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Classical music has been pushed into a niche taste through populist tastes being given priority over those tastes honed through education, discernment and artistic judgment.
As stated in my first blog post, appreciation of Art/music comes through education or guidance, if you like, and even better still nurture, which is much more subtle,also environment. However many people love artistic matters without being grilled nurtured or steeped in such matters. They are rare and wonderful creatures, non practitioners who have a 'connection' with creativity which they have nurtured and explored and developed themselves.
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I think we need to stop kidding ourselves, classical music IS 'higher' than the crooning-repetative-folk-slop that we tourture ourselves with on our ipods. The fundimental problem in this country is that music isnt being taken seriously enough at school, and not being taught effectively. All children are born with open ears, its our job to keep them that way. I teach young children, I expose them to Classical music, I expose them to contemporary music (not pop). They LOVE it, and they want to 'own' it and 'live' it. Its only once they go to school or their parents begin imposing their own narrowing opinions on them that this can change. Classical music is used to sell stuff because it has an aspirational quality you simply cant get with wailing 4-chord twaddle, and whats wrong with aspiring to something higher ? After all, thats why its being used to sell something to us isnt it ? If we want the car then we also want the music that goes with it surely ?
ReplyDeleteWe are scared in some ways of classical music because it represents hard work, and reminds us of our laziness and failure, something that wouldnt be the case if we had got off our lazy backsides in the first place. We are also simply not exposed to it enough at an early enough age to make it 'familiar' to us. Yet, there isnt a single one amongst us that doesnt fully admire, covet and enjoy listening to an accomplished young player who has survived the maelstrom of this countries miss-guided musical education system. We ALL aspire to be like this, that isnt the problem.
Hi I think that we are batting on the same side. However you will appreciate that I am taking a more philosophical stance. Regarding your comment about 'the accomplished young' whatever. I respond to this as follows,I take on board one of the streams of thought Ed Gardner the Musical Director of English National Opera stated in a magazine interview article I read recently, He said and I am recounting in my own words,that to arrive at a level of standing in music cost thousands and thousands. He said through bursaries, scholarships probably hard cash (that is my contribution)In otherwords the standards are not reached without this specialised input of both pupil and teacher. This must apply to any other pursuit that requires dedication.It is not about survival of youngsters these youngsters have devoted time and had time devoted to them.There can not be any other way.
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