Well, that puts my mind at ease about the future. I will be leaving my position in mid-June, and it is possible that my successor will not yet be confirmed. Dutch appreciation for American music starts young, as I can testify from attendance with my children at Britney Spears and Back Street Boys concerts. At each concert, the audience was neatly divided between children age twelve and under and their parents. At least half of the audience knew every word of every song by heart.
Music is a universal language for people of all ages.
But, if I might end on a slightly less optimistic note, I wonder if Dutch and American children will become equally familiar with other types of music. I have been so impressed by the musical literacy of the Dutch. The comedian Hans Liberg performed spoofs of famous composers in which he exaggerated their styles. But the state of musical education is something that should concern both our countries. Even in the Netherlands, as I understand it, children are receiving less and less musical education and are less and less exposed to more serious types of music.