Why Is There So Much Ignorance wrt Classical Music?

[starstruck5]

I just watched a quiz show in the UK, called 'The Chase' ( I record it and watch it later though -because I like to wind through the ad breaks)

In the Final Round -a question was asked of the so called quiz expert -Mark Labbett -(the Chaser_ Who wrote 'Fur Elise?'  Back came the answer Berlioz. When a Chaser gets a question wrong the contestants are then asked to give an answer -With four allowed to confer they come up with Dvorak -Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

I also remember in another quiz show called Eggheads -and this is similar Experts vs the Public -
CJ was asked on different occasions -who wrote the 'Minute Waltz' and 'the Wedding March' respectively =this was even multiple choice -1 of 3 and he came up with Schubert and Debussy respectively.

So if these quiz experts can't even be bothered to know the works of the great classical composers -where does this leave classical music education?

I think there has been a general dumbing down in schools over the years -with right on music teachers preferring to pretend they are down with the kids than really teach about the great composers. I don't mind a multi-cultural approach -with Chinese and Indian and other cultures also taught -but I am really disheartyened that a so called quiz genius can't be bothered to know the great works of Beethoven. All the past winners of Big Brother, though, he has nailed.

[ajspiano]

Last year or the one before here in australia during the "australia's got talent" reality show a young chinese boy played the rach version of flight of the bumble bee.  When he came onto the stage the judges asked him what he was going to play and he stated "Flight of the bumble bee by Rachmaninoff"

It annoyed me no end. granted I'll forgive him because he was very young but really, he has a piano teacher right? is it really that difficult for him to have known it was actually not by rachmaninoff.

Plus - now the entire country will think it was by rach because thats what they saw on TV. 

[commissiona]

In High School marching band I once demonstrated the Marimba to a 4 year old.  I let him hit the keys a little with a mallet, then I played for him the melody from Bach's minuet in G.  He said, "Wow, that really rocks!"  I smiled and jokingly said, "maybe, but I think it's a little more baroque."  He then looked at me and said, "it's not broke, I fix it." 

I'm not sure what the situation is in other countries, although I generally believe you guys in Europe and Australia etc are more in touch with the higher arts.  Here in the USA the problem will get worse before it gets any better.  Due to persistant school budget cuts, especially in New York and other East Coast states, our fine arts programs in schools have been dwindeling since the mid-1990s. 

This is the last thing we need as there is already gerneral social-economic pressure to ingore classical music in the first place.  It's difficult for me to describe, but I think you know what I'm talking about when I say it's looked down upon by your peers to enjoy music other than what is popular.  Here's a good example: 

Years ago I was driving my Dad and 2-3 year old sister somewhere in my car, I turned on some Mendelssohn or something, and my little sister says, "change it, this sucks!"  Hilarious, but at the same time it kinda broke my heart as you can imagine.  How does someone this young recognize a genre they're supposed to hate?! 

So without at least having some access to the classics in school, all these kids have left is the heavily producer driven music (pop) constantly being marketed to them, which they are already extremely good at even with communities with proper public music education. 

Well, there's not a whole lot one can do to reverse such a huge trend, but I do try to influence those around me to appreciate the arts as much as I can just by talking about it, performing in public with community chamber groups and orchestras, and I even used to organize and conduct monthly meetings to discuss classical music at our local Barnes and Noble book stores here in Dallas when I had the time.  If you've been lucky/brave enough to persue a career in music, you can do much more than that. 

Anyway, I like the story of kid who played 'Rachmaninov's' Flight of the Bumble Bee, but I'd don't think we'd been even so lucky as to have people even mentioning that Flight of the Bumble Bee was by Rachmaninov in the first place.

[pianoplayjl]

Last year or the one before here in australia during the "australia's got talent" reality show a young chinese boy played the rach version of flight of the bumble bee.  When he came onto the stage the judges asked him what he was going to play and he stated "Flight of the bumble bee by Rachmaninoff"

It annoyed me no end. granted I'll forgive him because he was very young but really, he has a piano teacher right? is it really that difficult for him to have known it was actually not by rachmaninoff.

Plus - now the entire country will think it was by rach because thats what they saw on TV. 

Indeed. And there was a 13 yr old boy who played Chopin's FI blindfolded. Thank God he got the composer and title right.
I guess that classical music is fading and being superseded by the pop music, rock, dance etc. One day those types of music will also fade and be replaced by another type/genre. Classical music has had its heyday. Sooner or later it must fade out but luckily it still lives on and leaves an enduring musical legacy to the music world. The music of today draws inspiration from the past.

Such is the evolution of music these days...

JL

[outin]

So without at least having some access to the classics in school, all these kids have left is the heavily producer driven music (pop) constantly being marketed to them, which they are already extremely good at even with communities with proper public music education. 

I am not sure how much it helps to be exposed to classical music in school. I know I was and that did not stop me from not liking most of it

I my country there's still some music education in schools (I think) but if the kids prefer other genres it makes little difference at that time. There's a lot of good and creative music that is not classical. But of course it is useful to know at least something later if they want to broaden their musical taste into classical music.

