Klarinet Archive - Posting 001242.txt from 1998/07

From: Craig Earl Countryman <cegc@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] Classical Music and Young People
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 1998 23:24:57 -0400

I think that we must remember in this discussion that classical music is
an ongoing process. Many forms of music such as rap, R & B, etc. were
not invented in the time of Mozart. Mozart's music was the popular
music at that time. However, times have changed. Now we have new forms
of "popular" music. This is a good thing! After all, music, just like
literature, poetry, and art, is a product of the times. So it is only
logical that newer music will be more popular among teens.

That does not take away from what has already been written. Mozart,
Beethoven, Bach, and others have written masterpieces. But, we need to
create new masterpieces. Maybe in a hundred years some popular music
will be a classic. Who knows? New music conveys a message just as
classical music does. It employs the voice as its major instrument.
This music expresses themes of love, relationships, and what life is
like in the late 20th century.

Jazz was the new form of popular music in its day. Now, many people
lump it in with the rest of the classics. Perhaps we will see the same
thing happen with some of today's music.

Certainly, there are some forms of music today that are really bad, but
I think it reflects the overall trend in society. Look at some of the
movies we produce, the shows on television, some of the popular
literature. Music is just one area of our culture that has seen moral
decline in some of its output.

I think people are really eager to jump on the bandwagon that today's
youth are going away from classical music. I think the same percentage
of today's youth likes classical music that did in previous generations.

Classical music just isn't for everyone and that is OK! Some people
will learn to love it in time, others will never like it. What can you
do? Complaining about it doesn't do much good. The best we can do is
educate those that have never heard it and let them make their own
decision as to whether they like it or not. As long as the decision is
educated I have no problem with it.

I know this post is a little disorganized (sorry) so let me sum up my
two main points.
1. Disliking Classical Music is ok, so long as that opinion is
educated
2. We must realize that music is a product of the times, and
the most popular music from ANY time will inevitable be of that
time.
3. Not only must we admire what past "classical" composers did,
but we must write new classical music. If we want to keep our genre
alive this is extremely important!!

I guess I am not really jumping on the bandwagon here that everyone who
doesn't like classical music is uneducated or ignorant. I really
believe that is not the case. It is important to listen to a variety of
types of music.

Sincerely,

----------------------------------------------
Craig Earl Countryman
cegc@-----.net
http://www.sneezy.org/clarinet/YPP/Craig.html
http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/1711/
----------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------------------