Shimrod may have hit on something. I have seen this "classroom" phenomenon many times. It's the old "Girl Scout Campfire" approach (which may be fine for old Girl Scouts), but not for me, thank you.

I don't know where the young people who go into teaching have this "gee whiz, let's all clap hands and sing Kumbaya!" stuff inculcated into their brains. The real issues is, though, that many don't just talk down to adults, they talk down to their students in the classroom. It's not the root cause, obviously, but it is one of the subtle ways we have of "dumbing down" our students, a worsening scenario year to year. Few succeed where so little is expected.

Singing and instrumental music should be taught with high expectations, credible expertise and a certain joy in the music itself. Treating your sixth grade students (and their parents) like kindergartaners is both selfish and unproductive.