Of The Classics, February 5) show exactly the mentality I talked about in my previous letter.

Of course one "can never compare today's music to Beethoven", because today's musicians try to achieve entirely different things, so comparison is pointless. In truth, all genres are equal, and whether you prefer the complex magic of Beethoven to the innovative textures and beats of the best of today's house DJs is purely subjective.

Mr Fabri claims that "the present generation of young people have no appreciation of the arts". But if Tiesto, Shakira and Ġużè Stagno are all artists, then this claim is obviously invalid.

Ms Gera asks "how can anyone be bored of Velazquez?" The answer is simple: by having different tastes. Like it or not, most teenagers prefer the pop art of today to the classics.

I never suggested removing the classics entirely, because, of course, they are still relevant today. What I am proposing is this: The art (without a capital 'A') module of Systems of Knowledge tries to instil in students an analytical way of looking at art. It is impractical to try do this by focusing on what most students do not enjoy, so let us first find common ground with them. Let us focus on the present popular music first; get them to debate something they enjoy, instead of fall asleep. Only then can we attempt to get them to look analytically at the classics.

Even then, we should only focus marginally on the classics, since to do otherwise would risk making students lose interest. The main problem with Systems of Knowledge is that it is viewed by many as "uncool", so trying to instantly make them like music which is usually appreciated by adults is destroying the common ground that the lecturer must establish to get his points across.

Result: The lecturer will view the students as ignorant, with no appreciation of art (despite this being completely untrue), and the students will view the lecturer as a waste of time (despite this being not his/her fault). Trust me, I am a student, and I see this lack of interest in the others' opinions every time I walk into class. It was never the lecturer's fault. I have always had good Systems lecturers. It was merely that the lessons never focused on something that interested students.

A student-orientated approach is necessary if Systems is to achieve anything.