On the one hand, I can talk extensively about my interests with my grandparents and other older people who I meet – but there are not nearly as many people my age who share them. And at the same time, the people I can discuss classical music with tend to be less interested in – or even dismissive of – other genres that I enjoy. There is a great rift between classical music and the rest of the musical world. In academic and formal settings, classical music has the spotlight, and in popular culture it is almost completely ignored. I think that these two things are closely related – both edges of the same sword.
As a classical musician and composer myself, I am well aware of the stereotypes. When you read those two words, you probably imagine expensive concerts, excessive formality, and a generally elitist atmosphere. This is demeaning to the many other genres of music that exist, because it implies that classical music is somehow inherently better and more deserving of respect than they are. I feel like it should be obvious that Beethoven cannot be objectively superior to Miles Davis, but consciously or not, it is often treated as such. And I really don’t like that. Every time I mention classical music, you might also be imagining something boring. That’s because all this false significance also makes it feel inaccessible to everyone else – and no wonder!
It’s difficult to engage with something that is artificially elevated over your head. I feel like a lot of people who aren’t familiar with classical music see it as dull and pretentious because of this reputation, and so they avoid it. For the average listener, excessive seriousness is a major turn-off. (Pun intended.) Again, I don’t like this. Those of us who play classical music take it very seriously, that’s true, but so do all professional musicians. Jazz pianists practice as much or more than I do, and popular artists put in incredible amounts of work making sure that their latest album is polished just the way they want it. J.S. Bach, Howlin’ Wolf, and Hakita created very different music, but they are all skilled in their chosen styles. And this works the other way – hobbyist musicians play for fun, whether they prefer Led Zeppelin or Chopin. I’ve been there, too. I know what it’s like. It’s also true that some classical music can be very inaccessible.
But so is some jazz – and some electronic music. And the more you expose yourself to any particular genre of music, the easier it is to understand and appreciate it.
So I’m asking you to treat the false rift between classical music and other styles as exactly what it is. I advise taking a look at classical music on its own merit, not based on an artificial narrative, and you might find that you like some of it. (Or you might not, and that’s completely understandable too.) But always remember that it’s just another style of music, no more or less special than any other.
