Worship of the Written Word

From Tema Okun (2022):

“[O]ur cultural habit of honoring only what is written and only what is written to a narrow standard, even when what is written is full of misinformation and lies. Worship of the written word includes erasure of the wide range of ways we communicate with each other and all living things.

Worship of the written word shows up as:

• if it’s not in a memo, it doesn’t exist
• if it’s not grammatically “correct,” it has no value
• if it’s not properly cited according to academic rules that many people don’t know or have access to, it’s not legitimate
• an inability or refusal to acknowledge information that is shared through stories, embodied knowing, intuition and the wide range of ways that we individually and collectively learn and know
• continued frustration that people and communities don’t respond to written communication; blaming people and communities for their failure to respond
• those with strong documentation and writing skills are more highly valued, even in organizations where ability to relate to others is key to the mission
• those who write things down get recognized for ideas that are collectively and generationally informed in a context where systemic racism privileges the writing and wisdom of people in the white group
• academic standards require “original” work when our knowledge and knowing almost always builds on the knowledge and knowing of others, of each other 
• claiming “ownership” of (written) knowledge to meet ego needs rather than understanding the importance of offering what you write and know to grow and expand the community’s knowing.”

What does worship of the written word look like in music education?