Caterina De Gaetano Arts Writing

11/12/11 Trend Piece

Classical Music: Boring the Masses, Entertaining the Nerds Classical music has the power to invoke several different emotions deep within its listeners. With the chromatic, major and minor scales that are worked into pieces, the tones have the capability to make a person feel joyful, fearful, and depressed all within one performance. Not many people place a sentimental value on this genre of music. When one mentions classical music, a few things fuel their imagination. The image of wealthy elderly people dressed up in fancy clothing sitting in theater seats quietly and stoically, listening to the orchestra on stage play Bach and Beethoven, comes to mind. Boring and complicated also are descriptions that generally are attributed to classical music. Classical music is curtailed in our society for a number of reasons; the main issues are lack of funds, patience and interest, but the 19th century sound is slowly making its way back into our modern culture, adapting to a diverse audience. Sitting in Dr. Carol Cowans office inside College Hall after orchestra rehearsal on Sunday night, I was excited to begin our discussion about classical music, something I am familiar with and have played and enjoyed for more than half of my life. As I waited for the conductor of the SUNY New Paltz community orchestra, I could hear a piano and a few saxophones in the background, probably coming from the practice rooms upstairs. It created the perfect atmosphere for the interview to take place. I put my recorder on her desk and lean forward with my legs crossed and pen and paper in hand. Looking rather comfortable, Cowan sits back in her desk chair sipping some cider. I ask her to define classical music first. According to Dr. Cowan, there are several meanings to the term classical music: Some people use classical

to mean a period, as opposed to say, Renaissance music or Baroque music. Classical music would be roughly the period which most people would recognize as the time of composers like C.P.E. Bach, (son of Johann Sebastian Bach), Hayden, and Mozart, maybe even a little bit of Beethovens work. Then you go into the Romantic period, which would be Beethoven and Brahms. The classical time period was also thought to be very orderly and systematic, bound by19th century melodic forms such as the sonata, allegro, etc Classical can also be identified as a genre of music, such as Jazz or Rock, which have original, written melodies as opposed to improvised performances or replicas of past musical works. Classical music is known for its intricate written music, containing unpredictable tempos and key signatures. This makes it harder for people to follow along with the music; therefore, the compositions become too difficult for an audience to enjoy listening to. Despite its complexity, the people of the 19th century had an avid taste for the symphonic masterpieces. As a result, classical music became popular for more than a century. The arts reached their peak in the late 1700s, early 1800s during the establishment of the Bourgeoisie class, which mainly consisted of skilled workers such as doctors, lawyers and teachers. These people were highly educated and held extra money, more so than the lower class of laborers, but less than aristocrats of the highest social statuses. Classical musicians flourished with the amount of concerts that were taking place due to popular demand. With more money to spend on leisurely activities, the middle class attended symphonic performances and contributed to the arts greatly. During the prosperity of classical music beginning in the late 18thcentury, renowned composers like Beethoven and Bach developed. Ludwig van Beethoven was a pioneer in composing classical music. His 6th Symphony was written to reflect the sounds of nature, as all music strives to do. Composers around the

world mirrored Beethovens style, creating pieces inspired by his Symphonies. Czech composer, Bedrich Smetana, modeled 6th Symphony in his work Mein Vaterland, a song composed to reflect the sounds of rivers and streams. The Romantic era followed in 1815 with composers like Beethoven and Brahms. Pieces from this period were very expressive and rather than mimic natural sounds, invoked more emotions from both listener and composer. The creation of these pieces took extreme focus, the formation of complex harmonious techniques, meticulous attention to musical theory, and the brilliant and trained mind to comprehend it all. Why then, are these ingenious works of melodic tunes composed by Beethoven and Bach falling to the wayside, playing softly through overhead speakers in a busy supermarket where people are focusing more on their groceries than the allegro in Symphony 6? The nature of classical music proves too time consuming and brain cramping for the average person who is used to listening to pop music which contains standard bass lines and synchronizations. For professional musicians like Dr. Cowan, classical music is as conversant to her as reading or writing. She began playing piano at age 4 and started the violin in school at 10 years old. I always liked music, Says Cowan. There was always a lot of music in my home. My parents listened to a lot of records and they took me to concerts. But I remember the first time I played in an orchestra at the age of 13 or 14; I played Brahms symphony and I remember thinking it was the most gorgeous piece I ever heard up to that point in my life. I was thrilled to be a part of that, Cowan proclaims. A trained musician has a higher appreciation for classical music than the average listener because undoubtedly, she has a rich comprehension of the functions and technicalities of the compositions and she is also surrounded by this type of music frequently.

Dr. Cowan spends several hours seven days a week listening, playing, or conducting instrumental groups. Our society today is so fast paced and ever changing that it would be hard to imagine an individual spending so much time listening to a Beethoven symphony, trying to figure out which key it is in or even trying to identify something as simple as the instruments playing within the piece. Julian Johnson writes in his book, Who Needs Classical Music? that, Cultural transactions take place with increasing rapidity hence the heating up of the cultural economy and its rapid turnover of new products. Not only are taste cultures themselves shifting, but people now tend to move between them with greater ease. Classical music takes more understanding from the untrained ear than pop songs. True appreciation takes time and that we just do not have in our modern world. This is unfortunate because Dr. Cowan believes that music can be very powerful. I think there is something very internal that you register the feeling, the beat and the mood of the music. Today, I heard a string quartetI was really kind of swept away just by the power of it and the commitment of the players and how hard they had worked on it. But then again, I am a professional musician so Im sure Im affected by music differently, possibly, in this point of my life.Classical music actually surrounds our daily lives in ways most would not distinguish. It is played on commercials, television shows, in the background of movies, and even in elevators, restaurants and in waiting rooms of doctors offices.Johnson makes an argument about this exposure of classical music in our society: It is at odds with its use in restaurants, shopping malls, and elevators, on telephone answering machines, and in a host of other contextsbecause the consequence of these uses and the technologies that make them possible is that not only does our attention to the music tend to be distracted, but music can be cut off at any moment (38).

