Even Newspapers Aren't Immune

I've been browsing through Web sites of Kansas newspapers in search of things typical of Kansas. The Augusta Gazette reports on a winter music concert, a hallmark of vocal music teachers across the state. The headline reads, "A Featued Pair of Voices", and the story includes a picture of two sixth grade students singing together whom the article describes as "featured soloists". It appears that even newspapers aren't immune from language goofs. Two persons singing together are not soloists. Perhaps they could be called duetists, but that's an awkward and seldom used word construction. "Featured singers" would probably have sufficed for the purpose of the story.

Without detracting from the importance of vocal music education, it seems that language arts are not given enough attention in our schools. The reporter or the editor should have caught that mistake. But, it's not a problem exclusive to Augusta, nor is it a problem that more and better instruction in English would necessarily cure. The solution is more education in the arts, so that news reporters would know the terms used to refer to the various configurations of vocalists. It is obvious to me that arts education is as important as the three Rs, and educators and those who fund and pay for education should understand that as well.