When will I ever use math?
The analogy between band and math is problematic. Band has various payoffs that math doesn't: getting attention from peers, the inherent joy in playing music, peer bonding via football games, band trips and whatnot. (Not that math doesn't have "inherent joy" -- it just seems more solitary, more cerebral, and less socially glorified than music.)<p>There's no doubt that our math education destroys curiousity, and if we could teach math in a non-utilitarian way, as a sort of artistic endeavor, that would be amazing, but... is it even possible? Has it ever been tried? Whenever I think about this, I think about season 4 of The Wire.