Magazine Posts
Table of Contents
Post title...
Post title...
Post title...
Posted
|
Views: 916
Is Classical Music ... Dead?
Classical music totally sucks. It's way too slow and there are no words. The symphony is just a bunch of old guys sitting around in suits pretending to actually like it. Why would ANYONE in their right mind want to listen to it?
Yeah sure, all of the claims above might make sense. Might. But honestly, they seem irrational and thoughtless. The real question here should be, why would anyone in their right mind not want to listen to classical music?
Firstly, labeling classical music as a genre that "totally sucks" is an illegitimate argument. Saying classical music sucks is similar to saying that Shakespeare sucks or that Charles Dickens sucks. You can say that you do not like these things, but you can't say that they suck. Classial music as a whole provides all of the musical theories, structures, and ideas necessary in creating any modern song. Pop, rock, hip hop, etc. All of these modern music genres stem from the
framework and theories that classical music had already laid out. So yes, anyone can say that they dislike classical music. But saying that it sucks doesn't actually make any sense, considering that without classical, we wouldn't have any of the music that we have today. It would be completely different.
Another frustrating topic that comes up in the bashing of classical music is that it was just written by boring white men wearing powdered wigs. I guess it might be easy to look at a photo of Bach and think that he could have just been a boring old man, but this is not the case. Musicians in the present time have a reputation for being emotionally "messed up" or having some sort of mental health problem. Unfortunately, people view the misfortunes of SOME musicians as "cool" or interesting. Apparently to write music in the modern world, there has to be an emotional problem inspiring the musician in the first place. So why haven't many people realized that classical composers, too were like the musicians of the modern day? There were love triangles, bar fights, and countless insults courtesy of classical musicians.
"The symphony is just a bunch of old guys sitting around in suits"
Look around at your peers. Surely some of them take joy in playing an instrument. Perhaps the spunky cello player, or the hilarious trombone player that always makes the whole class laugh. These people ARE classical musicians. They are NOT lame. They are not pretentious. They are the same as you. The dumb stereotype of band geeks, orcha-dorks, and just overall that anything remotely classical is lame isn't justified. Every single band, choir, and orchestra contains vibrant and exciting personalities. These beautiful minds are what is producing the beautiful sounds of classical music. Think about the people playing the music, learn about them, ask questions. Understand that musicians are interesting and exciting people, regardless of whether or not they play pop or classical.
But is classical music a dying art? Are the people of this generation disregarding it? I really do not like to think of classical music as a dying art. There just needs to be a greater understanding of the performers, composers, and conductors in order for people to realize that they are just like any other musician. The complexity and beauty of every classical piece needs to be recognized and appreciated by younger people, to encourage them to take part in it as well.
Classical music isn't dead. Not yet. Hopefully it will never be dead or disregarded. Anyone can play. It's all inclusive. Realize how it's just like any other music genre, but more fun. Sense there are no words, the story can be up to you. Classical music is beautiful and is most certainly alive.