Al Mohler reviews the book, "Why Classical Music Still Matters" by Lawrence Kramer.
These are the best of times and the worst of times for classical music. More music is available to more people than ever before. The digital revolution has made more music available than at any previous time in human history, and available 24/7 at very low cost. Musical performances silent for decades are now available in new digital editions.Read the whole thing.Yet, enrollment in many musical education programs is dropping fast as children and teenagers play video games, spend time on the internet, join soccer leagues, and think of music as something they buy -- not something they do. Music programs in public schools are often cut for budgetary reasons or reduced in size and scope.
Lawrence Kramer, Professor of English and Music at Fordham University in New York City has written a wonderful and informative book intended to make the argument that classical music has a distinctive and much-needed place in our culture and in our individual lives.
Speaking of classical music. I just bought this recording yesterday: Mozart for your Mind. I feel smarter already. WAY smarter.
In all seriousness it's really good. I wish I would have paid more attention when I was forced to learn this kind of stuff when I was a kid. My parents told me to, but I just wanted to play basketball. That's probably why I lean towards jazz today.
1 comment:
It's never too late buddy!
One thing I'd like to do away with is the term "Classical Music." First of all, that is a gross misnomer. First of all, Classical Music only takes up about 100 years (a stretch) of music history. The musicians at the time never called it that. It was simply "music." We westerners have a distinct habit of compartmentalizing EVERYTHING and it is to the detriment of some seriously cool stuff. You might as well slap the title "Granny Music" on all the works of Bartok and Stravinsky. However, those that are looking for Granny Music in Bartok or Stravinsky are in for a rude awakening.
Calling all non-rock and roll music "Classical Music" is the same as calling all Rock and Roll Bee-bop.
Music is music. And Beethoven, Mozart, and Bach reign supreme as far as musical genius goes. But, taste is taste and no one should be lambasted for not preferring Bach over Bob Dylan, or Patsy Cline. However, there is no harm in enriching your mind with the great masters, just like there is nothing like studying Shakespeare, Dickens, Hemingway or Steinbeck instead of J.K. Rowling. It flexes the brain muscles and you come out the other end a better thinker and writer, even though I think Rowling is just great. But she's no Steinbeck, and she'd be the first to admit it.
Music education is partly responsible for stifling the interest in "Classical" music as it promotes a sort of stale and stagnant snobbery. I've met numerous Nashville musicians who dropped out of music school, feeling that studying music strips it of its enjoyment. This is a flaw in the system and a new and more effective one should replace it.
When I have taught music students in College and in private lessons I try very hard to find fine examples of well-written music from all eras and present them as valid examples of musical ingenuity. (I had my ear-training class dictate Blackbird, Elliot Smith's Alameda, and bunches of Radiohead for their daily exercise and it was extremely fun, and hard. I also had them bring in any music in their library that was out of the ordinary and that would prove a challenge.)
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