Uncomfortable about song choice AIBU?

[windmillasaurus]

How would you feel if your class were to perform a song in the end of year concert originally sung (many years ago) by a convicted paedophile? Is the song tainted because of the connection? The class haven't been told who sang the song. Something isn't sitting quite right with me about it but I'm not sure if IABU ...

I would avoid this song. It's a shame and I've had the same situation but I think it's the only answer.
I have a similar problem with a singing book I used to use, I just can't justify keeping it on my shelf.

It's not me who has chosen the song. They are learning it with their music teacher. Do you think I should approach the teacher directly about it or our head of primary?

If it's Two Little Boys I don't think he wrote it, if that helps.

Think more Glam Rock. Song was co written by him.

I think the music teacher would have to have lived in a cave for the last 20 years to not know Gary Glitter is verboten (if it is him). Am surprised at that choice. I'd probably speak directly to the teacher.

It would be foolish not to mention it I think. Tell the music teacher your concern and tell the head teacher you've told her/him.

Yes I think it's an uncomfortable choice.

Especially if it's going to be performed for parents in a concert.

I'd be a bit if my DS came home singing it too, as he tends to do when he's had music lessons.

I heard GG's Christmas song in Tesco last year and I really felt like complaining.

I'm not a pearl clutcher in the least, but I don't want to hear and accept songs from a known pedophile and I certainly don't want royalties paid to him for listening.

There are constant reruns of old TOTP on minor BBC channels and they never show episodes with Gary Glitter (or Savile for that matter - obviously he is a touchy subject for the corporation anyway). The feeling seems to be that he should be airbrushed from popular culture, and rightly so. Even more to have children playing his song.

Thanks. You've all backed up what I was thinking. I just wanted to check I wasn't being too precious before saying something. I think the music teacher knows it is a controversial song choice as he didn't explicitly tell me it was a GG song just that they were doing an acoustic version of a glam rock song. I found out when I went to search it on YouTube to show the class, which obviously I didn't do once I found out the truth. We're both British teachers but teaching abroad. Not sure how well known GG was in Europe so unsure if most of our parents would know about him. Awkward conversation to be had after the holiday but will make me feel better having done it.

He didn't even have many good songs either, why not choose a Bowie or TRex song? It just seems hassle for no reason.

Which song is it?

I wouldn't want my child learning those songs at school, mainly because if they like a song they tend to come home, want to find it on YouTube, want to know who it is by and learn more songs by the same person and then happily tell everyone that that person is their favourite pop star. My children are too little to need to know why such people shouldn't be their favourites and parents shouldn't be put in that position.

KungFu do you mean the same Bowie that had sex with a 15 year old girl?

Bad choice.

Chic best not going there. Bowie is canonised on here and his misdemeanours swept under the carpet. A paedo is only a paedo if he is ugly and a bit weird you see

If you refused to listen to music because one of the performers was rumoured to have had under age sex then the vast amount of Radio 1,2 and 3 would be closed to you.

Also I suggest you don't ever look at any art or read any books just in case.

That's different to a teaching situation though. We shouldn't knowingly recommend music by convicted sex offenders to our students.

A teacher at my dc's school was sexual abused for years by her stepfather. He was a music teacher who wrote books to teach children music that were widely used in schools. She waived her anonymity on order to campaign to get those books removed from school settings so that children wouldn't be learning to play the piano using books written by a paedophile. She is very clear that you can't separate the abuser from the books/music.

She is an amazing woman and I agree with her.

What about Romeo and Juliet - she is 13, he is 17 or 18?

Should we not talk about Mohammed and his child bride?

No music by the Who either - Pete Townsend was arrested for child porn, Jerry Lee Lewis married a 13 year old.

No Roman polanski films.

If you are going to ban art produced by paedophiles you have to be consistent surely.

There is no logic to it. Is a song written by a paedophile forever tainted or only one performed by him? If you use a song and 20 years from now it turns out the writer/performer was a serial sex offender should you be condemned? Must it be wiped from our collective memories?

What harm could you do to a child by teaching them "Tie me Kangaroo down, Sport."?