The most typical association people make with classical music is that it is geared toward older, snooty rich people. This familiar ideology remains and causes a problem because it discourages the public from attending concerts or even listening to a Bach or Mozart piece on the radio. An individual can easily dismiss music this way, feeling it has nothing to do with them anyway so why should they give it the time of day. It is false classical music and performances only attract a specific group of people; however, there seems to be a steady trend of particular groups listening to and gathering at classical performances. There are valid reasons for this of course. Cowan explains that, Orchestra performances generally bring in older people because they are retired, have more leisure and extra money to spend. She also tells me that the majority of young and working classes are more hesitant to attend concerts because they may feel it is a suit and tie affair and that makes some uncomfortable. Others find this formality archaic and just plain un-cool. For example, Bridgette Slevin, a junior at SUNY New Paltz says, Its just not my style.Its geeky. Johnson relays in his work that in society, it is not just a matter of being nerdy or unpopular which affects the reputation of 19th century music: Its not just un-cool, but comes to be politically suspect, associated not only with a parental generation but with the tastes of an elitist social group (well-off and well-educated) whose patronage of classical music is in short, snobbery. He continues to explain that, This is why it is not only a younger generation that distances itself today from classical music but, increasingly, the whole of a middle class that was historically its driving force. Similar to the early, soft rock of the 50s and 60s, classical music is considered out-dated and a genre of music that our parents and elders listened to in the past. The difference is that classical music is stigmatized one that may be viewed as condescending and elitist. In our society today, to have any bit of higher educational value or

intellectual knowledge is frowned upon among those who know little or care less to welcome outside elements. The negative label contemporary culture has stamped on classical music carries through in public schools around the country. Music education and the arts in general have been a part of school curriculum for years. In Europe, this emphasis on classical music and art is wide-spread and forceful. With recent U.S. budget cuts, the arts have suffered because they are misunderstood and considered to be of lesser importance. Cowan explains, There is less music in public schools. We dont read music because of budget cuts, except in the well to- do schools. The upper middle class always has the advantage This is one situation that reinforces shared ideas about the correlation between the wealthy and musical education. State funding will not cover traditional music training in public schools because of tight finances, but private schools will be able to sustain efficient music classes as capital comes into the institution from tuition and separate donations. In this case, large divides form between people of higher classes who can afford parochial education and those of lower-middle classes who have only the choice to send their children to public schools. Johnson points out: Outside of debates about funding, the specific claims of high art and classical music are simply not heard in contemporary culture and indeed are hardly voiced anymore. Classical music is not consciously rejected; it is simply one cultural option among many that an individual chooses not to take up. If students are deprived of adequate musical education and are not taught to read music and understand theory, then why would they show curiosity in music they do not understand? Unless an individual personally seeks musical training through private lessons or specialized secondary schools and colleges, musical theory and classical exposure is void. Even then, those options cost a lot of money and many individuals

and families in America today cannot swing the extra cash for something that is merely an option. Most people would fiercely resist the idea that they need any instruction in how to listen to music. Because we can hear, we think we can listen, Johnson comments. To some, enriched understanding music is as simple as just listening to it a few times, ideology which leaves no room for argument about classical music schooling and its relevance to our society. This brings the community to a disadvantage. With little exposure to classical music in our civilization, peoples understanding will lessen significantly, and eventually the need for instrumental quartets, bands and orchestras will be depleted. Dr. Cowan regrettably notes that, Back up strings and bands used to enhance the voice and performance of a singer, are being replaced with synthesizers because they are cheaper Some orchestras are even folding because of the lack of attendance to concerts and appreciation for the genre. Dr. Cowan brings up modern technology and how that also impacts how we listen to and view music. With I-pods and downloadable music, it is so convenient to listen to a variety of music categories and do so 24/7. You can plug your ear buds into your ear and have music pumping into your head wherever and whenever you want. This diminishes the popularity and appreciation of live performances, especially classical concerts. All is not lost for classical music and all the nerds who adore it. Dr. Cowan admits that today, Orchestras are trying to do more broad ranged programs to try to appeal to a lot of different audiences and there are certainly a lot of pop concerts going onI do notice that there are fabulous music in movies. Thats where people are still hearing good music. Classical music and those performing it are gradually becoming more adaptable to fit the needs and grab the attention of such a diverse culture. Orchestrated renditions of mainstream music like Lady GaGas Bad Romance, or tracks from The Black Eyed Peas have been played by

professional symphonic groups at classical concerts. Johnson concludes, The kind of classical music that flourishes in this environment is that which is adaptable to the dominant functions of commercial music. Like anything else considered obsolete and unsuitable for our era, it must evolve to fit the current form or face extinction. Classical music is loosening from some of the social trappings that surrounded it in the 19th century, says Johnson. The decrease in awareness of classical music has been noticed so now the transition begins. Only time will tell how successful its evolution will be.