Not sure if it bothers me so much that people don't know the composers if they are not interested in classical music. Just to compare, I know nothing about famous athletes and could name very few celebrities. Should I have been educated in school about that?

[commissiona]

I am not sure how much it helps to be exposed to classical music in school. I know I was and that did not stop me from not liking most of it

I my country there's still some music education in schools (I think) but if the kids prefer other genres it makes little difference at that time. There's a lot of good and creative music that is not classical. But of course it is useful to know at least something later if they want to broaden their musical taste into classical music.

Not sure if it bothers me so much that people don't know the composers if they are not interested in classical music. Just to compare, I know nothing about famous athletes and could name very few celebrities. Should I have been educated in school about that?

Thanks, outin!

You have some great points, especially in that there's a lot of great and creative music that is not classical.  In fact, I find the popular genres to be the better means of musical expression for the past 70 or so years, because as much as I love my Corigliano or Philip Glass, I think I'll take my Radiohead or Elton John, or even Johnny Cash any day of the week if I had to choose.  The record album truely is the new Symphony in our times (totally going to get sacked for that comment! ).

However, what bothers me isn't so much people not knowing who wrote fur Elise, but the fact that the attitude toward this music becoming more and more inferior and to be avoided in our society*.  I used to get my ass kicked in elementary school for playing the violin, so there's much reason for kids not to bother.

However, if it wasn't for the exposure I had in when I was in school, I doubt that my musical aptitude would have ever developed, as my interest would have never been sparked in the first place.  

I probably would have found other interests to fill that void, or perhaps not really and I'd spend all my free time playing video games and listening to Nickelback, maybe somehow even be a happier person, who knows.  All I know, for sure, is not only do I enjoy music and is a very fulfilling aspect in my life, but it also had a lot to do with my academic development and performace through those years and all through college.  Music inspires creativity and performance, and I am extremely grateful and, seeing as how it may slowly be disappearing, even priveledged for the education I had in the fine arts when growing up (I'm still a small town Texas redneck, but an educated one and much better off!). But that's the whole music to academic achievement thing, that's a controversial subject on it's own (is faulty_damper around? he's seems good at explaining that kinda stuff ).

Damn, I'm still on this and I'm not even at work anymore, I better go do some piano stuff.  Later!

*or maybe, rather, iferiority not with classical music, but with anything that isn't new or popular, perhaps**.

**anthing not 'cool .'

[williampiano]

Indeed. And there was a 13 yr old boy who played Chopin's FI blindfolded. Thank God he got the composer and title right.
I guess that classical music is fading and being superseded by the pop music, rock, dance etc. One day those types of music will also fade and be replaced by another type/genre. Classical music has had its heyday. Sooner or later it must fade out but luckily it still lives on and leaves an enduring musical legacy to the music world. The music of today draws inspiration from the past.

Such is the evolution of music these days...

JL

Lately, I've heard from many fellow musicians, that classical music is like a pendulum. It swings back and forth, and soon it will swing back again. I never used to believe this and figured musicians were only giving themselves false hope. But lately, here on the west coast of the U.S. I have noticed many more people showing interest in classical music again, including people my own age (14-15).
I've noticed many people at my school have begun piano lessons during the past few years. There are also beginning orchestras where adults with absolutely no experience in classical instruments join to begin learning classical instruments for the first time ever (these orchestras never existed a few years ago). 

My father tells me that twenty years ago, nobody here ever played classical music, and if your ever mentioned it, people would just tell you its stupid. But in the past decade, many people have begun starting classical instruments again, I believe this may be due to classically influenced soundtrack in movies. My predictions could be false, but I do think things will change again.

[outin]

However, what bothers me isn't so much people not knowing who wrote fur Elise, but the fact that the attitude toward this music becoming more and more inferior and to be avoided in our society*.  I used to get my ass kicked in elementary school for playing the violin, so there's much reason for kids not to bother.

Well, I have to admit that it does annoy me a bit that much of the popular music produced for the big market today is neither good nor creative and so many are not capable or willing to explore on their own but only go where their peers go. So you could almost say if it sells really well it's probably trash. When I was young I somehow always managed to be interested in music that was either too strange, novel or too old to be popular.

BTW. I did not feel very cool either playing the flute when I was in my teens. So many of my friends didn't even know. I got an electric guitar later, it was much better

[rachmaninoff_forever]

I guess that classical music is fading and being superseded by the pop music, rock, dance etc.

Eeeh, I don't know about that.  Classical music has been around for how many hundreds of years?  Beethoven has been remembered for like 200 years now and in mainstream music, an "artist" makes a song and everyone forgets about it a month later.

It's not like that with classical.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Oh and today!

I was practicing the third movement of the Beethoven Pathetique sonata and one of the school conductors thought it was Mozart! 

But I guess that's forgivable.  The first movement is what most people know of, not the other two.  If they even know about the Pathetique.